As the novel Coronavirus continues to spread, here are the latest updates you should know this weekend.
Kenya reports the first case of Coronavirus
Kenya has confirmed the first case of coronavirus. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Friday (13.03.20) said the virus was confirmed on a female student who travelled in from the US via London, reports Capital News.
Coronavirus labelled a pandemic
The Coronavirus outbreak has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on (11.03.20) the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold in two weeks. He said he was “deeply concerned” by “alarming levels of inaction”.
A pandemic is a disease that is spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time.
Arsenal Coach Mikel Arteta tests positive for Coronavirus
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has tested positive for Coronavirus and the club’s game against Brighton on Saturday (14.03.20) has been postponed.
The Gunners have closed their training ground and club staff who had recent contact with Arteta will now self-isolate.
According to BBC Sport, Arsenal expects a “significant number of people” will self-isolate, including the “full first-team squad”.
EPL suspended
The Premier League has officially suspended the season until April 3 following an outbreak of coronavirus at both Chelsea and Arsenal which has seen both first-team squads and nearly 100 members of staff placed in self-isolation.
Fixtures had been due to go ahead this weekend as usual in line with advice from the UK government, with fans still to be allowed into the stadium despite La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 all shutting down this week.
Canadian Prime Minister’s wife has Coronavirus
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for coronavirus, a statement from the prime minister’s office said on (13.03.20).
“She will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild,” it read.
The couple is now self-isolating. Mr Trudeau is in good health and has no symptoms, according to his office, but he will remain in isolation for 14 days.
Chelsea player Callum tests positive for Coronavirus, Chelsea on lockdown
Chelsea’s full squad have gone into self-isolation after winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for Coronavirus, the club said in a statement in the early hours of Friday morning (13.03.20).
Hudson-Odoi displayed cold symptoms on Monday morning and has stayed away from the club since then. His test result was returned on Thursday night making him the first Premier League player known to have contracted the virus.
Australian Grand-Prix cancelled
Formula 1, the FIA and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation have jointly cancelled Sunday’s (15.03.20) season-opening race in Australia just hours before the first practice session was due to begin.
Drivers and teams had already begun to arrive at the circuit when the cancellation of the race was confirmed.
The race had been in doubt following McLaren’s withdrawal from the weekend in light of a team member testing positive for the Coronavirus.
It is the second F1 round to be struck from the calendar due to the virus, which led April’s Chinese Grand Prix to be called off last month as reported by The Sauce.
MLS postponed
Major League Soccer has suspended all games, effective immediately, for 30 days, the league announced Thursday (12.03.20) as it continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 alias Coronavirus.
The MLS announcement comes in the wake of the NBA suspending its season on Wednesday night (11.03.20). Prior to the suspension of the MLS season, two MLS matches scheduled for March 21st 2020 had already been postponed in Seattle and San Jose as measures are taken to contain COVID-19, which to date has seen over 1,000 confirmed cases in the U.S.
Future of Euro 2020 uncertain
Uefa has called an emergency meeting for Tuesday (17.03.20) in which the possibility of postponing Euro 2020 by one year is an option being discussed.
European football’s governing body will hold video conference meetings to discuss its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Those discussions will cover all domestic and European competitions, including Euro 2020. Euro 2020 is due to take place from 12 June-12 July at venues across Europe.
Disney closed
Disney is closing Walt Disney World, its flagship theme park resort in Orlando, Florida, because of the global pandemic.
The company also announced the closure of Disneyland Paris and the suspension of all new departures with the Disney Cruise Line. Earlier on Thursday, (12.03.20) the company said it was closing it’s iconic Disneyland resort in Anaheim, California.
The virus, which has spread worldwide, has now shuttered the gates of all eleven Disney theme parks across North America, Europe and Asia.
Fast and Furious 9 premiere delayed
The release of the new Fast and Furious film has been pushed back by almost a year as the impact of the coronavirus outbreak hits Hollywood.
F9 was due out in May, but will now not reach cinemas until April 2021. The announcement comes days after the show’s top star Vin Diesel affirmed that they would not be postponing the premiere, The Sauce reported.
It follows delays to other films including James Bond’s No Time To Die, A Quiet Place II and Peter Rabbit 2.
Dogs cannot contract Coronavirus
Good news pet owners, there’s no evidence that companion animals such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new Coronavirus as of now, according to the World Health Organization.
WHO advises washing your hands with soap and water after contact with pets. It’s the pet owners, rather than pets, that have a higher risk of spreading the virus.
Wendy Williams show production cancelled indefinitely
After filming without an audience this week as reported by The Sauce, “The Wendy Williams Show” is taking its coronavirus precautions further by shutting down production indefinitely.
“To Our Dedicated Wendy Show Staff,” a statement released to the team began, “the safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Considering the current escalation of the Coronavirus, production will be put on hold, indefinitely. However, the office will remain open for you to pick up any materials or personal items.
Other daytime staples such as ABC’s “The View”, “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” “The Talk” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” are also taping without studio audiences because of the coronavirus outbreak.
ABC has also confirmed medical drama ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ will suspend production at least the next two weeks.
Nigerian singer Davido cancels US tour
Award-winning Afropop singer, David Adeleke also known as Davido has postponed his ongoing ‘A Good Time’ North American Tour due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.
The Risky crooner made this known on his social media platforms a few hours after performing at Denver, Colorado, US, citing health and safety of his fans and staff as reasons.
Countries issue travel advisories, flights cancelled
US President Donald Trump has cancelled travel from 26 European countries to the US for the next 30 days, beginning Friday at midnight.
Kenya Airways on Thursday suspended flights on its Rome-Geneva route in response to developments following the coronavirus outbreak. In a statement, the national carrier said the suspension was effective March 13 to April 30.
Uganda has restricted visitors from some countries with what it terms high cases of coronavirus, including China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Spain, United States, the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Malaysia. In the new statement, travellers from these countries are urged to consider “postponing non-essential travel to Uganda.”
Uganda also postponed the 2020 United Nations G77 and China Summit scheduled for mid-April in the capital of Kampala.
More Updates:
AMC Theatres announced on Friday that they are proactively reducing the maximum capacity of each of its theatres by at least 50%, according to a press release.
Disney will pause production on some of its live-action films, according to a Disney studio spokesperson. These include Home Alone and The Little Mermaid.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris will be closed starting 9 p.m. local time Friday, according to a statement on its website.
The London Marathon, originally scheduled to run on April 26, has been postponed to Oct. 4.
Sportswear giant Nike announced on Friday that they are encouraging US-based employees to work from home through March “if their jobs allow,” according to a statement.
The Louvre museum in Paris will be closed starting this evening “until further notice,” the museum tweeted Friday.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh just announced that the Boston Marathon will be postponed. The new date for the marathon is September 14.
The USA and Spain declare a state of emergency.
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 125,000 people and killed over 4,600 globally, according to the World Health Organization.
