Coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern announces ‘toughest border restrictions’ in the world
Jacinda Ardern’s tough border restrictions start midnight tonight. New Zealand holiday goers are rushing to catch flights home before then.
New Zealand tourists are rushing to catch flights home in a bid to beat tough new travel restrictions.
Itt comes as New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that every person who enters the country will now be required to enter self-isolation for 14 days, as of midnight tonight.
Now New Zealand holiday goers are desperately trying to get back home to avoid the two week isolation period.
“I make no apologies,” Ardern said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
“As of midnight Sunday, every person entering New Zealand, including returning New Zealand citizens and residents, will be required to enter self-isolation for 14 days. Everybody,” Ms Ardern said at a press conference on Saturday.
“New Zealand will have the widest-ranging and toughest border restrictions of anyone in the world.”
Ms Ardern’s announcement came after Europe was declared the “epicentre” of the global coronavirus pandemic by the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“More cases are now being reported (in Europe) every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The continent now had “more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China”.
More than 150,000 cases of the virus have been reported in at least 141 countries since it emerged in December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and has claimed more than 5,700 lives, “a tragic milestone”, the WHO said.
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Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives.
“Not testing alone, not contact tracing alone, not quarantine alone, not social distancing alone, do it all,” he said.
“Any country that looks at the experience of other countries with large epidemics and thinks ‘that won’t happen to us’ is making a deadly mistake, it can happen to any country.
“Do not just let this fire burn.”
In Italy, the number of infections has soared by more than 2500 in 24 hours, while virus-related deaths made the largest single-day jump of 250.
It took the total number of cases in the country to 17,660, and the number of related deaths to 1266.
There are fears Spain could emerge as the “next Italy”, after the country reported a 50 per cent jump in fatalities and a massive surge in coronavirus cases overnight.
And in America, President Donald Trump has extended travel bans in response to the pandemic, following claims from China that “patient zero” could’ve been a US soldier.
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from around the world.
NEW ZEALAND
Every person who enters New Zealand will now be required to enter self-isolation for 14 days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.
“As of midnight Sunday, every person entering New Zealand, including returning New Zealand citizens and residents, will be required to enter self-isolation for 14 days. Everybody,” Ms Ardern said at a press conference on Saturday.
“The Pacific are exempted from this measure. They are the only ones. Anyone from this country, though, will be required to automatically self-isolate should they exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival in New Zealand. All of these restrictions will be reviewed in 16 days’ time.”
She also said that all cruise ships, as of midnight Saturday, would not be allowed to come to New Zealand until at least June 30.
Ms Ardern’s announcement came after the government had its sixth confirmed cases of coronavirus.
A man, who arrived from the US on March 6, became unwell earlier this week and is now at home recovering, Waitemata DHB chief executive Dr Dale Bramley said.
The news came after a national remembrance service to mark one year since the Christchurch mosques attack was cancelled due to virus fears.
Thousands of people were expected to attend the Sunday service in Christchurch to mark the anniversary of the March 15 shooting, which claimed the lives of 51 people.
“This is a pragmatic decision,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.
“We’re very saddened to cancel, but in remembering such a terrible tragedy, we shouldn’t create the risk of further harm being done.
“The advice we received for this event, is that based on people travelling from different parts of the country and from overseas, if there was a case it could be difficult to trace those who had come into contact with that person, so we are taking a cautious approach.”
Dr Bramley said that the sixth case of the virus continues a trend of having contracted the virus from overseas, and there was no known community spread.
UNITED STATES
In a press conference at the White House, US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the coronavirus.
He announced he would sign a measure under the Stafford Act that would unlock up to US$50 billion in disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help federal and state governments fight the outbreak.
“To unleash the full power of the federal government, I am officially declaring a national emergency,” Mr Trump said.
“Two very big words.”
As of Saturday, the virus has spread to all but one of the nation’s states, infecting more than 1200 people.
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The President also announced he will be tested for the virus, after standing shoulder-to-shoulder with an infected person.
While he had not shown any symptoms of the virus, he said he would “most likely” undergo tests – but didn’t put a time frame on it, except to say he would do it “fairly soon”.
Mr Trump urged states to set up emergency operation centres immediately, but said he did not believe all Americans should rush to be tested for the virus.
“We don’t want people to take a test if we feel that they shouldn’t be doing it,” he said.
“And we don’t want everybody running out and taking – only if you have certain symptoms.”
The declaration came after news that his daughter Ivanka wouldn’t self-quarantine, despite a meeting with Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton days before he tested positive for coronavirus.
The White House released a statement saying that she was showing no signs of the virus and, “in accordance with CDC guidance, Ivanka is exhibiting no symptoms and does not need to self-quarantine. She worked from home today out of an abundance of caution until guidance was given.”
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The pandemic has already forced the cancellation of most major sporting events, more landmarks shuttered, schools closed to millions of students, and the curtains drawn on Broadway shows across the US. A ban on travel from Europe – excluding the UK and Ireland – was also put in place earlier this week for the next 30 days.
But it hasn’t stopped the Dow from surging 1985 points – its biggest single-day gain ever – after Mr Trump unveiled the government’s $50 billion war chest to fight the deadly bug.
Founder of the Chinese tech giant Alibaba, Jack Ma, announced his foundation will donate 500,000 COVID-19 testing kits and one million masks to the US.
“Drawing from my country’s experience, speedy and accurate testing and adequate personal protective equipment for medical professionals are most effective in preventing the spread of the virus,” Mr Ma said in a statement on Twitter.
“At this moment, we can’t beat the virus unless we eliminate boundaries to resources and share our know-how and hard-earned lessons.”
‘Do you wanna know who has the coronavirus and who doesn’t?…Not just rich people’ — @RepKatiePorter got a CDC official to commit to free COVID-19 testing pic.twitter.com/rMWFtj9rAS
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 13, 2020
Free virus tests and paid emergency leave will be given to Americans under a coronavirus aid package deal brokered by feisty Democrat Katie Porter with the Trump administration.
Video of the House of Representatives hearing in which Porter hammered the country’s top health official into submission and agree to free testing for all US citizens has gone viral.
“Not just rich people … for everyone … regardless of insurance,” Porter insisted to Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield.
Australians might be stockpiling toilet paper, rice and pasta, but panicked coronavirus shoppers in the US are reportedly stocking up on guns and body armour.
According to a report from Buzzfeed News, stores across America selling ballistic body armour, tactical gear and firearms are seeing a huge increase in sales due to the worsening virus outbreak.
“I think with the way things have escalated quite quickly around the world and in the US in just the last couple of weeks, it’s very hard to tell what’s going to happen next, and I believe it is better to be safe than sorry,” owner of tactical gear store, Bulletproof Zone, Kevin Lim told the publication.
“That’s what our business is about, after all, keeping people safe.
“More customers are buying, and they range from those who are generally concerned to those who are seriously gearing up for ‘end of the world’ scenarios.”
President of Safe Life Defence, Nick Groat, said that people were “afraid the coronavirus will put the country into lockdown and they’ll have to defend themselves and their supplies. Having protection is always an excellent option”.
Most gun purchases were reportedly for “self-defence”, not hunting purposes.
CHINA
According to the WHO, the number of new virus cases in China has slowed to a trickle, with less than 100 cases reported overnight.
“China has certainly peaked and there is certainly a decline,” said head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove.
She did, however, warn that “there’s always a chance” that the numbers could rise again.
In the nation’s Hubei province, where the outbreak began, the epidemic has now passed after a steady decline in new cases. The country is now sending medical experts to Italy to help fight the disease there, and Beijing has ordered a quarantine on new arrivals.
A foreign ministry spokesman, Lijian Zhao, took aim at the US, slamming the country for blaming China for the disease’s spread.
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“We hope certain US officials could focus on domestic response & international co-operation instead of trying to shift the blame to China by denigrating Chinese efforts to fight the epidemic,” Mr Zhao tweeted. “This is immoral & irresponsible, & will not help mitigate COVID-19 in US.”
He also posted a link to an article claiming the virus originated in the US.
“When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!” he wrote.
UNITED KINGDOM
Sporting events, concerts and other “mass gatherings” will be cancelled in Britain from next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnston has announced.
The PM decided on the ban on major events just 24 hours after insisting he would not be following Scotland’s lead in outlawing crowds of more than 500 people.
As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases leapt from 590 to 798, events such as Wimbledon, Glastonbury Festival and the Royal Ascot could be axed.
Ministers will discuss closing schools for an extra week either side of the Easter holiday at a meeting on Monday.
Those with mild symptoms have been urged to refrain from phoning health services to ease pressure on the NHS, instead being told to stay home for seven days.
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SPAIN
There are fears Spain could emerge as the next Italy, after a massive surge in the country’s number of coronavirus cases overnight.
On Friday morning, Spain had more than 3,800 confirmed cases of the deadly COVID-19 virus and 84 people had died. But by the afternoon, those figures had risen to 4,209 cases and 120 dead.
It is now the fourth biggest outbreak outside China, behind Italy, Iran and South Korea.
In some areas of the country, cases doubled and even tripled over just 24 hours.
“This is a silent hurricane,” Madrid vice president Ignacio Aguado said.
“We can’t let more days go. We already know what’s going to happen tomorrow and the day after tomorrow because we have the examples of China or Italy and the contagion curve is mathematical,” he told Spanish public broadcaster, TVE.
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The city’s normally bustling streets have emptied, after the government closed museums and sports centres, sent home nearly 10 million students and asked people to work at home.
The mayor is also now considering closing bars and banning outdoor seating for cafes, with more than 60,000 people in four towns near Barcelona have been placed in mandatory lockdown.
In Igualada, where the number of cases almost tripled in 24 hours, people woke to police patrols and checkpoints on roads, stopping traffic from entering and leaving the confined area.
Party islands Ibiza and Majorca are closing all pubs and clubs in an Italy-style lockdown.
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Now the biggest question is whether the country’s largely public health system will be able to sustain the sharp increase in cases.
Public health expert Rafael Bengoa said on Thursday the country at least had the advantage of Italy’s experience and “more time” to prepare.
“There will be tensions in Spanish hospitals in the next two, three weeks, but we have had time to mitigate the demand coming in,” he said
More than 62 countries, including neighbouring Morocco, have restricted arrivals from Spain.
ITALY
New coronavirus cases have continued to soar in Italy, jumping by more than 2500 in 24 hours, while virus-related deaths made the largest single-day jump of 250.
The country has been declared the epicentre of the virus outbreak in Europe, but Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has told the BBC he hopes his country will be the first in the continent to get over the virus emergency.
“Italy was the first nation in Europe to be affected so badly,” Mr Di Maio said.
“But I hope it also means that Italy is the first one to leave the emergency behind.”
All shops have now been closed, except for pharmacies and those stocking food; companies have been ordered to shut non-essential departments; a wide range of venues closed; and movement has been limited to urgent medical or professional need.
“Our grandfathers were drafted to go to war; we’re being asked to stay at home,” he said.
“If a doctor and nurse can work for 24 hours non-stop, we can give up leaving our own home. The huge majority of citizens are respecting the rules. Those who aren’t will face sanctions: either fines or criminal charges.”
Italian authorities say it could take two weeks for the impact of the restrictions to be seen on the coronavirus outbreak nationwide.
The shutdown hasn’t stopped the nation’s people from attempting to spread joy, with footage of quarantined Italians making music together on their balconies going viral.
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Italy. 💪 x https://t.co/7ZMlb2oi5n
— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) March 13, 2020
Milan-based Edoardo Brioschi said that people began singing from their balconies two days ago, purely through word of mouth on messaging app WhatsApp.
Tomorrow at noon, the entire country has organised a synchronised hand clap, he told The Age, to thank medical staff who are “working really hard for us all”.
HUNGARY
Hungary will become the latest European country to close schools, starting Monday.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a video posted on the government’s Facebook page that classes will be held for students only through distance learning.
He also asked that children staying at home not be left in the care of grandparents who, because of their age, are among those most at risk regarding the coronavirus.
Authorities had already suspended university classes earlier this week because of the large number of foreign students.
Morocco also announced a temporary nationwide school shutdown – with lessons to now be conducted digitally – amid concerns of the coronavirus spread.
The country introduced a range of other measures, including banning all gatherings of more than 1000 people, prohibiting religious events, and suspending flights to China, Italy, Spain and France.
IRAN
The Iranian army has been given 24 hours to empty the country’s streets and every citizen is to be tested for coronavirus.
Major General Mohammad Bagheri said a commission had been set up to carry out the “emptying of shops, streets and roads” in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus.
The drastic move suggests that Iran’s entire population – of more than 81 million people – will be confined to their homes for the foreseeable future.
“During the next 10 days, the entire Iranian nation will be monitored through cyberspace, by phone and, if necessary, in person, and those suspected of being ill will be fully identified,” he added.
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The new measures were announced as the nation’s capital of Tehran disclosed the number of infected people had jumped by more than 1000 in the past 24 hours.
The New York Times have suggested that the country is rapidly expanding the number of graves at a cemetery near the city of Qom, where the outbreak was particularly severe due to people licking holy shrines.
AFRICA
Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Guinea and Mauritania have all confirmed their first cases of the new coronavirus, giving the disease a foothold in 19 countries on the African continent.
PUERTO RICO
Officials say tests have confirmed three cases of coronavirus in Puerto Rico, the first for the US territory.
Governor Wanda Vazquez said that the public school system would close for 14 days and that no cruise ships or the ferry from the Dominican Republic would be allowed to dock.
Vazquez said one of the cases involved a local man who had relatives who travelled off the island, and the other two are tourists from northern Italy who arrived on a cruise ship.
Even before the announcement, several events – including concerts and a circus performance – had been cancelled on the island due to worries about the virus.
-With wires
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