Spanish government expected to introduce restrictions on "people's movements"
From CNN’s Laura Perez-Maestro in Madrid
The Spanish government is expected to introduce new restrictions as part of its efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, including “limitations on people’s movements,” a government source told CNN today.
While the Spanish government has yet to confirm the official details of its action plan, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to give a press conference this afternoon to further outline the government’s official response to COVID-19, following a meeting of cabinet ministers.
Some context: Spain has become the latest epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, having the most infections following Italy.
To date, there have been 133 deaths related to COVID-19 in Spain and 5,232 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The surge in confirmed cases across Spain has led to the declaration of a 15-day state of emergency, Sanchez said Thursday.
11:54 a.m. ET, March 14, 2020
New York looking to open another drive-through coronavirus testing facility
From CNN’s Linh Tran in New Rochelle
New York state is looking to open up another drive-through coronavirus testing facility, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press call this morning.
“We’re looking at Jones Beach on Long Island as a possible site. We need a large, open area. Jones Beach has large open parking lots that are available. So we’re looking at Jones Beach literally this morning as a possible location for the next drive-through,” Cuomo said.
On Friday, roughly 150 vehicles went through the New Rochelle drive-through facility in what Cuomo described as the first public drive-through coronavirus testing facility on the east coast
“The way the drive-in works is a person calls first and discusses their situation to fit our protocol, and they then get an appointment and they have a time to show up,” the governor said.
“We had set 15 minutes per car. The actual performance was a car was being done in less than 15 minutes, which was good news. It means we can process more people faster than we had originally anticipated," Cuomo added.
12:10 p.m. ET, March 14, 2020
A physician with White House just took the temperatures of everyone in the press area
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
A member of the White House physician’s office, along with a press aide, made the rounds of the press area this morning to take everyone’s temperatures.
Soon: White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham announced that Vice President Mike Pence would hold a 12 p.m. ET news conference with members of the Coronavirus Task Force from the White House.
Grisham said President Trump is leading this morning's task force meeting. It is unclear if Trump will be at the conference.
11:48 a.m. ET, March 14, 2020
Switzerland bans public gatherings of more than 100 people to curb coronavirus spread
From Nadine Schmidt in Berlin
The Swiss government announced its response to the coronavirus pandemic and has called for the closure of schools across the country until April 4 and the ban of public gathering of more than 100 people, according to a press conference Friday.
During the televised event, the government also said the border with Italy would remain open but further restrictions would apply.
To help support local businesses, the government also announced it has offered the equivalent of $10 billion in aid to support the economy.
Some context: As of Saturday, there are 1,189 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths, according to the recent figures released by the Federal Office of Public Health on Saturday.
11:57 a.m. ET, March 14, 2020
Several medical sources disagree with White House decision to not test Trump for coronavirus
From CNN's Jamie Gangel
Two doctors who have knowledge of the White House medical office and normal procedure disagree with the decision by the current White House doctor to not test President Trump for the coronavirus
“While we would recommend that a patient who has been in direct contact with multiple people infected with COVID-19 self-quarantine, since the President of the United States has singular responsibilities, he should be tested so as to avoid having to isolate for 14 days," said renowned George Washington hospital cardiologist and professor Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who worked at the hospital that treated former Vice President Dick Cheney and has worked with and advised the White House medical team for many years.
A second doctor with knowledge of how the White House medical team works also believes Trump should be tested.
“It is truly unbelievable the spin that is used. This is political,” this doctor said.
This source characterized the White House decision as “spin, irresponsible, and an attempt to mitigate the political fall out from the lack of testing.”
11:39 a.m. ET, March 14, 2020
Texas governor waives trucking regulations to help keep supplies stocked
From CNN's Melissa Alonso
Texas is waiving some state trucking regulations in an effort to keep grocery stores stocked, according to a news release from Gov. Greg Abbott.
Following Friday's state of disaster declaration, Abbott issued waivers to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles allowing oversized commercial vehicles on roads and suspending several other "DMV safety limitations," the release said.
"As the state of Texas works to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus, we are taking precautionary measures to ensure that Texans have access to the goods and supplies they need," Abbott said.
Abbott added: "Suspending these state trucking regulations will improve our ability to deliver the necessary supplies throughout the state so that grocers and retailers are able to continually stock their shelves. I want to remind Texans that stockpiling resources is neither necessary nor productive."
11:16 a.m. ET, March 14, 2020
Grocery chain Harris Teeter to close early every night to clean and replenish stock
From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian
Harris Teeter, a large supermarket chain serving the southeast, will close its stores at 9 p.m. ET each night in order to focus on cleaning and replenishing its stock starting Sunday night, according to the supermarket chain.
About the business: Harris Teeter operates over 230 stores and 14 fuel centers in seven states and Washington, DC, according to its website.
The supermarket chain is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina, and employs roughly 30,000 people.
11:05 a.m. ET, March 14, 2020
Pence to hold coronavirus news conference this afternoon
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham has announced that Vice President Mike Pence will hold a 12 p.m. ET news conference with members of the Coronavirus Task Force from the White House.
Grisham said President Trump is leading this morning's task force meeting. It is unclear if Trump will be at the conference.