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- Global cases: At least 136,895, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization
- Global deaths: At least 5,077, according to the latest figures from the WHO
- US cases: At least 2,174, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
All times below are in Beijing time.
2:55 pm: Apple to temporarily shut all stores outside Greater China
Apple will be temporarily closing its stores outside Greater China until Mar. 27 but its online stores will still be open.
In a tweet, CEO Tim Cook said that “we must do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” He added that the iPhone-maker will also be committing $15 million to help with the recovery.
As of Friday, all of Apple’s stores in China were set to open after the outbreak forced a prolonged closure of its retail locations. The U.S. technology giant has 42 stores in China and while all have opened their doors, some are operating on limited hours. —Joanna Tan
People wearing protective masks wait for checking their temperature in an Apple Store, in Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, February 21, 2020.
Aly Song | Reuters
2:40 pm: Taiwan wants travelers from Europe to be quarantined
Taiwan has raised its travel alert for countries in Europe’s Schengen area, as well as for Britain and Ireland, advising its citizens not to travel there unless necessary, Reuters reported.
The government announced that travelers from those countries will have to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival from Mar. 17, according to the report. The so-called Schengen area in Europe has no passport checks between internal borders.
People arriving from Dubai, and those who transit from there, will also be quarantined, Reuters said. —Joanna Tan
12:56 pm: House passes relief bill, sending it to Senate
The House passed a coronavirus relief plan early Saturday after hours of talks between Democrats and the Trump administration on how to blunt the economic damage of the global pandemic.
The chamber approved the 110-page bill to provide relief to consumers and workers walloped by the outbreak less than an hour after text was released. The measure passed in an overwhelming 363-40-1 vote.
The legislation now heads to the Senate. The upper chamber left Washington for the weekend and will not have a chance to approve it until next week. (See updates at 7 p.m. ET and 7:50 p.m. ET) —Jacob Pramuk
12:15 pm: White House physician says Trump shared table with guest who tested positive
Donald Trump was at the same dinner table as a guest who later tested positive for COVID-19, the president’s physician said Friday. The incident took place last weekend, while Trump was hosting a delegation from Brazil at Mar-a-Lago, where he was briefly in contact with the press secretary of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro who also tested positive after the event.
In the second case, Trump shared the dinner table with the guest who “was symptom-free until this morning,” Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement which did not mention the name of the guest.
“There is no indication for home quarantine at this time” as the interactions would be considered low risk for transmission, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he added. —Joanna Tan
11:49 am: Pentagon halts domestic travel for those affiliated with the Department of Defense
The Pentagon has halted all domestic travel for service members, Department of Defense civilians, and their family members. The new measures take effect from Mar. 16 through to May 11, according to a statement by the Pentagon Public Affairs.
“Similar to other travel guidance regarding COVID-19, travel exceptions may be granted for compelling cases where the travel is mission-essential, for humanitarian reasons, or warranted due to extreme hardship,” the statement said. “Our goal is to remain ahead of the virus spread so our military force remains effective and ready.”
The United States has so far reported at least 2,174 confirmed cases and President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic.—Joanna Tan
11:10 am: Saudi Arabia suspends international flights for two weeks
Saudi Arabia will suspend international flights for two weeks starting from Sunday, 11 a.m. local time, the state news agency reported. According to the Saudi Press Agency, an official source at the interior ministry said the new measures will be taken to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.
The kingdom has at least 86 confirmed cases, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. Last month, Saudi Arabia temporarily barred the entry of foreign pilgrims and tourists, in order to stem the spread of COVID-19. —Joanna Tan
10:25 am: China reports 11 new cases and 13 additional deaths
China said there were 11 new confirmed cases and 13 additional deaths as of Mar. 13. All the fatalities in the latest report came from Hubei province — the epicenter of the outbreak where most cases have been found. The latest numbers from the National Health Commission brings to total number of confirmed cases in the mainland to 80,824, and the cumulative death toll to 3,189. —Joanna Tan
Community volunteers transfer bags of vegetables for residents in Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei province on March 13, 2020.
Stringer | AFP | Getty Images
10:08 am: New Zealand cancels memorial service for Christchurch mosque shooting
New Zealand has canceled the national memorial service to commemorate the first anniversary of the Christchurch shooting where 51 people were killed when a gunman stormed two mosques. The event, which was initially set to be held in Christchurch on Sunday, was canceled over fears the new coronavirus could spread in crowded places.
“This is a pragmatic decision,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. “We’re very saddened to cancel, but in remembering such a terrible tragedy, we shouldn’t create the risk of further harm being done.”
As of Saturday, 1 p.m. local time, New Zealand reported 6 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the health ministry.—Joanna Tan
9:33 am: South Korea adds 107 new cases
South Korea reported 107 new cases as of Mar. 14, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 8,086. There were 5 additional fatalities, bringing the death toll to 72, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Joanna Tan
Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a subway station in Seoul on March 13, 2020. – UNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
Jung Yeon-Je | AFP | Getty Images
All times below are in Eastern time.
7:50 pm: Trump urges Republicans to back Pelosi and Mnuchin’s coronavirus response deal
President Donald Trump voiced his support for a House coronavirus relief plan Friday after a day of talks between Democrats and his administration on how to blunt the economic damage of the global pandemic.
In a series of tweets, the president said “I fully support” the legislation negotiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. He urged Republicans and Democrats in the House to support the bill and and he looks forward to signing it “ASAP!” —Jacob Pramuk
7 pm: Deal to pass coronavirus relief bill hits last-minute snag
Efforts to pass a coronavirus relief package hit another roadblock Friday night as negotiators in Washington sent mixed signals about whether they reached agreement on a plan.
Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to colleagues that “we are proud to have reached an agreement” on a proposal to blunt the economic damage of the global pandemic after hours of back-and-forth with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. But after 7:30 p.m. ET, the second-ranking Democrat in the House said his party had not actually reached a deal with the White House.
“She thought there was” a deal, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told NBC News when asked why Pelosi announced an agreement. —Jacob Pramuk
5:30 pm: Trump says UK could be added to European travel restrictions
President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.K. could be added to sweeping restrictions on travel for much of Europe, measures aimed at curbing the coronavirus.
The restrictions that Trump announced earlier this week and that take effect at midnight prohibit the entry of foreigners who have been in 26 European countries for 30 days. They currently exclude Great Britain and Ireland. —Leslie Josephs
4:40: Trump says he will ‘most likely’ be tested for coronavirus
President Donald Trump said Friday that he will “most likely” be tested for coronavirus – minutes after he said that he will not take any precautionary measures following his close contact at Mar-a-Lago with a Brazilian official who was diagnosed with the disease.
Trump, who said earlier this week that he was “not concerned” about his exposure to people who may be at risk of transmitting the disease, made the comments at the White House after declaring a national emergency. —Kevin Breuninger
Read CNBC’s coverage from the U.S. overnight: Washington reports 5 new coronavirus deaths, Trump says UK could be added to EU travel ban
— CNBC’s Jacob Pramuk, Kevin Breuninger and Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.
