France and Spain joined Italy in
imposing lockdowns on tens of millions of people, Australia
ordered self-isolation of arriving foreigners, and Argentina and
El Salvadore extended entry bans as the world sought to contain
the spreading coronavirus.
Panic buying in Australia, the United States and Britain saw
leaders appeal for calm over the virus that has infected over
138,000 people globally and killed more than 5,000.
Several countries imposed bans on mass gathering, shuttered
sporting, cultural and religious events, while medical experts
urged people to practice "social distancing" to curb the spread.
All of Pope Francis' Easter services next month will be held
without the faithful attending, the Vatican said on Sunday, in a
step believed to be unprecedented in modern times.
The services, four days of major events from Holy Thursday
to Easter Sunday, usually draw tens of thousands of people to
sites in Rome and in the Vatican.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said from midnight
Sunday international travellers arriving in the country would
need to isolate themselves for 14 days, and foreign cruise ships
would be banned for 30 days, given a rise in imported cases.
"What we've seen in recent weeks, is more countries having
issues with the virus and that means the source of some of those
transmissions are coming from more and more countries,"
Morrison told a news conference.
Australia's latest restrictions mirror those announced by
neighbouring New Zealand on Saturday. Australia has recorded
more than 250 coronavirus cases and three deaths.
TRAVEL BANS, AIRLINE CUTBACKS
US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on
Friday. The United States has recorded more than 2,000 cases and
50 deaths, but has been criticised for slow testing.
Travel bans and a plunge in global air travel saw further
airline cut backs, with American Airlines Inc planning
to cut 75% of international flights through May 6 and ground
nearly all its widebody fleet.
A sign near the Breckenridge Ski Resort gondola in Breckenridge, Colorado outlines public health guidelines about social distancing to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. Picture: Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP
The dramatic announcement by the largest US airline came
hours after the White House said the United States would widen
new travel restrictions on Europeans to include travellers in
the United Kingdom and Ireland, starting Monday night.
Washington has already imposed flight restrictions on China.
China tightened checks on international travellers arriving
at Beijing airport on Sunday, after the number of imported new
coronavirus infections surpassed locally transmitted cases for a
second day in a row.
Anyone arriving to Beijing from abroad will be transferred
directly to a central quarantine facility for 14 days for
observation starting March 16, a city government official said.
China, where the epidemic began in December, appears to now
face a greater threat of new infections from outside its borders
as it continues to slow the spread of the virus domestically.
China has reported 80,984 cases and 3,203 deaths, according
to a Reuters tally, of which 66,911 have recovered in mainland
China, which has imposed draconian containment policies, locking
down several major cities.
LOCKDOWNS, STAY HOME
Spain put its 47 million inhabitants under partial lockdown
on Saturday as part of a 15-day state of emergency to combat the
epidemic in Europe's second worst-affected country after Italy.
Spain had 193 coronavirus deaths and 6,250 cases, public
broadcaster TVE said on Saturday, up from 120 deaths reported on
Friday.
France will shut shops, restaurants and entertainment
facilities from Sunday with its 67 million people were told to
stay home after confirmed infections doubled in 72 hours.
People take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower closed after the French government banned all gatherings of over 100 people to limit the spread of the virus COVID-19, in Paris. Picture: Christophe Ena/AP
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the government
had no other option after the public health authority said 91
people had died in France and almost 4,500 were now infected.
"We must absolutely limit our movements," he said.
Britain is preparing to ban mass gatherings, while isolating
people aged over 70 for up to four months is part of its action
plan to tackle coronavirus which will be implemented in the
coming weeks, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday.
Argentina banned entry to non-residents who have travelled
to a country highly affected by coronavirus in the last 14 days,
the government officially announced late on Saturday.
The ban will last 30 days. Argentina has 45 cases of
coronavirus, the health ministry said, up from 21 on March 12.
Panama said flights arriving from Europe and Asia would be
temporarily suspended, with the exception of flights that
transport doctors, medical equipment or other humanitarian aid.
Colombia will expel four Europeans for violating compulsory
quarantine protocols, just hours after it closed its border with
Venezuela, the government said on Saturday.
ANTI-TERRORISM TRACKING TO FIGHT VIRUS
Israel will use anti-terrorism tracking technology and
partially shutdown its economy to minimise transmission risks,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.
Cyber tech monitoring would be deployed to locate people who
have been in contact with those carrying the virus, subject to
cabinet approval, Netanyahu told a news conference in Jerusalem.
Starting Sunday, South Korea began to subject visitors from
France, Germany, Britain, Spain and the Netherlands to stricter
border checks, after imposing similar rules for China, Italy and
Iran which have major outbreaks.
Visitors from those countries now need to download an app
which will report whether they have symptoms. South Korea has
been testing hundreds of thousands of people and tracking
potential carriers using cell phone and satellite technology.