The MGM Resorts International Bellagio Resort & Casino stands in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bridget Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images
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- Global cases: At least 153,648, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization
- Global deaths: At least 5,746, according to the latest figures from the WHO
All times below are in Beijing time.
9:27 am: South Korea reports 74 new cases, no additional deaths
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an additional 74 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the country’s total to 8,236. No new deaths were reported, with the total number of fatalities staying at 75. The number of confirmed infections reported each day in South Korea has seen a general downward trend from several weeks ago when the outbreak spread rapidly; more than half of the confirmed cases in South Korea came from the city of Daegu. — Saheli Roy Choudhury
8:55 am: MGM Resorts temporarily closes Las Vegas properties
MGM Resorts International said it is temporarily suspending operations at its Las Vegas properties until further notice. The move will go into effect on March 17. Casino operations will close a day earlier, followed by hotel operations, according to the company.
“Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression,” Jim Murren, chairman and CEO at MGM Resorts, said in a statement. — Saheli Roy Choudhury
8:36 am: China reports 16 new cases, 14 additional deaths
China’s National Health Commission said as of March 15, there were 16 new confirmed cases; 12 of them were attributed to travelers from overseas, bringing the total number of imported cases to 123. Another 14 people have died, all of them in Hubei province where the infection was first detected. The total number of cases in China stands at 80,860, of which 67,749 were cured and 3,213 people died. — Saheli Roy Choudhury
8:27 am: Wynn Resorts will temporarily close Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Resorts said it has decided to temporarily close Wynn Las Vegas and Encore hotels and casinos as part of the company’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. It said it has committed to pay all full-time Wynn and Encore employees during the closure, which will be effective Tuesday, March 17 at 6 p.m. local time. The closure is set to stay in effect for at least two weeks. — Contessa Brewer
8:04 am: US futures sink, Australia’s ASX 200 tumbles 5%
U.S. stock futures plunged even after the Federal Reserve announced a massive monetary stimulus campaign to curb slower economic growth in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped by more than 1,000 points, which triggered a limit down level. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures were also at their downside limits.
In Asia Pacific, the situation appeared mixed: Australia’s ASX 200 fell almost 5% in morning trade. Japan’s Nikkei 225 opened in positive territory, as did South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index. — Fred Imbert, Saheli Roy Choudhury
An operator of Amiat (Multiservice Environmental Hygiene Company Turin) wears a respiratory mask prior to sanitizing streets in Via po, Turin in Italy.
Nicolò Campo | LightRocket | Getty Images
7:40 am: CDC recommends cancellation of events with 50 or more people
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it is urging organizers to cancel or postpone in-person events with 50 people or more in attendance throughout the United States. “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,” the CDC said in a statement. “When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual.” There are at least 3,244 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. — Dawn Kopecki
7:20 am: Death toll in Italy jumps by more than 360
The number of deaths in Italy jumped by more than 360 from a day earlier, with the country’s health ministry saying a total of 1,809 people have died as of 6 p.m. local time on March 15. The total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 24,747 and, among them, 2,335 people have recovered. Outside China, Italy remains the worst affected country after seeing a massive spike of infection cases in recent weeks and is in complete lockdown at the moment. — Saheli Roy Choudhury
7:12 am: LVMH to use perfume and cosmetics factories to produce free hand sanitizer for France
French luxury conglomerate LVMH said factories that produce perfume and makeup for brands like Christian Dior and Givenchy will be making hand sanitizer starting Monday. LVMH will deliver the free disinfectant to French authorities and the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, the largest hospital system in Europe. “Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves from the spread of the virus,” the company said in a statement, adding it will honor the commitment “for as long as necessary.” — Emma Newburger
All times below are in Eastern time.
6:50 pm: Trump administration says ‘all options on the table’ including suspension of domestic air travel
The Trump administration is leaving “all options” on the table for further travel restrictions, including an outright suspension of domestic air travel, a senior official said Sunday.
Such a drastic measure hasn’t been instated since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and it would raise questions about U.S. airlines’ chances for survival without government support.
“We continue to look at all options and all options remain on the table,” said Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a press briefing when asked about the possibility. —Leslie Josephs
6:20 pm: California Gov. Newsom shuts down bars, nightclubs, brewpubs to slow the outbreak
California Governor Newsom on Sunday directed all “non-essential” businesses such as “bars, nightclubs, wineries and brewpubs and the like” be closed in the state.
“We believe this is a non-essential function … And we believe this is appropriate under the circumstances.”Newsom stopped short of asking all restaurants in the state to close down as Ohio and Illinois have done.”We have more concerns and considerations … We don’t believe ultimately we need to shut them down,” Newsom said.
Newsom called for restaurants to socially distance patrons within these establishments. “We’re directing we reduce current occupancy by half and require social distancing,” he said.
Newsom also called for the home isolation of all seniors in California as well as those with chronic health conditions. — Riya Bhattacharjee
6:14 pm: Trump says ‘relax,’ urges against hoarding as cases soar and Fed cuts rates to zero
President Donald Trump urged Americans not to hoard food on Sunday during a White House press conference that came just minutes after the Federal Reserve announced new steps to shield the American economy from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said. “Take it easy. Relax.”
In brief remarks, Trump cautioned against panic buying and said that food supply chains remained intact. He noted that earlier in the day he had met with executives from consumer and grocery companies including Target, Campbell’s and Costco.
“They have asked me to say, ‘Could you buy a little bit less please.'” Trump said. “I thought I would never hear that from a retailer.” —Tucker Higgins
Read CNBC’s coverage from the U.S. overnight: Fed slashes rates, New York governor wants Trump to mobilize the military
— CNBC’s Leslie Josephs, Riya Bhattacharjee, and Tucker Higgins contributed to this report.
