U-S Bans Travel From Europe For 30-Days

➤TRUMP SUSPENDS TRAVEL FROM EUROPE AS CORONAVIRUS DECLARED A PANDEMIC: The World Health Organization finally took the step of calling the coronavirus a pandemic on Wednesday (March 11th), hours before President Trump announced in an Oval Office address that he would suspend travel to the U.S. from Europe for 30 days, charging it hadn't acted fast enough to restrict travel from China and that U.S. clusters of the virus were, quote, "seeded" by travelers from Europe. The U.K. is excluded from the ban on 26 European nations, which also won't apply to Americans who've been screened.

Trump also said he was directing agencies to provide unspecified financial relief for workers who are ill, quarantined or caring for others because of the virus, that the U.S. will defer tax payments for some people and business filers, and that the Small Business Administration will make low-interest loans available to business being hurt by the outbreak. However, Trump didn't address the big backlog in testing, which is harming efforts to find out how many Americans are infected and where they are, or the issue of hospitals being able to handle the number of patients who'll need care.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified before a House committee about the virus, warning that things will get worse and that how much worse will depend on actions that are taken to try to stop the spread of the virus. In pointing to comparisons some have made to the seasonal flu, Fauci said the coronavirus is "10 times more lethal."

In other developments:

• The State Department issued a global health advisory cautioning U.S. citizens to "reconsider travel abroad." 
• Public schools in Seattle will close for at least two weeks starting today. The move was made as Washington Governor Jay Inslee banned gatherings of more than 250 people in three counties, including Seattle's King County, which has been the hardest hit by the outbreak.
• A member of Washington Senator Maria Cantwell's staff who works in his D.C. office has tested positive for coronavirus, the first confirmed case on Capitol Hill. 
• Trump has canceled a three-day trip that was to start today in which he was supposed to attend fundraisers in Nevada and Colorado and give a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas. west, the White House announced Wednesday night. A March 19th Catholics for Trump event in Milwaukee has also been postponed.
• New York City is postponing its St. Patrick’s Day Parade, calling it off for the first time in its 258-year history. Chicago, Boston and Dublin, Ireland, have also canceled their St. Patrick's Day parades.
• In Italy, which is already on lockdown, an order was issued that all stores be closed except grocery stores and pharmacies.

➤NBA SUSPENDS SEASON AFTER JAZZ PLAYER GOBERT TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS: The NBA suspended its season Wednesday night (March 11th) after a Utah Jazz player, reportedly Rudy Gobert, tested positive for the coronavirus, saying games won't be played "until further notice." The league said in statement, "The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic." Utah's game at Oklahoma City against the Thunder was canceled after the positive test result came in shortly before start time, with fans at the arena told the game had been postponed. The game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings was also postponed because one of the assigned referees had worked a Utah game Monday. The four other scheduled games for the night were played, with the suspension taking effect after they were over.

➤MARCH MADNESS TO BE PLAYED WITHOUT FANS: The NCAA announced yesterday (March 11th) that the men's and women's basketball tournaments will go forward, but they will be played without fans because of the coronavirus. Only essential staff and a limited number of family members will be able to attend. The major college conferences then followed the NCAA's lead, announcing their league tournaments would take place with restricted fan access.

➤Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have both tested positive for the coronavirus. According to TMZ, the couple is currently in Australia shooting an Elvis Presley movie. The actor's rep said that Tom and Rita felt like they had a cold and then felt extra tired and had body aches. They got tested for the virus and it came back positive.

View this post on Instagram

Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive. Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves! Hanx!

A post shared by Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) on Mar 11, 2020 at 6:08pm PDT

Hanks took to Instagram to inform fans and said that he and Rita plan to follow protocol put in place by medical officials. He also revealed that he rest of his family will be tested for the virus and that he will be observed and isolated for as long as required.  Tom and Rita are not the only celebrities who tested positive for the coronavirus.

➤MLB officials were deliberating Wednesday where to relocate those seven games (four vs. Texas and three vs. Minnesota). The most likely scenarios are to move the series to Texas and Minnesota or to play at the Mariners’ spring training facility in Arizona. In addition, the March 24 exhibition game between the A’s and Giants will not be contested at San Francisco’s Oracle Park.

Washington state and California are two of the areas that have had the most confirmed cases of coronavirus. But the problem with moving any series is assuming that the new location will still be viable on March 26, when the regular season is to begin. It was announced Wednesday, for example, that the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament will be contested without crowds. And those tournaments have games all over the country

➤ACM AWARDS: the Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions plan to move forward with the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards show, which is set for April 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“We are closely monitoring the situation along with the MGM team, who are in continuous contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District, and other agencies and experts for guidance. We will take every precaution to ensure the safety of our artists, staff, crew, guests and attendees,” the organization said via a statement.

➤CMA FEST: Organizers of CMA Fest, one of the largest country music festivals in North America and a marquee summer event in downtown Nashville, said the event plans to "proceed as scheduled" despite mounting concerns regarding the novel coronavirus.  CMA Fest runs June 4-7 in downtown Nashville, with most acts performing for free in clubs or on outdoor stages. Ticketed events to see top country music entertainers take place at Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater.