March 13 coronavirus news

The English Premier League has been suspended until at least April 4, subject to medical advice and conditions at that time.

The decision was made after shareholders met on Friday and unanimously decided to suspend the professional game in England, the EPL said in a statement.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said that the league wished Arsenal's head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea player Callum Hudson-Odoi "speedy recoveries," after they both tested positive for coronavirus.

The aim is to reschedule fixtures when it is safe to do so and further updates will be provided when appropriate, the statement said.

Before there were any cases of novel coronavirus confirmed in South Korea, one of the country's biotech firms had begun preparing to make testing kits to identify the disease.

On January 16, Chun Jong-yoon, the chief executive and founder of molecular biotech company Seegene, told his team it was time to start focusing on coronavirus.

That was before the virus sweeping China had been named Covid-19 and four days ahead of South Korea confirming its first case.

"Even if nobody is asking us to, we are a molecular diagnosis company. We have to prepare in advance," he remembered thinking at the time.

Fast forward two months, and South Korea is among the world's worst affected countries, with nearly 8,000 people infected, according to the World Health Organization.

But one reason why South Korea might have a higher number of infections than other countries is its aggressive approach to testing.

While some nations have struggled to get enough test kits to diagnose suspected patients, South Korea has provided free and easy access to testing for anyone who a doctor deems needs it. To date, the country has tested more than 230,000 people.

Part of the reason it was able to do that is the availability of test kits developed by companies like Seegene.

Read the full story of how Seegene created its test kits here.

Kenya has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, prompting its health secretary to warn that being black is no protection against COVID-19.

Secretary of Health Mutahi Kagwe rejected rumors that “those with black skin cannot get coronavirus” at a news conference, adding that the patient was African.

The government said the patient was a 27-year-old woman who traveled from the United States through London on March 5. The case was identified on March 12 and the government said it had traced all those who had come into contact with her.

Kagwe told reporters the patient is “stable, her temperature has gone down to normal, she’s been eating -- but she can’t be released until the test comes back as negative.”

The government said in a statement that it was strengthening “measures to ensure no further transmission of the disease" in Kenya.

Kenya’s Secretary for Tourism, Najib Balala, said the country’s economy would be “hit badly,” and that the tourism sector would be the most affected.

Balala said the government has allocated 500 million Kenyan shillings ($4.8 million) for “PR and marketing post-coronavirus.”

Kazakhstan has confirmed the country's first two cases of the novel coronavirus as two citizens who had been in Germany.

"Unfortunately, we should inform that two nationals of Kazakhstan have tested positive for the coronavirus. They both arrived from Germany," said Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov on Friday, according to state news agency Kazinform.

Birtanov added: "Both of them were hospitalized. Neither of them has clinical symptoms, they feel well."

Earlier on Friday, Kazakhstan's Civil Aviation Committee announced it had suspended international flights to countries including the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey and the UK.

Iran has rejected an apparent offer by US President Donald Trump to help the nation in the fight against coronavirus, calling it “hypocritical” and “repulsive” and accusing the US of “economic and medical terrorism.” 

“We do not need American doctors,” Mousavi said on Friday, adding that Iran has “the best, bravest and most component medical staff in the world.”

During a meeting with Ireland’s Prime Minister at the White House on Thursday, Trump said the US was offering “assistance” to Iran. 

“We have the greatest doctors in the world, we offer Iran assistance,” Trump said. 

There are 10,075 confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran and 429 deaths, according to the latest Health Ministry numbers. 

English Premier League side Everton confirmed on Friday that their entire first-team squad has been placed into self-isolation following medical advice after a first-team player reported symptoms consistent with coronavirus.

The football club said it was in regular contact with the player in question and is monitoring the wellbeing of all players and staff and had closed down all of its workplaces, including its Goodison Park stadium and USM Finch Farm training ground.

Everton joins Premier League sides Arsenal, Leicester City, Chelsea and Manchester City in having players tested or in quarantine. 

Premier League side Watford confirmed on Friday that one player is awaiting test results on his symptoms.

With the exception of Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Arsenal, which has already been postponed, all games in the English Premier League this weekend are currently due to go ahead as planned.

A London Underground driver has tested positive for coronavirus, Transport for London has confirmed.

"Their duties mean they were not working in a customer facing area. The safety of our staff and customers is our top priority and we are taking all necessary precautions. 

"The areas where the driver worked are being cleaned, including the depot and the trains, in line with guidance from Public Health England with whom we are working closely.”

This is the second confirmed case among TFL workers, after an office worker tested positive on Monday.

There are now at least 1,666 novel coronavirus cases in the United States, according to the state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are 70 cases of repatriated citizens who have the coronavirus, according to the CDC.

CNN Health’s tally of US cases that have been detected and tested in the United States through US public health systems shows there are 1,596 cases in 47 states and the District of Columbia, bringing the total number of cases to 1,666. 

In total, 41 people have died. 

This includes presumptive positive cases that tested positive in a public health lab and are pending confirmation from the CDC, and cases confirmed by the CDC.

Singapore will cease port calls for all cruise vessels, effective immediately, according to the country's Maritime and Port Authority.

In a news release today, the Maritime and Port Authority said that the new measure barring cruise ships was implemented to minimize the risk of community spread of the coronavirus. 

Singapore has 187 confirmed cases of the virus, according to the World Health Organization.

The measure comes after several cruise ships, most famously the Diamond Princess, were docked under quarantine with infected cases found on board.

Just this week, the Grand Princess cruise ship docked off the California coast had cases confirmed aboard and all passengers were sent to government quarantine centers.