March 11 coronavirus news

A health minister in Boris Johnson's government has become the first British MP to test positive for coronavirus, raising fears about the potential spread of the disease in Westminster.

Nadine Dorries, who attended a reception with the Prime Minister and his fiancé Carrie Symonds in Downing Street last Thursday, said in a statement on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with the virus and is in self-isolation.

Health officials are now racing to trace those who have had contact with Dorries, who has kept a busy diary of engagements in and around the UK's political center.

Her diagnosis raises questions about whether the UK's Parliament will need to be temporarily shut down. Officials confirmed to CNN that there are still no plans to take such a step.

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Poland is to shut all schools from Monday in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus, after 25 cases were confirmed in the country.

A spokesperson for the Ministry for National Education confirmed to CNN that all schools in Poland will close until March 25. Schools will remain open this week to assist parents unable to sort out last-minute childcare arrangements but no lessons will take place.

Parents of children aged eight or younger who stay at home with their children will be entitled to a care allowance for up to 14 days from the Polish Social Insurance Institution.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that authorities believed 60-70% of the population would eventually get infected by the novel coronavirus.

Speaking at a Berlin coronavirus news conference along with Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn, Merkel said it was important not to overburden the health system.

She noted that every European country was affected, sending special thoughts to Italy in its fight against the virus.

Merkel said countries should focus on and support research, adding that Germany would deal with the crisis in a de-centralized manner.

German lawmakers will hold a meeting Thursday to coordinate regarding the crisis.

This is about protecting vulnerable people, she added.

How coronavirus can lead countries like Germany into recession:

Beijing's municipal government has announced tightened quarantine rules targeting international arrivals, amid a growing number of imported cases in the Chinese capital.

Starting immediately, anyone arriving in Beijing from overseas will be required to self-quarantine at home or designated facilities for 14 days. Previously, only people arriving from "high-risk" regions were mandated to do so.

International business travelers can only stay at designated hotels in Beijing and have to be tested for the coronavirus. They are not allowed to leave their hotels before receiving test results.

The city has cordoned off a wing of Terminal 3 at its massive Capital International Airport to screen and register all international arrivals.

The authorities have also set up a transportation hub at an exhibition center near the airport, deploying a dedicated fleet of cars to drive arriving passengers to their homes or facilities for medical observation.

Beijing's Capital airport is the world's second busiest, with more than 100 million travelers passing through its three terminals last year, of which more than 26 million were international passengers.

On Tuesday, Beijing reported six new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, all of which were imported cases, including five from Italy and one from the United States.

Italians are taking the quarantine measures increasingly seriously on day two of the nationwide restrictions, with most people wearing masks at the Testaccio market in Rome.

There were a few arguments as people “got too close” to each other, while others had mastered the skill of lifting their masks to smoke.

The ground was covered in tape marking the required meter (three feet) to be maintained between people, along with signs giving instructions on expected behavior after the country recorded more than 10,000 reported cases.

According to government guidelines, hairdressers and beauty salons should only fulfil existing bookings and must avoid close contact between customers and staff, who are expected to wear masks and gloves.

But barbers were seen cutting hair on the sidewalk this morning.

While defiant attitudes had lessened, there was talk of "clandestine dinner parties" and secret socialization going on in certain buildings.

The Italian finance minister Roberto Gualtieri said Italy has allocated 25 billion euros -- $28 billion -- to fight the coronavirus crisis.

How Italy's lockdown is affecting daily life: 

Health officials in Washington state have announced that at least 10 long-term care facilities have reported positive COVID-19 cases. 

King County Public Health Department said officials were working with the care facilities where residents and/or employees had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The health department said it was working to prevent further transmission and due to the volume of cases, was unable to provide additional detail beyond the names of the facilities. 

Washington has 273 cases of coronavirus, more than any other US state, and 24 deaths.

Belgium announced the country's first death from the novel coronavirus Wednesday morning.

The Belgian Public Health Federal Service's communications department told CNN the victim was a 90-year-old, who was treated in a Brussels clinic. 

Last Friday, the number of cases more than doubled in Belgium over 24 hours.

There have been 267 cases detected in the country as of this Wednesday.

The national Austrian rail system ÖBB has stopped passenger rail traffic between Austria and Italy as of Wednesday morning, ÖBB press officer Bernhard Rieder told CNN.

There have been 131 coronavirus cases in Austria, but no deaths, while there have been 10,149 cases in Italy and 631 deaths.

Italy has now entered its second day of lockdown, with public spaces including movie theaters and museums closed, schools suspended and movement around the country restricted to essential travel.

The US Treasury is likely to push back the April 15 tax filing deadline, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing an administration official and another person familiar with the matter.

The move would come as part of an effort to reduce the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on businesses and individuals, the sources told the newspaper.

The plan has not been finalized, and officials are still working out how far the filing deadline may be pushed back and who would be eligible, the person familiar with the discussions told the WSJ.