A woman wears a face mask as she waits on the subway after the first confirmed case of coronavirus was announced in New York State in New York, March 2, 2020.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
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All times below are in Eastern time.
- Global cases: At least 91,300, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
- Global deaths: At least 3,110, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
- US cases: At least 91, according to the CDC.
- US deaths: At least 6, according to the CDC and state health officials.
9 am: New York City high school reportedly closes after suspected local case
A New York City high school is closing Tuesday after a suspected case of COVID-19 in the community, according to Reuters. SAR Academy and SAR High School said in a statement that it was a precautionary measure, following guidelines from the New York City Department of Health, Reuters reported. The school, a modern orthodox Jewish school, is in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. The New York City Department of Education did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment and calls to the school weren’t answered. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will hold a press conference to update the public on the COVID-19 outbreak at 9 a.m. ET. —Lovelace, Higgins-Dunn
8:48 am: Vietnam hand wash dance challenge goes viral
A public service announcement on proper hand hygiene in Vietnam has become an internet sensation after a video was posted on TikTok of two dancers enacting the lyrics of the song. “The song’s incredible,” comedian John Oliver said on Monday night’s episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” adding that “Sesame Street” character Ernie’s “Rubber Duckie” song on bath hygiene pales by comparison. The lyrics to the song for the Vietnam coronavirus dance challenge are: “Wash our hands, rub, rub, rub, rub evenly. Do not touch eyes, nose, mouth. And limit visits to crowded places. Push back the virus Corona, Corona,” according to the show’s translation of the song. —Kopecki
8:05 am: Japan indicates Olympics could be delayed
Japan’s Olympics minister says the country’s contract to hold the Tokyo Games only specifies the event has to be held during 2020. Seiko Hashimoto’s response to a question in the upper house of parliament implies the Olympics could be held later in the year and would not have to start on July 24 as planned. —Associated Press
7:52 am: Visa warns of revenue hit due to outbreak
Visa warned that its second-quarter revenue growth would be slower than its previous forecast, becoming the latest payments services provider to be affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The company said it expects current-quarter revenue growth to be 2.5 to 3.5 percentage points lower than its previous forecast of low double-digit growth when compared with the first quarter. —Reuters
7:37 am: G-7 countries promise to use policy tools but offer no specific actions to combat coronavirus
Officials of most of the world’s largest economies pledged on Tuesday a united front in the battle against the novel coronavirus scare but offered no specific actions. “Given the potential impacts of COVID-19 on global growth, we reaffirm our commitment to use all appropriate policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable growth and safeguard against downside risks,” the G-7 statement said. —Cox
7:23 am: Trump asks Fed for ‘big cut’ after Australia slashes rates on virus impact
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak at the White House in Washington, February 29, 2020.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
7:17 am: Head of Iran’s emergency medical services reportedly infected
The head of Iran’s emergency medical services, Pirhossein Kolivand, has been infected with coronavirus, the ILNA news agency reported. Kolivand’s “health is good and there is no need for concern,” the office said in a statement, according to ILNA. Seventy-seven people in Iran have died from coronavirus and 2,336 have been infected, Iran’s Health Ministry announced Tuesday. —Reuters
7:08 am: FDA and CDC boost supply of masks for health-care professionals
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention broadened the types of masks health-care workers can use to include “industrial” masks amid reports of a nationwide shortage and price gouging. The FDA granted the CDC’s request for an emergency use authorization to allow health providers use masks that previously were only approved for industrial settings. The move broadens the category of masks that doctors and nurses are approved to use in a health-care setting. “The FDA and CDC’s action to allow a wider range of respirators to be used in health-care settings will help those on the front lines of this outbreak and their patients, which will keep all Americans safe,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. “We will continue pursuing every possible avenue to secure the protective gear needed for responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.” —Feuer
5:46 am: UK government publishes ‘battle plan’ to tackle spread of coronavirus
Britain’s government unveiled its plans to tackle the spread of the virus, warning that up to a fifth of the workforce could be off sick during a peak period. “Given that the data are still emerging, we are uncertain of the impact of an outbreak on business. In a stretching scenario, it is possible that up to one fifth of employees may be absent from work during peak weeks. This may vary for individual businesses,” the government said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that in the worst possible scenario, the army is ready to step in. Johnson warned on Monday that there could be a “very significant expansion” of the outbreak among the population. Currently, there are 39 cases of the virus in the U.K. —Ellyatt
4:38 am: Bank of England governor says its role is to help UK through ‘an economic shock’
4:01 am: Germany’s number of coronavirus cases rises
The number of confirmed cases rose in Germany to 188, up from 157 on Monday afternoon, according to the country’s RKI health institute. Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn warned last week of a potential epidemic in the country. —Ellyatt
4 am: Beijing, Shanghai step up restrictions on travelers from overseas
Two of China’s largest cities and the province of Guangdong that borders Hong Kong and Macau announced that visitors from countries severely hit by the new coronavirus must quarantine themselves for 14 days upon arrival. These countries include South Korea, Italy and Japan. The requirement applies to Chinese and non-Chinese residents. Previously, travelers who had not been in mainland China prior to arrival in Beijing did not have to self-quarantine. —Cheng
Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through the year 2032.
Read CNBC’s coverage from the Asia-Pacific overnight: UK warns fifth of workforce could be off sick; army prepared
— CNBC’s Jeff Cox, Holly Ellyatt, Weizhen Tan and Yen Nee Lee contributed to this report.
