March 24 coronavirus news

At least 16 states across the US have issued stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 100.5 million people -- about 31% of the national population -- are currently under restrictions, according to US Census population estimates. 

But not all orders have been activated yet -- when all 16 state orders go into effect, more than 142 million people will be affected, or 43% of the country.

Apart from statewide orders, several individual cities and counties like Atlanta, Georgia, have also issued their own stay-at-home orders.

These states have issued stay-at-home orders:

UPDATE: This post was updated to reflect that at least 16 states have issued stay-at-home orders.

Calls to postpone the Summer Olympics are growing as the coronavirus pandemic accelerates around the world. 

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said that the organization has heard the concerns from Team USA athletes regarding the upcoming 2020 Games, and that the “path toward postponement is the most promising,” in a statement released Monday.

The Olympic Games are scheduled to start on July 24. Current options include a postponement or a scaled-down version. Cancellation is “not on the agenda,” the IOC said on Sunday. 

But countries are taking a stand. In recent days, a growing number of countries and athletes have called for the games to be postponed. Canada and Australia said they would not send any teams on Monday. 

Speaking to lawmakers on the same day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said postponing the Games is a possibility. This was the first time Abe has wavered from his staunch public position that the Olympics will start July 24 as scheduled. 

Abe is scheduled to speak with IOC chief Thomas Bach over the telephone later Tuesday. 

All international travelers arriving in Beijing, regardless of their final destinations, will be quarantined and tested for the coronavirus at designated government facilities at their own expense, Chinese authorities announced today.

The procedures will also apply to people arriving in Beijing after entering China through a different port of entry within the past 14 days.

The new rules will take effect Wednesday, amid continued concerns over the rising number of imported cases coming to China from overseas.

The government reported 78 new cases nationwide on Monday, of which 74 were imported.

Previous measures: Authorities have previously ordered all Beijing-bound international flights diverted to 12 other Chinese cities for health screenings, as well as immigration and customs clearance. Only passengers deemed healthy and low-risk are allowed to continue their travel to Beijing.

With a few exceptions, travelers arriving from abroad whose final destination is Beijing are already required to undergo a 14-day quarantine at government-designated facilities at their own expense.

In an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on Monday she has signed a 14-day stay-at-home order.

“As of now it does not include essential businesses, parks, the Atlanta Beltline and restaurants serving takeout,” the mayor said in a Twitter post.

She also posted a photo of the stay-at-home order, which will prohibit nonessential gatherings and require residents to stay at their homes unless there are essential reasons to go out.

For the first time in six days, China has reported a new case of coronavirus in Hubei province, according to the country's National Health Commission.

The new case was among 78 reported across the country on Monday, of which 74 were imported from overseas.

That brings mainland China's total to 81,171 confirmed cases. Of this total, 73,159 patients have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, according to the NHC.

China also reported seven new deaths, bringing the national death toll to 3,277. Hubei -- ground zero for the pandemic -- has been hit the hardest, with 3,160 deaths.

In recent weeks, the number of locally-transmitted cases has fallen in China as the number of imported cases has risen. Mainland China's total number of imported cases is now 427.

Belize has confirmed its case of novel coronavirus, said the country's Ministry of Health in a statement on Monday.

The patient is a 38-year-old female citizen of Belize who arrived on March 19 “from Los Angeles, California and transited through Texas,” the statement said.

Brazil reported almost 400 new coronavirus cases on Monday alone, bringing the country's total to 1,891.

Nine new deaths were also confirmed.

The national death toll is now 34, according to the country's health ministry.

Of those 34 deaths, 30 were reported in Sao Paulo and four in Rio de Janeiro.

Hawaii is the latest state to issue a “stay at home” order due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. David Ige announced the order today, saying, “These actions are extreme, but necessary, to flatten the curve and lay the groundwork for our recovery.” 

The order takes effect on Wednesday and will last through at least April 30.

As with most other states instituting their own orders, exceptions are being made for essential services, medical care and grocery shopping.

Gov. Ige had said earlier that it was up to local cities and counties to decide whether to order residents to remain and home -- but in his latest announcement, he said “a statewide order is necessary for cohesion and consistency.”

Predicting a three-month surge of coronavirus patients, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for 50,000 more hospital beds.

He had previously called for 20,000 more beds -- but increased data modeling has more than doubled the need, Newsom said today.

Hospitals are expected to cover about 30,000 beds as part of their current surge plans, and additional hospitals coming into play are providing about 3,000 more beds.

Negotiations are underway with convention facilities, fairgrounds, hotels, motels and skilled nursing centers to add the bed space, Newsom said.

In addition to the physical space, Newsom discussed the options of adding health care workers to help care for those patients, including adding fourth-year medical students into the system, and bringing back recent retirees.