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- Global cases: More than 98,704, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
- Global deaths: At least 3,383, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
- US cases: At least 233, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
- US deaths: At least 12, according to the CDC and state health officials.
7:20 am: What to do if you are boarding a plane
A health worker sprays disinfectant inside a Vietnam Airlines airplane to protect from the recent coronavirus outbreak, at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, Vietnam February 21, 2020.
Kham | Reuters
7:15 am: Costco gets a sales boost from the coronavirus
People load Clorox into their car in the Costco parking lot after the first confirmed case of coronavirus was announced in New York State, in Brooklyn, New York, March 2, 2020.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
Costco reported stronger sales than analysts were expecting Thursday evening, thanks in part to a boost the company received from consumers stocking up at its stores to prepare for a more widespread outbreak of the new coronavirus. Throngs of shoppers this past weekend and into this week have flocked to Costco stores across the country to stock up on water, paper towels, sanitizing wipes, and other household goods. The company told analysts Thursday it has been receiving deliveries daily. It also said, in some instances, it is placing limits on how much people can purchase. “February sales benefited from an uptick in consumer demand in the fourth week of the reporting period,” the company said. “We attribute this to concerns over the coronavirus.” —Thomas
7:10 am: Egypt confirms 12 new cases on a cruise ship
Twelve new cases of coronavirus registered on a Nile cruise ship are all asymptomatic, the health ministry and World Health Organization said in a joint statement on Friday. The individuals are all Egyptian workers on the ship, which is heading to the southern city of Luxor, the statement said. The country had until now diagnosed three people with the virus, one of whom it said had fully recovered after receiving treatment. —Reuters
7:06 am: France’s Macron urges tight limits on retirement home visits
French President Emmanuel Macron urged citizens to avoid visiting their relatives in retirement homes to prevent exposing them to possible coronavirus infection. “We must avoid visiting our elderly relatives as much as possible,” Macron said on Friday during a visit to a retirement home in Paris. —Reuters
6:35 am: Iran says death toll rises by 17 to 124 people
Iran, which has one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks outside of China, on Friday reported a rise in its death toll to 124 people. A health ministry spokesman said in Tehran that there were 1,000-plus new infections, according to Reuters. —Clinch
5:35 am: Netherlands confirms first coronavirus-related death
The Netherlands’ National Health Institute on Friday confirmed the country’s first fatality as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. An 86-year-old man infected with coronavirus died in the port city of Rotterdam, health authorities said. As of Thursday, the WHO reported 38 cases of the coronavirus in the Netherlands. —Meredith
5:30 am: China invokes ‘force majeure’ to protect businesses — but companies may be in for a ‘rude awakening’
Widespread disruption brought on by the coronavirus outbreak has hammered global supply chains and spurred Chinese companies to declare “force majeure” — a provision that exempts them from contractual obligations. But experts warn that such a move may not work. According to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, a government-linked entity, China has issued 4,811 force majeure certificates as of March 3 due to the epidemic. They covered contracts worth 373.7 billion Chinese yuan ($53.79 billion), state media Xinhua reported. —Tan
4:40 am: Vatican City reports first coronavirus case
A tourist wear a protective mask in front of the Trevi Fountain downtown Rome, on March 3, 2020. – Italy urged tourists spooked by the coronavirus not to stay away, but efforts to reassure the world it was managing the outbreak were overshadowed by confusion over case numbers. Hotel bookings in Milan have plummeted to 20 percent, compared to nearly 90 percent normally at this time of year, while in Rome, far from the northern hotspots over 50 percent of bookings have been cancelled until the end of March, hotel association Federalberghi said. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
ALBERTO PIZZOLI
The Vatican on Friday confirmed its first case of the coronavirus, Reuters reported, with health authorities confirming outpatient services in Vatican City clinics had been suspended to sanitize areas. A spokesperson for the city-state added that Italian authorities had been informed of the confirmed case. As of Thursday, Italy had reported 3,089 cases of coronavirus, with 107 deaths. —Meredith
Read CNBC’s coverage from the Asia-Pacific overnight: Vatican reports first case; ‘Impossible’ to cancel Tokyo Olympics
—CNBC’s Jessica Bursztynsky, Yun Li, Eustance Huang, Amanda Lasky, Holly Ellyatt, Saheli Roy Choudhury , Marty Steinberg, Amelia Lucas, Tom Franck, Annie Palmer, Diana Olick, Kif Leswing and Reuters contributed to this report.
