The global coronavirus pandemic reached the Canadian government Thursday as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for disease, according to a statement tweeted by Trudeau’s communications director. Trudeau and his wife are continuing with a 14-day quarantine.
Meanwhile in the U.S., public events are being canceled. Travel bans are in place. Schools are closing, colleges and univerities are holding classes online only, and Broadway is suspending shows as authorities race to combat and contain the global coronavirus outbreak.
The pandemic is taking a huge toll on the financial markets. They plunged again Thursday and trading came to a halt after President Trump announced his decision to ban non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in many European nations from entering the United States for a month. It’s an unprecedented attempt to stop the spread of the new virus. The White House said the restrictions would take effect at midnight Saturday.
The president spoke Wednesday night, hours after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency was “deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity” of the disease it causes, COVID-19.
As of Thursday morning, more than 1,300 cases had been confirmed in the United States and at least 42 deaths were blamed on the virus. There have been more than 126,000 cases worldwide, and more than 4,600 people have died. The vast majority of cases are mild, and almost half of those infected have recovered.
For detailed information on coronavirus prevention and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here.
