Canada closes borders to foreigners – as it happened

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A British cruise ship that was turned away from several Caribbean ports after passengers fell ill with novel coronavirus is scheduled to dock in on Cuba Tuesday after the island agreed to help transfer those aboard to planes bound for the United Kingdom, AP reports.

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The Cuban government said it had decided to allow the Braemar to dock in the port of Mariel, about 56 kilometres (35 miles) west of the capital, due to the urgency of the situation and the risk to the lives of sick people.”

Fred. Olsen Cruises said that the ship had 22 passengers and 21 crew members in isolation after displaying flu-like symptoms and five aboard who tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The ship with more than 1,000 people aboard has been turned away from ports in Curacao and Barbados in recent weeks, leading to an intense search for a way to get its mostly British passengers and its crew home.

Zimbabwe’s defence minister has described the coronavirus as God’s way of punishing the United States and other western countries for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe, prompting the president to issue a statement Monday restating his governments commitment to fighting Covid-19.

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Oppah Muchinguri, the defense minister, appeared to mock Western nations while addressing a group of ruling party supporters at the weekend.

“This coronavirus that has come are sanctions against the countries that have imposed sanctions on us. God is punishing them now and they are staying indoors now while their economy is screaming like what they did to ours by imposing sanctions on us,” Muchinguri said at a rally in Chinhoyi, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest of the capital, Harare, according to local reports. A video of her statement has gone viral.

“(Donald) Trump should know that he is not God. They must face the consequences of coronavirus so that they also feel the pain,” she said in the local Shona language.

Muchinguri’s utterances prompted massive criticism from opposition politicians, humanitarian organizations and ordinary Zimbabweans on social media.

Zimbabwe has not yet recorded a case of coronavirus but neighboring South Africa has more than 60 cases. Across Africa, 30 of the continent’s 54 countries have confirmed cases.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa issued a statement Monday saying his government empathises with the affected people around the globe. He did not mention Muchinguri by name, but the statement published in the state-run Herald newspaper appears to modify her criticism of the US.

Here’s a summary of the day’s latest events.

• Britons were told to avoid pubs, bars and restaurants and to self-isolate if anyone in their family fell ill. The new government advice, something of a U-turn, came during the prime minister’s first daily press conference. Boris Johnson said people with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and anyone aged 70 years or older should pay particular heed.
  
• Americans received similar advice as Trump recommended they avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. The US president warned Americans that the stricter measures were necessary to slow the spread of the virus and that a recession could well be on the way.
• France was told to step up its isolation measures during a sombre national address from the country’s president. Emmanuel Macron said those citizens who had not submitted to self-isolation over the weekend had put themselves and the people around them at risk and announced stricter measures to be backed up by police enforcement.
• Qantas became the latest airline to make deep cuts to its services. Following the leads of a host if Europe-based airlines, Qantas decided to slash its international flights, cutting international capacity by 90% until at least the end of May, and cutting domestic capacity by about 60%.
• The G7 nations stressed the importance of international cooperation. A statement released by Downing Street sought to highlight the significance of national governments not looking solely to their own interests – acknowledging that coronavirus is a global pandemic.
• The Grand National was cancelled. The sporting event, arguably the most important on the British horse racing calendar was the latest to be called off as a result of the pandemic.

You can read a summary of the day’s earlier events here.

Actor Tom Hanks has been released from a Gold Coast hospital after being quarantined with coronavirus, AAP reports.

His wife Rita Wilson remains in isolation after also testing positive to the virus last week.

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Hanks is in Queensland filming a Baz Luhrmann biopic about Elvis Presley. Production has ceased for two weeks but he is not believed to have infected any other cast or crew. Singer-songwriter Wilson recently performed in Brisbane and Sydney. Nine Network entertainment editor Richard Wilkins has since also tested positive for the virus, saying he met Wilson twice in the week leading up to her diagnosis.

Hanks issued a statement last Thursday saying he and his wife went to hospital after feeling run down. He said they would comply with all Australian health restrictions relating to the virus.

While in hospital Hanks tweeted his gratitude to the medical staff caring for them. The post, which included a photo of two pieces of toast smothered in Vegemite, sparked a furious social media debate about the correct amount and application of the popular spread.

Wilson asked Twitter to help her compile a music playlist for those in isolation, calling it “Quarantunes”.

On Monday, Idris Alba became the next famous actor to confirm he had tested positive. He recently spent time with Sophie Grègoire Trudeau, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, who tested positive last week.

Washington state has announced six more deaths, taking its toll to 48 people, Reuters reports.

16 Mar 202019.16 EDT

Ben Butler

The Australian stockmarket has risen more than 1.6% at the opening bell, defying the strong lead set by a crash overnight in the US.

The ASX is still down by about 30% since the coronavirus crisis started hitting markets about a month ago, and the extreme volatility we’ve seen in recent days means there’s no guarantee the relief will last.

Australian companies rushed out waves of bad news before the market opened, with flagship carrier Qantas saying it would cut international flights by 90% and domestic ones by 60%.

The move, which will ground about 150 aircraft including almost all the airline’s long-haul fleet, is the latest reaction in an industry put under extreme financial pressure by the coronavirus crisis. The Australian government has not ruled out a bail-out for the industry.

Elsewhere, soft-drink manufacturer Coca-Cola Amatil canned its profit forecasts, Auckland Airport cancelled its dividend, property developer Sunland called off a AUD$60m (£29.43m) share buyback program and Crown Resorts extended the closure of every second poker machine to its Burswood casino.

Qantas has announced it will slash its international flights, cutting international capacity by 90% until at least the end of May as demand plummets.

Domestic capacity will be cut by around 60%.

The airline said:

• This represents the grounding of around 150 aircraft, including almost all of the group’s wide-body fleet.
• Previously announced cuts in place from end-May through to mid-September remain in place and are likely to be increased, depending on demand.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce will receive no pay for three months.

The number of coronavirus cases in Turkey rose to 47 on Monday, with 29 new cases confirmed, the country’s health minister Fahrettin Koca has said.

All recent 29 cases are directly or indirectly related to the United States, Middle East and Europe, while three cases have arrived from Umrah. Contact with foreign countries will remain a risk.

Sunak has come under pressure to do more – including from a Tory former cabinet minister who has told the Lords the financial support committed by the government is a “flea bite” compared to what will be needed. Lord Forsyth of Drumlean said:

It is absolutely obvious that these measures are going to result in us going into a deep recession in this country. Many businesses, which are good businesses, are going to go to the wall, unless they are helped with their cashflow.

Declaring an interest as a banker, the banks will want to extend credit to those businesses, but the regulatory rules and the senior mangers regime prevents them from doing so.

So it is of the utmost importance ... that the government actually enables the banks to be free to provide the support for those businesses. And that it recognises that the Budget package, welcome as it is, is a mere flea bite compared to what is required and that is required now.

Responding, the health minister, Lord Bethell, said:

Our priority at this stage is to ensure that the medical and clinical response is right and that the message gets across to the public about what they can and should do, both to protect themselves and to delay the spread of this virus.

The economic impact of this virus is fully understood and there will be a full package of measures that will be announced ... once we have got this initial response out the way.

16 Mar 202018.57 EDT

Heather Stewart

Sources say the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has been in discussions with cabinet colleagues and that, following the £12bn package of support provided in the budget, will appear at Tuesday’s press conference with the prime minister to announce more measures to help businesses.

The Met Gala, one of the biggest dates in the fashion industry diary, has been postponed, its host Anna Wintour has said.

The gala, which benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, usually takes place on the first Monday of May. This year’s exhibition, titled About Time: Fashion and Duration, had been sponsored by luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton and was scheduled for 4 May. Writing on Vogue’s website, editor-in-chief Wintour said:

Due to the unavoidable and responsible decision by the Metropolitan Museum to close its doors, About Time, and the opening night gala, will not take place on the date scheduled.

The Department of Health and Social Care has released this guide to its latest advice:

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16 Mar 202018.19 EDT

Richard Partington

The former chancellor, George Osborne, has called on the government to dramatically expand its support for British businesses by underwriting bank loans worth hundreds of billions of pounds to support firms struggling as the coronavirus spreads.

He reckons the measures outlined by the incumbent, Rishi Sunak, at the budget last week fall far short of what is required as the economic downturn intensifies, with Britain on the brink of recession and as stock markets crash around the world.

At the budget, the government announced it would support up to £1bn of state-backed lending through the British Business Bank, as part of a wider £12bn package of support for households and firms. High street banks will also raise their lending by around £21bn to provide further support following talks with the Treasury.

However, the measures stand in stark contrast to much more substantial efforts elsewhere across Europe.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said the state will underwrite additional loans worth €300bn (£273.3bn) – more than 300 times the level of UK support. Last week, Germany said it would expand lending at its KfW state-backed investment bank from €460bn to €550bn, while saying there was no upper limit on the amount of loans it would issue.

Reuters is reporting that El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has accused Mexico of allowing a dozen confirmed coronavirus cases to board a flight due to leave Mexico City for San Salvador

He said he’s suspended all passenger air travel with immediate effect. Bukele, who made the assertion on Twitter, did not provide evidence or more detail about the situation. Mexican authorities, which Bukele described as “irresponsible,” did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle says parliament will stop all non-essential access. There will be no access to the public gallery and tours will be stopped. All pregnant MPs, those with underlying health issues and those aged 70 years or older will need to pay particular attention to the government’s advice. But parliament will remain open.

The Commons Speaker is making a statement on the coronavirus pandemic.

There are claims this evening that the UK prime minister’s decision to stop just short of ordering businesses such as pubs, restaurants and theatres to close down altogether will make it harder for them to claim back losses on their insurance.

The shadow digital, culture and media secretary, Tracy Brabin, has said:

It is a tragedy for any arts venue when they have no choice but to close. From the West End to community theatres up and down the country, many artists, actors, stage crew, producers and other workers face a terrible time ahead. It’s unacceptable that the Tories seem to be prioritising the needs of the insurance industry in what could be an existential crisis for our sector.

The prime minister must urgently clarify that theatres, music venues, and other organisations in the creative industries affected by his statement can claim insurance. The same goes for the UK’s incredible hospitality sector. These industries are part of the lifeblood of the nation and Labour will fight for their future.

France will mobilise 100,000 police to carry out checks on people’s movements, the country’s interior minister, Christophe Castaner, has said.

In the past couple of hours, the French president Emmanuel Macron announced stricter controls after a weekend during which he said many French people had carried on largely as normal and, in so doing, put the people around them at risk.