Here’s What Every State in America Is Doing to Combat the Spread of the Coronavirus; U.S. Death Toll Raises to 69; The CDC Said Gatherings of More Than 50 People Should Be Canceled

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By Daily Caller. States across America are beginning to take various measures in an effort to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. . .

ALABAMA : All K-12 schools closed for two weeks; state of emergency issued

ALASKA: Public schools closed for two weeks; State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska closed to the public as well as all government buildings; several public spaces shut down by the Municipality of Anchorage (the Brett Ice Arena, borough libraries, swimming pools, municipal recreation centers, ice rinks, museum); limited visiting allowed for Pioneer Homes, the state-run assisted living facilities

ARIZONA: All K-12 schools, including charter and private schools, are closed until March 27; child care centers are not included

ARKANSAS : All schools will suspend on-site lessons starting Tuesday

(Read more from “Here’s What Every State in America Is Doing to Combat the Spread of the Coronavirus” HERE)

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New York City to Limit Restaurants and Bars to Take-Out and Delivery, Movie Theaters to Shut

By CNBC. New York City will limit restaurants, bars, and cafes to serve only take-out and delivery, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Nightclubs, movie theaters and small theater houses as well as concert venues have been ordered to close. Those measures will go into effect starting March 17 at 9 a.m. local time.

“The virus can spread rapidly through the close interactions New Yorkers have in restaurants, bars and places where we sit close together. We have to break that cycle,” de Blasio said in a statement.

“This is not a decision I make lightly,” he added. “These places are part of the heart and soul of our city. They are part of what it means to be a New Yorker. But our city is facing an unprecedented threat, and we must respond with a wartime mentality.”

The city’s public school system will also begin temporarily shutting down this week to help combat the spread of infection. (Read more from “New York City to Limit Restaurants and Bars to Take-Out and Delivery, Movie Theaters to Shut” HERE)

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With U.S. Death Toll at 69, Health Officials Set to Ramp up Testing; CDC Offers New Guidance; Fed Cuts Rate to Zero

By USA Today. The race to get home was in full swing Sunday for Americans abroad while millions of students at home were facing a Monday without school as the coronavirus crisis continued its dangerous spiral around the world.

The U.S. death toll rose to 68 across 12 states on Sunday, with the total number of confirmed cases surging to 3,774. The worldwide death toll topped 6,500.

Anxiety and action were on the rise. Thousands of schools for kindergartners to doctoral candidates will be closed nationwide, and no one knows for sure when they will reopen. Stores and supermarkets were curbing hours or shutting down altogether. Cities and states were recommending or requiring mass closure, even mass self-isolation.

The CDC on Sunday issued further guidance, encouraging social distancing and recommending against gatherings of 50 or more people for the “next eight weeks.”

At a Sunday evening press briefing at the White House with members of the Coronavirus Task Force, health officials said they are planning to ramp up coronavirus testing by tens of thousands of additional people a week, beginning this week. (Read more from “With U.S. Death Toll at 69, Health Officials Set to Ramp up Testing; CDC Offers New Guidance; Fed Cuts Rate to Zero” HERE)

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The CDC Said Gatherings of More Than 50 People Should Be Canceled Because of the Coronavirus

By BuzzFeed News. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday said that all gatherings — including weddings, religious services, and concerts — should be canceled as the US battles the coronavirus pandemic.

“Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies. These events can be planned not only by organizations and communities but also by individuals,” the CDC said.

The cancelations should happen for the next 8 weeks, the CDC said.

There’s a lot we still don’t know about the coronavirus outbreak. Our newsletter, Outbreak Today, will do its best to put everything we do know in one place — you can sign up here. Do you have questions you want answered? You can always get in touch. And if you’re someone who is seeing the impact of this firsthand, we’d also love to hear from you (you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels).

(Read more from “The CDC Said Gatherings of More Than 50 People Should Be Canceled Because of the Coronavirus” HERE)

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Trump Considering ‘Full’ Pardon for Michael Flynn

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President Donald Trump said Sunday he is considering a full pardon for former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about dealings with Russia’s ambassador before Trump took office.

Flynn attempted to withdraw the guilty plea in January, saying federal prosecutors had acted in “bad faith” and broke their end of the bargain when they sought prison time for him.

“I am strongly considering a Full Pardon!” Trump tweeted. The president also cited an unspecified report that the Justice Department had lost records related to Flynn’s case. In response, Flynn’s lawyer, Sidney Powell, tweeted, “Thank you, Mr. President” and said “the persecution” of his client “is an egregious injustice.”

(Editor’s note – Please watch this insightful interview on Gen. Flynn from last week:)

Prosecutors had initially said Flynn was entitled to avoid prison time because of his extensive cooperation, but the relationship with the retired Army lieutenant general grew increasingly contentious after he hired a new set of lawyers.

Flynn is one of six Trump aides and associates charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into ties between the Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. (Read more from “Trump Considering ‘Full’ Pardon for Michael Flynn” HERE)

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Why Is Toilet Paper Vanishing From Supermarkets? (VIDEO); Tom Cotton: Anyone Who Casts ‘Wuhan Virus’ as Xenophobic Is a ‘Politically Correct Fool’; Fox News Host Says U.S. Should Remember ‘the Wuhan Virus That Poisoned the World’ When Trading With China

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By Fox Business. You might notice something unusual, not to mention unfortunate, next time you try to stock up on bathroom supplies at your local grocery store.

Not just the bare shelves where hand sanitizer and cleansing wipes were plentiful only a few weeks ago, but the empty aisles where toilet paper usually abounds in quantities from single rolls to packages of more than a dozen. . .

One is reason is that people are going to extremes because of conflicting messages, Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist and author of “The Psychology of Pandemics,” told CNN. . .

The second reason: They aren’t receiving clear direction from the government. . .

Social media has heightened the tension, as have visits to stores where other shoppers are stockpiling with abandon. (Read more from “Why Is Toilet Paper Vanishing From Supermarkets?” HERE)

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Tom Cotton: Anyone Who Casts ‘Wuhan Virus’ as Xenophobic Is a ‘Politically Correct Fool’

By Washington Examiner. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton defended the use of the phrase “Wuhan Virus” from critics who complain it is xenophobic.

The Republican was prompted to react to media disapproval of labeling the coronavirus in such a way that identifies its widely believed origin in Wuhan, China, by Fox News host Jesse Watters on his Saturday evening show, Watters’ World.

“Anyone who complains that it’s racist or xenophobic to call this virus the Chinese coronavirus or the Wuhan virus is a politically correct fool,” Cotton said.

Moments earlier, Watters showed a tweet from MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, who said: “Just astoundingly gross to call it the Wuhan Virus.”

The senator said these critics should be ignored, particularly talking about the spread of the deadly illness. (Read more from “Tom Cotton: Anyone Who Casts ‘Wuhan Virus’ as Xenophobic Is a ‘Politically Correct Fool'” HERE)

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Fox News Host Says U.S. Should Remember ‘the Wuhan Virus That Poisoned the World’ When Trading With China

By Newsweek. On Friday, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade stated that the U.S. should remember the novel coronavirus as “the Wuhan virus that poisoned the world,” when participating in trade deals with China.

“The next time someone signs up for their Belt and Road program or for Huawei, they should keep on the Wuhan virus that poisoned the world,” Kilmeade said. “That’s what you get when you get Chinese trade and that’s what the American companies should keep in mind when they cut these deals.”

Kilmeade’s comments come as the show was discussing Chinese officials blaming the U.S for the coronavirus with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Their discussion stemmed from a recent tweet by Lijian Zhao, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry, where he suggested that the U.S. brought the novel coronavirus to Wuhan, and not that it originated in the city. (Read more from “Fox News Host Says U.S. Should Remember ‘the Wuhan Virus That Poisoned the World’ When Trading With China” HERE)

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The U.S. May Have to Target the IRGC in Iran to Stop Iraq Base Attacks

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Escalating Iranian-orchestrated attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq are unlikely to stop until President Trump orders limited retaliation against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets on Iranian soil.

The growing challenge is obvious following two significant rocket attacks this week on the U.S. military’s Camp Taji.

The first attack killed two U.S. service members and one British soldier. A second attack on Saturday morning wounded three Americans and two Iraqis. Both attacks were carried out by Iran’s Kata’ib Hezbollah militia proxy, under direction from Iran’s IRGC. But what makes these attacks particularly concerning is that they are designed to kill. That might seem obvious, but the use hereof numerous rockets targeting areas of Camp Taji where soldiers congregate stands these incidents apart from other rocket attacks, which are primarily designed to harass. . .

Well, retaliating against Kata’ib Hezbollah, as following the first attack this week, is inadequate. Iran clearly didn’t view that retaliation as serious, or it wouldn’t have allowed this second attack to occur. Kata’ib Hezbollah is the sideshow here, Iran is the key problem. But the U.S. has alternate options.

At the top-line level, the loss of two Americans this week shows an imminent and continuing threat. So Trump does not need congressional authority to take limited action against the IRGC inside Iran. And that’s important because the U.S. could likely restore deterrent balance by targeting one or several IRGC military sites. The catastrophic impact that the coronavirus is wreaking on Iranian civil society means that the regime is under immense pressure. This pressure is exacerbated by U.S. efforts to support the growing protest movement. And while these attacks and Iranian escalations on the nuclear front are designed toward coercing the U.S. into sanctions relief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot risk an escalatory showdown with the U.S. The supreme leader won’t admit it, but he knows it’s a showdown he can’t win. (Read more from “The U.S. May Have to Target the IRGC in Iran to Stop Iraq Base Attacks” HERE)

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Here’s When Coronavirus Is Most Contagious; Over 70s to Be Told to Self-Isolate for Months Even If Not Ill

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By Science News. As sweeping efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic go into effect around the globe, researchers are starting to get hints of just when patients are most contagious.

People infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the disease, may test positive for the virus both before and after they have symptoms. But a new study of nine people who contracted the virus in Germany suggests that people are mainly contagious before they have symptoms and in the first week of the disease.

Infectious viruses were isolated from about 17 percent of nose and throat swabs and more than 83 percent of phlegm samples during that first week, researchers report March 8 in a study posted at medRxiv.org.

Patients produced thousands to millions of viruses in their noses and throats, about 1,000 times as much virus as produced in SARS patients, Clemens Wendtner, director of infectious disease and tropical medicine at Munich Clinic Schwabing, a teaching hospital, and his colleagues found. That heavy load of viruses may help explain why the new coronavirus is so infectious. . .

After the eighth day of symptoms, the researchers could still detect the virus’s genetic material, RNA, in patients’ swabs or samples, but could no longer find infectious viruses. That’s an indication that antibodies that the body’s immune system makes against SARS-CoV-2 are killing viruses that get out of cells, Wendtner says. (Read more from “Here’s When Coronavirus Is Most Contagious” HERE)

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Over 70s to Be Told to Self-Isolate for Months Even If Not Ill

By Mirror UK. People in Britain aged over 70 will be instructed soon by the government to stay in strict isolation for four months as part of a planned response to coronavirus, broadcaster ITV’s political editor said.

Robert Peston said the government was likely to enforce a “wartime-style” mobilisation effort in the next five to 20 days.

Other measures being planned include hotels and other building being used as temporary hospitals, privately-run hospitals being converted into emergency medical care centres and commissioning several companies to make respirators that can keep acutely ill victims alive.

New rules would see pubs, bars and restaurants shut their doors temporarily and schools would close for a few weeks but children of key workers will be allowed to continue attending as skeleton staff will be providing childcare.

A senior government source told ITV News, the belief that the government are reluctant to make difficult and costly decisions to battle the virus is untrue. (Read more from “Over 70s to Be Told to Self-Isolate for Months Even If Not Ill” HERE)

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Newt Gingrich: I Am in Italy Amid the Coronavirus Crisis. America Must Act Now—and Act Big; Italy Reports 3,590 More Coronavirus Cases, Its Biggest One-Day Increase; Austria Announces Major Restrictions on Movement

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By Newsweek. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic poses two threats: public health and economic. . .

I have watched first-hand as the Italian government has worked hard to contain the coronavirus by imposing strong public health measures to try to get the epidemic under control. These measures will lead to significant economic challenges. . .

These steps are not an overreaction. The coronavirus is out of control of in Northern Italy. As of 6 p.m. local/1 p.m. EST on March 10, there were 15,113 total cases in Italy, with 12,839 active cases, 1,016 deaths and 1,258 recoveries. And there were 162 total cases here in Rome.

The hardest-hit region around Milan has had to improvise as its health system has been deeply stressed by the sheer number of patients. In Milan and Brescia, field hospitals have been set up in the fairgrounds as the local hospitals have been drowned in patients.

Because the demand for respirators and intensive care has been beyond any previous planning, doctors have been forced into the kind of triage thinking developed for intense battlefield casualty situations. There are reports that emergency room doctors are allotting respirators to those with higher life expectancy due to the limited equipment in the hardest hit areas of the province. If you are older or have other illnesses, you may simply not be eligible for treatment. (Read more from “Newt Gingrich: I Am in Italy Amid the Coronavirus Crisis. America Must Act Now—and Act Big” HERE)

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Italy Reports 3,590 More Coronavirus Cases, Its Biggest One-Day Increase

By The Hill. Italy on Sunday reported its biggest one-day increase in cases and deaths during the coronavirus outbreak.

Italy recorded 3,590 cases and 398 deaths in a 24-hour period, Italy’s Civil Protection chief, Angelo Borrelli, announced Sunday, The Associated Press reported. In total, the country has confirmed more than 24,700 cases and more than 1,800 deaths.

The country, which has been on lockdown since last week, reports that almost 2,000 people have recovered from the coronavirus in the nation.

Italy’s previous record number of deaths in a 24-hour period was 250, which was announced Friday.

Italy’s national health institute chief, Silvio Brusaferro, said it is unclear if Italy is reaching its peak number of cases, meaning it could soon decline, according to the AP. (Read more from “Italy Reports 3,590 More Coronavirus Cases, Its Biggest One-Day Increase” HERE)

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Austria Announces Major Restrictions on Movement Over Coronavirus

By Reuters. Austria’s chancellor announced major restrictions on movement in public places on Sunday, banning gatherings of more than five persons and urging Austrians to self-isolate, as well as putting further limits on who can enter the country.

The restrictions on public movement and gatherings will come into force on Monday, while restaurants are ordered closed from Tuesday, when new restrictions on entering the country will also take effect, a government spokesman said.

“Austrians are being summoned to isolate themselves,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s office said in a statement. “That means only making social contact with the people with whom they live.”

People should only leave the house for work that could not be postponed, to buy necessary food supplies and to help others, it said.

The western region of Tyrol, home to popular ski resorts where Austria’s first cases were reported and where 245 cases had been confirmed as of Sunday morning, announced a total lockdown on Sunday, with its governor saying the region found itself in “the most difficult situation we’ve ever faced in the post-war years”. (Read more from “Austria Announces Major Restrictions on Movement Over Coronavirus” HERE)

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Biden Taps Coronavirus ‘Expert’ Who Thinks 75 Is the Perfect Age to Die

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For a pandemic that seems particularly fatal for the elderly, Joe Biden has tapped a so-called “expert” to advise him about the Wuhan coronavirus. The only problem with the “expert” is that he believes people should die before they get too old, saying he himself wishes to die at the age of 75. Biden is 77.

The former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate has decided to create a “Public Health Advisory Committee” to inform him about the coronavirus while the candidate campaigns for the White House. Biden is trying to paint a picture of himself as an informed, capable leader who can spearhead this nation’s way out of anything. On Friday, the candidate and his team couldn’t figure out how to run a virtual town hall.

One of the Democratic advisers picked to join Biden’s advisory committee on the Wuhan virus is Obamacare architect and noted bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel. In keeping with the Democrats’ culture of death, Emanuel wrote a piece for The Atlantic titled, “Why I Hope to Die at 75.”

In Emanuel’s piece, the author talks about how everyone thinks he’s crazy for wishing to die at 75 but believes “75 is a pretty good age to aim to stop.” For those wondering, Emanuel is 62 years old. . .

This is just the kind of thinking Joe Biden wants on his health advisory committee during the coronavirus. The average age of those who have died from the Wuhan virus in the United States is 81 years old, and 25 of the nearly 50 deaths in the United States reported so far have been linked to a single nursing home. (Read more from “Biden Taps Coronavirus ‘Expert’ Who Thinks 75 Is the Perfect Age to Die” HERE)

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U.S. Fighters Catch Russian Spy Planes Near Alaska for 2nd Time in Days

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For the second time in less than a week, the U.S. has intercepted Russian maritime surveillance aircraft in what’s known as the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, military officials announced Saturday.

Two pairs of Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft were tracked and intercepted Saturday by Air Force F-22 Raptors, supported by KC-132 Stratotanker refueling aircraft and E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System planes.

“The Russian aircraft entered the ADIZ from the West and North of Alaska respectively,” officials with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said in a release. “The western pair of Tu-142s remained within the ADIZ for approximately 4 hours and loitered in the vicinity of the U.S. Navy’s ICEX where they are conducting submarine exercises. The Tu-142s were escorted by F-22s the entire time.” . . .

A pair of Tu-142s to the north spent only about 15 minutes in the zone, and also received an F-22 escort, officials said.

ICEX, which began March 5, is an Arctic preparedness exercise involving two U.S. Navy submarines, forces from five different countries and more than 100 participants. The exercise requires troops to set up a temporary camp on an ice floe and use the camp as a command center for submarine operations taking place below the ice, at temperatures averaging negative 27 degrees Fahrenheit. (Read more from “U.S. Fighters Catch Russian Spy Planes Near Alaska for 2nd Time in Days” HERE)

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Reporter Objects to Trump Wearing ‘USA’ Hat During Press Conference, Gets Destroyed on Twitter

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President Donald Trump addressed the nation once again on Saturday morning on the latest developments in the coronavirus outbreak. During a White House press briefing, the president noted additional measures the federal government is taking to keep Americans safe during the national emergency. He even noted that he had taken a COVID-19 test to see if he had contracted the deadly virus after being in proximity with at least one individual who tested positive for the illness.

In light of all the news, a White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Chris Megerian, decided to focus on what really matters: President Donald Trump wore a “USA” baseball cap at the press briefing. No, we are not joking. Megerian actually raised this as an issue.

“Trump is at the White House addressing a national emergency over a global pandemic while wearing a baseball hat you can buy on his campaign website,” wrote the journalist in a tweet.

When confronted on the absurdity of his tweet, Megerian defended himself by replying: “I’m not the one who put a campaign hat on the president’s head.” . . .

By Saturday afternoon, Megerian’s tweet was “ratioed,” which is when the number of negative replies to a certain tweet (11,500 in this case) vastly outnumber its “likes” (3,200). (Read more from “Reporter Objects to Trump Wearing ‘USA’ Hat During Press Conference, Gets Destroyed on Twitter” HERE)

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GOP Lawmaker Introduces Bill to End Dependency on China’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

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In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain disruptions, one Republican lawmaker is seeking to decrease America’s dependence on China.

Appearing on “Fox and Friends” Sunday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) explained that she has introduced legislation to increase America’s pharmaceutical production to decrease dependency on China.

“It is the SAM-C Bill, Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet,” Blackburn said. “Many of the pharmaceuticals that are necessary for creating some of these viruses — and certainly the coronavirus family is one of those — they’re made only in China.”

“We are depended upon them for these. They’re called APIs: active pharmaceutical ingredients,” she continued. “My legislation would incentivize bringing that production back on U.S. shores.” (Read more from “GOP Lawmaker Introduces Bill to End Dependency on China’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing” HERE)

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