March 24 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Helen Regan, Adam Renton, Emma Reynolds, Mike Hayes and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 1:09 p.m. ET, March 25, 2020
11 Posts
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10:44 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Atlanta issues stay-at-home order

A man leaves a restaurant with a take-out order on March 19 in Atlanta.
A man leaves a restaurant with a take-out order on March 19 in Atlanta. John Bazemore/AP

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.

10:29 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

China reports first coronavirus case in Hubei province for 6 days

From Eric Cheung in Hong Kong

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.

10:02 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Belize confirms its first case of coronavirus

From CNN’s Tatiana Arias and Juan Paz in Atlanta

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.

10:09 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Brazil sees spike of almost 400 new coronavirus cases in one day

From CNN's Shasta Darlington in Sao Paulo and Tatiana Arias in Atlanta

Members of a cleaning crew disinfect a neighborhood in Niteroi, Brazil on March 23.
Members of a cleaning crew disinfect a neighborhood in Niteroi, Brazil on March 23. Luis Alvarenga/Getty Images

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.

10:02 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Hawaii issues "stay at home" order

Yellow caution tape is wrapped across an area of Waikiki, after all public parks and recreation areas were closed on March 20 in Honolulu.
Yellow caution tape is wrapped across an area of Waikiki, after all public parks and recreation areas were closed on March 20 in Honolulu. Marco Garcia/AP

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.”

9:56 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

California needs 50,000 more beds, governor says

Gov. Gavin Newsom updates California's response to the coronavirus at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, California, on Monday, March 23.
Gov. Gavin Newsom updates California's response to the coronavirus at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, California, on Monday, March 23. Rich Pedroncelli/Pool/Getty Images

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.

9:32 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Amazon suspends thousands of sellers over coronavirus price gouging

Amazon says it has removed more than half a million listings that it believes are engaging in price gouging during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The online giant also says it has suspended nearly 4,000 accounts in the US for violating the company’s rules on pricing.

In its corporate blog, Amazon says it is monitoring sellers to make sure they are not price gouging or making false claims related to Covid-19.

Amazon says it has reached out to every state attorney general to help monitor price gouging.

“We are also proactively sharing information with state attorneys general and federal regulators about sellers we suspect have engaged in egregious price gouging of products related to the Covid-19 crisis,” Amazon’s statement reads.
9:32 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

Cuba is going under lockdown over coronavirus concerns

From CNN’s Patrick Oppmann in Havana

Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

Cuban officials on Monday announced they are limiting travel throughout the island and abroad for their citizens and closed all schools starting Tuesday for nearly a month to stop the spread of the coronavirus.  

The Cuban government will “regulate” Cubans ability to leave the communist-run island, said Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, “to protect their health, their family, neighbors and work comrades.” 

Marrero said Cubans would need to present a “humanitarian reason” for travel abroad and for Cubans traveling between different provinces on the island. 

Travel restrictions: Last week, Cuban officials said tourism is banned on the island starting Tuesday and that all Cuban and foreign residents returning from abroad would have to undergo supervised quarantine for 14 days.

Despite that announcement, Marrero said, more than 32,000 foreign tourists remained on the island. Starting Tuesday, he announced, tourists would be banned from leaving their hotels as the government worked to return them to their home countries. 

“No one can go into the street,” Marrero said of the tourists.

Life under lockdown: School classes would be suspended starting Tuesday until at least April 20. All Cubans are required to study in state-run schools.

Marrero also announced that Cubans waiting in “colas” or long lines for hard to find items would need to keep at least one meter (approximately 3 feet) in distance from other people.

He said additional police would be dispatched throughout the island to enforce the new measures.  

So far, Cuba has announced the island has 40 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 1,036 people have been hospitalized for observation.

9:28 p.m. ET, March 23, 2020

US Olympic & Paralympic Committee says path to postponing 2020 Games is "most promising"

From CNN's David Close

In a statement released Monday night, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland and Chair Susanne Lyons 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.”

Hirshland and Lyons continued: “We encourage the IOC to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors.”