The battle to halt the coronavirus brought sweeping new restrictions Monday, with Italy expanding a travel ban to the entire country and Israel ordering all visitors quarantined just weeks before Passover and Easter.
As new infections in China — where the epidemic began — continued to subside, Italians struggled to navigate the rapidly changing parameters of the nation’s self-imposed lockdown.
“There won’t be just a red zone,” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, in announcing that a lockdown covering about 16 million people in the north would be expanded to the entire country starting Tuesday.
Conte told reporters that measures introduced just two days ago in much of the north of Italy were no longer sufficient after a jump in deaths tied to the highly infectious disease, and said the entire nation had to make sacrifices to stop its spread.
“Our future and the future of Italy is in our hands. These hands have to be more responsible today than ever before,” Conte said as he spoke about his “stay at home” decree.
Questa battaglia si vince con il contributo di TUTTI. Agiamo responsabilmente. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/iorestoacasa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#iorestoacasa</a> <a href=”https://t.co/rkIOa9YCYt”>pic.twitter.com/rkIOa9YCYt</a>
Italy’s 60 million people will only be able to travel for work, medical reasons or emergencies until April 3. All schools and universities, which were closed nationwide last week until March 15, will now not reopen before next month. All public gatherings will be banned.
Across Italy, museums and archeological sites were closed, weddings were cancelled and restaurants were told to keep patrons a metre apart.
Italian doctors celebrated one small victory after the first patient diagnosed with the illness in the country, a 38-year-old Unilever worker, was moved out of intensive care and began breathing on his own. But the virus’ rapid spread was forcing them to operate like war-time medics, triaging patients to decide who get access to scarce ICU beds.
“Unfortunately we’re only at the beginning,” said Dr. Massimo Galli, head of infectious disease at Milan’s Sacco hospital.
Travellers at Milan’s main train station had to sign police forms self-certifying that they are travelling for “proven work needs,” situations of necessity, health reasons or to return home. They also needed to provide identity documents, contact numbers and an exact reason for travel from the financial hub.
A police officer talks to people at Milan’s main train station, following a government decree that has shut down large areas in the north of the country, on Monday. (Daniele Mascolo/Reuters)
Italy reported a big jump in the number of people who have tested positive for the virus, bringing the total to 9,172 cases and 463 deaths, more than any country except China.
Inmates at more than two dozen Italian prisons rioted against restrictions on family visits and other containment measures, and six died after they broke into the infirmary and overdosed on methadone.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government has decided to quarantine anyone arriving from overseas for 14 days. The decision comes barely a month before Easter and Passover, typically a busy travel period.
“Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real,” said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a briefing on Monday.
“But it would be the first pandemic that could be controlled. The bottom line is we are not at the mercy of the virus.”
Tedros said all countries should have a comprehensive strategy to deal with the virus, which he described as an “uneven epidemic” around the world.
The WHO is concerned people will give up fighting the coronavirus if it is labelled a ‘pandemic.’ 2:24
“The great advantage we have is the decisions we all make as governments, businesses, communities, families and individuals can influence the trajectory of this epidemic,” he said.
More than 113,000 people have tested positive for the disease and over 3,900 people with the virus have died, most of them in China.
Many of them have already recovered, according to The Associated Press. But Italy’s intensifying struggle to halt the virus’ spread emerged as a cautionary tale.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover. According to the WHO, people with mild illness get better in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, at least 80,754 people have been diagnosed and at least 59,897 patients have so far recovered.
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Seniors advocate outlines the challenges behind taking care of the elderly during outbreaks like the coronavirus. 9:32
More than 100 countries
Worldwide, the number of cases of COVID-19 — the disease caused by the coronavirus — is more than 100,000, with cases identified in more than 100 countries around the world.
The vast majority of cases have been clustered in China, but numbers have been rising in other countries, most notably Italy, Iran and South Korea.
Financial markets have been hard hit by coronavirus fears.
The TSX had its worst day in decades on Monday as plunging oil prices caused investors already spooked by coronavirus to sell off just about everything. The benchmark index closed down more than 1,660 points, or more than 10 per cent, to 14,514.
That’s the worst day for the TSX since Black Monday in 1987 — worse than any single day during the financial crisis of 2009.
Trading in Wall Street futures was halted for the first time since the 2016 U.S. presidential election after they fell more than the daily limit of five per cent. Bond yields hit new lows as investors bought them up as safe havens.
Here’s a look at what’s happening in Canada, the U.S. and hard-hit regions around the world.
Here’s what’s happening in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offers condolences to the family of the first victim of the coronavirus outbreak in Canada, and says the federal government is doing everything it can to keep Canadians safe. 0:33
Canada announced its first COVID-19 death — in British Columbia — on Monday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said a man living in a North Vancouver care home that had been identified as a COVID-19 hotspot had died.
“This is obviously a very sad day for all of us, but especially for the family and loved ones of the man who passed away at the Lynn Valley Care Home,” said B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.
Henry also announced that five more cases had been confirmed in B.C., bringing the province’s total to 32, raising Canada’s total number of cases to 77.
Ontario’s health ministry has reported 34 cases, the most in any Canadian province.
Quebec has reported four confirmed and presumptive cases. The most recent patient — reported in the Montérégie region, southeast of Montreal — had recently returned from a cruise, officials said.
Alberta on Monday reported seven cases, while B.C. has reported 32 cases.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, which assesses the risk around COVID-19, says the risk in Canada is low.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said there are now more than 110,000 confirmed cases worldwide.
Speaking alongside the health and foreign affairs ministers on Monday, Tam recommended that Canadians avoid travelling on cruise ships.
Here’s what’s happening in the U.S.
More than 230 Canadians on board the Grand Princess cruise ship, which docked in Oakland, Calif., on Monday will be flown to the military base in Trenton, Ont., for 14 days of quarantine. (Kate Munsch/Reuters)
In the United States, where more than 600 infections and more than 20 deaths have been reported, President Donald Trump said Monday he will be taking “major” steps to gird the economy against the impact of a spreading coronavirus outbreak and will discuss a payroll tax cut with congressional Republicans on Tuesday.
“We’ll be discussing a possible payroll tax cut or relief, substantial relief, very substantial relief, that’s a big number,” Trump told reporters.
He did not provide details but added that a news conference will be held on Tuesday.
Vice-President Mike Pence said the administration was consulting Congress on providing paid sick leave to workers, an idea that Democrats already have been trying to advance.
Two cruise ships kept at bay at opposite ends of the country over fear of the virus garnered much attention on Monday.
The Grand Princess cruise ship, which has at least 21 confirmed virus cases, arrived in the port of Oakland, Calif., on Monday afternoon, amid elaborate anti-coronavirus protective procedures. Fleets of buses and planes were ready to whisk the more than 2,000 passengers to military bases or their home countries for a 14-day quarantine.
The Grand Princess cruise ship, pictured at the port in Oakland, Calif., on Monday. A handful of people were tested for coronavirus on board and 21 (mostly crew members) tested positive. (Kate Munsch/Reuters)
More than 230 Canadians on the Grand Princess will be repatriated to the air force base in Trenton, Ont., where they will undergo a 14-day quarantine.
In Florida, passengers were disembarking from the Regal Princess after it received clearance to dock. Two crew members eyed as possible carriers had negative tests for the virus.
Here’s what’s happening in Iran and the Middle East
State television in Iran said the virus had killed another 43 people, pushing the official toll up to 237 with 7,161 confirmed cases. But many fear the scope of illness is far wider there.
Iran has released approximately 70,000 prisoners because of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Iranian judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday, according to Mizan, the news site of the judiciary.
A worker in a protective suit sprays a disinfectant inside the gate of Shalamcha Border Crossing, after Iraq shut a border crossing with Iran. (Essam al-Sudani/Reuters)
After earlier closing its land borders, Saudi Arabia cut off air and sea travel to and from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, South Korea, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. All Saudi schools and universities closed beginning Monday.
Qatar cut off travel to 15 countries and said it would shut down schools and universities beginning Tuesday.
Here’s what’s happening in Europe and the U.K.
European Union leaders will hold emergency talks soon to discuss a joint response to the coronavirus, officials said on Monday, as the bloc’s executive considers relaxing state subsidy rules to allow extra public spending. The announcement of the teleconference, likely to take place on Tuesday, came after Italy and France called for Europe-wide stimulus to counter the economic impact of the epidemic.
France has reported 1,191 cases with 21 deaths.The number of people infected in the Netherlands increased to 321 on Monday, up from 264 a day earlier, Dutch health authorities said.
In Ireland, officials cancelled all St. Patrick’s Day parades in a bid to slow the virus’ spread, including the one on March 17 in Dublin that typically draws half a million people to its streets.
Spain’s health minister on Monday announced that all schools in and around Madrid, including kindergartens and universities, will close for two weeks after a sharp spike in new virus diagnoses. The new cases “imply a change for the worse,” the minister, Salvador Illa, said.
Organizers of the annual Holocaust remembrance march in southern Poland postponed it this year due to coronavirus fears, and soccer authorities said at least four major matches — in France, Germany and Spain — would take place with no fans.
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Flying during the coronavirus outbreak? Microbiologist Keith Warriner breaks down the steps you can take to protect yourself while travelling. 2:34
Germany on Monday reported 210 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the Robert Koch Institute said.The number of cases in Germany rose to 1,112, up from 902 reported on Sunday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned against thinking that measures to slow the spread of the new coronavirus are in vain, insisting that they are buying “valuable time.”
In the U.K., the number of confirmed cases stood at 319 on Monday.
Here’s what’s happening in Japan and South Korea
In South Korea, officials reported 35 new coronavirus cases Tuesday — down from 165 new cases the day before, bringing the national tally to 7,513. The numbers showed the rate of increase in new infections fell to its lowest level in 12 days in one of the most severely affected countries outside mainland China.
South Korean soldiers prepare to do work at an apartment complex that is under isolation amid mass infection of the coronavirus reported in Daegu, South Korea. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)
A Japan Airlines Co Ltd. cabin attendant has tested positive for coronavirus, the airline said on Monday, the latest case in what has become a widening outbreak for Japan.
The infection comes after local media reported that one person in Kanagawa prefecture had died from the virus, bringing the country’s death toll so far to 15, including seven from the quarantined cruise ship near Tokyo.
Here’s what’s happening in China
Mainland China, outside Hubei province, reported no new locally transmitted cases for the third straight day, as a senior Communist Party official warned against reducing vigilance against the disease and of the risk to social stability.
“We must stay cautious, not be blindly optimistic and must not have war-weariness…,” said Chen Yixin, secretary general of the Communist Party’s Politics and Law Commission.
“We should not reduce the vigilance against the epidemic and the requirements of prevention and control.”
China had 19 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Monday, the National Health Commission said on Monday, down from 40 cases a day earlier, and the lowest number since the health authority started publishing nationwide data on Jan. 20.
Of the new cases on Monday, 17 were new infections in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, while the remaining four in Gansu province were imported from Iran.
The total number of imported cases hit 67, including the four Gansu cases.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 80,754.
Here’s a look at some other areas of concern around the world
A government worker disinfects a high school in Manila on Monday amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. (Maria Tan/AFP/Getty Images)
The Philippine president has declared a state of public health emergency throughout the country after health officials confirmed over the weekend the first local transmission of the novel coronavirus.
Nigeria has a second confirmed coronavirus case, the country’s health minister said on Twitter on Monday. The first case was an Italian man who travelled to the southwestern state of Ogun.
Singapore will allow the Costa Fortuna cruise ship to dock on Tuesday, after it was rejected by Thailand and Malaysia.
Indonesia says the number of confirmed cases of people infected with the coronavirus had risen by 13, including 11 Indonesians and two foreigners, taking the total number of cases to 19 in the Southeast Asian country.
MAINEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Nelly Korda had a tough time getting out of bed Thursday morning. Any Solheim Cup fatigue had no bearing on her standard of golf, a bogey-free 67 in the Kroger Queen City Championship that left her two shots behind Ashleigh Buhai.
Korda and Leona Maguire, who also had a 5-under 67, are among 11 players who competed in the Solheim Cup last week and got right back to work at the TPC River’s Bend. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., also had a 67 on the day to be tied for fourth.
Buhai, a former Women’s British Open champion from South Africa, isn’t part of the Solheim Cup and had a few weeks to rest from an injury-plagued season. She ran off eight birdies for her 7-under 65, giving her a one-shot lead over Jeeno Thitikul and Yan Liu.
“Just shows that rest is just as important,” Buhai said. “I know if I give myself five days to warm up, with my coach coming in, we did good work, and, yeah, it was nice to actually just see it pay off today.”
Korda at least had the afternoon for nap time after her early start. She went 3-1 in her matches last week in the Solheim Cup as the Americans defeated Europe for the first time in seven years.
“I’m looking forward to the stay-in-bed-all-day vibe today. It was definitely tough kind of waking up this morning, but I do love competing and I love being out here,” Korda said. “Everyone that played last week is going to be tired. I’m just trying to take it one step at a time, know that my energy levels aren’t the greatest, but I’m still motivated.”
She found additional motivation not so much from her five birdies but keeping a clean card.
“There is just no greater feeling than minimized your mistakes, or making no mistakes,” Korda said. “Whenever you get to play a bogey-free round I feel like it motivates you, and hopefully I can take that energy into the next three days.”
Maguire only played two matches last week, having played all five matches her previous two appearances. She wasn’t pleased about being sat out, especially after she easily disposed of Ally Ewing (4 and 3) in singles.
But maybe there was one upside.
“Last couple of Solheims I’ve played five matches, been exhausted after the Solheim,” she said. “So nice to be a little bit fresher time around.”
Korda and Maguire were part of a large group at 67 that included Lydia Ko, who last played three weeks ago and had every reason to be floating on air. Along with winning Olympic gold just over a month ago, she captured the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews.
Ko said her big summer — winning the gold medal got her into the LPGA Hall of Fame — still hasn’t sunk in. She arrived in the Cincinnati area having to learn a new course. The tournament was held at Kenwood Country Club the last two years, which is going through some improvements.
“It’s a new golf course, so all of us are just trying to get used to this TPC course and just putting ourselves in position,” Ko said. “And sometimes I think when you do see low scores, you try and chase it too much, but I just tried to stick to my own kind of routine and my strategy.”
Hamilton’s Alena Sharp had a 69, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 71.
Rose Zhang went 4-0 in her matches at the Solheim Cup — needing only 58 holes — and finished with three straight bogeys for a 73. Esther Henseleit had a 74, and the other seven Solheim Cup players were at par or better.
PENTICTON, B.C. – Jake DeBrusk had a bit of an unfamiliar feeling as he prepared to hit the ice with his Vancouver Canucks teammates Thursday — butterflies.
The 27-year-old winger is no stranger to NHL training camps, but after seven seasons with the Boston Bruins, Thursday marked his first time skating with a new team.
“It was actually pretty nerve wracking. I was a little nervous going out there,” DeBrusk said after the Canucks’ first day of training camp in Penticton, B.C.
“It kind of caught me off guard, actually. But it was good. The guys are competing and it was fast out there. Trying to get chemistry and things like that, so it was exciting.”
DeBrusk inked a seven-year, US$38.5-million deal with the Canucks when the league’s free agent market opened on July 1, and was quickly pencilled in as a linemate for Vancouver’s star centre, Elias Pettersson.
The duo skated together in drills on Thursday, and DeBrusk was excited about the result.
“I think I’ve seen a lot of really wicked plays by (Pettersson),” he said. “And I’m sort of still catching up a little bit, but I’m starting to figure some of it out, I think. Any time you have a player like that that’s so dynamic, you want to just be consistent for him and just have someone that he can rely on.”
DeBrusk, who put up 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games for the Bruins last season, brings speed and tenacity to the Canucks, Pettersson said.
“He’s skilful, but then works hard,” he said. “He plays the body and goes to the dirty areas. But I think it’s the combination of physical play and smartness.”
Developing chemistry takes time both on the ice and away from the rink, Pettersson added.
“It’s just hanging out,” he said. “When you’re, I guess, good at hockey, you just figure it out on the ice. And we’ll continue taking steps every day. I’m just excited to get going.”
DeBrusk is among a handful of new additions to Vancouver’s roster.
The Canucks also added forwards Danton Heinen, Kiefer Sherwood and Daniel Sprong, and defencemen Derek Forbort and Vincent Desharnais in free agency.
Desharnais was already familiar with Vancouver’s playing style, having had a close-up look as a member of the Edmonton Oilers squad that eliminated the Canucks from the playoffs in a gritty, seven-game second-round series in May.
The first day of training camp provided new insight for the six-foot-seven, 226-pound blue liner, however.
“I understand why they were so hard to play against last year,” he said with a laugh.
While Desharnais contributed a goal, 10 assists and 54 penalty minutes to the Oilers last season, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin has said he believes the 28-year-old from Laval, Que., has more to give.
Desharnais agreed.
“That’s why I’m here, to get better,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of small details I can add to my game. I’m a late bloomer, and I want to keep learning, I want to keep improving myself, and every day to get a better mindset every day. Every morning, I just try to get better.”
Transitioning to a new team has been smooth so far, Desharnais said.
“I feel like I’m part of the team already,” he said, adding that he’s spent much of the last week and a half hanging out with his new teammates away from the rink. “I’m very excited to start travelling, to start playing games because you get even closer.”
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet knows better than most what it takes for a player to settle in with a new locker room, having played for six different teams over the course of 18 seasons in the NHL.
Vancouver’s veteran players have done a good job of making the recent additions feel welcome, he said.
“I’ve been on other teams where it takes you a while, maybe it’s not as close,” the coach said. “But this team, whoever comes in here, it’s ‘Hey, you’re welcome’ and they’re hanging together. So I credit those guys for that environment.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani became the first major league player to exceed 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season during the most spectacular game of a history-making career for the Los Angeles Dodgers star, going deep three times and swiping two bags on Thursday against the Miami Marlins.
Ohtani hit is 49th homer in the sixth inning, his 50th in the seventh and his 51st in the ninth. He finished 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs while becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game.
“It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time,” Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview.
The Japanese superstar reached the second deck in right-center on two of his three homers at LoanDepot Park. In the sixth inning, he launched a 1-1 slider from George Soriano 438 feet for his 49th.
Ohtani hit his 50th homer in the seventh inning, an opposite-field, two-run shot to left against Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. Then, in the ninth, his 51st traveled 440 feet to right-center, a three-run shot against Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan, who came in to pitch with the game out of hand. The Dodgers won 20-4 and clinched their 12th straight playoff berth.
“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad that it was going well today.”
Ohtani took care of the stolen bases earlier in the game, swiping his 50th in the first and his 51st in the second.
He broke the Dodgers’ franchise record of 49 homers set by Shawn Green in 2001. And he became the third player in major league history with at least six hits, three homers and 10 RBIs in a game, joining Cincinnati’s Walker Cooper in 1949 and Washington’s Anthony Rendon in 2017.
The Japanese superstar led off the game with double against Edward Cabrera and swiped third on the front end of a double steal with Freddie Freeman, who reached on a walk.
Ohtani has been successful on his last 28 stolen base attempts.
He reached the 50-50 milestone in his 150th game. Ohtani was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing just 126 games.
Ohtani’s previous career high in homers was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, when he also made 23 starts on the mound and won his first of two American League MVP awards.
Already the consensus best player in baseball whose accomplishments as a pitcher and batter outpaced even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive player while taking the year off from pitching.
Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively at designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates after surgery a year ago for an injured elbow ligament.
Preparation was a key to Ohtani becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. He regularly huddled with the team’s hitting coaches and studied video of opposing pitchers to understand their tendencies with hitters and baserunners.
“I see all the work he puts in,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said recently. “It’s not like he goes out there and it’s too easy for him. He works harder than anybody. He scouts really hard. He’s playing a different game so it’s fun to see.”
Ohtani appeared to make the 50-50 mark his mission. He increased the frequency of his base-stealing attempts and in turn his success rate went up.
But that may not be the case next year when he returns to the mound.
“He’s not pitching this year so I think he is emptying the tank offensively,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think the power, the on-base (percentage), the average, I think he can do that as a pitcher. He’s done something pretty similar like that with his OPS. But as far as the stolen bases go, I’m not sure about that.”
Ohtani’s teammates have enjoyed watching him crush home runs and scamper around the bases.
“I’m honestly kind of trying to learn from him just seeing the way he goes about his day-to-day business. He’s very consistent, the same demeanor throughout,” outfielder Tommy Edman said recently. “I think that’s why he’s such a good player.”
Third baseman Max Muncy added, “Every night I feel like he does something that we haven’t seen.”
What’s next for Ohtani?
The Dodgers are headed to the postseason in October, which will be another first for Ohtani. He never made it there with the Angels, who never had a winning record during his tenure in Anaheim.
Another potential first could be earning National League MVP honors as a designated hitter. No player who got most of his playing time as a DH — without pitching — has ever won MVP, although Don Baylor, Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz placed high in the vote.
It would be Ohtani’s third career MVP award.
___
AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
