Coronavirus: 11 victims in the US, emergency in California

The number of victims caused by the new coronavirus in the United States rises to 11, where the first death was also recorded in California: it is a 71 year old, who already suffered from respiratory problems, and who would have fallen ill on a cruise on the Grand Princess ship , currently stuck off the Californian coast after several passengers and crew members showed symptoms of possible contagion. Overall, 159 cases of Sars-CoV-2 have been confirmed in the US. Most are concentrated between California, Washington State (where the other 10 victims came from) and New York State. The first two, together with Florida, have declared a state of emergency (THE UPDATES – THE SPECIAL – QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – THE DECREE OF COUNT).

Cruise ship stranded in California

The Grand Cruises ship of the Princess Cruises company, arriving from Hawaii, was supposed to return to the port of San Francisco, but was temporarily denied entry after 11 passengers and 10 crew members reported potential coronavirus symptoms, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom said. At the moment tests are underway on people suspected of having contracted him. Overall, thousands of passengers are on board. The 71-year-old Californian who died from Sars-CoV2 had traveled aboard the same ship during the previous cruise to Mexico. About 62 passengers left on the ship after that same voyage were confined to their cabins for testing.

Pence: “Low risk if you are healthy”

US Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House task force tasked with handling the situation, has reassured his compatriots: “The risk in America of contracting the coronavirus remains low if you are in good health.” Pence also explained that there is no need to rush to purchase the masks for now: “Common sense practices are enough,” he said, recalling the security measures implemented at the embarkations of foreign airports located in risk areas ( THE MAP OF THE CONTAGIO).

$ 8.3 billion package approved

Meanwhile, the US House of Congress has approved a $ 8.3 billion package of measures to deal with the emergency. The measure exceeds the $ 2.5 billion request made by the White House. The document must now pass through the Senate before being signed by President Donald Trump, but the process is shaping up to be swift as both Democrats and Republicans are in favor of the measures.

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Last modification date 05 March 2020 at 13:38

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