March 8 coronavirus news

The father of a woman with a presumptive positive case of coronavirus attended a school function with another child Saturday against the orders of health officials to isolate, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said during a Sunday press conference.

The presumptive positive case in St. Louis County was identified as a woman in her 20s who had recently returned from Italy, a press release issued Saturday said. The only reported case in the state, the woman had fever and respiratory issues, Gov. Mike Parson said.

The woman's father and other family members had been in daily contact multiple times a day since March 5 and knew they were supposed to isolate at home, Page said.

Health officials have since spoken to the father and told him he needs to stay home. They will obtain a court order for quarantine if necessary, Page said.

Page did not know how many people attended the school function or what the possibility for exposure was. The father and other members of the family are not exhibiting symptoms, he said.

Two new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus have been identified in Nebraska, according to a press release from the state Department of Health and Human Services. The new cases bring the state total to three.

Both new cases are family members of the first case, a woman in her 30s in Douglas County who recently returned from England.

The two new cases are experiencing mild symptoms. They are also Douglas County residents and have been in self-quarantine since Friday, the release said.

The woman continues to be treated at the Biocontainment Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the release said.

Health officials are working to identify any additional people who were in close contact with the initial patient.

Forty new cases of coronavirus and 22 deaths were reported in mainland China on Sunday, according to China’s National Health Commission.

The death toll across mainland China stands at 3,119 with 3,007 deaths in Hubei province. The total number of confirmed cases in mainland China rose to 80,735.

Of the 40 cases on Sunday, 36 are in Wuhan. The other four cases outside Hubei are imported cases from people coming overseas. Hubei province had 21 of the 22 reported deaths on Sunday.

The NHC added that 58,600 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Marine Corps Base Quantico will operate under a “Code Yellow” status beginning Monday, according to a tweet from the base’s official Twitter account, after a Marine on the base tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Code Yellow status authorizes unscheduled leave while “mission essential” personnel are expected to report to work.

The tweet indicated schools on the base will be closed for cleaning until March 11. Additionally, the tweet indicated the sick Marine is improving in the hospital.

"Risk exposure to the virus remains low," the base's statement read.

There are 550 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to the state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are 49 cases of repatriated citizens, including three from Wuhan China, 46 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 21 on the Grand Princess cruise ship.

There are 480 cases in 34 states and the District of Columbia, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 550, according to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States through public health systems.

A total of 21 people have died from the coronavirus in the US.

A program to rotate guests to get some fresh air and sunlight on the Grand Princess cruise ship has been approved, Capt. John Harry Smith said in an announcement today.

They will prioritize passengers who are staying in the inside staterooms first, he added.

The first 405 medical prescriptions for passengers have been delivered and the next batch are being processed according to priority, the captain said.

“One guest was disembarked for medical reasons this morning on the boat that brought the medicine to the ship,” Smith said.

Qatar announced Sunday it is temporarily suspending entry from 14 countries in addition to Italy in an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus , according to a statement from the Qatar Government Communications Office.

The following countries were included on the temporary suspension:

Vietnam confirmed nine additional cases of novel coronavirus on Sunday, totaling 30 in the country, according to a government statement.

All new cases were on the same flight of Viet Nam Airlines with a previously confirmed patient who flew from the United Kingdom to Vietnam on March 2.

They are all foreign nationals – seven from England, one from Mexico and one from Iceland aged between 58 and 74.

The second presumptive positive case of coronavirus has been identified in Minnesota, according to a press release from the state Department of Health.

The case is a resident of Carver County in their 50s who was likely exposed to the virus while traveling in Europe in late February, the release said.

The patient developed symptoms on March 2 and sought health care Saturday, according to the release. The patient is in isolation at home and is recovering, the release said.

Health officials are working to identify and contact anyone who was in contact with the patient. Anyone identified will be asked to quarantine for 14 days, according to the release.