Coronavirus: US travel ban in force amid national emergency

Ordinarily Muslim worshippers are called to pray by a muezzin who recites phrases asking people to come pray in the mosque. It’s a staple part of the day in many Muslim countries. But now, as many countries try to reduce the risk of infection, some mosques are asking worshippers to pray from home. This highly unusual call to prayer has been heard in Kuwait.

Faisal Islam

BBC economics editor

German and Italy are ramping up production of medical ventilators to meet expected peak epidemic demand. They cost $17,000 each.

According to Reuters, Germany has ordered 10,000 ventilators, Italy has ordered 5,000.

Factories in overdrive in Europe. Italy is getting the army involved in helping the production line.

As far as I’m aware, the UK has one small manufacturer of ventilators that has 40% market share.

We reported earlier that China is now reporting more imported cases than local infections for the first time. The BBC has produced a graphic showing the slow-down in the spread of coronavirus in China.

We have also mapped the growing number of cases in Europe.

You can see the latest graphics and maps about the pandemic here.

A bookshop in Hackney, London has made an offer for people who are self-isolating and may be struggling to find ways to fill the time. Locals can describe a read they recently enjoyed, and the shop will recommend a similar book and then drop it off at customers’ homes.

BBC News brings you the latest on the global coronavirus outbreak, featuring correspondents and expert guests.

In this edition, the BBC’s Fergus Walsh,
James Gallagher and Tulip Mazumdar compare the UK government’s coronavirus
strategy with others in the rest of the world.

Listen here.

A Spanish couple who arrived in Namibia on Wednesday have both tested positive for the virus, reports Reuters news agency.

The Namibian government said it will continue plans to celebrate Independence Day later this month.

The agency later said that Rwanda had confirmed its first case.

A team of specialist Chinese doctors is in Italy to help the country in its fight against the virus, Ansa news agency reports.

They brought with them equipment including ventilators, respirators and masks.

They include the vice-president of the Chinese Red Cross and a professor of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, both part of the team of intensive care specialists, pediatricians and nurses who treated coronavirus patients in China.

As we reported earlier, the UK government is preparing plans to ban mass gatherings, a government source says. Now the Care Minister Helen Whately has told the BBC it would have limited impact on the spread of the virus, but could free up emergency workers.

“We are following the evidence. As
the chief medical officer said, and I have been advised, the evidence tells us
that stopping mass gatherings doesn’t have a huge impact on the spread of the
virus,” Ms Whately said.

“But, for example, decisions have been taken in some countries because of the impact on
public services and because, when you have a mass gatherings, that draws on the
police and the ambulance service you need to support it.”

A journalist boarding a plane to Warsaw from London has tweeted about mixed messages for people trying to fly. Poland announced a lockdown starting on Sunday, which will ban non-citizens from entering the country.

But Anne Applebaum says the captain on her flight is asking if non-Polish passengers still want to fly, “given that it is unclear if and when they will be able to leave again”.

For a glimpse of what life is like under lockdown, watch this video made by two filmmakers inside Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

Turkey has said it will be halting flights to and from nine European countries, including Germany and France, until 17 April, Reuters news agency reports.

The ban begins on Saturday.

The other countries concerned are Spain, Norway, Denmark,
Austria, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. Turkey had already suspended flights to and from Italy.

Turkey has reported five cases of the virus so far.

Meanwhile the self-declared Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus has banned all non-residents from entering until 1 April.

The entity reported its first coronavirus case on Tuesday, a German tourist. Four more people have since tested positive.

Saudi Arabia will stop flights into the kingdom for two weeks starting from Sunday. The ban applies in all except “exceptional cases”, the Saudi Press Agency said.

There are a reported 86 cases in the country, but no deaths so far. There are concerns in the region about Iran, where an outbreak has killed more than 500 people, and there are fears that unofficial tolls there could be higher.

Announcing the state of emergency, Mr Trump stressed that the next eight weeks would be critical.

Hospitals have been asked to activate their emergency preparedness plans; the emergency order will also allow more people to qualify for government health insurance.

Late on Friday, the US House of Representatives passed an aid package to fight the outbreak that includes free testing and paid sick leave, as well as measures to help stabilise financial markets.

On Friday we reported about videos on social media of Italians singing out traditional songs with their neighbours to keep spirits up during the national quarantine.

Another video on Friday night shows a DJ in Palermo, Sicily performing a set for his neighbourhood from his balcony. Let’s hope his neighbours like dancing…

Two one-day cricket internationals and three T20 games between Australia and New Zealand have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Read more here

For the first time China is reporting that it has more new cases of the virus brought from outside the country, than infections passed on locally.

The data released by China’s National Health Commission shows that the country had 11 new cases on Friday, four of which were locally transmitted in Hubei province where the new coronavirus began.

The other seven cases are in travellers from Italy, the US and Saudi Arabia.

On Friday, the head of the World Health Organization declared Europe was now the “epicentre” of the global pandemic.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives.

“Do not just let this fire burn,” he said.

His comments came as several European countries reported steep rises in infections and deaths. Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet.

Read more here.