Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Global Watch: France Goes To 'War' With The Virus; Britain Slightly Steps Up Response; China Tightens Borders To Keep Infected Out
The Associated Press: World Hunkers Down At Home, Stranded Travelers Scramble
Tens of millions of people hunkered down in government-ordered isolation Tuesday as borders slammed shut, schools and businesses closed and increasingly drastic restrictions on movement took effect. Others were scrambling to get home, caught up in widespread travel restrictions that aimed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. From Southeast Asia to Europe to the Americas, people found their lives upended by lockdowns and social distancing. (Blake and Jordans, 3/17)
The New York Times: Macron Declares France ‘At War’ With Virus, As E.U. Proposes 30-Day Travel Ban
Adopting martial language, President Emmanuel Macron ordered the French to stay at home for at least the next 15 days, as France put in place some of the most severe measures in Europe to try to curb the raging coronavirus. The aggressive move by France came as other countries in the region introduced measures that their leaders described as unprecedented in postwar Europe, and as the European Union proposed a 30-day shutdown of all nonessential travel into the bloc from other countries. (Erianger, 3/16)
Politico: Emmanuel Macron: EU External Borders To Close From Tuesday
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening that EU leaders decided to close the bloc's external borders to travelers in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. "As of tomorrow noon, external borders of the European Union and the Schengen area will be closed," Macron said in a televised address to the nation. "All travel between non-EU countries and the European Union will be suspended for 30 days," he added. (Solletty, 3/16)
The New York Times: Britain Stiffens Its Response To The Coronavirus, Somewhat
Britain, which had stood apart from other nations in the relaxed nature of its response to the coronavirus, hardened those measures significantly on Monday, urging people to stop going to pubs or restaurants, and putting in place strict quarantine policies for those infected by the virus. The shift, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a meeting of a government crisis committee, brought Britain closer in line with Italy, France and Germany, which have closed borders and shut down large parts of their countries. (Landler and Castle, 3/16)
The Associated Press: 'Virus At Iran's Gates': How Tehran Failed To Stop Outbreak
Appearing before the cameras coughing and sweating profusely, the man leading Iran's response to the new coronavirus outbreak promised it was of no danger to his country. "Quarantines belong to the Stone Age," Iraj Harirchi insisted. A day later, he himself would be in quarantine from the virus. (3/17)
Reuters: Israel To Fast-Track Cyber-Monitoring Of Coronavirus Cases
Israel's government will invoke emergency regulations to speed up the deployment of cyber monitoring in the fight against the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday. The plan to use anti-terrorist technology to track infected people and anyone with whom they have come in contact drew criticism from civil rights groups when Netanyahu first proposed it over the weekend. (3/16)
Reuters: China Tightens Checks On Foreigners As Imported Coronavirus Cases Now Pose Biggest Threat
China reported another rise in new coronavirus cases on Tuesday as infections from abroad outnumbered cases of local transmission for a fourth consecutive day, prompting some parts of the country to tighten monitoring of foreign travellers. Mainland China had 21 new confirmed cases on Monday, the National Health Commission said, up from 16 a day earlier. Of the new cases, 20 involved infected travellers from abroad. (3/17)
The New York Times: India Scrambles To Escape A Coronavirus Crisis. So Far, It’s Working.
Over the weekend in Lucknow, one of India’s bigger cities, young people packed into pubs. Despite the Indian government scrambling to lock things down, few on the bar scene were taking the coronavirus very seriously. “I am not scared. I eat, party, sleep,’’ said Akshay Gupta, an accountant who was bar hopping on Saturday night. “The scare is overhyped.” (Gettleman, Raj, Singh and Schultz, 3/17)
Modern Healthcare: Overseas Inspection Delay Dings Drug And Devicemakers
The Food and Drug Administration's postponement of most overseas inspections will financially drain drug and devicemakers and may compromise products' quality, supply chain experts said. The FDA halted foreign inspections on March 10 through April, except for "mission-critical" drugs and devices like ones that aim to stem the COVID-19 pandemic. While regulators will oversee foreign manufacturing through alternative methods, drug and device approvals will likely be delayed as will inspections of facilities looking to resolve quality issues. (Kacik, 3/13)
Reuters: Budapest Airport Says Only Hungarians Allowed Entry From Tuesday
Budapest Airport will allow Hungarian citizens only to enter the country as of Tuesday after sweeping restrictions imposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government on Monday to contain the spread of the coronavirus. As the restrictions took effect, Hungary reported a jump in confirmed coronavirus infections to 50 on Tuesday from 39 a day earlier as the central European country transitions from isolated cases to cluster infections. (3/17)
Reuters: South Korea Tightens Border Checks As Domestic Transmission Of Virus Abates
South Korea said on Tuesday it plans to tighten border checks for all arrivals from overseas to prevent new cases of coronavirus coming into the country at a time when domestically transmitted infections are subsiding. The stricter checks for all arrivals will start on Thursday and come as China also stepped up monitoring of foreign travellers, in the latest sign of the pandemic's shifting centre of gravity from Asia to Europe. (3/17)
Reuters: German Minister Expects Coronavirus Crisis To Last Until End Of May
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told German broadcaster RTL that he expected the coronavirus crisis to last until the end of May. "I expect we'll have to deal with the consequences for the whole month of April and the whole month of May," he said, adding there would be a "considerable number of new infections" during that time. (3/17)
The Associated Press: EU Battles To Forge Common Front As Virus Eats At Unity
European Union leaders are set to hold their second summit in two weeks on Tuesday, a fresh attempt to forge a joint response to the novel coronavirus as Europe takes over from China as the front-line in the fight against a disease claiming thousands of lives. The virus case count in Europe has climbed to over 50,000 and more than 2,000 people have died. The inexorable spread of the disease has roiled markets and sown public fear, but nervous governments have introduced quick-fix measures - partial border closures or quarantine - with little consultation. (3/17)
The Hill: Canada Closing Border To Most Non-Residents, Exempts U.S. Citizens
Canada will close its border to most non-residents as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the country and the world, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday. Trudeau declared that only Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be permitted to enter the country, with exemptions being granted for air crews, diplomats, immediate family members of citizens and, “at this time,” U.S. citizens. (Coleman, 3/16)
The Associated Press: Sex Workers Face Ruin Amid Virus Fears, Brothel Closures
It's 7 p.m. on a Friday night, a time when Aurel Johannes Marx's three-room brothel on the edge of Berlin would normally be preparing for its first customers. Sex for sale has long been a staple part of the German capital's freewheeling nightlife. But amid concerns over the new coronavirus, even the world's supposedly oldest profession is suffering a sudden slump. (Jordans, 3/17)
Reuters: Swiss Official Warns Of Hospital Collapse If Virus Spreads
Swiss hospitals could collapse if the new coronavirus keeps spreading rapidly, a top health official warned on Tuesday, urging his compatriots to respect the government's emergency measures to curb the epidemic. "The virus is among us, now we have do our utmost that it does not spread further. Too many are infected and if this goes on hospitals will collapse," Daniel Koch, head of infectious diseases at the federal health agency, told SRF radio. (3/17)
The New York Times: Turkey Detains 19 People Over 'Provocative' Coronavirus Posts
Turkey has identified 93 suspects who have made "unfounded and provocative" postings on social media about the coronavirus outbreak and has detained 19 of them, the Turkish Interior Ministry said. The move came as Turkey closed cafes, entertainment and sports venues, suspended mass prayers in mosques and extended a flight ban to 20 countries to contain the coronavirus spread, as the number of confirmed cases rose to 47. (3/17)
