Number of UK deaths rises to 35 while other countries introduce stricter new measures. This blog is closed.
Helen Sullivan (now) Sam Gelder, Martin Pengelly, Lucy Campbell, Mattha Busby and Helen Sullivan (earlier)
We are going to close this blog now. Thanks for following along. You can find all of our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at our new blog here.
Canada closes borders to foreigners – as it happened
In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power.
Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction.
For as little as £1, you can support us, and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Make a contribution – The Guardian
Hi, Helen Sullivan with you now. We’ll be switching over to a new blog shortly. In the meantime – have any tips, good news or things I may have missed? Send me a message on Twitter @helenrsullivan.FacebookTwitter
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published an advisory on its website recommending that “for the next 8 weeks, organisers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.”
The note continues:
The Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing. When feasible, organisers could modify events to be virtual.
This recommendation does not apply to the day to day operation of organisations such as schools, institutes of higher learning, or businesses.FacebookTwitter
Charlotte Graham-McLay
New Zealand’s education ministry is asking principals to consider how they will teach students online if schools are forced to close due to the virus.
In a memo to head teachers, the ministry said officials would call every school on Monday and Tuesday to find out what support teachers would need to enact online learning, according to Radio New Zealand.
The ministry will ask principals about students’ access to devices and the internet at home, RNZ said.
There has not yet been any suggestion from either the ministry or New Zealand’s government that school closures are expected or inevitable at this stage. The country has eight cases of Covid-19.FacebookTwitter
The state’s governor Charlie Baker has just announced that public and private schools will be closed from Tuesday until 6 April. Baker also announced that the state has banned gatherings of 25 people or more.
“With the steps we are taking today, we can ensure residents can still access key state services while taking necessary precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
The news comes just hours after South Carolina took similar measures to close it public schools until the end of March, and California announced it would enforce closure of bars and nightclubs, as well as limiting the capacity of restaurants.
New York City also announced today that public schools will close.
A clinical trial evaluating a vaccine designed to protect against the new coronavirus will begin Monday, according to a US government official.
The first participant in the trial will receive the experimental vaccine on Monday, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the trial has not been publicly announced yet.
The National Institutes of Health is funding the trial, which is taking place at a Kaiser Permanente research facility in Washington state, the official said.
