March 23 coronavirus news

By Julia Hollingsworth, James Griffiths, Adam Renton, Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Updated 9:46 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020
55 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
8:42 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Trump's retweets signal desire to end social distancing after 15 days

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal

President Trump is sending retweets that seem to be encouraging an end to strong social distancing measures after the current 15-day period, despite concern from public health officials that it won't be long enough to blunt the worst of the coronavirus.

“15 days,” one user tweeted. “Then we isolate the high risk groups and the rest of us get back to work before it’s all over for everyone!! #Landslide2020” 

“Flatten the curve NOT the Economy,” reads a follow up tweet.

“After 15 days are over the world can begin to heal!,” another user tweeted. 

Yesterday, Trump tweeted this:

On Monday he retweeted one user, responding to his original tweet, who wrote, “Correct. 15 days, then we keep the high risk groups protected as necessary and the rest of us go back to work.”

8:39 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

UK prepared to impose stricter distancing measures, as health official calls those who refuse to stay apart "very selfish"

From CNN's Luke McGee and Niamh Kennedy

Pedestrians walk on Primrose Hill with the skyline of central London as a backdrop on Monday, March 23.
Pedestrians walk on Primrose Hill with the skyline of central London as a backdrop on Monday, March 23. Frank Augstein/AP

The British government is prepared to do more to force people to keep apart if necessary, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said Monday.

Pubs and restaurants were told to close across the UK on Friday to curb the spread of coronavirus, but large numbers of people continued to visit parks and beaches across the UK over the weekend, despite government advice to stay home.

“We will look at data to see if people have been interacting. If they have then we will need to take further measures. We are getting data all the time. Discussion are taking place all the time. If we do need to take further measures then we won’t hesitate,” the spokesperson said, adding that public transport and high street footfall data was being monitored "daily."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday UK citizens who fail to practice government-advised social distancing are “very selfish.”

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today program, Hancock said: “If people go within two meters of others who they don’t live with, then they are helping to spread the virus and the consequence of that costs lives and it means that for everyone this will go on longer.”

Hancock added that the UK government have been “clear in their actions” in asking the British public to maintain a distance of 2m (about 6.5 feet) away from all those they don’t live with.

Watching Europe: Hancock said that the UK government is “looking at what other European countries are doing,” adding: “They are further down the curve. They have a higher number of cases than we do here. Now that means we can act sooner and earlier in this epidemic but all the way through we have said that we are prepared to take the actions that are necessary and we are.”

8:30 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

US is "looking into" why young people are getting coronavirus

From CNN Health's Jacqueline Howard

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said the US is looking into why young people in the country are being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

"So far the demography definitely seems to be very different in the United States versus in other countries that saw this hit earlier," US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said on the "Today" show on Monday morning.

"And we're looking into that," Adams told NBC's Savannah Guthrie. 

"There are theories that it could be because we know we have a higher proportion of people in the United States and also in Italy who vape," Adams said. "We don't know if that's the only cause."

In New York state so far, more than half of coronavirus cases — 53% — have been among young people between the ages of 18 and 49, Gov. Andrew Cuomo noted on Sunday.

8:47 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Why the US Surgeon General mentioned Kylie Jenner this morning

From CNN Health's Jacqueline Howard

Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP/Getty Images
Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP/Getty Images

 

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has been relying on social media influencers, including Kylie Jenner, to spread the word about the seriousness of the novel coronavirus to young people, he said on the "Today" show on Monday morning.

"It's important for young people to know you can get this disease, you can be hospitalized from this disease, you can die from this disease, but most importantly, you can spread it to your loved ones," Adams told NBC's Savannah Guthrie.

Jenner posted a message about the coronavirus to her 167 million followers in an Instagram story, and last week she told her 32 million Twitter followers, "i hope everyone is feeling well! it’s so important right now to self quarantine to ensure we aren’t endangering ourselves or anyone who can’t handle this virus".

"That's why I reached out and I want to give a shout out to Kylie Jenner, who stepped up last week and sent out a message," Adams said. "My daughter and my son said, 'Dad make sure you call out Loren Gray' and I believe it's Roman Atwood. ... This is serious and this includes you." 

8:25 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Nigeria reports its first coronavirus-related death

From CNN's Bukola Adebayo in Lagos, Nigeria

Nigeria reported its first coronavirus-related death on Monday, the country's Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said.

The patient was a 67-year-old man who came back to Nigeria in March after undergoing medical treatment in the UK, the NCDC said in a tweet.

He had multiple underlying health conditions including including cancer and diabetes, and he had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments, the statement from the agency said.

Patients discharged: Two people, including an Italian who was the first case of coronavirus diagnosed in the country, have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, authorities said.

8:22 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

'My daughters are safer here than in England,' mayor of Italy's worst-hit area says

From CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite

Giorgio Gori, mayor of Bergamo, Italy, is pictured in Milan, in January 2018.
Giorgio Gori, mayor of Bergamo, Italy, is pictured in Milan, in January 2018. Omar Bai/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The mayor of Italy’s worst-hit coronavirus area is bringing his daughters home from England because he thinks they are safer in Italy, he told a British news channel on Monday.

I have two daughters. They're studying in England, and when I saw what the British government was thinking about this problem, I decided to bring them back because I think that even if we are at the center of the epidemic, probably they are more secure here than in England," Bergamo mayor Giorgio Gori told Sky News. 
I don't understand why the (British) government did not decide in time to protect citizens.”

The UK government has stopped short of ordering a lockdown across the country and in London after pubs and restaurants were told to close on Friday. Large numbers of people continued to visit parks and beaches across the UK over the weekend despite government advice to stay at home.

Bergamo, north of Milan, is the worst-hit province by coronavirus in Italy with 6216 confirmed cases, according to the Italian Civil Protection department.

9:36 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

US Surgeon General: "This week, it's going to get bad"

From CNN Health's Jacqueline Howard

Surgeon General Jerome Adams speaks during press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Thursday, March 19.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams speaks during press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Thursday, March 19. Evan Vucci/AP/FILE

 

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams gave a "somber" message to the nation while speaking on NBC this morning,  

"I want America to understand — this week, it's going to get bad," Adams told NBC's Savannah Guthrie, adding that some people have not been properly practicing social distancing.

"This is how the spread is occurring. So we really, really need everyone to stay at home," Adams said. "I think that there are a lot of people who are doing the right things, but I think that unfortunately we're finding out a lot of people think this can't happen to them."

See the moment:

7:42 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

McDonald's and Nando's shut down all their UK restaurants, even for takeout

From CNN Business' Hanna Zaidy in London

A McDonalds restaurant is pictured in Plymouth, England, on March 19.
A McDonalds restaurant is pictured in Plymouth, England, on March 19. Dan Mullan/Getty Images

McDonald's and Nando's will close all their restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland starting Monday, including for takeout, to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald's UK and Ireland, said in a statement Sunday that the decision had been taken because it was "increasingly difficult" to maintain safe social distancing while operating "busy takeaway and drive thru restaurants."

The UK government has advised against all non-essential social contact and is urging people to keep a distance of at least two meters if they need to leave their homes.

On Friday, it ordered all pubs, bars and restaurants to close but said they could continue offering food and drink to go.

Nando's said in a statement that eat in, takeaway and delivery for customers "will all stop until further notice."

Read the full story here.

7:24 a.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Moscow stay-at-home orders don’t apply to Putin

From CNN’s Darya Tarasova in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a security council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 20.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a security council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 20. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP

An order by Moscow authorities directing individuals over 65 or those with chronic diseases to remain at home do not apply to Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who is 67 -- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

The president is still working, you see that,” Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
“Of course, no one is holding any massive public events and we are not considering them now … but work is work, especially as the president’s work is an exception.”