Coronavirus latest: Germany pledges billions in financial aid
- Germany has reported six deaths from the virus and over 2,300 infections.
- The states of Saarland, Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Berlin will close schools starting Monday.
- Sophie Trudeau, the wife of Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, tested positive for the virus.
- Tokyo stocks closed down 6% on Friday after European markets plummeted Thursday.
Read more: Coronavirus begins shutting down public life across Germany
Updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT)
09:45 German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Germany has earmarked billions of euros in financial aid to assist businesses and employees affected by the outbreak in Germany.
“We are in unusual times,” Scholz told Germany’s Parliament, the Bundestag, on Friday.
09:40 The northern German state of Lower Saxony said all schools and kindergartens would close from Monday until the end of Easter break in mid-April.
09:30 Germany’s Bundesliga said it would stop first and second division soccer matches from Tuesday until April 2. Matches scheduled for this weekend will go ahead as planned but without fans in attendance. France’s football league has suspended the season “until further notice.”
Follow DW Sports for more on how the coronavirus is affecting sports around the worldincluding news on UEFA’s Champions League.
09:05 The coronavirus is causing disruptions to supply changes around the world. DW spoke the CEO of Otto International about the pandemic’s effects.
08:55 Iranian health officials have confirmed over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, Reuters reported. Iran has the highest coronavirus infection rate in the Middle East.
08:29 With the elderly among the people most vulnerable to the virus, Bavarian officials said visits to care facilities for seniors would be “massively” reduced. Hospital visits will also be limited.
08:24 Officials in Berlin announced Friday the city would begin gradually closing schools and daycare facilities starting next week. Public transport will also be reduced to a minimum.
08:06 The west African countries of Ghana and Gabon each reported their first cases of COVID-19. In total, African countries have confirmed 15 cases.
08:05 Small and medium-sized business with less extensive supply chains will be hit harder by the coronavirus’ economic effects than large multinational firms that can relocate production to other countries, DW business analyst Gerhard Elfers said.
07:41 Kenya reported its first COVID-19 case on Friday. Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe said a woman was diagnosed on March 12 after traveling to Kenya from the US via London.
07:02 The southern German state of Bavaria will close all schools starting Monday, government sources told German media. The closures are expected to last until the end of the Easter break in mid-April.
06:19 The western German state of Saarland has ordered all schools and daycare facilities to close starting on Monday. It is the first German state to order a blanket closure of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak. Saarland state Premier Tobias Hans said the closures were a precautionary measure due to the state’s proximity to France’s high-risk Grand Est region.
Other German states are also considering shutting down schools
06:08 Nepal has closed access to all of its Himalayan peaks, including Mount Everest. The South Asian country’s tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai said Friday that expeditions to all peaks in the March-May spring season have been suspended.
“Climbing this season has been closed,” Bhattarai told Reuters.
05:48 Turkish health authorities have confirmed the second case of COVID-19 in Turkey.
04:30 Singapore’s Health Ministry issued advisories against all non-essential travel and introduced restrictions for Italy, France, Spain and Germany.
04:20 Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a level three travel warning, meaning only essential travel should be undertaken “regardless of your destination, age or health.”
He also advised that organized non-essential public gatherings of more than 500 people from next week should be canceled, adding it was a “common sense precaution.”
Morrison suggested there could be further measures put in place in the future. The advice does not include schools, airports or public transport.
04:01 China’s Vice Industry Minister Xin Guobin said that auto parts makers in Hubei province are resuming production.
03:50 China reported a total of eight new coronavirus cases on Thursday — its lowest number since daily reporting of infections began seven weeks ago.
Its National Health Commission counted seven new deaths of patients infected with the virus. Five of the new cases and six of the deaths were recorded in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
03:20 Hong Kong confirmed the death of a fourth patient from coronavirus. Health officials said an 80-year-old man died at
03:10 Here’s a summary of schools closures announced by authorities across Europe:
France will close all schools, high schools and kindergartens from Monday. Belgium and Portugal both became the latest countries on Thursday evening to also order school closures, while schools and universities will remain shut across hardest-hit Italy.
Germany appears the exception to the rule in western Europe, with partial school closures in place, but no blanket ban yet.
Read more: Coronavirus: The psychology behind panic-buying
02:59 The Mormon Church is suspending all public ceremonies and gatherings worldwide. The suspension will continue until further notice.
“Where possible, leaders should conduct any essential leadership meetings via technology,” said a letter published by the church to its members.
02:30 A Philippine diplomat in New York has become the first recorded case at the UN headquarters. The diplomat works at the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, which deals with legal matters.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Get creative with preserved food
Making tinned food appetizing may take some kitchen wizardry, but it’s certainly not impossible. Why not up the ante when it comes to cuisine and also boost your body’s defenses at the same time? You may be inspired to experiment with a sinus-clearing home made laksa, or whip together a tuna poke bowl with tinned sweetcorn and fresh ginger to give your immune system an extra boost.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
No gym, no excuse
There’s plenty that you can do to keep your body in fighting shape if you can’t head to the gym. You can get your blood pumping with work-out or yoga tutorials online, or if you’re looking to step things up a little, those tins of food now lining your pantry can make for great free weights.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Tackle your spring cleaning
You could take the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and channel your excess energy into getting every corner of your home sparkling. It’s also never been a better time to ‘Marie Kondo’ your life and clear out all that excess clutter. You might even free up some extra storage space for the year’s supply of toilet paper now sitting in your bathroom.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Pretend you’re in the audience with live-streams
One club in Shanghai streamed DJ sets on TikTok so that viewers could participate in “cloud raves” from home. If you’re disappointed about cancelled concerts or heated live debates and want to feel like you’re not missing out, keep an eye out for live-streamed events on social media.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Catch up on binge-worthy TV
Binge-watching the latest TV shows is a guaranteed way to get your mind off things. Perhaps the mini-series “Chernobyl” may put things in perspective if you’re only feeling the doom and gloom perpetuated by the news. Alternatively, if you’re after something lighter as a pick-me-up, you can just spend 6 hours and 20 minutes a day watching “Friends” to finish all 236 episodes in 14 days.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Distract yourself with a board game
All this free time may give you the chance to blow the dust off some old board games and challenge your quarantine comrades to a round. It’ll help fend off boredom and lift your spirits while you wait things out. If you’re quarantined solo, most classic games have mobile app versions on which you can play against friends online.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Do your taxes
Still not having fun? This suggestion is sure to change that. By the time we’re all back at work and have caught up with the backlog, tax time will be upon us again before we expect. Take the time to get your ducks in a row to save yourself the stress later on, but feel free to take a rest if it’s all too exciting.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Learn a new skill
These days, you can learn almost anything online. If you’ve been thinking about learning to code, or perhaps even picking up a language like German (hint hint), online providers have made it easy and often free, so there’s no excuse not to put your free time to good use.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Call your grandma
If your relatives complain about only seeing you during the holidays, it’s a good time to give them a ring. While you may find yourself stuck on the line for an hour or two, they’ll appreciate the surprise check-in. If you haven’t already, it’s also a good idea to make sure that they’re looked after and are staying healthy in what’s a particularly risky situation for older people.
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How to combat corona cabin fever
Plan a vacation
Holiday planning is a nice way to escape your apartment, even if it’s only imaginatively. Fill your time daydreaming about relaxing in Bali or taking in some clean, virus particle-free air in the alps somewhere while giving yourself something to look forward to once the situation subsides. Just don’t forget to book travel insurance because you never know what the next crisis situation will be.
02:15 A dog in Hong Kong thought to be a carrier for the COVID-19 virus has been found not to be infected. The dog’s owner tested positive and officials initially thought that they had found the first transmission from human to animal after the dog showed a “weak positive” after first undergoing a test.
02:05 The Canadian prime minister’s communications director Cameron Ahmad published a “personal message” from Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in both French and English after it was confirmed she tested positive for COVID-19.
“Although I’m experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of the virus, I will be back on my feet soon. Being in quarantine is nothing compared to other Canadian families who might be going through this and for those facing more serious health concerns,” wrote Sophie Trudeau.
01:58 Sophie Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Communications director Cameron Ahmad published a statement saying Sophie Trudeau will remain in isolation while the prime minister, who is also in isolation, “will continue to fully assume his duties.”
01:35 Portugal is closing all schools two weeks before the semester is due to end.
01:30 South Korea, the country with the fourth highest number of cases, reported 110 new cases, taking its total up to 7,979 cases.
Read more: South Korea church leader apologizes for coronavirus spread
01:26 Argentina is closing borders to travelers from high-risk areas. Flights from Europe, the US, Japan, China and Iran will be stopped for 30 days, said President Alberto Fernandez.
Anyone who traveled to the country from epidemic areas during the last two weeks will have to be quarantined for 14 days.
01:14 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Trump administration are close to an agreement on a coronavirus aid package for workers, families and businesses impacted by the virus.
Pelosi said she expects the announcement on the package to be announced on Friday.
Read more: US restricts travel from EU: What you need to know
00:55 Coronavirus has been bad for sports, with many major sporting events canceled, including the F1 Australian Grand Prix. London-based soccer team Arsenal’s squad are in quarantine after their head coach tested positive for the virus.
00:40 Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland Paris will be closed from Sunday until the end of the month. There have been no confirmed cases of the virus in staff at the theme parks.
Disney Cruise Line is suspending all new departures from Saturday.
The Walt Disney Company also delayed the release of movies including “Mulan” and House of Mouse titles “New Mutants” and “Antlers.”
00:30 Saudi Arabia detected 17 new cases of coronavirus bringing its total up to 45 cases.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was tested after his top communication aide was confirmed to have the virus
00:10 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is expecting test results back within “hours,” after his senior communications aide tested positive for COVID-19. His son, Eduardo Bolsonaro tweeted that the president is not displaying any symptoms of the disease.
Bolsonaro also told his supporters to refrain from holding political rallies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A demonstration was planned on Sunday to press for Congress to approve Bolsonaro’s latest legislative agenda.
00:05 Tokyo stocks opened down more than 5% on Friday after global markets saw their worst day on Thursday since 1987.
wmr,kmm/sms (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)
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