thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Spain announces a lockdown, France shuts down the nightlife

BARCELONA , Spain - Spain locked down its 46 million citizens Saturday and France ordered the closing of just about everything the rest of the world loves about it — the Eiffel Tower , the Louvre , the cafes , restaurants and cinema — as governments took increasingly desperate measures to put more space between people and contain the coronavirus .
More borders snapped shut around the globe : President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. , which days ago barred travellers from most of Europe , will extend the ban to Britain and Ireland , where cases are on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he had been tested for the virus ; the results were not immediately released .
Meanwhile , China , where the scourge first appeared late last year , continued to relax its drastic restrictions , illustrating the way the centre of gravity in the crisis has shifted westward toward Europe .
The virus has infected more than 150,000 people worldwide and killed over 5,600 .
In a nationally televised address , Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez detailed the battery of exceptional measures put in place as part of a two-week state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections .
In a lockdown similar to the one already imposed in Italy , people will be allowed to leave their homes only to buy food and medicine , commute to work , go to hospitals and banks , or take trips related to the care of the young and the elderly .
All schools and universities were closed , along with restaurants , bars , hotels and other non-essential retail businesses .
“ From now we enter into a new phase , ” Sánchez said after a Cabinet meeting that lasted over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t hesitate in doing what we must to beat the virus .
We are putting health first.
” Spanish authorities said the number of infections climbed past 5,700 , half of them in the capital , Madrid .
That represents a national increase of over 1,500 in 24 hours .
The country had 136 deaths , up from 120 .
Spain has the fifth-highest number of cases , behind China , Italy , Iran and South Korea .
Shoppers packed supermarkets in Spain in the morning despite pleas for calm from authorities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s two biggest cities were noticeably quieter as the message sank in that social distancing is the only way to stop the pandemic .
“ We had to close and remain shut for 15 days , ” restaurant owner Rachel Paparardo said in Barcelona , which was already under regional restrictions .
“ But this is nothing .
It is just so more people don ’ t get infected and we can recover from this.
“ Some flights bound for Spain turned around as word spread of the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved to prevent their health systems from collapsing under the caseload .
Paris followed other cities in shuttering major tourist attractions , and France announced the closing of all restaurants , cafes , theatres and nonessential shops starting Sunday .
France has recorded at least 3,600 infections .
It has banned all gatherings of more than 100 people , ordered all schools closed and asked companies to allow workers to stay home .
France pressed ahead with plans for nationwide municipal elections on Sunday but ordered special measures to keep people at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voters were advised to bring their own pen to sign the voting register .
In Italy , the worst-hit European country , the number of deaths climbed past 1,400 and infections surged roughly 20 per cent overnight to more than 21,000 because of what authorities characterized as irresponsible behaviour by people still socializing despite the nationwide lockdown .
Many Italian cities , including Rome and Milan , decided to close playgrounds and parks , too .
Premier Giuseppe Conte has said production — particularly of food and health supplies — must not stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders reached an agreement to keep factories running .
But luxury sports car maker Ferrari said it was suspending production at two plants , citing concern for its employees and serious disruptions in the flow of supplies .
At noon , people around Italy came out on their balconies , terraces or gardens or leaned out their windows to clap for several minutes in a gesture of thanks to medical workers .
In Britain , the death toll nearly doubled from the day before to 21 , and the number of people infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 confirmed cases and one death as of Friday .
Greece ’ s infection total approached 230 with three deaths , and police there arrested 45 shopkeepers Saturday for violating a ban on operations .
The U.S. reported 51 deaths — including the first in New York — and more than 2,100 cases .
In hard-hit Washington state , where 37 have died and 560 have been infected , officials said the disease is straining the supply of protective gear available to medical providers despite shipments from the federal government .
For most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people recover in a matter of weeks .
European countries took steps to isolate themselves from their neighbours .
Denmark closed its borders and halted passenger traffic to and from the country .
Travelers will be turned away at the border if they are unable to show that they have “ a legitimate reason ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Danish citizens or residents .
“ I know that the overall list of measures is very extreme and will be seen as very extreme , but I am convinced that it ’ s worth it , ” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said .
Poland planned to close is borders at midnight and deny all foreigners entry unless they lived in Poland or had personal ties there .
The Czech Republic and Slovakia took similar action .
Lithuania said it was introducing border checks at the frontiers with Poland and Latvia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poland will be closed to most foreigners beginning Sunday .
In the Middle East , Iran ’ s death toll reached 611 , with nearly 13,000 infections , including senior government officials .
In the Pacific , New Zealand announced that incoming passengers , including citizens , will be required to isolate themselves for 14 days , with few exceptions .
In the Philippines , thousands of police , backed by the army and coast guard , started sealing the densely populated capital of Manila from most domestic travellers Sunday in one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves against the virus .
Authorities also announced a night curfew in the metropolitan area of 12 million people .
The measures increasingly mirror those taken by China , which in January quarantined more than 60 million people , starting with the epicenter , Wuhan , in the province of Hubei .
The spread of COVID-19 in China has slowed dramatically , according to the National Health Commission .
After reporting thousands of new cases per day only a month ago , the commission said Saturday that there were 13 new deaths and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who recently arrived in China from other affected countries like Italy .
Wuhan is now the only city in Hubei still designated “ high-risk.
” Several Hubei municipalities are gradually resuming public transportation and reopening businesses .
Parks , museums and art galleries have reopened in Shanghai .
Moulson reported from Berlin .
Associated Press writers Aritz Parra in Madrid , Yanan Wang in Beijing , Frances D ’ Emilio in Rome , Joseph Wilson in Barcelona , Spain , Andrew Taylor in Washington , Karel Janicek in Prague , Nick Perry in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gomez in Manila contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Joseph Wilson And Geir Moulson - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Coronavirus risks could make St. Patrick’s Day dry for Dublin’s popular pubs

DUBLIN—Dublin barman David Leavy should be bracing for one of his busiest days of the year .
Instead , he ’ s wondering if anyone will show up .
Leavy works in McDaid ’ s , a storied city-centre pub and a magnet for the Dubliners and tourists who flood into the Irish capital every year for the March 17 St. Patrick ’ s Day parade .
Except this year , the celebrations have been cancelled as authorities seek to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Paddy ’ s Day would be massive , from 11 a.m. right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Leavy , looking around at the bar , a quintessential Irish pub — with its wood floors and high stools — that ’ s the rumoured setting for a James Joyce short story .
“ Obviously , it ’ s going to affect business .
How bad , only time will tell.
” While the St. Patrick ’ s festival — which attracts about a half a million people to Dublin — is off , bars remain mostly open .
On Saturday , though , a campaign under a # closethepubs hashtag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland posted almost 130 recorded cases , including two deaths , authorities said , increasing over 40 per cent in a day .
“ People think St. Paddy ’ s Day is just March 17 , but it ’ s four days ; it ’ s a festival , ” said Leavy .
“ Those four days business would be like 10 days .
Outside Christmas , Paddy ’ s weekend is the biggest — it ’ s like the cherry on the top .
This weekend should be massive , and chances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government has placed the country into a partial lockdown , shuttering schools , colleges and creches , and urging people to stay apart as much as possible .
Yet they ’ ve left cafes and bars open , restricting numbers to 100 drinkers at any one time .
That means bars will use doormen to limit numbers in some of the so-called super pubs dotted around Temple Bar .
On the banks of the River Liffey , the area is a tourist mecca , brimming with bars and restaurants .
The Auld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become so popular it has developed Asian tourist partnerships , with as many as 10 groups from the region visiting every month , according to bar manager , Conor Kennedy .
“ In the last week I ’ d say we ’ ve had 10 of them cancelled .
We ’ d never get that before , ” he said .
“ Parties from now until July are being cancelled.
” The big unknown for bar owners is how patrons respond to the new measures , especially on St. Patrick ’ s Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all day round .
On Thursday , after the government laid out its new measures , some were undeterred .
Canadian Molly Gagne , 29 , travelled to Dublin after her trip to Italy was cancelled .
“ Not a bone in my body is worried about it , ” Gagne , 29 , said , as she sat in the Bad Ass bar .
“ The North American media has blown it out of proportion .
When you ’ re over here it ’ s fine .
When it ’ s Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — just wash your hands.
” Still , back at McDaid ’ s , Leavy is worried .
“ There ’ s a lot of Irish people who will come out anyway , it won ’ t be busy as previous years , but it will still be busy , ” said Leavy .
“ It ’ s the unknown that ’ s a bigger worry .
It ’ s going to get worse before it gets better .
”

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thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Iran death toll from virus passes 600, Syria shuts schools

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran said Saturday the coronavirus outbreak has killed another 97 people , pushing the death toll in the country to 611 , as war-ravaged Syria announced a number of strict measures despite the government saying it has no confirmed cases .
Iran is suffering from the worst outbreak in the Middle East , with 12,729 cases and even senior officials testing positive .
It is a close ally of the Syrian government in the civil war , with military advisers as well as Shiite pilgrims frequently travelling between the two countries .
There are concerns that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much higher than the confirmed cases reported by the government , with some Iranian lawmakers having questioned the official toll .
It ’ s also unclear if local hospitals are able to cope with the influx of new cases , with at least 2,500 new infections announced in just the last two days .
State TV reported earlier this week that hospitals in some areas are overwhelmed .
Authorities have vowed to set up mobile clinics , but have not provided figures on needs and capabilities .
The outbreak has not spared Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior vice-president , Cabinet ministers , members of parliament , Revolutionary Guard members and Health Ministry officials among those infected .
Iran has suspended schools and banned spectators from stadiums , but religious shrines remain open and the markets and streets are still crowded in the capital , Tehran , which has been hit hardest by the virus .
State TV said authorities would “ soon ” close the Masoume shrine in the holy city of Qom , the epicenter of the country ’ s outbreak , without giving a timeline .
Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular pilgrimage site , including forbidding the traditional practice of touching and kissing the metal grating .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus in a matter of weeks , but the outbreak has caused more than 5,000 deaths worldwide .
The virus is highly contagious , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread it , making large gatherings particularly risky .
A number of major sporting events , conferences and other gatherings have been cancelled across the globe .
The Syrian government announced a series of precautionary measures , including closing schools and universities until April 2 .
Following a Cabinet meeting Friday evening , the government also said it was cancelling all cultural and sporting events , and all other large gatherings , for the time being .
Syria also says it has taken preventive measures at all ports and border crossings .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jordan , and it has halted religious tourism for a month .
Even in the tenth year of its devastating civil war , Syria had continued to receive large numbers of pilgrims from Iran , Iraq and neighbouring Lebanon .
They particularly visit the shrine of Sayida Zaynab , the prophet Muhammad ’ s granddaughter , in a suburb of the capital , Damascus .
The shrine itself remained open , and health officials were checking pilgrims ’ temperatures before allowing them entry .
Other countries across the Middle East are scrambling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benjamin Netanyahu announced Saturday that restaurants and places of entertainment would be closed and said everyone should work from home unless absolutely necessary .
But he stopped short of declaring a total lock down , saying essential services would continue and grocery stores would remain open .
Israel imposed sweeping travel restrictions and quarantine measures more than a week ago , but its confirmed cases have almost doubled in the last two days , to nearly 200 .
The United Arab Emirates , a major global travel hub , suspended the issuing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also suspended all flights to and from Lebanon , Syria , Turkey and Iraq .
Saudi Arabia said it would halt all flights to the kingdom for two weeks starting Sunday .
Qatar said it would bar entry to all visitors from Italy , France , Germany and Spain , where the number of new cases is on the rise , and require holders of residency permits to enter quarantine for 14 days .
It also suspended entry from Sudan , which reported its first case , a fatality , earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been devastated by decades of war and sanctions , banned public gatherings and closed schools and universities for the next month .
Egypt , which has reported more than 100 cases and two fatalities , said it would close all schools and universities for the next two weeks .
In Jordan , where the only known case was a man who recovered , the government suspended all flights into and out of the kingdom except for aid workers and diplomats .
It said schools would close for two weeks and banned the smoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cafes .
In the Gaza Strip , the ruling Hamas militant group has found itself in the odd position of sealing the Palestinian territory ’ s borders .
For more than a decade , Hamas has demanded that Israel and Egypt lift closures they imposed on Gaza after the militants seized power from rival Palestinian security forces .
But on Saturday , Hamas said exit via the Rafah crossing with Egypt would be restricted to “ urgent cases ” and all arrivals would be quarantined for 14 days at a field hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped allowing in even the small number of Gazan businessmen and workers with permits , limiting traffic to aid workers and humanitarian cases .
Authorities in Iraq ’ s northern Kurdish region imposed a 48-hour curfew in the cities of Irbil and Sulaimaniyah that began overnight .
The region has reported 27 cases , including one fatality .
Karam reported from Beirut .
Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus , Salar Salim in Irbil , Iraq , Omar Akour in Amman , Jordan , Samy Magdy in Cairo , Fares Akram in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Josef Federman and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Amir Vahdat And Zeina Karam - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Romanian lawmakers approve Ludovic Orban’s new government

BUCHAREST , Romania - Romanian lawmakers on Saturday voted overwhelmingly to approve Prime Minister Ludovic Orban ’ s new government , the same one ousted last month as the result of losing a no-confidence vote .
Orban ’ s nomination by President Klaus Iohannis came amid Romania ’ s efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus , which has already infected 109 people in the country .
After Orban was sworn in , Iohannis said a state of emergency would be introduced in Romania from Monday .
The measure would allow authorities , among advantages , to streamline the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical supplies .
The measure “ will also make possible the allocation of important new resources for managing the crisis , ” Iohannis said .
The minority government of Orban ’ s National Liberal Party was backed by 286 deputies and senators , well above the minimum of 233 votes needed for approval .
Twenty-three lawmakers voted against .
The leader of the main opposition party , the Social Democrats , said they had supported the Orban government only so Romanians could have a “ functioning state “ in the midst of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Iohannis “ don ’ t deserve this vote , but Romanians deserve a functioning state which can react quickly to the epidemic , ” said Marcel Ciolacu , president of Parliament ’ s Chamber of Deputies and head of the Social Democrats .
Orban and his Cabinet of ministers , who remained in a caretaker role after losing a no-confidence vote on Feb. 5 , have been in isolation since Friday after a government party lawmaker they frequently met with was confirmed to be infected with the new virus .
Because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministerial nominees took questions from the corresponding parliamentary committees by video conference , there was no parliamentary debate before the vote and Orban sent his remarks to lawmakers in writing .
Before his ouster last month due to disputed changes he sought to the election law , Orban had been in power since November , when his government replaced a Social Democratic government beset by corruption scandals .


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Virus cases spread across Africa, nations prepare for more

JOHANNESBURG - Africa is seeing a steady spread of the coronavirus across the continent , with five new countries confirming cases on Saturday , so that 24 of Africa ’ s 54 countries have COVID-19 patients .
Eswatini , Equatorial Guinea , Mauritania , Namibia and Rwanda reported their first cases Saturday .
All were brought to the continent by travellers from overseas , as with almost all the other cases reported in Africa , according to health authorities .
African governments and health officials are racing to try to contain the spread of the new virus on the continent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease spreads locally within the continent , health officials warn that several countries with fragile health systems could see higher mortality rates .
Namibia , which confirmed two cases of people who arrived from Spain , cancelled its independence celebrations planned for March 21 .
The funds that were to have been spent on the independence festivities will now be used to fight the further spread of the coronavirus , said officials .
President Hage Geingob will be sworn into a second term of office , but all other large gatherings have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flights linking Namibia to and from Qatar , Ethiopia and Germany have been suspended for 30 days .
In response to two cases it confirmed on Saturday , Mauritania closed schools for a week , reduced border crossing points , placed a ban on public gatherings and called for travellers from countries at risk to voluntarily confine themselves at home .
In South Africa , 14 new cases were confirmed Saturday , bringing the country ’ s total to 38 .
A South African military plane repatriated 121 South African students who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the outbreak first became a crisis .
The South African jet landed at the Polokwane airport in the country ’ s north .
All passengers had tested negative before the flight back from China but as a precautionary measure the group , including the crew , will be in quarantine for 21 days at a nearby hotel .
The roads leading to both entrances of the Ranch Resort are being patrolled by the army and police , authorities said .
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
Africa ’ s hospitals may not be adequately prepared to care for large numbers of people who may need intensive care and ventilators , say health experts .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https @ @ @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Audit: $115M went to former board of Maryland medical system

ANNAPOLIS , Md .
- Nearly $ 115 million went to board members of the University of Maryland Medical System or businesses associated with them , a state audit has found .
The payments went to 27 board members or their associated businesses between Jan. 1 , 2016 and April 18 , 2019 , according to a 100-page report that was sent to state lawmakers Friday by the Office of Legislative Audits .
“ Approximately 94 per cent ( $ 108.2 million ) of these payments were made either directly to a Board member or to an entity with which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member ) had a direct financial relationship , ” the audit said .
“ The remaining $ 6.7 million was paid to 19 entities that met our criteria for an associated business , but for which we did not identify a direct financial relationship between the members and the entities ( for example , UMMS Board members who also served on the boards of non-profit entities ) .
” The audit was done after a self-dealing scandal bedeviled the medical system last year .
Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh , a former UMMS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the deals for her “ Healthy Holly ” children ’ s books .
She pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of conspiracy and tax evasion .
She was sentenced last month to three years in prison .
The audit did not include the names of board members and associated businesses , though that information was shared with UMMS .
The audit also noted it had not established that “ the transactions were improper.
” In a response included in the audit , UMMS agreed with the audit ’ s criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ fundamentally flawed.
” UMMS said its new board is committed to addressing the failings going forward .
“ To that end , in the past nine months , the Board — comprised primarily of newly appointed members — and UMMS management have taken significant steps to address and remediate these weaknesses , ” UMMS officials wrote in response .
UMMS officials also wrote that the audit identified transactions as potential conflicts of interest “ where there was no evidence or even a suggestion of personal benefit ” to associated board members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted numerous disbursements cited in the report “ that are simply charitable donations.
” “ Unfortunately , not only does OLA ’ s audit scope obscure rather than clarify the Board process problems , it also tarnishes many volunteer community members and organizations that UMMS supports with purported conflicts of interest where none exist , ” UMMS officials responded .
Last year , the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation to reform the system , after The Baltimore Sun reported one-third of its 30 board members had deals with the 13-hospital system under some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawmakers also ordered the audit .
Del .
Nic Kipke , a Republican who is the House minority leader , described the audit ’ s findings Saturday as “ extremely troubling.
” “ I am optimistic that the new leadership is setting standards that will protect against unethical behaviour , but we ’ re going to have to keep an eye on this over the coming years , “ Kipke said .
The reforms overhauled the network ’ s board of directors , which oversees a university-based regional health care system .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians in more than 150 locations and at 13 hospitals .
The law bars board members from getting contracts without a bidding process and prohibits board members from leveraging their position on the board for personal gain .


thetorontostar--2020-03-15--Biden, Sanders to debate against backdrop of global pandemic

WASHINGTON - As the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates return to the debate stage , their party , the stakes , and the world look much different than in their last meeting less than three weeks ago .
The fast-moving coronavirus was something of an afterthought in that debate ; now the escalating crisis is likely to dominate Sunday ’ s contest .
Rising infections in the United States and around the world have prompted a dramatic slowdown of global travel , upended financial markets , and raised questions about President Donald Trump ’ s ability to lead the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just two Democrats — former Vice-President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — remain to make the case that they are best-positioned to challenge Trump in November .
Five other candidates who joined them on stage in the Feb. 25 debate in South Carolina have dropped out , with many rallying behind Biden ’ s surging candidacy .
For both Biden and Sanders , the debate is a moment to display their leadership skills in front of what could be one of the largest audiences of the primary .
They ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also with each other , arguing that they have the right experience , temperament and policy prescriptions to lead the nation through a crisis .
“ Moments like these don ’ t come around often in campaigns and this is a perfect opportunity to show millions that you have what it takes , ” said Robert Gibbs , former White House press secretary and campaign adviser to President Barack Obama .
“ They must show voters they are the answer to what is missing right now by being calm , honest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The coronavirus crisis rapidly upended plans for Sunday ’ s debate .
First , the Democratic National Committee announced that it would hold the contest without a live audience .
Then the debate was moved from a large venue in Arizona , one of the states holding a primary Tuesday , to a television studio in Washington because of concerns about cross-country travel .
One of the moderators had to withdraw because of potential exposure to a person who tested positive for coronavirus .
It is Biden who will step on stage as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely just a few weeks ago .
After disappointing showings in the early contests , Biden roared back with a commanding victory in South Carolina and has continued to rack up wins across the country , winning broad and diverse coalitions of voters .
Moderate Democratic leaders , including former rivals Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg , have rallied behind his candidacy and voters have done the same .
Advisers say Biden will aim in Sunday ’ s debate to show voters who backed Sanders or other liberal candidates that they have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overture to liberals , Biden announced his support for a bankruptcy plan championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who ended her campaign earlier this month and has yet to endorse .
In a virtual town hall on Friday , Biden said his support for Warren ’ s proposal , which aims to simplify the bankruptcy process , is “ one of the things that I think Bernie and I will agree on.
” Biden holds a solid lead over Sanders in the all-important delegate race , and a strong showing in Tuesday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination .
Four big states will be up for grabs : Illinois , Ohio , Arizona and Florida , a perennial general election battleground where Biden appears to have an edge over Sanders .
After a strong start , the race has moved rapidly away from Sanders , a self-described democratic socialist with a loyal following among young voters and liberals .
But he ’ s failed to expand his appeal , particularly among black voters , and his calls for a sweeping political and economic revolution have also fallen flat with suburban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from within the Democratic Party to step aside and allow Biden take Trump on one-on-one .
Several Democratic groups that were waiting to endorse until after the primary have consolidated around Biden , including super PAC Priorities USA .
Sanders ’ advisers say he is a realist about his current standing and the difficulty of the path ahead .
Yet the senator is pledging to grill Biden in Sunday ’ s debate on his plans for tackling college debt , for his past support of the Iraq war and for his backing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m going to ask Joe Biden , I mean Joe is part of the establishment for a very long time , ‘ Joe , what role have you played in trying to make sure that we end this massive level of income and wealth inequality where three people own more wealth than the bottom half of America ?
“ Sanders said Saturday during an online “ fireside chat ” with supporters .
Yet it ’ s unclear if the issues Sanders is aiming to highlight will resonate with voters at a time when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has shifted to the growing toll of the coronavirus and put a spotlight on the need for presidential leadership .
Schools and businesses across the country are closed , and many hospitals and clinics are struggling to obtain tests for the coronavirus .
For Biden , the outbreak of a global pandemic has been a moment to bolster the central argument of his candidacy : that his eight years as vice-president give him the experience , as well as the relationships in Washington and around the world , that are needed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign rallies halted because of warnings against large gatherings , Biden delivered a speech in front of reporters and advisers on his proposal for combating coronavirus , including guaranteeing free testing .
Sanders ’ later announced his own speech , which focused largely on advocating for his call to overhaul the nation ’ s health insurance system and replace it with a Medicare for All program .
After Sunday ’ s debate , it ’ s unclear where the candidates and the campaign go from here .
Neither Biden or Sanders has announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given any indication of when they may be able to appear in person for voters again .
Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report .


thetorontostar--2020-03-15--Georgia 2nd state to postpone pres. primaries over virus

ATLANTA - Georgia ’ s March 24 presidential primaries have been postponed until May because of fears over the new coronavirus , state election officials announced Saturday , a day after Louisiana also pushed back its primaries .
In-person early voting , which began statewide March 2 , will be halted and the election will be moved to May 19 , when Georgia ’ s other 2020 primary elections are being held , Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement .
In addition to public safety , one of the biggest considerations was the risk the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often older , election officials said .
“ Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers , and the community at large , ” Raffensperger said .
The action followed Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s signature of an emergency declaration that unlocked sweeping powers to fight COVID-19 .
In a speech Saturday , the governor renewed a call for places of worship , schools and others to consider cancelling large gatherings as cases in the state rise .
On Friday , Louisiana became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primaries due to the virus .
As of Saturday , the virus had infected more than 150,000 people worldwide and killed over 5,800 .
The death toll in the U.S. rose to 51 and infections totalled more than 2,100 , as President Donald Trump expanded a ban on travel from Europe by adding Britain and Ireland to the list .
Georgia is reporting 66 confirmed cases , with most concentrated around metro Atlanta .
One death in the state has been attributed to the virus .
Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavily populated metro Atlanta county had seen “ a little over 100 ” poll workers quit in recent days because of fears over the virus .
“ Each day we had more and more poll workers wanting to bow out due to concern over their health , ” Eveler said , adding that she believed the decision to postpone the election was the right one .
Only one candidate is on the Republican ballot in Georgia for the presidential primary : President Donald Trump .
The Democratic race has been narrowed to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
In states that have already held their primaries , Biden has been beating Sanders among key demographics at play in Georgia Democratic politics , like African Americans and suburban voters , and has been endorsed by a slew of state and local officials .
Raffensperger ’ s office said that the decision to postpone the election was made in consultation with the state Democratic and Republican Parties .
“ Our priority is to protect the health and safety of all Georgians and to ensure that as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , ” state Sen. Nikema Williams , chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia said , according to the statement .
“ Continued in-person voting could compromise both goals.
” All votes already cast , including in-person and absentee ballots , will be counted , the statement says .
As of Thursday , 224,000 voters had already cast ballots in the primary , according to Associated Press Elections Research .
The delayed election is the latest in a long list of disruptions to ordinary life the virus has caused .
School districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.8 million public school students have announced closures .
Among many events postponed or cancelled are the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament in Atlanta , Savannah ’ s St. Patrick ’ s Day parade and the Masters golf tournament in Augusta .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-03-15--New facility to house Clotilda artifacts in Africatown

MOBILE , Ala. - Mobile County , the city of Mobile and the Alabama Historical Commission say work will begin “ immediately ” on an Africatown Heritage House that will feature artifacts from the slave ship Clotilda .
The plan for the facility was announced Tuesday ( March 10 ) by the Alabama Historical Commission , which said the History Museum of Mobile also will play a major role in developing “ Clotilda : The Exhibition.
” The Clotilda is believed to be the last ship to bring a cargo of captive Africans into slavery in the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War .
Stranded after the war , some of them went on to found Africatown , a community where they preserved their language and folkways for decades .
In early 2019 , researchers announced that they had confirmed a shipwreck upriver from Mobile to be the remains of the Clotilda , which was scuttled and burned after its last voyage .
What ’ s left is buried in mud under water in what has been described as a bayou near Twelve Mile Island .
While the discovery has fueled excitement about preservation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it might contain , researchers have said further study of the site will be needed before any excavation can be undertaken .
The new Africatown Heritage House will be the first facility to serve as a focal point for interest in the ship among area residents and tourists .
It is separate from a previously announced Africatown Welcome Center to be funded by RESTORE Act money stemming from Deepwater Horizon Disaster penalties .
Mobile City Council President Levon Manzie said there was an agreement for the city and the county to split the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
“ This is the brainchild of County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood , ” said Manzie .
He said Ludgood had approached himself and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson about the idea .
Manzie said details about where the city ’ s share of the funding will come from have yet to be finalized , but he said he was hopeful a funding measure would come before the council in the near future .
The County Commission , likewise , has not yet approved a specific funding measure but has had discussions , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Alabama Historical Commission quoted Ludgood as saying that it was “ so gratifying to see federal , state , and local governments and private industry come together to bring another major asset to the Africatown community .
Collaborations like these ensure that we will be able to honour and preserve the memory and legacy of the Clotilda and her descendants for generations to come.
” “ Through this exhibit and collaborative effort , everyone will have the opportunity to experience the moving story of the Clotilda and its survivors , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Alabama Historical Commission .
“ This exhibit will bring the tragedy of slavery into focus while witnessing the triumph and resilience of the human spirit in overcoming a horrific crime.
” According to Tuesday ’ s announcement , “ Clotilda : The Exhibition ” will draw on archaeological reports released by the Alabama Historical Commission .
“ The Exhibition tells the stories of the Clotilda and Africatown in the context of slavery and maritime shipping along the Gulf Coast , ” it said .
“ It includes the histories of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement and history of Africatown , and the discovery of the sunken schooner , all through a combination of interpretive text panels , documents , and artifacts.
” “ Our priority is ensuring that the citizens of Africatown get the full benefit of this exhibition , ” said Meg McCrummen Fowler , director of the History Museum of Mobile .
“ The History Museum of Mobile is honoured to be offering our staff ’ s enormous experience with archeology , anthropology , and public history .
Ultimately , though , this exhibition is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Tuesday ’ s announcement said the Historical Commission will contribute “ more than a dozen artifacts from the Clotilda ” but provided no additional detail .
The Africatown Heritage House is to be built adjacent to the Robert Hope Community Center and is tentatively expected to open in fall 2020 .
Plans call for admission to be free to Mobile County residents , with admission fees from other visitors to be “ reinvested to support operations at the site .
”


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Smart move or grave mistake? NYC keeps schools open

NEW YORK - As schools across the U.S. shut down in hopes of helping to fight the coronavirus , New York City officials are arguing just the opposite : They ’ re keeping the nation ’ s largest school system open to ensure that health and emergency workers aren ’ t tied down with kids at home .
But teachers , many parents and some health experts say the city is making a grave mistake by continuing to call more than 1.1 million children to public schools even as it calls for “ social distancing ” elsewhere to stem the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere in the country spent Saturday making hasty plans for an unexpected school shutdown , New Yorkers debated the city ’ s decision .
“ You ’ re not going to have a functioning health care system if the folks in the medical field , the doctors , the nurses , the techs , everyone has to stay home with their kids , ” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on MSNBC .
Parent Anna Gold didn ’ t see it his way .
“ It would be a hardship if they closed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a necessary one we need to take in the space of this emergency , ” said Anna Gold , who pulled her third-grader and kindergartner out of public schools in Brooklyn on Friday and plans to keep them home next week .
Another parent , Dori Kleinman , said she wishes the mayor would allow individual schools to make a decision about whether to close .
“ I don ’ t want my children at risk , ” she said .
New York City became a big outlier as other major U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and several states decided to shutter schools for a week or more .
New York health care workers ’ unions said the city shouldn ’ t close schools without a plan to care for the children of those staffing hospital wards .
The unions and city officials fear that even New York ’ s massive health care system could be quickly overwhelmed by a surge in serious cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
“ If it ’ s apparent it ’ s the safe thing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to have a big impact on nurses , ” said Eileen Toback , executive director of the New York Professional Nurses Union , which represents nurses at Manhattan ’ s Lenox Hill Hospital .
“ They ’ re on the front lines .
They need to be here in shifts .
They ’ re single mothers or single fathers sometimes , so they don ’ t have many backups , and the hospital is 24/7.
” In a column in The New York Times , three teaches from Stuyvesant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo to close the schools , and develop a plan to feed students that depend on school meals .
The teachers describe a lengthy journey for some to and from school that puts students , their relatives and educators at risk .
“ No amount of hand washing and extra cleaning can prevent our thousands of students and hundreds of faculty and staff members from transmitting germs as they move in and out of classrooms for 10 periods a day , ” Samantha Daves , Maura Dwyer and Annie Thoms wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ruled out closing schools eventually and said city officials would continue a day-by-day examination .
But he has noted that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that while there can be reasons to shut schools , it ’ s not clear that closures will make more difference than other measures , such as hand-washing and isolating the sick .
But Dr. Dena Grayson , a researcher and infectious disease expert who works in the private sector , called de Blasio ’ s decision so far to keep schools open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will spread like wildfire among the children .
They get infected , and they can spread that virus easily to older people who are at a much higher risk , “ she said .
The city has confirmed coronavirus cases in at least two public school students and at least one teacher .
Their schools have been closed for cleaning but are expected to reopen .
For most people , the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
The vast majority of people recover , but the outbreak has caused more than 5,000 deaths worldwide .
Teachers ’ unions are pressing de Blasio to close the schools , saying they ’ re worried for their students ’ families , their own and New Yorkers at large .
“ To have 1.1 million students and countless employees crisscrossing the city , it feels to me beyond irresponsible , ” says Derek Stampone , who teaches physics and computer science at a Manhattan high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up Friday , a dropoff echoed in the system as a whole .
Stampone found himself spending much of Friday ’ s classes talking about the virus and such prevention tips as hand-washing .
“ I can see the anxiety in the room , ” he said .
So did social studies teacher Elise Ritter , who works at a different Manhattan high school that happens to focus on emergency management .
The students who did attend , she said , were “ really looking around and saying , ‘ Why are we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with grandparents and worry about them contracting the virus , she said .
Teachers suggest the city could find ways to provide child care for health care workers — and supply food to the hundreds of thousands of poor students who depend on school meals — without keeping the entire school system open .
De Blasio has said that any alternative would recreate the problem that closing schools would seek to solve : People congregating .
Cuomo , a Democrat , said school closings remain “ purely a local decision ” unless a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a school must be closed for cleaning .
“ The closing of schools is a significant trade-off of benefits and burdens , ” he said Saturday in a conference call with reporters .
“ If you close the schools , there are people who will not show up for work the next day .
The public education system is also a day care , in many ways.
” Associated Press reporters Adam Geller and Vanessa Alvarez contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Jim Mustian And Jennifer Peltz - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Trump tests negative for virus; White House begins screening

WASHINGTON - After days of resisting screening for the coronavirus , President Donald Trump tested negative for the virus , officials said Saturday night .
Meanwhile , the White House began checking the temperature of anyone coming into close contact with the president and other officials .
Prior to his testing , Trump said his personal physician told him he didn ’ t show symptoms and didn ’ t need to take the test .
But Trump decided to do it anyway after repeated questions from reporters about why he was hesitating to undergo screening when he had been exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the virus .
The White House released the test results just hours after Trump told reporters that he had been tested and that his temperature was “ totally normal.
” He was recently in contact with three people at his Florida resort who have tested positive for the virus , including two aides to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro .
“ One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago , the President remains symptom-free , ” Sean Conley , the president ’ s physician , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country who have had the same degree of exposure have not only tried to get tested , but also chosen to quarantine themselves as a precaution and to avoid potentially infecting others .
The pandemic has now infected more than 2,200 people in the U.S. and caused at least 50 deaths .
The president , according to two people close to the White House , had been reluctant to take the test for fear it would project weakness or worry .
Trump wanted to appear in full control during the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal steps could undermine that appearance .
But as the White House grappled with repeated exposures by Trump and multiple senior aides , it tightened precautions .
On Saturday , the White House announced that it was conducting temperature checks on anyone who was in close contact with Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , including reporters who attended the White House briefing Saturday and anyone entering the Oval Office .
To that end , a representative from the White House physician ’ s office took the temperature of members of the media at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a device to their heads .
One reporter with a suspected elevated temperature was not allowed in .
Pence wrote a memo to White House staff Saturday reminding them to take precautions such as avoiding physical contact , washing hands frequently and staying home when sick to help the administration keep the virus at bay .
“ It ’ s imperative each one of us do our part to take the proper precautions to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe , ” Pence wrote .
“ As an employee aboard the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect the health of our Executive Branch and those working with us.
” Trump , 73 , is considered to be at higher risk of complications from the disease because of his age .
He has long tried to minimize the threat posed by the virus and continued to engage in behaviours that health officials are warning the public against .
On Friday , Trump shook the hands of multiple officials at his Rose Garden news conference and he has continued to appear at large gatherings despite tweeting Saturday morning that Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ It almost becomes a habit , ” Trump said when asked why he continues to shake hands contrary to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines .
“ People come up to me , they shake hands , they put their hand out , it ’ s sort of a natural reflex , “ he said .
“ We ’ re all getting out of it .
All of us have that problem.
” He added : “ Shaking hands is not a great thing to be doing right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington said late Friday that the country ’ s chargé d ’ affaires , Nestor Forster , tested positive after sitting at Trump ’ s dinner table .
So , too , did a top aide to Bolsonaro , who took a photo with Trump and attended a party with him , and another person who attended a campaign fundraiser with the president that Sunday , according to two Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private health matters .
Republican chairwoman Ronna McDaniel , who earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump on Air Force One , awaited her own test results after experiencing a fever and flu-like symptoms .
She and her family were quarantining at home , the RNC said Saturday .
Several top administration officials , including Attorney General William Barr and Trump ’ s daughter and senior adviser , Ivanka Trump , met last week with an Australian Cabinet minister who on Friday was confirmed positive .
A handful of White House staffers were tested for the virus after exhibiting flu-like symptoms , but all tested negative , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity in the country is currently high .
The White House has been saying , citing CDC guidelines , that the president and other White House officials don ’ t need to be tested or isolate themselves unless they are exhibiting symptoms , even though that advice is contradicted by many health professionals who note that the virus can be spread even by people who are asymptomatic .
The reporter who was not allowed into the White House briefing Saturday had a temperature above the 100.4-degree guidelines in three checks over 15 minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katie Miller , citing the White House Medical Unit .
Public health officials say that people with a cough and elevated temperatures of 100.4 degrees or higher are deemed concerning .
Dr. Deborah Birx , who is helping co-ordinate the U.S. response to the outbreak , noted that testing results reflect a snapshot in time and that it ’ s crucial for people to maintain precautions .
“ When you get a negative test , that means you ’ re negative that day , ” Birx said .
“ That doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus spreading overnight , because it replicates in your nose and your nasal secretions , and you would have a positive test tomorrow.
” The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Jill Colvin And Aamer Madhani - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Wife of Spain’s prime minister tests positive for virus

MADRID—Spain ’ s government said Saturday that the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has tested positive for the new coronavirus .
It said Begoña Gómez and the prime minister are in good health and following the instructions of medical authorities at their residence in La Moncloa Palace in Madrid , the government seat .
Two ministers of Sánchez ’ s cabinet , the minister of equality and the minister of regional affairs , had already tested positive earlier this week .
The government said both are in good health as well .
The others member of the cabinet have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media of Gómez ’ s infection shortly after Sánchez gave a nationally televised address to announce a battery of measures his government will take to combat the pandemic during a two-week state of emergency .
Prior to the address , Sánchez presided at a seven-hour cabinet meeting attended by all ministers except for the two who had tested positive .
Health authorities said Saturday that coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people in Spain , half of them in Madrid , since the first case was detected in late January .
That represents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 hours .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Thousands of police seal Philippine capital to fight virus

MANILA , Philippines - Thousands of police in the Philippines , backed by the army and coast guard , started sealing the densely populated capital from most domestic travellers Sunday in one of Southeast Asia ’ s most drastic containment moves against the new coronavirus .
Mayors also announced plans to impose a night curfew in Metropolitan Manila , home to more than 12 million people .
Residents have been asked to stay home except for work and urgent errands under monthlong restrictions that took effect Sunday .
The citywide quarantine means the suspension of domestic travel by land , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital region .
Large gatherings like concerts , movies and cockfighting will be prohibited and most government work in executive department offices will be suspended in the metropolis .
School closures at all levels were extended by a month .
President Rodrigo Duterte announced what he billed a “ general community quarantine ” of the entire metropolis on Thursday .
Officials issued guidelines on Saturday after confusion over the drastic moves set off panic buying in supermarkets and prompted many provincial residents to stream out of the metropolis , fearing they would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the temporary restrictions will not amount to a lockdown of the capital because many workers and emergency personnel like medical staff will be able to enter and leave the capital .
Residents can move within the metropolis on their way to work or for urgent errands , including medical emergencies , officials said .
Movement of cargo and food shipments will continue unhampered , they said .
Nevertheless , by early Sunday truckloads of policemen and soldiers spread to the peripheries of the metropolis and started to man checkpoints on major entry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a no-sail policy in Manila Bay but said cargo ships , fishing boats , government vessels and some foreign ships were exempted from the ban .
A copy of the guidelines said the movement of people in the Manila metropolis “ shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work.
” “ If you ’ ll go to work , go .
If you need to go out for medical treatment , go .
If you ’ ll buy food , go , but other than that , stay home , ” Interior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday .
“ We should practice social distancing.
“ Philippine health officials reported dozens of new cases infections Saturday , bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 111 .
Eight of the patients have died .
While the virus can be deadly , particularly for the elderly and people with other health problems , for most people it causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
Some feel no symptoms at all and the vast majority of people recover .
Ano said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was proposed by 17 mayors , would apply to nonessential trips and leisure gatherings like parties , family reunions and concerts .
Stressing the urgency of the move , he cited the case of Italy , where he said the numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths alarmingly spiked because effective containment steps were not put in place early .
Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said cities and towns would enforce the curfew once their separate councils have authorized it in the next few days .
Ano warned that infections may exponentially increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five months if effective containment actions are not set in place .
He told The Associated Press that it ’ s one of the worst-case scenarios drawn up by the government along with World Health Organization experts .
Metropolitan Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas has threatened to arrest people who don ’ t comply with the new restrictions .
But a prominent human rights lawyer , Jose Manuel Diokno , said law enforcers could not arrest anyone for resisting emergency health restrictions .
Under Philippine law , police can arrest people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed or are about to commit a crime , Diokno said .
The 74-year-old Duterte himself was tested for the virus on Thursday after he met Cabinet officials , who said they were exposed to people who tested positive for the coronavirus .
Duterte tested negative , according to his spokesman .
Associated Press journalists Aaron Favila and Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible @ @ @ @


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Chinese tycoon who criticized Xi’s response to coronavirus has vanished

His nickname in China was “ The Cannon , ” and Ren Zhiqiang ’ s latest commentary was among his most explosive yet .
Ren , an outspoken property tycoon in Beijing , wrote in a scathing essay that China ’ s leader , Xi Jinping , was a power-hungry “ clown.
” He said the ruling Communist Party ’ s strict limits on free speech had exacerbated the coronavirus epidemic .
Now Ren , one of the most prominent critics of Xi in mainland China , is missing , his friends said Saturday .
His disappearance comes amid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism of its slow , secretive initial response to the epidemic , which has killed more than 3,100 people in China and sickened more than 80,000 .
The Chinese government is working to portray Xi as a hero who is leading the country to victory in a “ people ’ s war ” against the virus .
But officials are contending with deep anger from the Chinese public , with many people still seething over the government ’ s early efforts to conceal the crisis .
Ren , a party member , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xi .
In 2016 , the party placed him on a year ’ s probation for denouncing Xi ’ s propaganda policies in comments online .
The government has monitored Ren ’ s movements intensely ever since , friends said , preventing him from leaving the country and deleting his social media accounts , where he had built a wide following .
Where he might be was unclear Saturday , and police in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
“ We ’ re very worried about him , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrepreneur and friend of Ren ’ s .
“ I will continue to look for him.
” In recent weeks , an essay by Ren began circulating among elite circles in China and abroad .
In it , he blamed the government for silencing whistleblowers and trying to conceal the outbreak , which began in the central city of Wuhan in December .
While he did not explicitly use Xi ’ s name in the commentary , Ren left no doubt he was speaking about China ’ s leader , repeatedly referencing Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see not an emperor standing there exhibiting his ‘ new clothes , ’ but a clown who stripped naked and insisted on continuing to be an emperor , ” he wrote .
Addressing Xi , he wrote : “ You don ’ t in the slightest hide your resolute ambition to be an emperor and your determination to destroy anyone who won ’ t let you.
” Ren , 69 , is the retired chairman of Huayuan Properties , a real estate developer .
In 2016 , Ren came under scrutiny after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s news media should serve the people , not the party , contradicting one of Xi ’ s high-profile pronouncements .
His remarks offered a window into growing frustration among Chinese intellectuals and entrepreneurs over Xi ’ s increasingly authoritarian rule .
The party moved quickly to censure him , saying he had “ lost his party spirit.
” But he continued to speak out on other topics , such as China ’ s strict policies to limit the population in big cities .
As more details about China ’ s efforts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclosed by the Chinese news media in recent weeks , Xi has come under attack from several prominent Chinese activists and intellectuals .
Xu Zhangrun , a law professor in Beijing , published an essay last month saying that the epidemic had “ revealed the rotten core of Chinese governance.
” Xu Zhiyong , a prominent legal activist , released a letter to Xi on social media , accusing him of a coverup and calling on him to step down .
He was later detained .
Activists said Ren ’ s disappearance was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalating its latest crackdown on free speech .
“ The epidemic has brought out the worst of Xi Jinping , ” said Yang Jianli , a rights activist based in the United States .
“ He is so determined not to give an inch , rightly understanding an inch would mean hundreds of miles .
”

Javier C. Hernández - The New York Times


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--New Hampshire has 7th presumptive case, more schools close

CONCORD , N.H. - New Hampshire ’ s total number of presumptive positive test results of the new coronavirus has risen to seven because of a case involving a woman who was at a Division of Motor Vehicles office , public health authorities in the state said .
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said late Friday that the woman is from Rockingham County and notified her health care provider after developing systems .
The state is investigating to identify people who had close contact with the woman before she began self-isolating , the department said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Manchester branch of the DMV during business hours on five days this month , the department said .
The office will be closed Saturday for enhanced cleaning , it said .
Anyone who was at the office on March 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 or 10 who has developed symptoms should stay home , limit contact with others and contact a care provider , the department said .
For most people , the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough , and the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , or death .
Some schools in New Hampshire are also closing for varying degrees of time .
Schools in Nashua , Exeter , Bedford , Hampstead and Plaistow have announced they would close down for days while evaluating the threat , the Concord Monitor reported .
Nashua and Bedford schools announced week-long closures , while Exeter and Timberlake schools decided to close for two weeks , the Monitor reported .
Other schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kearsage school districts , have called off schools for Monday and are considering longer closures .
Colleges in the state previously announced moves to online learning .
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord , New Hampshire , has put up exhibit panels about the virus .
The panels are designed by the New York Hall of Science and shared with fellow science museums for visitors to learn more about the nature of the virus .
The panels are near the reception area of the museum .
The museum has made some adjustments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing ” system for its planetarium .
It said it will fill every other row with visitors , leaving the row between them empty , and ask families and individuals to leave two empty seats between them and the next person or group .
The museum said it also is changing the way it handles planetarium show tickets , to minimize the number of people touching the tickets .
Staffers have been provided hand sanitizer and medical gloves and will use them as needed .
New Hampshire Senate President Donna Soucy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all legislative activities from Monday to Friday will be closed .
The State House will be closed to legislative members , legislative staff , and visitors but remain open for governmental operations .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Trump tests negative for coronavirus, personal physician says

WASHINGTON—U.S .
President Donald Trump has tested negative for the new coronavirus , according to the president ’ s personal physician .
The White House released the test results Saturday night after Trump told reporters hours earlier that he had taken the coronavirus test , following days of resisting being screened despite the fact that he had been in recent contact with three people who have tested positive for the virus .
Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Saturday that he had his temperature taken and it was “ totally normal , ” shortly before stepping into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s efforts to halt the spread of the virus .
The pandemic has now infected more than 2,200 people in the U.S. and caused at least 50 deaths .
The president had multiple direct and indirect contacts with people who have since tested positive for the virus , including three people he spent time with last weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida .
The Brazilian Embassy in Washington said late Friday that the country ’ s chargé d ’ affaires , Nestor Forster , tested positive after sitting at Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a top aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , who took a photo with Trump and attended a party with him , and another person who attended a campaign fundraiser with the president that Sunday , according to two Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private health matters .
Trump , after days of insisting that he was not exhibiting symptoms of the virus , relented after being pressed by reporters about his resistance to testing when multiple lawmakers and countless citizens across the country who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not only tried to get tested , but also chosen to try to avoid potentially infecting others .
The president , according to two people close to the White House , had been reluctant to take the test for fear it would project weakness or worry .
Trump has wanted to appear in full control during the crisis , and had expressed concern that taking personal steps could undermine that appearance .
Trump came into office as a self-described germaphobe who tried to avoid handshakes as he conducted his real estate business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s now finding it difficult to resist shaking hands , a habit that he says he ’ s picked up since becoming a full-time politician .
At a news conference Friday to announce he was declaring a national emergency , Trump eagerly shook the hands of several corporate executives , even though health policy experts on the White House coronavirus task force have urged Americans to avoid physical contact to help stem the spread of the virus .
“ People come up to me , they shake hands , they put their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s sort of a natural reflex , and we ’ re all getting out of it .
All of us have that problem.
” The White House is stepping up efforts to try to keep the virus at bay .
On Saturday , the White House announced that it is now conducting temperature checks on anyone who is in close contact with Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , including reporters who attend a White House briefing and anyone entering the Oval Office .
Pence also wrote a memo to White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautions such as avoiding physical contact , washing hands frequently and staying home when sick .
“ It ’ s imperative each one of us do our part to take the proper precautions to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe , ” Pence wrote .
“ As an employee aboard the White House Complex , we have an additional duty to protect the health of our Executive Branch and those working with us.
” Dr. Deborah Birx , who is helping co-ordinate the U.S. response to the outbreak , noted that testing results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s crucial for people to maintain precautions .
“ When you get a negative test , that means you ’ re negative that day , ” Birx said .
“ That doesn ’ t mean that you couldn ’ t get the virus spreading overnight , because it replicates in your nose and your nasal secretions , and you would have a positive test tomorrow .
”

Aamer Madhani - The Associated Press,Jill Colvin


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Doctor says Trump tests negative for coronavirus

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has tested negative for the new coronavirus , according to the president ’ s personal physician .
The White House released the test results Saturday night after Trump told reporters hours earlier that he had taken the coronavirus test , following days of resisting being screened despite the fact that he had been in recent contact with three people who have tested positive for the virus , including members of the Brazilian president ’ s delegation who visited with him at his Florida resort .
“ One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Sean Conley , the president ’ s physician , said in a memo .
Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Saturday that he had his temperature taken and it was “ totally normal , ” shortly before stepping into the room to discuss the government ’ s efforts to halt the spread of the virus .
The pandemic has now infected more than 2,200 people in the U.S. and caused at least 50 deaths .
The president had multiple direct and indirect contacts with people who have since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three people he spent time with last weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida .
The Brazilian Embassy in Washington said late Friday that the country ’ s chargé d ’ affaires , Nestor Forster , tested positive after sitting at Trump ’ s dinner table .
So , too , have a top aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , who took a photo with Trump and attended a party with him , and another person who attended a campaign fundraiser with the president that Sunday , according to two Republican officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to discuss private health matters .
Trump , after days of insisting that he was not exhibiting symptoms of the virus , relented after being pressed by reporters about his resistance to testing when multiple lawmakers and countless citizens across the country who have had the same degree of exposure have not only tried to get tested , but also chosen to try to avoid potentially infecting others .
The president , according to two people close to the White House , had been reluctant to take the test for fear it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has wanted to appear in full control during the crisis , and had expressed concerns that taking personal steps could undermine that appearance .
Trump came into office as self-described germaphobe who tried to avoid handshakes as he conducted his real estate business .
But he acknowledged Saturday that he ’ s now finding it difficult to resist shaking hands , a habit that he says he ’ s picked up since becoming a full-time politician .
At a news conference Friday to announce he was declaring a national emergency , Trump eagerly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even though health policy experts on White House coronavirus task force have urged Americans to avoid physical contact to help stem the spread of the virus .
“ People come up to me , they shake hands , they put their hand out , ” Trump said .
“ It ’ s sort of a natural reflex , and we ’ re all getting out of it .
All of us have that problem.
” The White House is stepping up efforts to try to keep the virus at bay .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is now conducting temperature checks on anyone who is in close contact with Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , including reporters who attend a White House briefing and anyone entering the Oval Office .
Pence also wrote a memo to White House staff Saturday reminding them to take precautions such as avoiding physical contact , washing hands frequently and staying home when sick .
“ It ’ s imperative each one of us do our part to take the proper precautions to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe , ” Pence wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House Complex , we have an additional duty to protect the health of our Executive Branch and those working with us.
” Dr. Deborah Birx , who is helping co-ordinate the U.S. response to the outbreak , noted that testing results reflect a snapshot in time and that it ’ s crucial for people to maintain precautions .
“ When you get a negative test , that means you ’ re negative that day , ” Birx said .
“ That doesn ’ t mean that you couldn ’ t get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your nose and your nasal secretions , and you would have a positive test tomorrow.
” The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Aamer Madhani And Jill Colvin - The Associated Press


thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Fake coronavirus testing kits seized at Los Angeles airport

LOS ANGELES - Federal authorities warned consumers Saturday about fake home-testing kits for the coronavirus after customs agents intercepted a package at Los Angeles International Airport filled with vials labeled as COVID-19 test kits .
The parcel arriving from the United Kingdom this week was declared as purified water vials valued at nearly $ 200 .
But when U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspected it they discovered the labels referring to the new virus that began in China and has spread globally .
“ The American public should be aware of bogus home testing kits for sale either online or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the agency said in a statement Saturday .
Testing for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , is only conducted in verified state and local public laboratories across the country .
On Friday , President Donald Trump declared a national emergency and laid out new testing strategies after health care professionals , politicians and patients across the country complained about lack of access to testing .
However , public confusion persisted over who should be tested and how to get checked for the disease .
No further details , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , were released .
The vials were turned over to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for analysis .
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thetorontostar--2020-03-14--Iditarod mushes on; fans being urged to skip finish in Nome

ANCHORAGE , Alaska - As Iditarod mushers drove their dog teams across Alaska on Saturday , race officials scrambled to make last minute changes prompted by concerns over the new coronavirus , including asking fans not to fly to Nome for the finish .
Officials late Friday night urged race fans , especially those from out of state , to skip the finish this week .
City officials in Nome followed most other Alaska cities in closing or limiting access to most public buildings in wake of the state ’ s first positive test , that of a man from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was tested Thursday at an Anchorage hospital after earlier arriving in the city on a private cargo plane .
“ The Iditarod fully appreciates and is humbled by the passion and social energy of the Iditarod nation ; however , we are asking you to not make any nonessential travel to the Nome finish , in particular , those who are travelling from outside of Alaska , ” according to a statement from the Iditarod .
Race officials are also paring down their own staff to only essential personnel needed in Nome for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to veterinarians , necessary dog handlers and staff needed for communications and to co-ordinate logistics .
The Iditarod had previously postponed post-race events in Nome , including the musher ’ s banquet and an annual meet-and-greet with mushers .
Race Marshal Mark Nordman told the Anchorage Daily News that he didn ’ t know how a race like the Iditarod could be cancelled , but said continuing the race was being done under the guidance of state officials .
“ If the state of Alaska said the race must stop , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper .
” We have not heard that.
” The vast majority of people recover from the new virus .
According to the World Health Organization , people with mild illness recover in about two weeks , while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .
More than 80,000 people in China have been diagnosed with the coronavirus .
More than 65,000 have recovered .
Iditarod officials were also scrambling to move checkpoints away from villages where mushers stop en route to Nome .
Many times village @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place to allow a musher to rest but the Bering Strait School District , which includes many communities that serve as checkpoints , closed facilities and said it would not host Iditarod activities .
Jessie Royer of Fairbanks was in the race ’ s lead Saturday .
She was the first musher to reach the checkpoint in Kaltag , and picked up 25 pounds of fresh salmon filets and $ 2,000 for the feat .
Royer , an Idaho native who was raised in Montana , is vying to become the first woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The last woman to win the race was the late Susan Butcher , who won her fourth Iditarod in 1990 .
Royer earlier Saturday was also the first at the checkpoint in Nulato .
The checkpoint in this village of about 360 and originally founded in 1838 as a Russian trading post is normally the community hall , and the school is also widely used .
“ Because the school in Nulato was not available , the Iditarod changed its checkpoint location to on the Yukon River , ” Nordman said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place and the checkpoint is fully manned.
” Another community closer to Nome is also off limits this year because of concerns over the virus .
The Iditarod , in consultation with community leaders in Shaktoolik , decided to bypass the community and set up the checkpoint outside town .
Food that mushers have flown to the checkpoint will be moved to the new location , along with straw for dogs to bed down .
Provisions are being made to allow the teams to get a hot meal before getting back on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Willow for 57 mushers , down to 53 after four withdrew , including Nils Hahn and Alan Eischens on Friday morning .
The winner of the nearly 1,000-mile ( 1,600-kilometre ) race across Alaska is expected in the town of Nome , on the Bering Sea , sometime next week .


thetorontostar--2020-03-15--Syrian war, rumbling into 10th year, still has global impact

BEIRUT - In a world gripped by a pandemic , global unrest and a fast-moving news cycle , it can be difficult to remember that the war in Syria is still happening .
Even before the coronavirus outbreak took over daily lives around the globe , the conflict , which began in early 2011 , had largely fallen off the world ’ s collective radars — reduced to a never-ending fight involving an ever-more complex web of players and refugees that few remember once lived in a country they called home .
But as it enters its tenth year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Islamic State group and triggered the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century — has shown it is still creating new tragedies that can have an outsized impact on global politics .
Earlier this month , Turkish and Syrian troops were clashing in Syria ’ s northwest .
That brought NATO-member Turkey and Russia , which back opposing sides of the war , to the brink of direct confrontation , and produced an unprecedented wave of displaced people .
Arguing that it faces a potential new influx of refugees from Syria , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its vast migrant and refugee population from illegally entering Greece , touching off a new crisis for the European Union .
More than half of Syria ’ s pre-war population of 23 million people have been driven from their homes , and a staggering 80 % of the population live beneath the poverty line , according to the United Nations .
Half the country lies in ruins .
A political process does not exist .
Contrary to what some may hope , the Syrian war is nowhere near its end-game .
A cease-fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow last week may have put the brakes on the Syrian government ’ s devastating military campaign to retake the northwestern Idlib province .
But the halt is not a long-term solution , and the war ’ s final and most devastating chapter is yet to come .
In the three months before it was paused , the Syrian offensive triggered the largest single wave of displacement of the entire war .
That may be dwarfed by the flight of humanity toward Turkey if Syrian President Bashar Assad resumes the assault to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people .
The area is the last remaining rebel-controlled area in Syria , and from Assad ’ s perspective , the only place standing in the way of complete military victory .
“ Even if Idlib is somehow retaken and an estimated 3 million people are accommodated in Turkey or elsewhere , it is unlikely that Damascus has the capacity or even the tools to rule over formerly opposition-controlled areas for long periods of time without trouble , ” said Danny Makki , a London-based Syrian journalist .
Similarly , a Turkey-Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military campaign against U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters in the country ’ s northeast .
But the oil-rich region is still contested .
There are hundreds American troops there , ostensibly on a mission to protect Kurdish-controlled oil fields from remnants of the Islamic State group .
Both U.S. and Russian troops patrol the tense area separately , and thousands of Iranian-backed militias are stationed nearby .
Nearly a decade of fighting has transformed the Mideast country into a failed state providing free-for-all proxy battlefield where world powers can settle their scores .
Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all have boots on the ground in Syria .
The Lebanese Hezbollah group and a slew of other Iranian-backed militias are fighting there .
Israel bombs inside Syria frequently and at will .
The war has pulled in so many international players that one Syrian joke says perhaps the Syrian people are the ones who need to leave the country , so as not to disturb those foreign powers fighting on their soil .
Assad , who has been able to keep his grip on the central government from Damascus throughout the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory with Russian help .
The rebel hold has shrunk in size from more than half of the country at one point to a tiny strip in Idlib province by the Turkish border now .
But many areas recovered by the government are a wasteland of wrecked buildings .
Few refugees have dared to return , and reconstruction efforts are on hold , pending a political resolution .
Meanwhile , the economic situation is deteriorating so fast that ordinary Syrians struggle keep up with prices that rise even over the course of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it now takes 500 Syrian pounds to get a dollar , 20 times the pre-2011 amount .
The economic squeeze has been worsened by neighbouring Lebanon ’ s acute financial crisis .
“ It is a devastating dynamic , almost a perfect storm , ” David Beasley , head of the World Food Program , told The Associated Press in a recent interview .
“ You ’ ve got the war , the devastation of the war on the economy for the last eight , nine , 10 years .
But now you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria and Lebanon economy are tied together , and this is really becoming a perfect storm of devastation , ” he said .
Even if Assad were to recapture remaining rebel-controlled territory , ruling it is another issue .
His government ’ s policy of “ reconciliation ” in areas it already seized — effectively forced surrender of all opposition — has proven futile .
In Damascus , there has been a series of mysterious blasts targeting civilians and military personnel using explosive devices in the past three weeks .
In the southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Assad began in March 2011 , a reconciliation between the government and insurgents reached two years ago has crumbled with acts of violence reported almost on daily basis .
Ambushes , explosions and shootings left scores of fighters dead on both sides , and anti-government protests have re-erupted in some areas .
Government forces responded with brute force earlier this year when tensions with insurgents turning into uprisings in several parts of Daraa , including the village of Sanamein .
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , an opposition war monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in violence in Daraa over the past months , including 45 civilians , 113 soldiers and pro-government gunmen , and 37 rebels who signed deals with the state in 2018 .
“ The growing insurgency in Daraa and the poor economic situation in Damascus is evidence that the war will not abruptly end , and in fact the socio-political and military circumstances are present to indicate that this will rumble on for many years to come , ” Makki said .
Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report @


thetorontostar--2020-03-15--Iran says worsening outbreak could strain health facilities

TEHRAN , Iran - Iran ’ s official leading the nation ’ s response to the new coronavirus acknowledged Sunday the pandemic could overwhelm health facilities in his country , which is battling the worst outbreak in the Mideast while under heavy U.S. sanctions .
Iran also reported 113 new deaths from the virus , bringing its death toll to 724 .
Muslim authorities , meanwhile , announced that the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem , the third holiest site in Islam , would be closed indefinitely due to concerns about the outbreak , with prayers continuing to be held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures have been taken at the nearby Western Wall , the holiest place where Jews can pray , where outdoor prayers continue but only 10 people at a time are permitted in enclosed areas , in keeping with measures taken by the Israeli government .
Iran is battling one of the worst outbreaks outside China .
The 113 new deaths reported on Sunday by the Health Ministry were the first time a daily reported death toll exceeded 100 .
The fatalities brought the country ’ s death toll to 724 so far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real number of infections could be even higher , as questions have been raised about the government ’ s transparency .
“ If the trend continues , there will not be enough capacity , ” Ali Reza Zali , who is leading the campaign against the outbreak , was quoted as saying earlier by the state-run IRNA news agency .
Iran is believed to have around 110,000 hospital beds , including 30,000 in the capital , Tehran .
Authorities have pledged to set up mobile clinics as needed .
Zali also acknowledged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus were otherwise healthy , a rare admission by local authorities that the virus does not only prey on the sick and elderly .
Health Ministry figures show that while 55 % of fatalities were in their 60s , some 15 % were younger than 40 .
For most people , the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a matter of weeks .
The virus has infected more than 150,000 people worldwide and killed more than 5,800 .
More than 70,000 people worldwide have recovered after being infected .
In Iran , the virus has infected a number of senior officials , including the senior vice-president , Cabinet ministers , members of parliament , Revolutionary Guard members and Health Ministry officials .
Authorities have nevertheless been slow to adopt measures taken by other hard-hit countries .
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday ruled out a general quarantine and said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
Dalia Samhouri , a senior regional official with the World Health Organization , said both Iran and Egypt , two of the most populous countries in the Middle East , were likely underreporting cases because of the nature of the virus , which can be spread by individuals who show no visible symptoms .
Egypt has reported 110 cases , including two fatalities .
“ We can easily say that the current figures are an underestimation of the actual figures , ” she said .
Iran has struggled to respond in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration after the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal .
The U.S. says it has offered humanitarian aid but that Iran has rejected it .
Countries across the Middle East have imposed sweeping travel restrictions , cancelled public events and in some cases called on non-essential businesses to close for the coming weeks .
many have temporarily closed schools and universities .
In the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai , a global business and travel hub in the United Arab Emirates , authorities announced on Sunday that all movie theatres , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the month .
Abu Dhabi , the capital of the UAE , also shut down its amusement parks and museums through the end of the month , including Louvre Abu Dhabi .
Saudi Arabia ’ s state carrier , Saudia , announced Sunday it would halt all international flights for two weeks while continuing to fly domestic routes .
Al-Aqsa is the latest in a series of religious sites where access has been halted or strictly limited .
Saudi Arabia has halted the umrah pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the much larger haj later this year .
On Sunday , it announced the temporary closure of all mosques and called off Friday prayers .
Sheikh Omar Kiswani , the director of the Al-Aqsa mosque , said Sunday that the closure of the mosque and other buildings on the compound , including the iconic golden Dome of the Rock , would continue indefinitely .
The religious site is also the holiest in Judaism because it was the location of the two Jewish temples in antiquity .
Israel occupied and annexed east Jerusalem in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognized internationally .
The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state , and the religious site has often been a flashpoint in the decades-long conflict .
Israel imposed sweeping travel and quarantine measures more than a week ago but has seen its number of confirmed cases double in recent days , to around 200 .
On Saturday , the government said restaurants , malls , movies , gyms and daycare centres would close .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s trial on serious corruption charges , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed for two months due to restrictions on public gatherings .
Jordan , which had previously reported just one infection in a man who later recovered , confirmed six new cases .
Four are French tourists while the other two are Jordanians , Health Minister Saad Jaber said Sunday .
Jordan has suspended all flights into and out of the kingdom except for aid workers and diplomats , and has closed schools for two weeks .
It has also banned the smoking of hookahs , or water pipes , in cafes .
Krauss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aron Heller in Jerusalem , Jon Gambrell in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , Omar Akour in Amman , Jordan , and Maggie Michael in Cairo contributed to this report .
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Nasser Karimi And Joseph Krauss - The Associated Press