March 15 coronavirus news

A German company working to develop a coronavirus vaccine is denying a report in a German newspaper that President Trump is trying to lure German scientists working on an experimental coronavirus vaccine to the US.

German company CureVac, working to develop mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine, did not deny being in touch with Trump or the US government, but did reject rumors of an acquisition in a statement issued on Sunday. 

The story first emerged earlier Sunday when German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag reported that Trump was trying to lure CureVac with "large sums," also saying Trump was working to acquire the vaccine but “only for the US”, citing anonymous German federal government sources.  

The report reads: ''The US president is allegedly offering the company a large sum of money to secure their work exclusively. Trump would do anything to get a vaccine for the US. ‘But only for the United States,’ according to the federal government.''

Germany’s Health Ministry responding to a CNN question about the German newspaper report said: "The federal government is very interested in the fact that vaccines and active substances against the novel corona virus are also being developed in Germany and Europe. In this regard, the federal government is in intensive exchange with the company CureVac."

Germany will initiate border controls at borders with France, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced at a Sunday press conference.

Border crossings will be restricted except for cross-border work commuters and cargo transports, Seehofer said.

Kenya's government announced new travel restrictions Sunday after confirming two more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's total cases to three.

The government is denying anyone traveling to Kenya "from any country with reported coronavirus cases," according to a press release from Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta's office. 

These new measures will take effect in the next two days and will remain in place for the next 30 days, according to the press release. 

The government is also shutting down all of Kenya's schools beginning Monday and encouraging most employees to work from home. The president also advised citizens to avoid crowds and gatherings.  

Kenya is also advising for citizens to use "cashless transactions," to reduce risk of transmission of the coronavirus.

Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who played a major role in the impeachment proceedings, has tested positive for the coronavirus and is recovering, according to a tweet he sent. 

Goldman was counsel to the Intelligence Committee and a fixture on television during President Trump’s impeachment hearings.

Read Goldman's tweet:

Many pundits and politicians have been asking why the US military isn't doing more to help combat the spread of the coronavirus in the US.

On Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on President Trump to mobilize the military to help deal with the outbreak. This follows after former Vice President Joe Biden said the Department of Defense should be planning to deploy. 

Defense officials say their first priority is maintaining the health, welfare and "readiness" of the 1.36 million members of the active duty military, as well as the 800,000 members of the National Guard and Reservists in addition to some 730,000 civilian employees in the Department of Defense.

And while some National Guard units have been involved in helping with logistics and planning at the state level, the US military's capacity to provide medical support is limited.

By the numbers: There are 51 military hospitals compared to some 6,000 civilian hospitals nationwide, according to one US defense official, meaning the US military has only about 1% of the nation's hospital capacity. 

Military hospitals admit some 200,000 patients annually as compared to civilian hospitals which admit about 36 million. 

Acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan issued a statement saying the “wait times experienced yesterday at some locations were unacceptable.”

Morgan said CBP continually adjusts resources “in real times as needed and we will continue to do so."

Ryanair and Easyjet, two low-cost airlines, will cancel or reduce flights to and from Spain as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread.

British low-cost airline Easyjet will suspend all flights to Spain from March 17 onwards, the company tweeted.

"We’re flying a full Spanish schedule on 15th & 16th March to help get people home but unfortunately will need to cancel flights from 17th onwards", the tweet said.

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair will not suspend, but rather reduce flights to and from Spain starting Monday, according to a statement tweeted by the company.

“In response to the decision of the Spanish government to “lock down” the entire country to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Ryanair Group Airlines (including Buzz and Lauda) has been forced to severely reduce flights to/from Spain, the Balearic Island and Canary Island from 24:00 Sun 15 Mar until 24:00 Thurs 19 March," the statement said. 

Some context: Both announcements come after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared a 15-day state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic.

Chef José Andrés is closing all of his restaurants around Washington, DC, but says some will open as, “Community Kitchens to offer to-go lunches for those who need a meal,” according to a series of tweets he sent today.

Andrés went on to say those kitchens will expand across the country in the coming days and weeks.

Andrés is known for opening kitchens in times of disaster, like when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017.

Read some of Andrés' tweets:

The Academy of Country Music Awards scheduled for April 5 in Las Vegas has been postponed, according to a news release from the organization.

The awards show, originally scheduled to air on CBS, will now happen in September.

An exact date has yet to be determined. Health and safety concerns given the current coronavirus outbreak were cited as the reason for postponing the event.