March 11 coronavirus news

By Veronica Rocha, Fernando Alfonso III, Joshua Berlinger, Jessie Yeung, Adam Renton and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, March 12, 2020

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2:23 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

San Francisco Giants cancel March 24 game

The San Francisco Giants announce it's canceling their preseason exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics at Oracle Park on March 24 due to a ban on large gatherings in the city and county.

The Giants are scheduled to start the regular season on the road and aren’t slated to host their first regular season game until April 3.

Here's the team's statement:

"We have been in close coordination with Major League Baseball and our local health and government agencies to monitor and plan for any potential impacts of COVID-19. In light of the City and County San Francisco’s announcement today to prohibit public gatherings of 1,000 people for the next two weeks, we will not play our upcoming March 24th exhibition game against the Oakland A’s at Oracle Park in San Francisco. We have no other large public gatherings scheduled at Oracle Park during this time period. We are in the process of working with Major League Baseball and the A’s to finalize alternative arrangements. We will make that information available as soon as possible."

2:17 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

There are 39 new coronavirus cases in New York, governor says

There are 39 new cases of coronavirus in New York state, bringing the total cases in the state to 212, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a news conference today.

Here are where the new cases are being reported:

13 in Westchester
12 in New York City
9 in Nassau County, Long Island
5 in Suffolk County, Long Island

2:12 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

Starbucks to offer catastrophe pay and mental health support to employees exposed to coronavirus

From CNN's Kate Trafecante

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Starbucks announced today that it will offer any employee diagnosed or exposed to COVID-19 up to 14 days of catastrophe pay.

"I want you to know that here at Starbucks, you should never have to choose between work and taking care of yourself," Rossann Williams, president of Starbucks US, wrote in a message to employees.

The catastrophe pay is an additional measure on top of sick pay and time off. If Starbucks employees are still unable to work after two weeks, they can access additional pay up to 26 weeks.

Starbucks is also offering employees mental health resources, such as access to free counseling and a meditation app.

1:52 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

San Francisco bans large group gatherings

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg

San Francisco is halting all large group gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of novel coronavirus, Mayor London Breed announced.

Group events of 1,000 or more people will be prohibited for now.

“We know cancelling these events is a challenge for everyone and we’ve been talking with venues and event organizers about the need to protect public health,” Breed said in a statement.

The order will be in place for two weeks and will be revisited as the coronavirus outbreak in the city continues to evolve.

1:37 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

Washington state governor prohibits large events in three counties

Gov. Jay Inslee announced that Washington state will prohibit events of more than 250 people in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

At least 273 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Washington state. There have been at least 24 coronavirus-related deaths in the state.

3:50 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

US congresswoman suggests Capitol should be closed down due to outbreak

From CNN's Manu Raju

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is 86 and the oldest member of the Senate, suggested that the US Capitol should be closed down — at least temporarily — in light of the coronavirus scare.

“I’m worried about the fact that we need to close this place down. I really believe that now. Look at us, how close. It’s just an example of what’s happened. The cases have topped 1,000 and here’s where they’re going," she said.

Asked to clarify, she said: “I think you close it for meetings and that kind of thing and people can come in if they want to come into their office. I’ve got constituents by the hundreds that come across the country and I don’t think they should right now.”

On whether essential business should continue, she said: “I don’t think there’s anything that’s all that important. We are out next week anyway.”

12:58 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

World Health Organization says it's seeing "alarming levels of inaction"

From CNN Health’s Jamie Gumbrecht

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing today that the agency is "deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction” when he said the novel coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic.

He added: “We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: All countries can still change the course of this pandemic."

3:46 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

CDC director says some coronavirus-related deaths have been found posthumously

During the House Oversight Committee discussion on the novel coronavirus response, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said some deaths from coronavirus have been discovered posthumously.

Rep. Harley Rouda asked CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield if it’s possible that some flu patients may have been misdiagnosed and actually had coronavirus.

"The standard practice is the first thing you do is test for influenza, so if they had influenza they would be positive," Redfield said.

Rouda then asked Redfield if they are doing posthumous testing.

Redfield said there has been "a surveillance system of deaths from pneumonia, that the CDC has; it’s not in every city, every state, every hospital.”

Rouda followed up and asked, “So we could have some people in the United States dying for what appears to be influenza when in fact it could be the coronavirus?”

The doctor replied that “some cases have actually been diagnosed that way in the United States today.”

12:48 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020

First coronavirus death reported in Ireland

Ireland has had its first death related to coronavirus, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of this patient," Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer with the Department of Health, said,

Holohan urged the media and public to respect their privacy.

"We continue our efforts to interrupt the transmission of this virus. It will take all of us, collectively to succeed. Please continue to follow public health advice," he said.