TSA officer based in Orlando tests positive for coronavirus
From CNN's Greg Wallace
An officer from the Transportation Security Administration based at the Orlando airport tested positive for coronavirus, according to the agency.
“TSA confirms that one Transportation Security Officer who works at Orlando International Airport has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The officer is receiving medical care and all TSA employees they have come in contact with over the past 14 days are self-isolated at home," the TSA said in a statement. "Screening checkpoints remain open and the agency is working with the CDC, as well as the Orange County Public Health Department to monitor the situation as well as the health and safety of our employees and the traveling public. We will update as more information becomes available.”
According to the TSA, the officer last worked on March 10.
This is the sixth TSA officer to test positive — four are based at San Jose, one is based in Fort Lauderdale and the one from Orlando.
11:04 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Illinois governor shares his displeasure over long airport lines
From CNN's Amanda Watts
Gov. JB Pritzker speaks in 2019. Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Getty Images
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been critical of the long lines at airports, specifically at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, as Americans rush home amid recent travel restrictions due to the coronavirus.
Pritzker tweeted, “to the frustrated people trying to get home, I have spoken with the mayor and our Senators and we are working together to get the federal government to act to solve this. We will do everything within our power to get relief.”
Pritzker was on NBC’s "Meet the Press" this morning where he discussed the travel restrictions discussed Saturday by Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence announced that travel from the United Kingdom and Ireland will be suspended starting Monday night.
This is in addition to the previous US ban applying to the 26 countries in the Schengen Area free movement zone: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
“We knew when the President gave the orders that European travel back to the United States was going to be cut off, that there would be an influx of people, Americans and others, that would come before the final cutoff. So what should have happened? They should have increased the Customs and Border Patrol numbers. And they should have increased the number of CDC personnel on the ground doing those checks. They did neither of those," Pritzker said.
Pritzker added: “So last night, as people were flooding into O’Hare airport, they were stuck in a small area. Hundreds and hundreds of people. And that's exactly what you don't want in this pandemic. So we had that problem. And then today, it's going to be even worse. There are a larger number of flights with more people coming. And they seem completely unprepared."
To help relieve the situation today, the governor said he has been talking to Customs and Border Patrol officials directly on the ground at O’Hare.
10:55 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Morocco to suspend international flights
From CNN's Schams Elwazer
Moroccan health workers scan passengers arriving from Italy at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport on March 3. Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images
Morocco has decided to suspend all international flights to and from its territory “until further notice” as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.
This announcement comes a day after the north African country said it was suspending all flights to and from Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium.
10:43 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Louisiana reports second coronavirus-related death
From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian
The state of Louisiana has confirmed its second death related to coronavirus, according to a statement released by Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The individual who died was a 53-year-old resident of Orleans Parish who was being treated at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans.
“As the number of positive cases continues to rise, we need every person to take the necessary actions to help reduce the spread of this virus,” Edwards said.
10:37 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Singapore announces further travel restrictions
From CNN's Chandler Thornton
Passengers' temperatures are checked as travelers pass through Changi Airport in Singapore on March 11. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Singapore's Ministry of Health announced they will implement stricter border measures for people traveling into the country, including imposing a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine for new visitors traveling from a bloc of East Asian countries, as well as Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Beginning Monday, people "entering Singapore with recent travel history to ASEAN countries, Japan, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom within the last 14 days will be issued with a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN)," according to a press release from the Health Ministry on Sunday.
ASEAN is the Association of South East Asian Nations made up of 10 member nations from that region.
Travelers will also have to provide proof of where they stayed during the 14 days and may also be swabbed for coronavirus testing, "even if asymptomatic," the press release read.
The Ministry also announced any short-term visitors "who are nationals of any ASEAN country will have to submit requisite information on their health to the Singapore Overseas Mission in the country they are resident before their intended date of travel."
Finally, the Ministry asked all Singaporeans to "defer all non-essential travel abroad."
Some context: These additional restrictions follow previous ones by the Singapore government including that starting March 15, all new visitors with recent travel history to France, Germany, Italy and Spain within the last 14 days would not be allowed entry or transit thru Singapore.
10:20 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
US treasury secretary downplays recession possibility
From CNN's Sarah Westwood
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks on March 14. Alex Brandon/AP
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin downplayed the likelihood of an economic recession as American economy takes a beating from coronavirus, saying “I don’t think so” when asked about the prospect.
“This is a unique situation,” he told ABC’s “This Week" this morning. “Later in the year, obviously, the economic activity will pick up as we confront this virus.”
In the interview, Mnuchin also defended President Trump’s Oval Office address this week despite its numerous inaccuracies.
“The President was very clear — he wanted to address a very important point, which was he made the move to shut down travel so that we shut down more cases coming in,” Mnuchin said.
Pressed on Trump’s misleading presentation of restrictions on travel from Europe, Mnuchin said, “I don’t think in an Oval Office address you can address every issue.”
10:17 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Hungary reports first coronavirus death
From Samantha Tapfumaneyi in London
A 75-year-old man has become Hungary’s first coronavirus death, government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said Sunday on Twitter.
“First Hungarian fatality from the #coronavirus. The victim was a 75 year-old male who was transported to the Dél-Pesti Central Hospital showing symptoms of the virus and pneumonia. He passed away shortly after arrival. May he RIP,” the tweet said.
10:12 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Hong Kong urges citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Ireland, the US and UK
From CNN's Chandler Thornton
Passengers walk through the Hong Kong International Airport on March 10. Lui Siu Wai/Xinhua via Getty Images
Hong Kong has issued a "Red Outbound Travel Alert" on Ireland, United Kingdom and United States, urging its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to these countries in response to the new cases of the novel coronavirus.
"The Red OTA urges members of the public planning to travel to the aforementioned countries to adjust travel plans and avoid non-essential travel," according to a statement from Hong Kong's government on Sunday.
The government statement also advised people to delay any non-essential travel in general outside of Hong Kong.
10:00 a.m. ET, March 15, 2020
Ohio governor thinks it's possible schools could be closed for the rest of the academic year
From CNN's Amanda Watts
An empty classroom at Orange High School in Pepper Pike, Ohio, on March 12. Tony Dejak/AP
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine thinks it’s possible schools may be closed for the rest of the academic year, according to an interview he gave this morning on "State of the Union."
"Absolutely. Look, the projections — and again, this is all projections, I'm just going by what medical experts are telling us. You know, this may not peak until the latter part of April or May. So we've informed the superintendents, while we've closed schools for three weeks, that the odds are this is going to go on a lot longer and it would not surprise me at all if schools did not open again this year," DeWine said.
