Coronavirus latest: US outbreak surges to over 100,000 cases

• The United States now has over 101,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to a tracker by Johns Hopkins University
• New York City and New Orleans are planning temporary hospitals as they grapple with a surge of cases 
• The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged, is now slowly reopening after months of lockdown

Updates in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC/GMT) 

02:45 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro downplayed the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil and questioned the official death toll in the hard-hit state of Sao Paulo, saying it seemed “too large,” while accusing the state’s governor of manipulating the numbers for political gain.

Bolsonaro has refused to initiate nationwide social distancing measures in Brazil, insisting that protecting the economy is more important and criticizing governors who have taken action locally in Brazilian states.

“I’m sorry, some people will die, they will die, that’s life. You can’t stop a car factory because of traffic deaths,” he said in a television interview.

01:50 Germany will not relax its current restrictions on public life before April 20, Helge Braun, the head of Angela Merkel’s Chancellery, told the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. 

“We will not discuss any relaxing [of restrictions] until April 20, and until then, all measures will remain in place. Stores, restaurants, schools and universities are closed,” said Braun, adding that it should be clear after Easter whether the restrictions have slowed the spread of coronavirus. 

“If we manage to slow the rate of infection so that it takes ten, twelve or more days for cases to double, then we know we’re on the right track,” said Braun.

01:30 Regulators with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved a new rapid coronavirus test. Medical supply manufacturer Abbott Laboratories said its test can confirm a COVID-19 infection in minutes. The company said it would launch the test next week at a selection of urgent care centers. Many areas of the US have struggled with test kit shortages.

01:00 Brazilian authorities announced a travel ban applying to all foreigners without residency entering the country via airports. The ban will go into effect Monday, Reuters reported. 

Read more:  Coronavirus in Brazil: Cuban doctors wait for their chance

00:35 Wuhan, the city in central China where the novel coronavirus is thought to have originated, partially reopened Saturday. In January, the city of 11 million was completely locked down, with all travel in and out prohibited.

As of Saturday, people will be allowed to enter Wuhan, but not leave. Exit restrictions are expected to be lifted on April 8. The capital of Hubei province, Wuhan is the last city in the province to have travel restrictions lifted.

China reported 54 “imported” COVID-19 cases on Friday. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the US could soon be considered the new “epicenter” of the virus. 

00:15 US states have begun imposing quarantine orders on people arriving from New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. In the state of Rhode Island, around 250 kilometers (160 miles) from New York City, state police officers Friday began pulling over vehicles with New York state license plates to collect contact information and inform them of a mandatory 14-day quarantine, the Associated Press reported.

Governors in Texas, Florida, Maryland and South Carolina this week ordered anyone arriving from New York and the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut, to self-quarantine for at least 14 days after arrival.

New York City accounts for nearly a quarter of all COVID-19 cases in the US

00:05 Here’s the latest on the healthcare situation in the US:

The coronavirus pandemic is threatening to overwhelm health care systems in several locations in the US, as the number of infections continues to climb exponentially. A week ago, on March 21, the number of COVID-19 cases in the US was around 25,000. On Friday, there were over 100,000 confirmed cases, according to numbers published by Johns Hopkins University.

Health care officials in places like New York City and New Orleans said they need more medicine, protective gear, and medical equipment like ventilators.

In New York City, which has over 25,000 cases, hospitals warn there are not enough beds to treat all of the patients with severe symptoms. On Friday, the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan was converted into a temporary hospital with 1,000 beds. More temporary hospitals are planned.

New Orleans, which has more than 1,100 cases, rushed to complete a makeshift hospital at a convention center Friday. Health officials say Mardi Gras celebrations late last month triggered a COVID-19 outbreak in the city.

00:00 Catch up on yesterday’s news here:Italy registers nearly 1,000 new deaths in single day

wmr/rs  (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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