Coronavirus brings Italy's "darkest hour," and takes a mounting toll in the U.S. - CBS News

As Italians woke up to the most severe restrictions on their every-day lives since World War II, China said it was easing virus-control measures in the province where the COVID-19 disease emerged late last year. The contrasting conditions on two of the biggest battlefronts against the virus showed its severity, and the feasibility of corralling and controlling it.

With the death toll in the U.S. at 26 and infection rates continuing to climb fast there and in other countries, the fight for most of the world was still ramping up on Tuesday.

Health experts are still clambering to turn mountains of data into a firm understanding of how the disease spreads and exactly how dangerous it is. Almost 115,000 people have caught the virus, and it's killed more than 4,000 — but more than 64,000 people have recovered. But in spite of the rising death toll and infection rate in the U.S., President Trump has continued to downplay the threat posed by the virus, repeatedly comparing it to the seasonal flu.   

The lack of clarity on the disease, any medicines to treat or prevent it, and the sometimes conflicting messages have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the world, and nothing sparks fear in financial markets like uncertainty. Monday was the worst day on Wall Street since the financial collapse in 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling nearly 8%. While markets showed early rebounds Tuesday morning, several economic road signs were pointing to a possible coronavirus-induced recession.

Italy imposes nationwide coronavirus quarantine

In Italy, which has the largest outbreak outside China, all 60 million people were under travel restrictions, public gatherings and public sports events were cancelled, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told his people to stay home. He called it Italy's "darkest hour."  

For detailed information on coronavirus prevention and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control website here. 

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2020-03-10 13:45:00Z
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Coronavirus brings Italy's "darkest hour," and takes a mounting toll in the U.S. - CBS News

As Italians woke up to the most severe restrictions on their every-day lives since World War II, China said it was easing virus-control measures in the province where the COVID-19 disease emerged late last year. The contrasting conditions on two of the biggest battlefronts against the virus showed its severity, and the feasibility of corralling and controlling it.

With the death toll in the U.S. at 26 and infection rates continuing to climb fast there and in other countries, the fight for most of the world was still ramping up on Tuesday.

Health experts are still clambering to turn mountains of data into a firm understanding of how the disease spreads and exactly how dangerous it is. Almost 115,000 people have caught the virus, and it's killed more than 4,000 — but more than 64,000 people have recovered. But in spite of the rising death toll and infection rate in the U.S., President Trump has continued to downplay the threat posed by the virus, repeatedly comparing it to the seasonal flu.   

The lack of clarity on the disease, any medicines to treat or prevent it, and the sometimes conflicting messages have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the world, and nothing sparks fear in financial markets like uncertainty. Monday was the worst day on Wall Street since the financial collapse in 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling nearly 8%. While markets showed early rebounds Tuesday morning, several economic road signs were pointing to a possible coronavirus-induced recession.

Italy imposes nationwide coronavirus quarantine

In Italy, which has the largest outbreak outside China, all 60 million people were under travel restrictions, public gatherings and public sports events were cancelled, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told his people to stay home. He called it Italy's "darkest hour."  

For detailed information on coronavirus prevention and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control website here. 

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2020-03-10 13:14:00Z
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President Xi visits Wuhan as coronavirus outbreak slows in China - Al Jazeera English

Beijing, China - Chinese President Xi Jinping has made his first visit to Wuhan since the outbreak of the coronavirus in what could be seen as a signal from the government that the health crisis is coming under control.

Xi, who has been largely unseen throughout the epidemic, made his first appearance on Tuesday in the region that had been under lockdown for weeks.

More:

State news agency Xinhua said the president wanted to "visit and express regards to" those affected by the infection, including medical workers and patients.

National television broadcaster CCTV said Xi began his visit at Huoshenshan hospital, one of the makeshift medical facilities treating patients in severe and critical conditions.

Images published in state-owned media outlets showed Xi greeting the healthcare workers and meeting with health officials, as well as waving to a coronavirus patient through video conferencing.

More than 80,000 people have been infected in the country. More than 3,100 have died.

Xi's visit came at a time when reported cases of coronavirus infection, known as COVID-19, are steadily declining in China.

The 'Wuhan Shake'

In recent days, only a few dozen confirmed cases were reported, compared with thousands during the peak of the epidemic.

Many provinces in China have also reported zero new cases for a number of days.

Additionally, the government also ordered the closing down of the makeshift hospitals in Wuhan due to the decline in the number of reported cases.

According to reports, less than 20,000 of the confirmed cases are still under treatment, with almost 60,000 having reportedly recovered.

'Political show'

Throughout the outbreak in China, President Xi made very few public appearances.

For people in Wuhan, who have been under quarantine measures, his visit did little to appease residents who are becoming more resentful of the government's response.

"When all of us were asking where Xi Jinping was in the initial days of the outbreak, he made zero appearance," a Wuhan resident, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, told Al Jazeera.

"After the peak of the epidemic had passed and the outbreak is under control, he came and told people 'remember me, I have indeed come to visit you'. This kind of political show is disgusting."

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited residents who are quarantined in their homes in a community and frontline workers in Wuhan, the epicenter of the #COVID19 outbreak, following a stop at Huoshenshan Hospital. pic.twitter.com/C3J53vSWI8

— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) March 10, 2020

Xi had placed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the front line of the so-called "people's war against the epidemic". Li was the highest-ranking member of China's ruling Communist Party to play a prominent role, appearing in Wuhan and leading a taskforce in Beijing.

"I don't really care if Xi Jinping is visiting or not," another Wuhan resident told Al Jazeera.

"All I really care about is if the situation is actually under control instead of just another show. I also care about when the lockdown will end. We are getting insane here." according to another resident.

Some residents, however, were more optimistic following the president's visit.

"My parents are really excited because they think this is a sign of Xi Jinping being confident in the situation being under control in Wuhan," a third Wuhan resident said.

"But, at the end of the day, it's still those medical workers and volunteers that really helped the city embark on the road to go back to normalcy."

Xi's absence at the beginning of the outbreak sparked widespread discussion on his role in handling the emergency [CCTV via Reuters]

Xi's absence sparked widespread discussion on the party chief's role in handling the emergency.

Analysts have suggested that Xi's absence is part of his strategy to avoid blame should the outbreak grow out of control.

"Xi dropping out of the media spotlight in this outbreak suggests a strategy by the central government to lay major blame on the local cadres," said George Crane, a Chinese politics expert at Williams College in the US.

Tumbling markets

Xi's visit to Wuhan came after a particularly tumultuous day for global financial markets.

The world's second-largest economy was severely affected by the outbreak, sending shockwaves worldwide. On Monday, stock indexes in the US witnessed the steepest single-day fall since the 2008 financial crisis.

"Xi Jinping's visit certainly signals some degree of confidence, which comes as investors around the world need a boost in their confidence," Victor Shih, an associate professor who studies Chinese economy and politics at the University of California, told Al Jazeera.

Many small businesses in China are running out of cash and now face the risk of dissolving, while workers have been unable to return to work and students had to resort to online education.

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2020-03-10 12:37:11Z
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Streets deserted as Italy imposes unprecedented coronavirus lockdown - Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - Italy woke up on to deserted streets in an unprecedented lockdown on Tuesday after the government extended quarantine measures across the entire country in a bid to slow Europe’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus.

The measures, announced late on Monday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, widen steps already taken in the rich northern region of Lombardy and parts of neighboring provinces, clamping down on movement and closing public spaces.

“The future of Italy is in our hands. Let us all do our part, by giving up something for our collective good,” Conte said in a tweet, encouraging people to take personal responsibility.

For at least the next three weeks, people have been told to move around only for reasons of work, for health needs or emergencies or else stay at home. Anyone traveling will have to fill in a document declaring their reasons and carry it with them.

Large gatherings and outdoor events, including sports, have been banned, while bars and restaurants will have to close from 6 p.m. Schools and universities will remain closed until April 3.

“The whole of Italy is closed now,” was the headline in the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

As day broke, the streets of Rome were eerily much quieter than normal, with cars circulating freely under a clear blue sky in the normally traffic-clogged center, reflecting the atmosphere in the financial capital Milan, already under stricter controls.

Rome commuters could easily find seats in the usually jam-packed underground system during the morning rush hours.

People wearing masks in the streets of the capital was more widespread than before.

Shortly after the measures were announced, shoppers in Rome rushed to late-night supermarkets to stock up on food and basic necessities, promoting the government to declare that supplies would be guaranteed and urging people not to panic buy.

Shops are allowed to remain open as long as customers maintain a minimum distance of a meter between them.

The measures came after the latest data showed the coronavirus outbreak continuing to rise, with 9,172 positive cases recorded as of Monday and 463 deaths, the second highest-level in the world after China.

Slideshow (10 Images)

The World Health Organization has praised Italy’s “aggressive” response to the crisis, since the first cases emerged near Milan almost three weeks ago but the economic cost has been huge.

On Monday, the Milan stock exchange dropped over 11% and Italy’s borrowing costs shot up, reviving fears that an economy already on the brink of recession and struggling under the euro zone’s second-heaviest debt pile could be plunged into crisis.

Conte has already promised “massive shock therapy” to help deal with the immediate economic impact of the crisis and on Tuesday, Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli said the government would approve measures worth around 10 billion euros.

Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-03-10 12:00:42Z
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Coronavirus brings Italy's "darkest hour," and takes a mounting toll in the U.S. - CBS News

As Italians woke up to the most severe restrictions on their every-day lives since World War II, China said it was easing virus-control measures in the province where the COVID-19 disease emerged late last year. The contrasting conditions on two of the biggest battlefronts against the virus showed its severity, and the feasibility of corralling and controlling it.

With the death toll in the U.S. at 26 and infection rates continuing to climb fast there and in other countries, the fight for most of the world was still ramping up on Tuesday.

Health experts are still clambering to turn mountains of data into a firm understanding of how the disease spreads and exactly how dangerous it is. Almost 115,000 people have caught the virus, and it's killed more than 4,000 — but more than 64,000 people have recovered. But in spite of the rising death toll and infection rate in the U.S., President Trump has continued to downplay the threat posed by the virus, repeatedly comparing it to the seasonal flu.   

The lack of clarity on the disease, any medicines to treat or prevent it, and the sometimes conflicting messages have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the world, and nothing sparks fear in financial markets like uncertainty. Monday was the worst day on Wall Street since the financial collapse in 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling nearly 8%. While markets showed early rebounds Tuesday morning, several economic road signs were pointing to a possible coronavirus-induced recession.

CDC recommends "social distancing" amid coronavirus outbreak

In Italy, which has the largest outbreak outside China, all 60 million people were under travel restrictions, public gatherings and public sports events were cancelled, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told his people to stay home. He called it Italy's "darkest hour."  

For detailed information on coronavirus prevention and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control website here. 

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2020-03-10 10:57:00Z
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Italy wakes up to deserted streets in unprecedented coronavirus lockdown - Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - Italy woke up on to deserted streets in an unprecedented lockdown on Tuesday after the government extended quarantine measures across the entire country in a bid to slow Europe’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus.

The measures, announced late on Monday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, widen steps already taken in the rich northern region of Lombardy and parts of neighboring provinces, clamping down on movement and closing public spaces.

“The future of Italy is in our hands. Let us all do our part, by giving up something for our collective good,” Conte said in a tweet, encouraging people to take personal responsibility.

For at least the next three weeks, people have been told to move around only for reasons of work, for health needs or emergencies or else stay at home. Anyone traveling will have to fill in a document declaring their reasons and carry it with them.

Large gatherings and outdoor events, including sports, have been banned, while bars and restaurants will have to close from 6 p.m. Schools and universities will remain closed until April 3.

“The whole of Italy is closed now,” was the headline in the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

As day broke, the streets of Rome were eerily much quieter than normal, with cars circulating freely under a clear blue sky in the normally traffic-clogged center, reflecting the atmosphere in the financial capital Milan, already under stricter controls.

Rome commuters could easily find seats in the usually jam-packed underground system during the morning rush hours.

People wearing masks in the streets of the capital was more widespread than before.

Shortly after the measures were announced, shoppers in Rome rushed to late-night supermarkets to stock up on food and basic necessities, promoting the government to declare that supplies would be guaranteed and urging people not to panic buy.

Shops are allowed to remain open as long as customers maintain a minimum distance of a meter between them.

The measures came after the latest data showed the coronavirus outbreak continuing to rise, with 9,172 positive cases recorded as of Monday and 463 deaths, the second highest-level in the world after China.

Slideshow (10 Images)

The World Health Organization has praised Italy’s “aggressive” response to the crisis, since the first cases emerged near Milan almost three weeks ago but the economic cost has been huge.

On Monday, the Milan stock exchange dropped over 11% and Italy’s borrowing costs shot up, reviving fears that an economy already on the brink of recession and struggling under the euro zone’s second-heaviest debt pile could be plunged into crisis.

Conte has already promised “massive shock therapy” to help deal with the immediate economic impact of the crisis and on Tuesday, Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli said the government would approve measures worth around 10 billion euros.

Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-03-10 11:05:39Z
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Coronavirus sparks total lockdown in Italy and alarm in the US as cases rise globally - CNN

The virus, known as Covid-19, has now infected close to 113,000 people worldwide and resulted in more than 4,000 deaths. The majority of these cases are in mainland China, where the outbreak first emerged -- but the rate of infection has been slowing in the country, and the situation stabilizing, even as the virus wreaks havoc elsewhere

In an apparent show of confidence, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in virus-stricken Wuhan Tuesday, his first visit to the city at the epicenter of the global outbreak since the crisis began. The trip comes as Chinese authorities recorded 19 new cases, 17 of which were in Wuhan, and two were imported from overseas -- marking the third straight day of no locally transmitted cases outside Hubei, the province of which Wuhan is the capital. Of the country's 80,754 patients, nearly 60,000 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Other Asian countries like South Korea are also beginning to see a slowdown in the virus' spread. South Korea, which has carried out more than 190,000 tests as part of a free nationwide screening program, recorded it's lowest number of daily confirmed cases of the virus in weeks on Tuesday -- a sign that the country may has "passed the peak" of the outbreak, South Korean Health Minister Park Neunghoo told CNN.

But these cautious signs of progress throw into sharp relief the deteriorating situation in the West.

States across the US are declaring emergencies, with even congressmen being self-quarantined after exposure to a patient. And in Europe, the outbreak that began in Italy has spread far and wide, with nearby countries like Germany reporting dramatic spikes in daily cases.

All of Italy is under lockdown

In an unprecedented and potentially legally fraught move, all of Italy and its 60 million residents have been placed under lockdown, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Monday, part of a raft of sweeping quarantine measures intended to contain the outbreak.

The northern region of Lombardy and 14 other provinces had already been placed under lockdown -- but this new decree will extend those restrictions across the entire country, as the virus continues to spread throughout Italy and mainland Europe.

The drastic measures include blanket travel restrictions, a ban on all public events, the closures of schools and public spaces such as movie theaters, and the suspension of religious services including funerals or weddings.

To enforce the movement ban, military police, railway police, and health workers are carrying out checks on transportation sites like highways and train stations.

This lockdown represents the toughest coronavirus response to be implemented outside of mainland China, and comes as the country buckles under the weight of the epidemic.

Parts of Italy, particularly the northern regions, are seeing a "tsunami of patients," and the healthcare system is "one step from collapse," said Antonio Pesenti, intensive care coordinator in the Lombardy crisis unit.

So far, Italy has 9,172 cases and 463 deaths -- the most of any country outside of China.

The new lockdown may help slow the virus from spreading further -- but some, like the Lombardy president, fear it is "still insufficient" given the sheer scale and speed of the Italian outbreak.

The virus spreads across the US

The virus is rapidly spreading across the United States too, with new cases reported in at least 20 states on Monday.

The country now has 732 confirmed and presumptive positive cases and 26 deaths, spread out across 36 states and the capital, Washington, DC.

Washington state has been the hardest hit; 22 of the country's 26 deaths were in Washington, which has 180 cases. At least 10 states, including Washington, have declared states of emergency, which give state governments access to emergency funds and powers.

But there are signs of growing frustrations with the federal government's handling of the outbreak. On Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing delays, and earlier this month, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee criticized the Trump administration for not sticking "to the science."

In some ways the friction began as early as February, when new federal travel restrictions ruffled state and local officials, who complained the rollout had been opaque and confusing. But these tensions are only ramping up now as the virus threatens to disrupt people's lives and livelihoods.

Multiple schools in Washington have already moved to online learning. Many large colleges like Columbia University, New York University, Stanford, and the University of Southern California are also beginning to hold classes remotely instead of in person.

And employers like Amazon and Boeing have begun asking employees in virus-hit areas to work from home, in an echo of the same measures rolled out across Asia just a month or two ago.

Markets are slowly recovering from Monday's crash

Coronavirus fears and an oil price war sparked a global panic on Monday, with markets entering into stunning decline.

Oil prices collapsed after Saudi Arabia launched a price war against onetime ally Russia -- and the crisis was only worsened by the coronavirus, which has slammed economies worldwide and weighed heavily on investors.

Wall Street had already faced heavy losses for several weeks because of the virus; the oil price war served a second blow, and the Dow ended the day with its biggest point drop in history, closing Monday down 2,014 points, or 7.8%.

On Tuesday, markets in Asia Pacific mostly stumbled, with South Korea's Kospi, China's Shanghai Composite, and Japan's Nikkei 225 all falling, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index swung between gains and losses.

There are some signs of recovery, with Dow futures jumping 500 points, or 2.2%, and Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was trading firmly in the green.

But the virus may prove harder to recover from; about $9 trillion was wiped off global stocks in nine days, Bank of America said in a research note on Thursday. And markets are still seeing wild swings, indicative of just how deep investor anxieties run.

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2020-03-10 10:33:59Z
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