March 13 coronavirus news

Disney will pause production on some of its live-action films, according to a Disney studio spokesperson.

“While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision..,” the Disney studio spokesperson said.

The movies include:

Disney said that they will continue to assess the situation and restart “as soon as feasible,” the spokesperson said.

Yes, because you or a family member might suddenly have to quarantine — but it's a good idea to always have extra food and medication anyway.

"Consider keeping a two-week to 30-day supply of nonperishable food at home," Harvard Medical School says. "These items can also come in handy in other types of emergencies, such as power outages or snowstorms."

In addition, try to keep at least a 30-day supply of prescription medication and any needed over-the-counter medication.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris will be closed starting 9 p.m. local time Friday, according to a statement on its website.

New York now has at least 421 cases of coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today. That’s an increase of at least 96 cases since the state's last update.

The governor said 50 patients are currently hospitalized, which is a 12% rate. Eighteen are in intensive care.

The governor said 28 labs will be authorized for testing in New York state. By next week, when they are up and running, the state will be able to run 6,000 tests per day. It will be a “dramatic increase” as New York is currently processing about 3,000 tests per day, Cuomo said.

Pakistan announced Friday it will be “completely” closing its borders with Afghanistan and Iran, according Dr. Zafar Mirza, a special assistant to the country’s prime minister of health.

Mirza added that all major gatherings in the country are to be canceled. Movie theaters across the country will be closed indefinitely and wedding halls will be closed for the next two weeks.

To limit ports of entry, Mirza said only three airports will be open for international travel.

At least 28 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Pakistan.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Friday that classes for students attending K-12 public schools will be canceled next week.

Spring break for students in K-12 public schools will be moved to this upcoming week, Raimondo said. It was previously scheduled to start in April.

School staff will be working with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to prepare distance learning plans during this school closure. 

The closure will also be used to come up with plans for cleaning protocols, she said. The governor encouraged childcare and daycare facilities to remain open for the week.

The New York Stock Exchange says it will remain open for the time being, but that some employees will work from home. 

That includes employees who are “not required to support floor trading or a limited number of building activities, will work from home,” the NYSE said in a statement.

The exchange added that “this measure will greatly reduce the number of personnel who are entering the building and interacting with members of the floor community.” 

The NYSE also said its “has been engaged in ongoing conversations with city, state, and federal government officials, including SEC Chairman Jay Clayton” about the future of the exchange, adding that staying open is “symbolically important to public confidence and maintaining an orderly market during these volatile times.”

The London Marathon, originally scheduled to run on April 26, has been postponed to Oct. 4.

The London Marathon’s announcement follows Friday’s news that the Boston Marathon was postponed to a later date as well.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed an order Friday prohibiting gatherings of more than 250 people.

These gatherings are “subject — but not limited to — community, civic, public and leisure gatherings, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, festivals and any similar event or activity that brings together 250 or more persons in a single room or single space at the same time,” Baker said at a news conference.

Transpiration hubs, medical facilities, shopping centers, polling centers and other spaces where more than 250 people are in transit are exempt from the order.

The order also doesn’t include restaurants, “provided that they should, whenever possible encourage social distancing”