March 17 coronavirus news

There are at least 4,459 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States, according to state and local health agencies and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

70 cases are repatriated citizens, like those evacuated from China or the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.

4,389 cases were detected, tested, and confirmed in the US.

Washington and New York are the hardest hit states, both with more than 900 cases. California follows with 448 cases.

Only one state has yet to report a coronavirus case -- West Virginia.

There have been 87 coronavirus-related deaths in the US.

The US stores Foot Locker and Nordstrom both announced temporary closures today due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The shoe store Foot Locker will close all stores in North America, from Tuesday through March 31, said the company in a statement.

Customers can still shop online and on the store's app. Employees will also continue to be paid, said the statement.

Meanwhile, Nordstrom is also closing US and Canada stores for two weeks, effective Tuesday.

These include its multiple brands like Nordstrom Rack, Trunk Club, and Jeffrey. Employees will continue to be paid and receive benefits during the closures.

“The health and safety of our customers and employees remain our top priority as we continue to make decisions during this rapidly evolving situation,” said CEO Erik Nordstrom in a statement.

Texas has reported its first coronavirus-related death.  

The patient was a male resident of Matagorda County in his late 90s. He died Sunday evening at Matagorda Regional Medical Center "with symptoms consistent with Covid-19," said a news release from the hospital.

The statement also announced a second positive case in the county. The state is now investigating this second case, and have informed the hospital district that "evidence exists of a possible community link to the earlier positive case in Matagorda County.” 

Texas now has 57 cases and one death from the coronavirus.

Google will delay the rollout of an informational coronavirus website until later this week, instead of a Monday launch date, the company said.

What the website will not have: Despite the reference to screening and testing, Google still does not appear to be developing a nationwide tool to directly survey patients for their symptoms and guide them to testing sites, as the Trump administration has claimed in recent days. 

What it will have: The website is expected to display information about how Americans can access screening, and list other information about local testing sites.

It will also include a link to the CDC's own screening tool, which is under development. 

Why the rollout is delayed: Google says it's still waiting on more information about local testing sites.

Don't get confused: Google's sister company Verily also just launched a website that guides Californian users to testing locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Verily has said it hopes to expand its tool, but has not issued a timeframe for its deployment. 

The two websites were the subject of great confusion after President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence announced that Google is working on a tool that will direct Americans to local testing sites. But Google’s announcement, including its remarks Monday evening, stop short of meeting that description. 

Qantas Airways is slashing international flights by 90% until at least May, as coronavirus travel restrictions hammer bookings.

The Australian carrier said on Tuesday that the drastic reduction is because severe quarantine requirements are curbing people’s ability to travel overseas.

Qantas will also cut domestic capacity by about 60%.

An industry in crisis: The unprecedented travel restrictions and plunge in demand has prompted the worst aviation crisis in history. A growing number of countries, including the United States and Canada, are closing their borders to international travelers in an effort to contain the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Government officials around the world are also urging citizens to avoid any non-essential travel and advising people to cancel or postpone events, such as concerts, sports, and even weddings. 

Billions at stake: Global airlines stand to lose $113 billion in sales if the coronavirus continues to spread, according to the latest assessment from the International Air Transport Association.

The massive losses are prompting industry bodies to call on governments to help.

The firm said most airlines in the world will be bankrupt by the end of May unless governments intervene. "Cash reserves are running down quickly as fleets are grounded, and what flights there are operate much less than half full.”

Last month, when the virus was still largely affecting the Asia-Pacific region, Qantas had already warned the coronavirus outbreak could reduce its profit by up to 150 million Australian dollars ($91.7 million) in the second half of its fiscal year.

The carrier's dramatic cuts to international flights on Tuesday is up from the 23% reduction it had announced just last week -- Qantas said that the plunge in demand and flight cuts will be felt across the business. The carrier, which employs 30,000 people, said it will roll out paid and unpaid leave. The company had previously said its CEO and chairman would receive three months of no pay.

Microsoft is closing all of its stores globally, effective immediately, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We know families, remote workers and businesses are under unique pressure at this time, and we are still here to serve you online at Microsoft.com," said Microsoft Store in a statement on Twitter.

The numbers: As of 4 p.m in Geneva on Monday, the World Health Organization has recorded 168,019 coronavirus cases and 6,610 deaths globally.

A separate tally from the Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking cases reported by the WHO and additional sources, puts the number of cases at over 181,500 with at least 7,100 deaths. Nearly 79,000 patients have recovered around the world, according to Johns Hopkins.

China: The country where the pandemic began reported 21 new confirmed cases of coronavirus -- all but one imported from overseas -- and 13 new deaths by end of day on Monday, according to China’s National Health Commission.

This brings the death toll in mainland China to 3,226 and total confirmed cases to 80,881. Some 68,679 patients in mainland China have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

World in lockdown: Countries all over the world have closed borders, enacted restrictions on travel and daily life, issued bans on public gatherings and told citizens to work from home or not to leave the house.

US: Cases have surpassed 4,400 and at least 86 people have died. The White House recommends people avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, and a growing number of US states and cities have announced widespread mandatory closures as part of attempts to curb the spread of the virus.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said today that the state's health director will order presidential primary polls closed tomorrow "as a health emergency."

Asia: In response to several cases of the virus imported to the city, Hong Kong will require all arriving travelers from foreign countries to be quarantined for 14 days at home.

Meanwhile, countries in Southeast Asia are issuing far-reaching restrictions as cases in the region jump. Malaysia will impose a nationwide movement control order, banning citizens from traveling abroad, banning all religious, sports, social, and cultural activities, while foreign tourists and visitors will be restricted from entering the country.

The Philippines placed half of the country into lockdown on Monday, with all public transportation and offices shut and people told to stay in their homes.

Europe: The European Commission will introduce temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU.

Germany, Spain, France, Russia and Hungary have closed or will close their land borders, while some 47 million Spanish residents have been banned from leaving their homes.

Restrictions on public life have been imposed in countries including France and Germany. The UK has urged people to stop all non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said today that the state's health director will order the polls closed tomorrow "as a health emergency."

Ohio's presidential primary had been set for tomorrow. DeWine had urged the primary to be postponed until a later date, but a judge rejected the petition earlier this evening.

The secretary of state "will seek remedy through the courts to extend voting options" tomorrow while the polls are closed, DeWine said in a statement.

The move is a complicated one for Ohio officials, as voters have already started voting in the state where 136 pledged delegates are at stake. 

Serge Telle, the state minister of Monaco, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the principality's Ministry of Health.

Health authorities were informed Monday morning about the test results, according to a statement from the ministry.

An epidemiological investigation is underway to trace Telle's movements in the past few days, according to the statement. 

He is not showing any major symptoms, and is quarantined at home, where he's continuing his professional activities through video conference.