From Dewine’s order in Ohio:
Text of order is at this link: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/continuing-coverage/coronavirus/dewine-issues-order-prohibiting-mass-gatherings-over-100-people-in-ohio-to-curb-coronavirus
American Airline pilot tests positive for coronavirus
From CNN’s Joshua Replogle and Greg Wallace
An American Airlines pilot has tested positive for coronavirus, according to the airline and a second source familiar with the matter.
“American’s Chief Medical Officer and leaders from our pilots’ office have been in touch with our Dallas Fort Worth based pilot who tested positive for COVID-19. We are in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials and are coordinating with them on all required health and safety measures," according to a statement from the airline.
The pilot is based out of Dallas-Fort Worth, according to the source familiar with the matter.
An airline official says on background that they believe the risk of transmission to passengers to be low. The airline provided no further information about the circumstances or condition of any other crew that worked with the infected pilot.
The airline official declined to provide any information on the pilot’s condition, citing privacy reasons.
Head coach of English football club tests positive for coronavirus
From CNN’s Homero De La Fuente
The Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League announced today that head coach Mikel Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus.
“All club personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution,” a statement from the club said.
Arteta discussed the diagnosis, saying, “This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed.”
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints suspends all public gatherings worldwide
CNN
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has decided to suspend all public gatherings around the world until further notice due to coronavirus, according to a statement.
The list of events includes stake conferences, leadership conferences and all public worship services, including sacrament meetings, the church said.
“Where possible, please conduct any essential leadership meetings via technology. Specific questions may be referred to local priesthood leaders,” the church said. “We encourage members in their ministering efforts to care for one another. We should follow the Savior’s example to bless and lift others.”
Los Angeles Zoo and Universal Studios will close over coronavirus concerns
From CNN’s Cheri Mossburg
California’s Universal Studios and the Los Angeles Zoo will close due to concerns surrounding coronavirus.
Citing the health of team members and guests, Universal Studios will be closed starting Saturday, with hopes of reopening on March 28, according to a statement from the theme park.
The Los Angeles Zoo will close tomorrow, according to a post on their website. The animals will continue to be cared for, and employees are asked to report to work.
“At this time, we do not have any indication that this virus is of immediate concern to any of our animals,” the statement from the zoo said.
Arlington National Cemetery will close to visitors beginning Friday
From CNN’s Jamie Crawford
Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia will close to visitors beginning Friday as “precautionary measures to protect the health of our employees, families and visitors” are taken amidst the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement from the cemetery.
Funerals will be conducted as scheduled, the cemetery said.
“U.S. Army and Department of Defense guidance is clear: force health protection is paramount,” said Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of the Office of Army National Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery. “We have a responsibility to protect our employees, the families of our fallen service members paying respect to their loved ones, and to the thousands of visitors per day who come here to appreciate this national shrine. We do not make this decision lightly, but closing our doors to visitors allows us to focus our energy and resources on our core mission of safely laying our nation’s warriors to rest.”
House plans to move coronavirus bill quickly tonight when an agreement is reached
From CNN’s Phil Mattingly
House Democrats, at the moment, plan to move a bill addressing the coronavirus under suspension of the rules when a final deal is reached, according to two people involved.
That means they can skip the rules committee so long as the bill has two-thirds support.
The expectation is that the bill will pass easily if all parties sign off.
While it’s not final yet, that’s the way this is going.
They’re still working through some outstanding issues: The paid leave issue has been resolved by adding a tax credit to aid smaller employers, at the request of the White House.
Final thoughts: They are on the verge of a deal. Not there yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers player donates $100,000 to support staff affected by NBA cancellations
Cleveland Cavaliers player Kevin Love announced on Instagram that he is donating $100,000 through his foundation to support the team’s arena and support staff who have been impacted by the suspension of the NBA season.
Here’s a portion of his statement:
"Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. And the fear and anxiety resulting from the recent outbreak of COVID-19 can be extremely overwhelming.
Through the game of basketball, we’ve been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work. I’m concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I’m committing $100,000 through the @KevinLoveFund in support of the @Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season. I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities.”
<3
Illinois issues guidance on large-scale gatherings
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
Illinois and the City of Chicago are mandating all large-scale events exceeding 1,000 individuals be cancelled for the next 30 days, according to Gov. J. B. Pritzker.
According to Pritzker, Tuesday’s election will proceed as scheduled.
“This is a fundamental function of government, and the state is committed to making sure the election proceeds with as little disruption as possible,” the governor said.
At this time, the City of Chicago and state are not recommending that school be cancelled, but Pritzker said they are monitoring the situation and asking schools to scale back on large assemblies, among other measures.
Pritzker said Illinois is encouraging businesses across the state to consider letting their employees work remotely and for those who cannot, to encourage social distancing between employees.
“The paid leave issue has been resolved by adding a tax credit to aid smaller employers, at the request of the White House.”
fat lot of good that will do for any small business that has to close it’s doors because it’s customers stop shopping.
the tax on zero income is zero.
Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo close to the public
From CNN’s Adrienne Winston
The Smithsonian Institute has released a statement saying, “all Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, metropolitan area and New York City, including the National Zoo will temporarily close to the public starting Saturday, March 14.”
The statement did not give an end date to the closures and said “updates on a week-to-week basis on our websites.”
School districts across Georgia to close due to the coronavirus
From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
Numerous school districts around Georgia will be closing due to rising coronavirus concerns.
Here are some of the districts and when they are closing and for how long as of this afternoon:
Cobb County Schools: Will close March 16 until further notice
Marietta City Schools: Will close March 16 for at least two weeks
City Schools of Decatur: To close indefinitely starting March 13
Fulton County Schools: Will close March 16 until further notice
Atlanta Public Schools: To close on March 16 for at least two weeks
DeKalb School District: Will close March 16 until further notice
@Hoggirl - so far in Western WA, restaurants, libraries, retail aren’t closed. I know that my library system has instituted social distancing by spacing out or removing chairs and asking patrons to stay away from each other, returning books in the outside book drops, and paying fines either on line or with a credit/debit card.
A number of restaurants in Seattle have closed temporarily, but some are adding additional or new takeout or delivery options (yay Canlis and Junebaby!). I would assume that restaurants that are open will keep tables 6 ft apart.
There are no athletic events -all have been canceled - and most entertainment is canceled unless it’s for fewer than 250 people (I’d be inclined to stay away from any gatherings like that, no matter what).
Museums and the zoo are closed.
The Archdiocese has canceled all public Masses, although it looks like my (nominal) parish is still going to have stations of the cross. Parishioners have to stay 6 ft apart. They will live stream mass on Saturday.
The governor’s order also applies to weddings and funerals.
EVERYTHING IS CLOSED!
Just kidding but it feels like it. 
“The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” will suspend production until March 30.
2 TSA officers who tested positive for coronavirus performed pat-downs at San Jose airport
From CNN’s John Passantino and Greg Wallace
Two Transportation Security Administration officers performed pat-downs and luggage checks at Mineta San Jose International Airport prior to testing positive for COVID-19, according to information provided to local officials by the federal agency.
“Current TSA Standard Operating Procedures require frontline personnel to wear nitrile gloves when screening an individual or their property, which adds an additional layer of protection. Gloves are changed after contact with any passenger or their personal property,” according to an excerpt of the information released by the San Jose Mayor’s office.
TSA has authorized “frontline personnel” interacting with the public “to wear surgical masks if they choose to do so.”
In NYC for they said restaurants/establishments that are smaller and allowed to stay open must remain at 50% capacity to allow room for social distancing.
The Costa Rican government has announced a new round of social distancing policies to limit the spread of coronavirus following the country’s 23rd confirmed case on Thursday. The public have been asked to keep at least 1.8 metres from other people while restaurants and cinemas have been asked to operate at 50% capacity.
It comes after Costa Rica suspended mass gatherings and asked public sector workers to work from home on Monday. The country’s tourism industry has reported thousands of cancelations and a fall in bookings as the pandemic spreads around the world.
The Central American only has a handful of cases, but there are growing concerns that the deportation of migrants from the US and Mexico could accelerate the spread of coronavirus in the region. (Guardian)
Catalonia has ordered around 70,000 people in four municipalities in the Barcelona region to remain in their homes for a fortnight from 9pm tonight after a steep increase in Coronavirus cases in the area.
Igualada, Vilanova del Camí, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Òdena have been placed in lockdown after the number of cases linked to a hospital in Igualada rose to 58 on Thursday.
“No one is allowed out of these affected areas,” the regional government said on Thursday evening. “Only emergency personnel and vehicles bringing fuel and food supplies will be allowed to move round the area.”
The move comes almost a week after neighbourhoods in a small town in the northern region of La Rioja were placed in lockdown after a cluster of cases was traced to a funeral in the nearby Basque Country.
Meanwhile, Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain’s far-right Vox party, has confirmed he has tested positive for coronavirus days after the party’s general secretary, Javier Ortega Smith, was diagnosed with the virus. Earlier this week, the party apologised for holding a 9,000-person rally in Madrid on Sunday. (Guardian)
"On the January day a new coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, China, Tom Bossert, President Donald Trump’s former homeland security adviser, tweeted a stark warning: “we face a global health threat.”
“Coordinate!” he implored.
At the time, the coronavirus outbreak was isolated to China — a distant threat to America that did not seem to overly concern President Donald Trump. But Bossert was just one of several former Trump administration officials waving their arms. Other people like Scott Gottlieb, head of the Food and Drug Administration until 2019, and Gary Cohn, who once helmed the National Economic Council, were also on TV and Twitter, arguing the administration must prepare for the situation to get worse. The people who had once been seen as Trump’s guardrails inside the administration were now trying to educate from the outside."
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/12/trump-officials-coronavirus-127742
Public school districts in CT are closing now…and if I were a betting woman, I’d say all will be closed by Monday. Many are closing tomorrow already…and will remain closed for at least two weeks. Some longer.
The school closing list is looking like snow day lists.
The governor did loosen the 180 day school year minimum. Days will be made up in June, but the last day of school can’t be past June 30 (CT school law) and he is saying that if 180 days haven’t been met by June 30 the schools are OK with less days.
It’s really important to distinguish between infectious and infected. I couldn’t access the article mentioned in the post, but most studies are looking at persistence of viral RNA, which is different than the live “packaged” virus. A German group found that the live virus, tested on cell cultures, is only present for the first week. This means that even brief lockdowns and quarantines, several weeks, can have a tremendous effect on reducing new cases.
Kansas announces first coronavirus death
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced the state’s first death from coronavirus today.
The patient is a male in his 70s who lived in a long-term care facility in Wyandotte County, Kelly said.
According to the governor, the man had other underlying health conditions and was receiving care at a local hospital before he passed away.
The man was not mobile, so the state is treating this as a case of community spread and health officials are now conducting public health contact tracing.
Some context: Kelly said this situation demanded that she declare an emergency, which will grant her administration the ability to activate state resources and mobilize personnel to assist where needed.
This death is the state’s fifth confirmed case of coronavirus.
This is the 41st death in the US.
"A German group found that the live virus, tested on cell cultures, is only present for the first week. This means that even brief lockdowns and quarantines, several weeks, can have a tremendous effect on reducing new cases. "
@bristlecone
source for the above story please?
Cobb County, GA (where the first GA death occurred) will close all public schools effective Monday, March 16. http://www.cobbk12.org/
The large church my son attends has decided to provide online worship services only. My church isn’t quite that big, but still over 250 attendees, the maximum that the Maine governor is requesting be allowed. So far, our services haven’t been canceled but we’ll see.
I was wondering why Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) had announced so few new cases yesterday and the day before, only about 5 in total.
Maybe they were batching tests. Today they announced 21 new cases, for a total of 66.
A week ago we had fewer than 21 total cases, now we have 21 new in one day. Exponential gonna exponential.