March 29 coronavirus news

By Ben Westcott, Jenni Marsh, Amy Woodyatt and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 9:57 p.m. ET, March 29, 2020
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8:41 p.m. ET, March 29, 2020

Fauci says Trump agreed not to invoke quarantine after intensive White House discussions

From CNN's Nicky Robertson

CNN
CNN

Key federal health official Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s Jake Tapper President Trump decided not to impose a “quarantine” on parts of the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and instead issue a travel advisory for that area after officials “had very intensive discussions last night” at the White House with him. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“After discussions with the President we made it clear and he agreed it would be much better to do what's called a strong advisory," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CNN’s “State of the Union. "The reason for that is you don't want to get to the point that you're enforcing things that would create a bigger difficulty, morale and otherwise, when you could probably accomplish the same goal."

Fauci said about 56% of the country’s new infections are coming from the New York City area.

What was trying to be done is to get people, unless there's necessary travel, so all nonessential travel, just hold off, because what you don't want is people traveling from that area to other areas of the country and inadvertently and innocently infecting other individuals. We felt the better way to do this would be an advisory as opposed to a very strict quarantine. And the president agreed, and that's why he made that determination last night,” he said.
10:20 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

Dutch coronavirus cases pass 10,000

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad

The number of people in the Netherlands who have tested positive for Covid-19 has now passed 10,000, according the Dutch Ministry of Health said Sunday.

Some 10,866 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus — an increase of 1,104 new confirmed cases since Saturday.

The total number of reported deaths now stands at 771, an increase of 132 people since Saturday.

In its update, the Ministry said the number of reported hospital admissions and the number of deceased patients “appears to be increasing less rapidly than would be expected without measures in place.”

10:20 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

UK records 209 coronavirus deaths in past 24 hours

From CNN's Lindsay Isaac in London

There have been another 209 coronavirus related deaths in the UK in the past 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 1,228, Public Health England said on Sunday.

A further 2,433 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, with a total of 19,522 confirmed cases in the UK.

UK lockdown: The UK public should prepare for a "significant period" where lockdown measures are in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Cabinet minister Michael Gove has said.

“I can’t make an accurate prediction, but everyone does have to prepare for a significant period when these measures are still in place,” Gove said speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday.

In the UK people are banned from leaving their homes apart from for a few limited reasons after Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed the most stringent restrictions seen in Britain since the end of World War II.

10:15 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian Prime Minister, says she has recovered from Covid-19

From CNN's Paula Newton

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in 2019
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in 2019 Chris Wattie/AFP via Getty Images

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced Saturday evening on Instagram that she has fully recovered from Covid-19.

The good news is that I have a clear bill of health now by medical professionals so I’m super happy,” she said in an Instagram post in both English and French.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me with their well wishes. And to everyone who is suffering right now, I send you all my love,” she added.

Gregoire Trudeau tested positive for the virus on March 12 after a visit to the UK. 

Justin Trudeau not tested: Since the announcement, Justin Trudeau has remained in quarantine at his Ottawa home with his wife and 3 children. He has been holding meetings virtually and has been giving daily press briefings outside his home.

Trudeau and his children have not been tested for Covid-19 and the prime minister has said that he and the kids have not shown any symptoms.

When asked if he would be resuming a more regular schedule including in-person meetings, Trudeau said earlier Saturday that he and his family would continue to follow the advice of medical professionals.

4:40 p.m. ET, March 29, 2020

French minister says credibility of EU 'at stake' on coronavirus crisis

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad in London and Benjamin Berteau in Paris

Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

The “credibility and usefulness” of the European Union is “at stake” with the coronavirus crisis, French Minister of State for European Affairs Amélie De Montchalin said on Sunday.

Speaking to RTL Radio, De Montchalin said: “If some do not want [solidarity], we'll have to question their place [in the EU], and to question what we are still doing with 27 member states. It's a fundamental, existential question.”

De Montchalin was speaking following disagreements among EU member states over the best way to tackle the impact of the coronavirus on the EU economy. A European diplomat with knowledge of a lengthy EU meeting that took place on Thursday told CNN Italy and Spain had blocked a final EU-wide statement, saying it was vague and lacked concrete measures.

“If Europe is just an internal market when everything is well, then it has no sense to it,” De Montchalin added.

READ MORE: The EU can't agree on how to help Italy and Spain pay for coronavirus relief

9:20 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

Vietnam to halt incoming flights for two weeks over coronavirus concerns

From Chermaine Lee in Hong Kong

A Vietnam Airlines flight crew member disembarks from a flight returning from Taiwan at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 3.
A Vietnam Airlines flight crew member disembarks from a flight returning from Taiwan at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 3. NHAC NGUYEN/AFP via Getty Images

Vietnam will halt incoming passenger flights in the coming two weeks, according to a government report released on Sunday.

Flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other locations and vice versa will also be reduced as much as possible, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said.

Lottery services will also be suspended for 15 days from April 1.

The Vietnamese government announced containment measures earlier in the week, including a ban of gatherings of more than 20 people and suspension of non-essential services.

8:59 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus squad give up $100 million in wages amid coronavirus outbreak

From CNN's Matias Grez

Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images
Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images

With football on hold across the world, Juventus' first-team squad and coach Maurizio Sarri have agreed to give up four months' wages to help the club manage the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Juventus say the agreement -- equal to the monthly payments for March, April, May and June -- will save the club a total of €90 million ($100.5 million).

All sport in Italy has been canceled until at least April 3 but Juve says it will renegotiate with players "in good faith" should the current season be rescheduled and resumed.

Read the full story here.

8:05 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

Mexico asks citizens to stay home until April 19 amid Covid-19 outbreak

From CNNE's Daniel Silva Fernandez 

A member of the health personnel sanitizes the public spaces in Zapopan as part of the preventive measures against the spread of the Covid-19 on March 27 in Zapopan, Mexico. 
A member of the health personnel sanitizes the public spaces in Zapopan as part of the preventive measures against the spread of the Covid-19 on March 27 in Zapopan, Mexico.  Refugio Ruiz/Getty Images

Mexican health authorities intensified their call for Mexicans to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 by staying home until April 19. 

Mexican deputy health secretary Hugo López-Gatell said on Saturday: "This can't be postponed, it is our last chance to do it and do it now... And this requires that we massively restrict ourselves and stay at home."

López-Gatell directly asked Mexican society to reduce the mobility of all citizens, reducing work and school activity and the massive concentrations of people in Mexican public space.

The deputy health secretary said that Mexico must control the spread of the virus in the country before it is too late, otherwise the Mexican government will not have the capacity to attend to all those infected in the country.

Health authorities updated the cases of infections by the coronavirus in Mexico, which this Saturday reached 848 confirmed cases and 16 deaths. Authorities suspect there in fact more than 2,600 cases.

7:46 a.m. ET, March 29, 2020

1,000 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in Switzerland in a day

From CNN’s Arnaud Siad in London

Switzerland registered 1,123 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of cases to 14,336, the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health said Sunday.

A total of 257 people have died due to coronavirus -- an additional 22 people since Saturday, when when about 111,000 tests were carried out for Covid-19 with 13% turning out positive.

All 26 Swiss canton member states and the principality of Liechtenstein are affected.