Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Global Watch: Italy's Unprecedented Lockdown; Global Cases Surge To 108,000; Outbreak Strains European Health Systems
The Washington Post: Italy Coronavirus Lockdown: Conte Government Restricts 16 Million
Italy on Sunday launched a complicated and urgent plan to restrict the movement of roughly 16 million people, a measure that unleashed confusion about how it could be enforced and whether it would be enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The plan to lock down large swaths of the north was the first major attempt by a democracy during the coronavirus crisis to radically halt the routines of daily life — an effort that will have significant impacts on civil liberties. But in the hours before and after the measure became law, people continued to stream out of the northern hubs of Milan and Venice on trains and planes for southern Italy or elsewhere in Europe. (Harlan and Pitrelli, 3/8)
The New York Times: Europe, With Eye On Italy Coronavirus Quarantine, Plans Next Moves
Italy’s sweeping lockdown of its north reverberated through Europe on Sunday, fueling fears of similarly draconian measures from London to Berlin, as officials grappled with how to slow the rapid-fire spread of the coronavirus in several of the world’s most open and democratic societies. No other European country has yet gone as far as hard-hit Italy. But with confirmed cases of the virus spiking to more than 1,000 in France and 900 in Germany, both countries moved to halt large public gatherings, as their leaders called emergency meetings to step up the response to the epidemic. (Landler, 3/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Italy’s Coronavirus Lockdown Met With Confusion, Questions About Enforcement
Residents of the quarantine zone aren’t allowed to travel within it, employees are asked to take leave and at-risk groups such as the elderly to stay in their homes. The decree says police and army can be deployed to enforce the quarantine if necessary. People found breaking the rules can, in theory, face up to three months in prison. (Stancati, 3/8)
NBC News: Millions Locked Down In Italy As Government Announces Sweeping Quarantine
"We want to protect the health of all citizens," Conte said. "We are aware that this will create unease and that these measures will be a sacrifice, big and small. But this is the time to be responsible." (Lozano, Lavanga and the AP, 3/7)
Reuters: Europe Told To Act Now As Coronavirus Locks Down North Italy And Markets Plunge
“We will not stop here,” Conte told the daily La Repubblica. “We will use a massive shock therapy. To come out of this emergency we will use all human and economic resources.” He said strict European Union borrowing limits should be loosened to allow more fiscal room for maneuver, and that the flexibility envisaged by the EU’s budget rules should be used “in full”. (Segreti and Pollina, 3/9)
CNN: COVID-19 Latest: Markets Tumble As Cases Grow In The US And Northern Italy Goes Into Lockdown
The number of cases of the novel coronavirus has risen to more than 108,000 globally, with at least 27,000 cases outside of China, as the economic trauma caused by the outbreak continues to impact global share markets... Markets tumbled overnight Sunday in the US, with Dow futures falling more than 1,000 points and the S&P 500 plunging as much as 5%, triggering a limit that prevents futures trading below that mark. The sell-off continued across Asia-Pacific, where both Australian and Japanese markets fell on Monday opening. (Griffiths, 3/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Outside China Tripled In Past Week
The world-wide death toll stood at 3,825—the bulk of it in China, especially in the central city of Wuhan, which first reported the pneumonia-causing virus in December. Italy has the second-highest number of deaths at 366, and the total number of confirmed infections in the Mediterranean country climbed to 7,375 over the weekend, almost catching up with South Korea’s 7,478 cases. (Ping, 3/9)
The New York Times: Paid To Stay Home: Europe’s Safety Net Could Ease Toll Of Coronavirus
Keeping your salary while caring for a quarantined child. Exercising the right to not work if you are afraid of getting ill. Sick-leave pay for up to six months. Europe is sometimes considered a home of overly generous social policies. But as countries around the world scramble to control the deadly coronavirus outbreak, some analysts say those social programs and protective labor rules could serve as a powerful vaccine against the virus’s feared economic toll: recession. (Alderman, 3/7)
The Wall Street Journal: Growing Coronavirus Epidemic Is Straining Europe’s Health-Care System
Doctors in European countries where the coronavirus has just begun to spread are warning that their health-care systems aren’t prepared for an outbreak on the scale seen in China, South Korea or Italy. The Italian government on Sunday started to enforce a lockdown of some northern regions including the cities of Milan and Venice in a bid to curb contagion. Epidemiologists expect countries around Italy, the center of the outbreak in Europe, to reach similar levels of infections—in the thousands rather than the hundreds now—within weeks. (Pancevski, 3/8)
NBC News: 4 French MPs Hospitalized With Coronavirus; Large Public Gatherings Banned Nationwide
The French government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people Sunday after three more people died and four members of the National Assembly were confirmed to have tested positive, authorities said.France last week banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces. The new restrictions expand the ban nationwide, Health Minister Olivier Véran said at a news conference, Reuters reported. (Johnson, 3/8)
Politico: France Bans Gatherings Of 1,000 People To Contain Coronavirus
The French government agreed to ban public events with 1,000 people or more as part of its efforts to stall the spread of the coronavirus, Health Minister Olivier Véran said Sunday. "All gatherings of more than 1,000 people are now prohibited," said Véran after a meeting of the national defense council. (Posaner, 3/8)
CNN: Global Coronavirus Cases Surpass 105,000
Announcing the new measures, Conte said: "There will be an obligation to avoid any movement of people who are either entering or leaving" the affected areas. "Even within the areas moving around will occur only for essential work or health reasons," he said, according to Reuters. (Regan, 3/8)
The Hill: US Walks Tightrope As Coronavirus Hits Adversaries
The spread of coronavirus around the globe is raising questions about how the United States should help its adversaries mitigate the disease. The Trump administration has sent a message to Iran, via the Swiss, offering to help with the disease, while also criticizing Tehran for suppressing information about its spread. Then there’s North Korea. The hermit kingdom says it has seen no coronavirus cases, but news outlets with contacts on the ground report otherwise. (Kheel, 3/8)
