AOL

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) – The White House is in talks with the Pentagon about how the military can be deployed to deal with the fast-moving coronavirus, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, including setting up field hospitals in states with a surge in cases.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday at the White House that the Army Corp could deploy field hospitals, known as “MASH” units (mobile army surgical hospital) or help renovate or expand existing hospitals. Continue reading “White House preparing to call on military to boost coronavirus medical response”

CNBC

New Yorkers should prepare for a “shelter-in-place” order in the coming days as local officials try to contain the fast-moving coronavirus that’s spreading throughout the U.S., New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday, adding that a decision will be made in the next 48 hours.

“We are all deeply concerned … this is quite clear this is a fast growing crisis,” he said at a press conference. “All New Yorkers, even though a decision has not been made by the city or the state, I think that all New Yorkers should be prepared right now for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order.” Continue reading “New Yorkers should be prepared for a ‘shelter in place order,’ Mayor Bill de Blasio says”

KHOU

MARCH 17 12:15 p.m. — Gov. Greg Abbott activated the Texas National Guard to be prepared to assist with response efforts for COVID-19. This preparative measure will ensure that the Texas National Guard can assist in various forms throughout the state when needed. Healthcare workers and first responders who are members of the Texas National Guard are excluded from this activation so that they can continue serving the people of Texas in their respective fields. Continue reading “Abbott activates Texas Army National Guard to help with COVID-19”

KHOU

HOUSTON — Houston bars and restaurants have been ordered to follow new restrictions for the next 15 days in an effort to curb coronavirus exposure, Harris County Judge Lina Hildago announced Monday.

Bars and nightclubs must close. Meanwhile, restaurants can only delivery, pickup and drive-thru services. No in-dining service is allowed.  Continue reading “Houston-area bars forced to close, dining-in no longer allowed at restaurants for next 15 days”

New York Post – by Julia Marsh and Nolan Hicks

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced late Sunday that the Big Apple’s nightlife will shut down and its restaurants and bars will only provide takeout or delivery service as authorities struggle to get ahead of the mounting coronavirus pandemic.

The restrictions will take effect at 9 a.m. Tuesday and are similar to measures announced in Ohio, Washington, DC, and across much of Western Europe, all of which have been hit by the deadly virus, too. Continue reading “NYC orders nightlife shutdown while bars, restaurants go takeout-only”

The Weather Channel

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a news conference Saturday morning that he is considering domestic travel restrictions and is working with states that might be affected.

“If you don’t have to travel I wouldn’t do it,” Trump said. Continue reading “Coronavirus Updates: President Trump Considering Domestic Travel Restrictions; First Deaths Reported in 3 States”

Texas Tribune

The new coronavirus continues popping up throughout Texas and at least 63 people have now tested positive, according to the latest statewide figures released Saturday.

There are cases in each of the state’s five largest urban areas, though the virus has now also appeared in counties spanning from East Texas to the Gulf Coast. This table shows county of residence for patients — they may be undergoing treatment in another part of the state. Continue reading “Latest count puts Texas coronavirus cases at 63. Here’s where they are.”

Buzz Feed

The US health system is “failing” at providing adequate testing for the coronavirus as the outbreak begins to grip the country, Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Congress on Thursday.

“It is a failing. Let’s admit it,” Fauci, a top-ranking member of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, told the House Committee on Oversight and Reform during a hearing on US coronavirus preparedness and response.  Continue reading “A Top Health Official Said The US Is “Failing” At Testing For The Coronavirus”

New York Post – by Yaron Steinbuch

A Big Apple conference about the coronavirus has been canceled – because of the coronavirus, according to a report.

The Council of Foreign Relations was due to hold a roundtable titled “Doing Business Under Coronavirus” on Friday, but decided to cancel it amid fears that it could lead to a spread of the deadly bug, Bloomberg News reported. Continue reading “Coronavirus conference canceled in New York because of coronavirus”

Forbes

Following a week of steep market losses amid mounting coronavirus fears, the world’s 10 richest people lost a combined $37.7 billion on Monday, as the S&P 500 and Dow Jones each sunk nearly 8%. Nine of the 10 billionaires took a multi-billion dollar hit on a day market pundits and social media users quickly dubbed “Black Monday,” in reference to the infamous stock market crash of October 1987.  Continue reading “The World’s 10 Richest Billionaires Lose $38 Billion On Coronavirus-Spurred ‘Black Monday’”

Pocket

On stage he’s a loveable, floppy-haired prince charming. Off camera – well let’s just say he needs a lot of personal space. He hates being a celebrity. He resents being an actor. To his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley’s friends he was apparently known as ‘Grumpelstiltskin.’

Hugh Grant may be famed for being moody and a little challenging to work with. But could a grumpy attitude be the secret to his success? Continue reading “Why It Pays to Be Grumpy and Bad-Tempered”

North Jersey

A Bergen County horse trainer with several underlying medical conditions was New Jersey’s first coronavirus death, state officials said Tuesday.

The 69-year-old man was identified as Little Ferry resident John Brennan, a horse trainer and mainstay in the paddock of Yonkers Raceway, according to several horse racing publications. Continue reading “Horse trainer from Little Ferry is first in NJ to die of coronavirus”

New York Post – by Carl Campanile, Larry Celona, Joe Marino

The first EMS worker in the city has tested positive for the coronavirus, the union said Monday.

The man got the potentially deadly bug from his girlfriend, an airline flight attendant who is now quarantined overseas, a source added. Continue reading “First EMS worker in NYC tests positive for coronavirus”

Politico

The coronavirus crisis is starting to hit Capitol Hill as two Republican lawmakers announced Sunday they were were in “self-quarantine” following their exposure to an infected individual at a recent gathering of conservative activists.

While neither lawmaker has been diagnosed with the disease, the two cases show that Congress — like the rest of the country — is having to grapple with the growing outbreak. Continue reading “Coronavirus hits Capitol Hill as 2 GOP lawmakers ‘self-quarantine’”

AOL

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired three short-range projectiles off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military said, two days after the North threatened to take “momentous” action to protest outside condemnation over its earlier live-fire exercises.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the multiple kinds of projectiles fired from the eastern coastal town of Sondok flew as far as 200 kilometers (125 miles) at a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (30 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Continue reading “N. Korea fires weapons after threatening ‘momentous’ action”

New York Post – by Susan Edelman and Melissa Klein

They’re not the Bravest when it comes to the coronavirus.

The FDNY won’t dispatch its firefighters to potential coronavirus patients, leaving its paramedics and EMTs to handle them alone, The Post has learned. Continue reading “FDNY firefighters won’t be dispatched to potential coronavirus cases”