March 8 coronavirus news

The 2020 BNP Paribas Open, a major tennis tournament that would've brought thousands of people to Southern California, was canceled Sunday over coronavirus concerns, according to a tweet from the tournament and the tournament's website.

The tournament was scheduled to start Monday and last through March 22. Dr. David Agus, a University of Southern California professor of medicine and biomedical engineering, said holding the tournament wasn't in "the public interest of fans, players and neighboring areas for this tournament to proceed."

"We all have to join together to protect the community from the coronavirus outbreak,” Agus said.

Tournament director Tommy Haas said organizers are prepared to hold the tournament on another date and "will explore options."

A new presumptive positive case of coronavirus has been identified in Harris County, Texas, according to a press release from Harris County Public Health.

The individual is a woman between the age of 60 and 70 from northwest Harris County, outside Houston, the release said. The new patient is associated with the M.S. A'sara cruise traveling to and from Aswan, Egypt, the release said.

The woman is stable, in quarantine and continuously being monitored by health officials, the release said. There have been at least five other cases identified in Harris County, which includes the city of Houston.

This is the 12th case in the state of Texas.

Shasta County, California, has confirmed its first presumptive positive case of coronavirus, the county’s health and human services agency announced in a press release Sunday.

The patient is a man in his 50s who is recovering in isolation at home, the release said.

He had a history of recent travel and public health staff are working to identify anyone who may have been in close contact with the patient, the release said.

Shasta County is about 200 miles north of Sacramento.

This case brings California's total to 89 confirmed cases.

Saudi Arabia announced Sunday it is temporarily suspending flights and naval travel to and from several countries in an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, citing a Saudi Interior Ministry statement. 

The countries included on the suspension include:

Saudi Arabia also decided to temporarily suspend “the entry of those coming from those countries, or the entry of those who were there during the 14 days prior to his arrival.” SPA said in its report.

The Regal Princess will dock at 10 p.m. ET at Port Everglades, according to a tweet from Port Everglades.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cleared the ship to dock, the tweet said.

Princess Cruises canceled a new sailing of the Regal Princess Sunday after the disembarkation was delayed due to coronavirus testing on two crew members.

The no sail order by Department of Health and Human Resources and the CDC has been lifted, the US Coast Guard told CNN in an emailed statement.

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.