ECB tells staff to work from home in coronavirus test

The European Central Bank has told most of its over 3500 staff to work from home on Monday to test how it could cope with a shutdown over coronavirus concerns, a spokesperson said Sunday.

The ECB has cancelled most of its public events over the next month but said that its rate-setting Governing Council meeting would go ahead as scheduled on Thursday.
“The ECB has facilities in place for large scale remote working and Monday 9 March will serve as a precautionary test for the infrastructure but also for ECB staff in case such large scale usage of the facilities becomes necessary at some point,” a spokesperson said.
The ECB is expected to unveil further stimulus on Thursday to help the economy cope with consequences of the coronavirus outbreak as travel restrictions, falling stock markets and already evident breakdowns in value chains is sapping confidence.
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/ECB-tells-staff-to-work-from-home-in-coronavirus-test–30127520/?countview=0

Cruise ship hit by coronavirus outbreak bound for Oakland, California

The cruise ship Grand Princess, held at sea and barred from returning to San Francisco last week due to a coronavirus outbreak aboard the vessel, has been directed to the nearby port of Oakland, the cruise line said on Saturday, presumably to be placed under quarantine.

The ship, carrying some 2,400 passengers and 1,100 crew members, is due to reach Oakland, across San Francisco Bay from its original home port destination, on Monday, with the arrival time yet to be determined, Princess Cruises said in a statement.
The late-night announcement capped four days of uncertainty surrounding the vessel – the ship has been linked with at least four coronavirus cases from an earlier voyage – and the fate of 3,500 people returning from a cruise to Hawaii.
Princess Cruises, a unit of the world’s leading cruise operator, Carnival Corp, said its information about the ship’s revised destination came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is coordinating the operation with state and local officials.
The timing of the statement, just minutes after an earlier notice, suggested that arrangements remained in flux.
The company’s first notice said the Grand Princess was to “proceed to the Port of Oakland on Sunday to begin disembarking guests who require acute medical treatment and hospitalization.”
It went on to say those passengers would be “transported to medical facilities in California.”
Citing information from the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the earlier statement also said that all remaining passengers would get off the ship on Monday.
Passengers from California, it said, would then go to a “federally operated facility within California for testing and isolation, while non-Californians will be transported by the federal government to facilities in other states.”
“Crew will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship,” it said.

MODIFICATIONS

The update issued several minutes later said the “CDC has just informed us that further modifications of the plan are necessary” and that the ship would arrive in Oakland on Monday instead. No mention was made of the quarantine details described in the previous notice.
The predicament of the Grand Princess is reminiscent of the Diamond Princess cruise liner, also owned by Carnival, which was quarantined off Japan in February and was for a time the largest concentration of coronavirus cases outside of China, where the outbreak originated. About 700 people aboard that ship became infected, and six have died.
The Grand Princess was first denied entry to San Francisco Bay on Wednesday after state and local health authorities learned that some passengers and crew had developed flu-like symptoms, and that two guests from an earlier cruise to Mexico aboard the same ship later tested positive for coronavirus. One has died.
Health authorities say they probably contracted the respiratory virus aboard the vessel. Since then, at least two other passengers from the Mexico voyage have also been diagnosed.
California Governor Gavin Newsom insisted the ship remain at sea until individuals aboard who were sick could be tested, and diagnostic kits were flown to the ocean liner by Air National Guard helicopter on Thursday.

On Friday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, leading the U.S. government response to the coronavirus, announced that 21 crew members and passengers had tested positive. He said then the ship would ultimately be brought to an unspecified non-commercial port where everyone aboard would undergo another round of tests.
Pence said those requiring medical care would receive it and that all crew members would likely remain quarantined aboard the vessel. But he left unclear what was in store for passengers who showed no signs or symptoms of infection.
The vessel, which had remained in international waters, was still at sea late on Saturday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-cruiseship/cruise-ship-hit-by-coronavirus-outbreak-bound-for-oakland-california-idUSKBN20V09W

Vulnerable Americans may need to avoid crowds, U.S. health official warns

Signs that coronavirus is spreading through U.S. communities were “not encouraging” and a top health official warned on Sunday that Americans, especially those who are vulnerable, may need to stop attending large gatherings.
In the United States 19 people have died and more than half of all states have reported cases of the coronavirus, which originated in China last year and causes the sometimes deadly respiratory illness COVID-19. As the outbreak takes root, daily life has become increasingly disrupted, with concerts and conferences canceled and universities telling students to stay home and take classes online.
“I think we’re getting a better sense (of the scope of the outbreak) as the days go by,” Anthony Fauci, the head of the infectious diseases unit at the National Institutes of Health, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Unfortunately, that better sense is not encouraging because we’re seeing community spread,” he said.
He urged those most at risk from coronavirus to limit travel.
“If you’re a person with an underlying condition and you are particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition you need to think twice about getting on a plane, on a long trip, and not only think twice, just don’t get on a cruise ship,” Fauci said on “Meet the Press.”

Fauci said that in addition to efforts to try to contain the spread of the virus, it was important to start thinking about how to mitigate the impact as more and more Americans fall ill.
“They call it ‘social distancing,’ but it is common sense stuff,” he said. “You don’t want to go to a massive gathering, particularly if you are a vulnerable individual.”
The hardest hit area has been a nursing home in a suburb of Seattle. The United States is also preparing to take some passengers off a cruise ship that was barred from docking in San Francisco after several people aboard tested positive for the virus.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/vulnerable-americans-may-need-to-avoid-crowds-u-s-health-official-warns-

More countries will have to adopt Italy-style virus steps: Austria’s Kurz

It is only a matter of time until more European countries adopt the kind of aggressive steps that Italy is taking to combat the spread of the coronavirus, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday.

Italy, Austria’s southern neighbor, imposed a virtual lockdown across a swathe of its wealthy north on Sunday including the financial capital Milan, in a drastic new attempt to try to contain a rapidly growing outbreak.
Kurz told broadcaster ORF the situation in Austria — where health authorities have reported 99 confirmed coronavirus cases so far — was under control and the measures it has adopted were proper, although probably not the final steps required.
Austria said last week it would introduce “spot” health checks at its border with Italy for two weeks.
Austria could “of course” close schools, kindergartens and universities or curb large events if needed, Kurz said, adding he was in contact with the leaders of other European countries.
“It will be important to decide which steps to take when. You can close schools for one or two weeks and this is urgently necessary in Italy. It will happen in other European countries. The decisive question is when to do it,” Kurz said.
The dilemma is how to head off a peak in infections that could paralyze public health systems without doing too much economic damage, he added.
“You have to consider carefully when to adopt these measures because a national economy cannot handle this over too long a period,” he added.

He said the virus outbreak would weigh on Austrian economic growth, originally projected at 1.2-1.7% this year, but did not elaborate.
Kurz said the spot checks at the Italian border would not just detect individuals infected with the coronavirus but also reduce cross-border flows of travelers, reducing the risk of infection.
Austria last week said it was temporarily banning flights to northern Italy as well as other virus hot spots Iran and South Korea. Austrian Airlines has halted flights to China until April 24.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-austria/more-countries-will-have-to-adopt-italy-style-virus-steps-austrias-kurz-idUSKBN20V0KJ?il=0

Saudi Arabia locks down Qatif region as coronavirus cases rise in Gulf

Saudi Arabia on Sunday imposed a temporary lockdown on its eastern Qatif province, home to a large Shi’ite Muslim population, to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the kingdom after recording four more cases that raised the total to 11.

The move risks stirring resentment in Qatif, which has been a flashpoint between the Sunni-dominated Saudi government and minority Shi’ites in the country who have complained of discrimination and marginalization, charges the government denies.
Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said all the individuals diagnosed with the disease are from Qatif. Saudi authorities have previously said those infected have either been to Iran or interacted with people who visited the Islamic Republic, home to major Shi’ite holy sites.
The restrictions in Qatif could also raise tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran after Riyadh on Thursday denounced Tehran for granting Saudi citizens entry amid the coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Arabia has banned travel to Iran and said legal actions will be taken against any Saudi national traveling there.

Iran has emerged as an epicenter for the disease in the Middle East. The Islamic republic has reported 194 deaths from the virus on Sunday, putting it on a par with Italy as the country with the highest death toll outside China.
The Saudi interior ministry said it had temporarily halted movement into and out of the oil-producing Qatif region while ensuring returning residents could reach their homes and that commercial supplies to the province continue.
“Work at all public and private institutions is halted as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the disease, with the exception of vital facilities that provide security services and necessary provisions,” a ministry statement said.
The lockdown is not expected to have any impact on the kingdom’s oil production, two industry sources told Reuters.
Cement blocks were placed on the main road to Qatif, a resident said, declining to be named due to sensitivities.
The Saudi health ministry earlier said the newly diagnosed people, three of whom are women, interacted with another case reported previously who had returned from Iran via the United Arab Emirates but did not disclose his visit to the authorities.
On Saturday, the Saudi government restricted land crossings with the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain to commercial trucks only and said passenger arrivals will be limited to three Saudi airports.
Several other Gulf states recorded new infections on Sunday.
Kuwait reported two more cases, raising the total to 64. Its central bank announced a 10 million dinar ($32.79 million) fund to support state efforts to fight the virus.

Qatar recorded three more infections bringing the total number of people infected to 15.
Bahrain said its Formula One Grand Prix will go ahead this month without spectators, a blow to its tourism sector.
In Oman, all events at the Royal Opera House in the capital Muscat, scheduled for March and April, have been canceled as well as tours of the site, state news agency ONA reported.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-saudi/saudi-arabia-locks-down-qatif-region-as-coronavirus-cases-rise-in-gulf-idUSKBN20V0E7?il=0

Germany urges cancellation of events with more than 1,000 people

Germany’s health minister urged organizers of public events with more than 1,000 participants to call them off, news agency DPA reported on Sunday.
A number of large events, including a travel fair in Berlin, have already been called off, but Jens Spahn said other organizers had been too slow to act.
“Given how fast things are developing, that should change quickly,” he was quoted as saying.
Under Germany’s federal system, the health minister does not have the power to call off individual events, but a strong lead from the federal government typically encourages federal states to follow suit.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-spahn/germany-urges-cancellation-of-events-with-more-than-1000-people-idUSKBN20V0PK?il=0

Oscar Shares Update on COVID-19

Oscar, a tech-driven health insurance company, is sharing several steps it is taking to support members in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“We want our members to go to the doctor if they are feeling sick, and to get tested for COVID-19, if it’s recommended,” said Mario Schlosser, CEO and Co-Founder at Oscar. “We don’t want the cost of the test to be a barrier to patients seeking care. We were the first to offer telemedicine free-of-charge to members and this is a great time for them to use it to find out if testing is right for them or if other follow up care is needed.”
Oscar is making the following resources available to our members:

• Oscar is waiving cost-sharing for diagnostic testing for COVID-19. If a member has a question about how to find a provider, we encourage them to send their Concierge Team a message from their account on hioscar.com or the Oscar app, or contact us at 855-672-2755. Oscar is waiving these costs for all our members, when the test is recommended by a doctor.
• We continue to offer $0 telemedicine services.* Telemedicine is a great first option for people who think they could have coronavirus. Our telemedicine doctors can help you determine your risk factors and direct you to the right place for testing, if they think it is necessary.

We have also created a resource center for our members so that they can stay up-to-date on the latest information and precautions they should take to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
*available on most Oscar plans. We ask members to look at their plan details for more information.
https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/oscar-shares-update-on-covid-19/