March 8 coronavirus news

Iowa has identified three presumptive positive cases of coronavirus, the first cases in the state, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The three patients are all residents of Johnson County who were on a cruise in Egypt, the department said in a press release on Sunday.

The group was on the cruise between February 17 and March 2. They returned to the US on March 3, state public health director Gerd Clabaugh said during a press conference.

One of the patients is between the ages of 41 and 60, and the two others are between the ages of 61 and 80, the release said.

Two patients have underlying health conditions, but none of them required hospitalization, according to the release.

A total of 37 people have undergone testing in Iowa for the virus. Of those 37, three were positive, 26 were negative and eight tests are still pending, according to Clabaugh.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged President Donald Trump to include several provisions -- including paid sick leave and enhanced unemployment insurance -- in any possible proposal by the administration to stem the harmful economic consequences of the coronavirus and provide stimulus.

The economic provisions they are asking for include paid sick leave, enhanced unemployment insurance and enhanced food aid such as more money for food stamps and school lunch programs.

"The administration must move more quickly and seriously to address the severe impacts of the coronavirus on the financial security of America’s families," they said in the statement.

CNN has asked the White House for comment regarding the Democrats’ proposals.

The administration has not said what it may include in any proposal aimed at reducing the economic impact.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz will self-quarantine in Texas after interacting with an individual at the Conservative Political Action Conference who tested positive for the coronavirus.

Cruz said in a statement he is "not experiencing any symptoms" but "out of an abundance of caution" he will remain in Texas until a full 14 days passes after the interaction.

"The people who have interacted with me in the 10 days since CPAC should not be concerned about potential transmission," Cruz said.

The American Conservative Union announced Sunday that no one has reported any "unusual illness" after the Maryland Department of Health screened thousands of employees from the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center and a Residence Inn.

The group hosted its annual Conservative Political Action Conference at the resort on February 26-29 and it was revealed on Saturday that an attendee subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus.

The release says the group is in contact with the infected individual and "he continues to be doing better."

"At this point, no other CPAC attendee, participant or staff has tested positive for coronavirus," the release said.

One new presumptive positive case of coronavirus has been identified in Broward County, Florida, according to a tweet from the Florida Department of Health.

The new case is a 67-year-old male who is currently isolated, the tweet read.

This is the third case in Broward County, bringing the state total to 13.

Four new presumptive positive cases of coronavirus have been identified in South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

This brings the state total to six. The two previous cases were announced on March 6.

Two of the new contacts -- an elderly woman and man -- were direct contacts, defined as close face-to face contact, with an elderly woman in Camden who was announced as a presumptive positive on March 6, the department said in a statement. The woman and who came in contact with the March 6 case are both isolated at this time.

The other two cases include a man from Camden with no known connection to the other cases. He was evaluated at a health care facility and is currently isolated at home, the release said.

The fourth new case is a man from Spartanburg County with no known connection to any other cases. He had recently traveled to Italy. He is not hospitalized and is currently isolated at home, the release said.

The department also provided updates on the two previous cases. An elderly woman from Camden has been transferred to a health care facility in the Midlands to receive a higher level of care and remains in isolation. The woman from Charleston County is free of symptoms and continuing to self-monitor, according to the release.

Riverside County in Southern California has confirmed its first "locally acquired" case of coronavirus, according to a Riverside County Public Health Department press release.

The patient is currently being treated at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, the press release says.

Another Riverside County resident who tested positive with the virus was a former passenger on a cruise and is still recovering at a Northern California hospital.

“That individual has not returned to Riverside County since leaving the cruise ship,” the press release says.

The latest case brings the number of confirmed cases in California to 88.

The US federal government chose the Port of Oakland in California as the disembarkation location for the Grand Princess cruise ship, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced in a press conference Sunday.

Oakland was chosen for several logistical reasons, said state Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Its proximity to Oakland Airport will allow foreign passengers from the cruise to be repatriated to their home countries through chartered flights. These passengers will have no contact with the general population in the airport terminals, Newsom said. The chartered flights, processed with the US State Department, will be completely separate.

Oakland is close to Travis Air Force Base, where California residents from the cruise ship will be quarantined for 14 days. The base is roughly 50 miles north of the port.

Mayor Schaaf said the community of Oakland will be safe and constantly informed about the operation. She added that she has addressed state and federal partners about the context of the Oakland community, which has suffered "decades of environment racism and injustice."

Nobody will be quarantined in Oakland, she said. The site is currently being secured.

The cruise ship is anticipated to dock sometime Monday and the operation is expected to last two to three days, according to Newsom.

A second presumptive positive case of coronavirus has been identified in Clark County, Nevada, according to Southern Nevada Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore.

The investigation is in the preliminary stage and more information on the case is expected Monday, Sizemore said in a statement.

This latest case brings the total in Nevada to four with two cases in Washoe County and two cases in Clark County, according to CNN's count.