Coronavirus worldwide: Pentagon restricts access; France closes Eiffel Tower; Italy sees 20% surge in cases
Pentagon officials have laid out new restrictions for access to the building, saying people who have been overseas should stay away for two weeks and others should expect more screening questions from officers posted at the entrances. Senior defense officials said in a conference call with reporters that personnel who...
Apple store in Shadyside among those nationwide closed over coronavirus fearsVideo
Would-be shoppers at the Apple store on Walnut Street in Shadyside were greeted by a closure notice, part of the tech giant’s decision to close all stores outside of China for two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Stores, for now, are scheduled to reopen March 27. “Apple has...
9 things to know about coronavirus spreading, testing and symptoms
The medical impact of the new coronavirus is coming into sharper focus as it continues its spread in what is now officially recognized as a pandemic. Its true fatality rate isn’t yet known, but it seems 10 times higher than the flu, which kills hundreds of thousands around the world...
Turkey-Russia patrols start amid protests on Syrian highwayVideo
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish and Russian troops began joint patrols Sunday on a key highway in northwestern Syria, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said, while both the Russian government and Syrian opposition activists said the patrols were shortened because of protests. Patrols on the highway known as the M4, which runs east-west...
Philippines isolates Manila to fight coronavirus outbreak
MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of police officers and army troops started sealing the Philippines’ densely populated capital on Sunday at the start of one of Southeast Asia’s most drastic containment moves against the new coronavirus. Under monthlong restrictions imposed in the entire Manila metropolis — home to more than 12...
Americans at U.S. airports return to long lines, hourslong waits for screenings
Weary travelers returning to the U.S. amid coronavirus-related travel restrictions were greeted by long lines and hourslong waits for required medical screenings at airports. Posts on social media indicated passengers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport waited upward of four hours in winding lines, eliciting criticism from elected Illinois officials. Gov....
Latest on coronavirus: U.S. death total rises to 62; some Pa. liquor stores to close; student lunchesVideo
By Sunday afternoon, at least five more people in the United States had died in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. The number of deaths rose to 62, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. In all, 6,065 deaths have been reported and more than 163,000 confirmed infections, according to...
A message to Trib readers from the CEO: We are prepared to serve you
To all of our readers: Trib Total Media is prepared to serve you through the challenging days and weeks ahead. We will provide the news you need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, keep you informed about local actions taken for public safety and report the story of our community pulling...
Biden wins endorsement from NEA, nation’s largest union
The nation’s largest labor union has lined up behind Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, with the National Education Association on Saturday endorsing the former vice president for the Democratic nomination over his last remaining primary rival Bernie Sanders. The NEA’s board of directors chose Biden following a recommendation from the organization’s...
Cirque du Soleil closes its Las Vegas shows because of virus
LAS VEGAS — Cirque du Soleil, creator of many of the most popular shows in Las Vegas, said Saturday that it is temporarily suspending its productions in Las Vegas as well as around the world because of the new coronavirus outbreak. In a statement, the company said it made the...
Walmart changes hours amid coronavirus outbreak
Walmart stores will cease 24-hour operations amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, the company announced Saturday. Beginning at 11 p.m. Sunday, all stores will close until 6 a.m. Monday. After that, the temporary operating hours will be from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, until further notice. Stores currently operating...
West Virginia schools out for at least 2 weeks
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia schools will remain closed through at least March 27, Gov. Jim Justice announced Saturday. Justice announced the school closings on Friday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, even though the state doesn’t have a confirmed case. A release from the governor’s office Saturday said no...
Wife of Spain’s prime minister tests positive for virusVideo
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...
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...
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...
Georgia to postpone primaries over virus; 2nd state to do so
ATLANTA — Georgia’s March 24 presidential primaries will be 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...
Trib offering free eTrib access to help keep readers better informed during pandemic
Trib Total Media is offering free access to its electronic editions in effort to help those in the community be better informed about the health crisis involving the coronavirus pandemic. “We understand as more of our readers practice social distancing or self-quarantine, they many not be able to purchase our...
Florida’s famed South Beach closed to stop virus
Florida’s famed South Beach has been closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Miami Beach officials ordered hundreds of college spring breakers and others from around the world off the beach Saturday as part of measures to prevent large gatherings. To cut down on crowds at clubs and restaurants in...
U.S. internet well-equipped to handle work from home surgeVideo
BOSTON — The U.S. internet won’t get overloaded by spikes in traffic from the millions of Americans now working from home to discourage the spread of the new coronavirus, experts say. But connections could stumble for many if too many family members try to videoconference at the same time. Some...
West Va. gets FEMA grant for 2016 flooding
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has received an additional $1 million in federal grants for debris removal in Greenbrier County after flooding in 2016. The flooding killed nearly two dozen people. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said the grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help with property improvements...
Virus cases spread across Africa, nations prepare for moreVideo
JOHANNESBURG — Africa is seeing a steady spread of the coronavirus across the continent, with four new countries confirming cases on Saturday, so that 23 of Africa’s 54 countries have covid-19 patients. Namibia, Rwanda, Eswatini and Mauritania reported their first cases Saturday. All were brought to the continent by travelers...
Trump’s latest travel ban highlights gaps in containment net
NEW YORK — In the weeks before President Donald Trump spoke from the Oval Office to announce restrictions on travelers from more than two dozen countries in Europe, thousands of people from the region already had stepped off planes at U.S. airports, and an untold number of them carried the...
Spain to follow Italy into lockdown, U.S. expands travel banVideo
BARCELONA, Spain — Spain drew up plans to lock down its 46 million citizens, France closed the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, and more borders snapped shut around the world as governments took increasingly sweeping measures Saturday to reduce contact among people and contain the spread of the coronavirus. President...
Iran death toll from virus passes 600, Syria shuts schoolsVideo
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...
Amid coronavirus, Comcast makes Wi-Fi network free, expands unlimited data to all
With businesses and schools closed and thousands of residents now working and studying from home during the coronavirus outbreak, Comcast announced Saturday it will make its Xfinity Wi-Fi services free for everyone for the next 60 days. “During this extraordinary time, it is vital that as many Americans as possible...
