Strain On Italy’s Health Care System Soars As Deaths Rise 25%, Thousands Of New Cases Appear

Reuters: Italy Coronavirus Deaths Rise 25% To 1,809
Italy recorded 368 new deaths from the COVID-19 outbreak on Sunday as the total rose to 1,809 from 1,441 a day earlier, the country's civil protection authority said on Sunday. The number of positive cases rose to 24,747 from 21,157 a day earlier as Europe's worst outbreak of the deadly virus continued to expand. (3/15)

Reuters: Coronavirus Death Toll In Italy's Lombardy Region Hits 1,218
The death toll from coronavirus in Lombardy, Italy's worst affected region, rose by 252 to 1,218 on Sunday, from 966 a day earlier, the region's senior health official said. Full numbers for the whole of Italy are due to be released later on Sunday. (3/15)

Reuters: Worries Grow Over Northern Hospitals As Italy's Coronavirus Toll Grows
Italian authorities voiced growing concern on Sunday over how much longer strained health systems could cope with the coronavirus outbreak, as thousands of new cases were recorded over the past 24 hours and several hundred more people died. While the virus has begun spreading rapidly across Europe, Italy remains the second most heavily affected country after China, where the illness first emerged, and the outbreak has shown no signs of slowing. (Mackenzie, 3/15)

The New York Times: Italians Find ‘A Moment Of Joy In This Moment Of Anxiety’
It started with the national anthem. Then came the piano chords, trumpet blasts, violin serenades and even the clanging of pots and pans — all of it spilling from people’s homes, out of windows and from balconies, and rippling across rooftops. Finally, on Saturday afternoon, a nationwide round of applause broke out for the doctors on the medical front lines fighting the spread of Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak. (Horowitz, 3/14)

Politico: Top U.S. Health Official: China’s Situation Is Improving
Top infections disease official Anthony Fauci said Sunday that after strict containment and mitigation, China’s novel coronavirus outbreak is “coming down right now.” On ABC’s “This Week,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said it takes several weeks to a few months for the outbreak to dwindle, pointing to China and South Korea as examples. (Dugyala, 3/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Deaths Outside China Exceed Those Inside
Coronavirus deaths outside China surpassed those inside for the first time, as the center of the pandemic shifted decisively toward the U.S. and Europe and forced a growing number of countries to limit travel and gatherings to contain the spread. More than 3,300 people from countries including Italy, Iran and Spain had died from the new coronavirus as of early Monday, compared with around 3,200 in China, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Lin, 3/16)

The New York Times: As China Cracks Down On Coronavirus Coverage, Journalists Fight Back
When Jacob Wang saw reports circulating online recently suggesting that life was getting better in Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, he was irate. Mr. Wang, a journalist for a state-run newspaper in China, knew that Wuhan was still in crisis — he had traveled there to chronicle the failures of the government firsthand. He took to social media to set the record straight, writing a damning post last month about sick patients struggling to get medical care amid a dysfunctional bureaucracy. Hernandez, 3/14)

Reuters: China Tightens Quarantine, Airport Checks As Imported Coronavirus Cases Tick Up
China has tightened checks on international travelers at Beijing airport and said it will centrally quarantine all arrivals at its capital, after new imported coronavirus cases surpassed locally transmitted infections for a second day. China, where the epidemic began in December, appears to now face a greater threat of new infections from outside its borders as it continues to slow the spread of the virus domestically. (3/15)

Politico: ISIS Tells Terrorists To Steer Clear Of Coronavirus-Stricken Europe
Islamic State (ISIS) has adopted a safety-first approach to the coronavirus pandemic and advised its members not to travel to Europe, Homeland Security Today reported. In the latest edition of the terrorist group’s al-Naba newsletter, the editors who normally urge followers to carry out attacks on the West instead ask them to "stay away from the land of the epidemic" for the time being. (Hernandez-Morales, 3/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Iran’s Coronavirus Strategy Favored Economy Over Public Health, Leaving Both Exposed
When the coronavirus hit Iran in February, it presented its leaders with a choice: Close the country down to contain the outbreak and risk the wrath of a population already fed up with economic hardship, or try to keep the economy ticking over and risk the outbreak spiraling out of control. Tehran chose the latter. (Rasmussen and Eqbali, 3/15)

The Associated Press: Iran Reports More Than 100 New Virus Deaths As Fears Mount
The official leading Iran's response to the new coronavirus acknowledged Sunday that the pandemic could overwhelm health facilities in his country, which is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East while under heavy U.S. sanctions. Elsewhere in the region, Lebanon ordered residents not to leave their homes except for urgent necessities and even closed down Beirut's famous Mediterranean boardwalk. Muslim authorities indefinitely closed the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam, with prayers continuing to be held on the sprawling esplanade outside. (3/15)

The Associated Press: Reports: Member Of Iranian Clerical Assembly Dies From Virus
A 78-year-old member of the Iranian clerical body that chooses the country's supreme leader has died from the illness caused by the new coronavirus, news agencies reported Monday. He was the latest of several senior Iranian officials to have been infected in the worsening outbreak. The outbreak has infected nearly 14,000 people in Iran and killed more than 700, with the toll jumping by more than a hundred in the last 24 hours. The real numbers may be even higher, as some have questioned the government's reporting. (3/16)

The New York Times: Spain, On Lockdown, Weighs Liberties Against Containing Coronavirus
The scene is becoming all too familiar, and now it has gripped Spain: Streets are empty, shops are shuttered, families are cloistered at home and the numbers of those infected with the coronavirus, and those who have died, are growing. Spain — like Italy and France to varying degrees — is now on lockdown, struggling to contain a virus that already seems out of control, with about 8,000 people infected and almost 300 dead. In the center of Madrid, police patrolled the streets, with few cars passing along its main artery, the Castellana. In Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter was empty, and private security kept anyone from entering the cathedral. (Minder and Peltier, 3/15)

The New York Times: Spain Imposes Nationwide Lockdown To Fight Coronavirus
Faced with a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, Spain on Saturday became the second country in Europe to impose sweeping restrictions on the public, telling everyone to stay indoors, with limited exceptions. The government said people could leave their homes to buy food, to go to work if they cannot work remotely, to seek health care, or to assist the elderly and others in need. (Minder and Peltier, 3/14)

The New York Times: Spain Becomes Latest Epicenter Of Coronavirus After A Faltering Response
Just last weekend, about 120,000 people marched through downtown Madrid to celebrate International Women’s Day. Some 60,000 soccer fans filled one of the city’s largest stadiums. And 9,000 supporters of Vox, Spain’s third-largest party, gathered inside a former bullring. Now Spain has the second-highest number of coronavirus infections of any European country, after Italy — overtaking the larger nations of France and Germany — and faces the fastest spreading contagion on the Continent. (Minder, 3/13)

The Associated Pres: Wife Of Spain’s Prime Minister Tests Positive For Virus
Spain’s government said Saturday that the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has tested positive for the new coronavirus. It said Begoña Gómez and the prime minister are in good health and following the instructions of medical authorities at their residence in La Moncloa Palace in Madrid, the government seat. (3/14)

Reuters: Central American Countries Up Fight Against Coronavirus
Central American countries took further and tougher steps to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus on Saturday with measures ranging from bans on large gatherings to travel restrictions. El Salvador's Congress approved a series of emergency measures sought by President Nayib Bukele to prevent the spread of the virus and to fend off the risk of a public health crisis. (3/15)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Travel Restrictions And Bans Globally: Updating List
Countries across the world have imposed travel restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus. This list, pulled from official government reports and the United States State Department, will be updated as new measures are announced. (Londono and Ortiz, 3/15)

The New York Times: Europeans Erect Borders Against Coronavirus, But The Enemy Is Already Within
The “gilded museum” of Europe is hollow and echoing. The great squares and stadiums are empty, the museums shut, the churches hesitant about services, the fine restaurants and cool bars shuttered. The coronavirus is not only spreading, but also infecting societies with a sense of insecurity, fear and fragmentation. Above all, it has severed humanity from its conceit of control and of the invincibility of its institutions, science, technology and democracies. If that is true nearly everywhere the virus goes, it is all the more so in Europe, with its history of Enlightenment, where life is lived, ordinarily, on an intimate scale, bumping shoulders on the street or in the cafe, greeting friends with kisses on the cheeks. (Erianger, 3/15)

Reuters: French Voters Shun Elections, Enjoy Sunshine Despite Coronavirus Restrictions
Voters turned out in low numbers in France's mayoral elections on Sunday after the government imposed stringent restrictions on public life to curb the spread of the coronavirus, though many headed outdoors to enjoy the warm spring sunshine. Many expressed bemusement after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's announcement on Saturday that the vote would go ahead even as he declared all cafes, bars, cinemas and non-essential shops would close until further notice. (3/15)

Reuters: Lockdowns And Entry Bans Imposed Around The World To Fight Coronavirus
France and Spain joined Italy in imposing lockdowns on tens of millions of people, Australia ordered self-isolation of arriving foreigners and other countries extended entry bans as the world sought to contain the spreading coronavirus. Panic buying in Australia, the United States and Britain saw leaders appeal for calm over the virus that has infected over 156,000 people globally and killed more than 5,800. (3/15)

Reuters: France Struggling To Curb Rate Of Coronavirus Pandemic, Health Official Says
France is struggling to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, its top health official Jerome Salomon said on Monday, as authorities consider whether to implement a partial lockdown. Salomon expressed his regret that many Parisians had ventured out in large numbers on Sunday despite official advice to stay at home and a government shutdown on bars and restaurants around the country. (3/16)

Reuters: Two Medics At Austrian Hospital Test Positive For Coronavirus
Two medical workers have tested positive for coronavirus in Austria's university hospital Uniklinum Salzburg, the regional authorities reported on Sunday. An anesthesiologist who had recently visited the Paznaun Valley in Tyrol, where Austria's first cases were reported and where 245 cases had been confirmed as of Sunday, tested positive after returning and continuing to work for four days. (3/15)

The New York Times: Restrictions On Movement Grow As Governments Try To Slow Coronavirus
Faced with a virus that won’t slow down, the world itself moved Sunday to come to a near halt. One after another, countries imposed extraordinary measures as they raced to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Schools were closed and restaurants shuttered. Quarantines were mandated and travel severely limited. Austria banned gatherings of more than five people and imposed steep fines for those who disobeyed a far-reaching curfew. (Nossiter, Minder, Povoledo and Erlanger, 3/15)

Reuters: Germany To Introduce Border Controls As Coronavirus Cases Jump
Germany will temporarily introduce border controls on its frontiers with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark from Monday, the government said on Sunday as the country seeks to curb a rapid spread of coronavirus. Germany is facing an aggressive progression of the illness, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said. (3/15)

CNN: Peace Corps Evacuating Volunteers And Suspending Operations Over Coronavirus Outbreak 
The Peace Corps is suspending its global operations and evacuating all volunteers as concerns mount about the coronavirus pandemic, the organization said Sunday. "As COVID-19 continues to spread and international travel becomes more and more challenging by the day, we are acting now to safeguard your well-being and prevent a situation where Volunteers are unable to leave their host countries," director Jody K. Olsen said in a letter to volunteers. (Spells and Cullinane, 3/16)

Reuters: U.S. Peace Corps Suspends Global Operations Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
U.S. humanitarian group the Peace Corps, said it will temporarily suspend all global operations and evacuate its volunteers, amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. "As COVID-19 continues to spread and international travel becomes more and more challenging by the day, we are acting now to ... prevent a situation where volunteers are unable to leave their host countries," Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen said in a letter to volunteers posted on its website. (3/16)

Bloomberg: First Coronavirus Cases Reported in Countries Across Africa
African nations from Rwanda to Mauritania have reported their first cases of coronavirus, demonstrating the spread of the pandemic is accelerating across the world’s second-most populated continent. The sub-Saharan region has lagged behind rising numbers globally, as health-care systems brace for the virus to emerge. (Burkhardt, 3/14)

CNN: Multiple Cruise Ships Are Left Stranded As Coronavirus Cases Increase 
Several cruise ships are stranded at sea, some with confirmed coronavirus cases on board, as the pandemic expands around the globe. Some ships have been denied port, leaving them to anchor off the coast of a country. Other cruises have docked with quarantined passengers aboard. Three cruise ships have confirmed cases of coronavirus on board: the MS Braemar, Silver Shadow and Silver Explorer. Here is the status of the cruise ships in limbo that we know of. (Zdanowicz, 3/15)

Reuters: Japan Identifies 15 Coronavirus Clusters
Japan's health ministry said it has identified 15 clusters of coronavirus infections around the country. The biggest cluster was in the Osaka area, with more than 50 infections centered around a music venue, according to a document on the ministry's website. It was initially reported by Kyodo news. (3/15)

Reuters: Mexican Government Rejects Reports Of First Coronavirus Death
Mexico's health ministry late on Sunday rejected media reports that the country had registered its first coronavirus death, saying that the person reported to have died, businessman Jose Kuri, was alive but in critical condition. Earlier on Sunday, veteran broadcaster Joaquin Lopez-Doriga said on Twitter that Kuri had died after testing positive following a trip to the United States. Other prominent journalists published reports on Kuri's death. (3/16)

Reuters: Germany To Introduce Border Controls As Coronavirus Cases Jump
Germany will temporarily introduce border controls on its frontiers with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark from Monday, the government said on Sunday as the country seeks to curb a rapid spread of coronavirus. Germany is facing an aggressive progression of the illness, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said. (3/16)

Reuters: South Korea Reports 74 New Coronavirus Infections
South Korea reported 74 new coronavirus infections on Monday, slightly lower than the previous day, health officials said, taking the tally of cases to 8,236, with 75 deaths. New infections have been on a declining trajectory, with the latest figures well below a Feb. 29 peak of 909, and slightly down from 76 on Sunday, but media said South Korea uncovered the second largest cluster in the area near its capital. (3/15)

CIDRAP: WHO: Europe Now World's COVID-19 Epicenter
The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that Europe is now the world's COVID-19 pandemic epicenter, as cases in Italy and other nations on the continent soared, and as the WHO launched a new fundraising effort designed to expand donations from individuals and businesses to support the response. At a media briefing today, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said global deaths from the novel coronavirus have reached 5,000, most of which are from China. But Europe is now reporting more cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, except for China. (Schnirring, 3/13)