March 13, 2020 4:10 am
MIAMI (AP) – Florida and its 219 delegates could be the knockout punch for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders after a dismal showing in the Michigan primary. The Florida primary election next Tuesday will be closely watched by people across the nation. The Vermont senator said he would stay in the race and debate former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday. Biden’s advisers are banking on a Florida victory that is so overwhelming that it sends a clear message that he is much better positioned than Sanders in a state considered a must-win for President Donald Trump.
March 13, 2020 4:09 am
TOKYO (AP) – President Donald Trump’s suggestion to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for a year because of the spreading virus was immediately shot down by Japan’s Olympic minister. Seiko Hashimoto is a former Olympic medalist. She says “the IOC and the organizing committee are not considering cancellation or a postponement – absolutely not at all.” She told a news conference in Tokyo that organizers are planning to open the games as scheduled on July 24. Trump told reporters at the White House that “I just can’t see having no people there. In other words, not allowing people. Maybe, and this is just my idea, maybe they postpone it for a year.”
March 13, 2020 4:05 am
Talking to kids about virus? Experts say be calm and honest As more schools announce closures and cancel events, parents are having to decide how to talk to their children about the coronavirus. Some parents say they’re checking in daily, while others said they’re limiting conversation out of concern it may make their children anxious. Child psychology experts’ advice is to be reassuring, focus on proactive steps and do research to truthfully answer their questions. One expert stresses that parents should not collude in their child’s anxiety by refusing to go outside or by buying face masks. “And I don’t need a sniffle to turn into them worrying about dying.”
March 13, 2020 2:48 am
New rules for visiting patients are being implemented by Washington Health System because of the coronavirus. Officials say Washington Health System will now limit visitors to no more than one per adult patient. No minor family members or visitors under the age of eighteen will be allowed in Washington Hospital or WHS-Greene Hospital. The Emergency Departments at Washington Hospital and WHS-Greene will also limit visitors to no more than one per adult patient. No minor family members or visitors under the age of eighteen will be allowed. Washington Hospital and WHS-Greene are also implementing a restriction to visiting hours for all patient units. Visiting hours for Washington Hospital and WHS-Greene patient care units, excluding the Emergency Departments, will be from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. Since emergencies happen at all hours there are no hour restrictions in the Emergency Departments.
March 12, 2020 2:52 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’s considering restricting travel to domestic hot spots such as California and Washington state because of the coronavirus outbreak. He tells reporters at the White House, “Is it a possibility? Yes.” Trump also said he’ll postpone campaign rallies and says he believes he needs a “little separation until such time as this goes away.” As classes, sports events, concerts and conferences are canceled across the nation, Trump also is proposing postponing this summer’s Olympics in Japan for a year. Congress has decided to shut the Capitol to the public until April. White House tours have been temporarily suspended.
March 12, 2020 12:50 pm
(WPXI) – Three more people in Allegheny County have died due to flu complications, the Allegheny County Health Department announced Thursday. Two of the people were in their early 70s and one was in their early 60s, officials said. All three people had underlying medical conditions. The total number of flu deaths this season is 15, according to the Health Department. Health Department officials said that while there is a lot of focus on the coronavirus, flu activity remains high in our area and across Pennsylvania. “Over the past six weeks we’ve received roughly 800 reported flu cases each week. While these numbers are much lower than what was reported near the end of 2019, it’s critical that residents take common sense precautions and practice healthy habits to limit the spread of germs,” the Health Department said in a news release.
March 12, 2020 10:54 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s governor is closing schools and other facilities in a suburban Philadelphia county hard-hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday said the order in Montgomery County also applies to community centers and entertainment venues but will keep open critical infrastructure that includes health care facilities and pharmacies. It goes into effect Friday. Pennsylvania thus far is reporting 22 cases of COVID-19 infection, and more than half are in Montgomery County.
March 12, 2020 10:46 am
UNDATED (AP) – Princess Cruises has announced that, due to the new coronavirus, it will voluntarily pause global operations of its 18 cruise ships for 60 days, affecting trips departing March 12 to May 10. Cruise ships have been particularly hard hit amid the new pandemic. The Diamond Princess cruise ship, which Japanese officials held in a flawed quarantine operation, infected hundreds of passengers and crew. Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, says the company aims to reassure passengers they have their well-being in mind. Those now on a Princess cruise that will end in the next five days will continue to sail as expected. Current voyages that extend beyond March 17 will be ended at the most convenient location for guests.
March 12, 2020 9:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The entertainment industry is preparing to shut down to curb the spread of the coronavirus. That means canceling upcoming movies, suspending all Broadway performances and eliminating live audiences from television shows until it’s safe to welcome crowds back. To accommodate calls for social distancing, Hollywood moved to pause the normal hum of TV productions and the bustle of red-carpet movie premieres. After New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned gatherings of more than 500 people, Broadway theaters announced that they would close immediately and remain dark through April 12.
March 12, 2020 9:21 am
BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union has condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to restrict travel from Europe to the United States. Two top EU officials lamented that the decision was taken without consultation and they say the disease does not respect borders in any case. The restrictions announced by Trump would hit 26 European nations but don’t apply to the United Kingdom, where the number of confirmed cases is above 400. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s latest figures, more than 17,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across Europe, and more than 700 people have died on the continent.
