March 15 coronavirus news

Over the past several days and weeks, health care and consumer industry groups and even federal agencies have sounded the alarm that the US may face major problems in keeping basic medical, food and retail supplies available during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Sunday, the group representing food and retail companies like Clorox, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo told the State Department and the US Trade Representative they fear other countries cutting off exports to the US, which could exacerbate the public health emergency.

The group is particularly concerned about countries restricting chemicals, ingredients and products they manufacture from getting to the US. 

For instance, India, a major drug ingredient supplier, has already limited exports of medications like acetaminophen, a common painkiller used for flu-like symptoms, and Germany has banned the export of protective equipment like masks, gloves and suits used by health care professionals.

President Trump also planned to speak to grocery, food and beverage corporate leaders on Sunday about supply chain concerns, including the Consumer Brand Association's head and major grocery chain CEOs. 

A transatlantic cruise ship carrying more than 600 passengers with at least five confirmed coronavirus cases on board is frantically searching for somewhere to dock after it was refused entry at multiple Caribbean ports.

British officials have launched an intense diplomatic effort to find a country willing to take the the MS Braemar, which belongs to the British company Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Twenty passengers and another 20 crew members, including a doctor, are in isolation after displaying influenza-like symptoms while traveling on the the ship.

The Braemar is anchored about 25 miles offshore in the Bahamas waiting for clearance from the local government to bring aboard vital food, fuel and medications and two doctors and two nurses who are preparing to assist the onboard medical team.

The vessel, which is carrying 682 passengers and 381 crew members, arrived in the Bahamas on Saturday. Authorities there were the latest to prevent it from docking but was given permission to drop anchor southwest of Freeport.

Two Royal Caribbean (RCL) ships have passengers test positive for novel coronavirus while docked at international ports.

A statement from Royal Caribbean confirms two of its ships, the Silver Shadow and Silver Explorer, had guests that tested positive for coronavirus. 

RCL "is in close coordination with the governments and local health authorities to determine next best steps. We have asked guests on the ships to temporarily remain in their cabins in accordance with our medical isolation protocols," according to the statement. 

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation Sunday evening to announce "urgent and drastic measures" to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Ramaphosa also declared a "national state of disaster" for South Africa and said the country was now dealing with internal transmission of the virus.

“There can be no half measures,” he said.

Ramaphosa announced that travel will be prohibited from the following high-risk countries: Italy; Iran; South Korea; Spain; Germany; US; United Kingdom and China starting March 18.

Existing visas from citizens of those countries will also be cancelled. Any foreigner who visited high risk countries in the past twenty days will also be denied a visa.

Effective immediately, South African citizens are also advised to refrain from all forms of travel to or through the European Union, United States, United Kingdom and other identified high-risk countries such as China, Iran and South Korea.

South African government officials are barred from international travel as well.

A German company working to develop a coronavirus vaccine is denying a report in a German newspaper that President Trump is trying to lure German scientists working on an experimental coronavirus vaccine to the US.

German company CureVac, working to develop mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine, did not deny being in touch with Trump or the US government, but did reject rumors of an acquisition in a statement issued on Sunday. 

The story first emerged earlier Sunday when German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag reported that Trump was trying to lure CureVac with "large sums," also saying Trump was working to acquire the vaccine but “only for the US”, citing anonymous German federal government sources.  

The report reads: ''The US president is allegedly offering the company a large sum of money to secure their work exclusively. Trump would do anything to get a vaccine for the US. ‘But only for the United States,’ according to the federal government.''

Germany’s Health Ministry responding to a CNN question about the German newspaper report said: "The federal government is very interested in the fact that vaccines and active substances against the novel corona virus are also being developed in Germany and Europe. In this regard, the federal government is in intensive exchange with the company CureVac."

Germany will initiate border controls at borders with France, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced at a Sunday press conference.

Border crossings will be restricted except for cross-border work commuters and cargo transports, Seehofer said.

Kenya's government announced new travel restrictions Sunday after confirming two more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's total cases to three.

The government is denying anyone traveling to Kenya "from any country with reported coronavirus cases," according to a press release from Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's office. 

These new measures will take effect in the next two days and will remain in place for the next 30 days, according to the press release. 

The government is also shutting down all of Kenya's schools beginning Monday and encouraging most employees to work from home. The president also advised citizens to avoid crowds and gatherings.  

Kenya is also advising for citizens to use "cashless transactions," to reduce risk of transmission of the coronavirus.

Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who played a major role in the impeachment proceedings, has tested positive for the coronavirus and is recovering, according to a tweet he sent. 

Goldman was counsel to the Intelligence Committee and a fixture on television during President Trump’s impeachment hearings.

Read Goldman's tweet:

Many pundits and politicians have been asking why the US military isn't doing more to help combat the spread of the coronavirus in the US.

On Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on President Trump to mobilize the military to help deal with the outbreak. This follows after former Vice President Joe Biden said the Department of Defense should be planning to deploy. 

Defense officials say their first priority is maintaining the health, welfare and "readiness" of the 1.36 million members of the active duty military, as well as the 800,000 members of the National Guard and Reservists in addition to some 730,000 civilian employees in the Department of Defense.

And while some National Guard units have been involved in helping with logistics and planning at the state level, the US military's capacity to provide medical support is limited.

By the numbers: There are 51 military hospitals compared to some 6,000 civilian hospitals nationwide, according to one US defense official, meaning the US military has only about 1% of the nation's hospital capacity. 

Military hospitals admit some 200,000 patients annually as compared to civilian hospitals which admit about 36 million.