March 18 coronavirus news

China is sending 100,000 novel coronavirus test kits and other essential medical supplies to the Philippines to assist the country "in fighting the epidemic," according to Philippines Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

The announcement came after Locsin spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said that the they have been "closely coordinating with the Department of Health to ensure a speedy receiving of the aforesaid donations so as to contribute to the Philippine Government's efforts in fighting the epidemic and benefit the Filipinos as soon as possible."

The numbers: The Philippines currently has 202 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus including 17 deaths.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the coronavirus outbreak as “a national emergency.”

The government is asking public “to take action that is unprecedented for a government in peace time – and possibly unprecedented in the last century," he said at the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons today.

Johnson pledged “further measures to support workers of all kinds throughout this crisis,” saying the government is working with unions and colleagues across parliament. 

The UK’s Press Association and UK media reported that only lawmakers scheduled to submit questions to the prime minister were attending today's session.

Johnson, pressed by the opposition leader about not doing enough to “test, test, test” as advise by the World Health Organization said “we are getting much closer to having a generally available test which will determine whether or not you have had the disease.”

“This country is actually far ahead of many comparable countries in testing huge numbers of people, we’re increasing our tests from 5000 to 10,000 a day," Johnson added.

The transatlantic cruise ship MS Braemar docked at the Cuban port of Mariel, west of Havana, this morning.

Later today, Cuban health officials are expected to examine passengers, who will then be transported to charter flights to return to the United Kingdom.

The British company Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, which operates the Braemar, confirmed on Twitter that the cruise ship docked in Mariel. Four planes have also landed in Cuba.

By the numbers: The Braemar is carrying more than 600 passengers with at least five confirmed coronavirus cases on board. It had spent days searching for somewhere to dock after it was refused entry at multiple Caribbean ports.

Governments in 113 countries have closed educational institutions, impacting children, youth and adults in an attempt to contain coronavirus, according to the latest report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

There are 102 countries implementing nationwide closures specifically impacting 849.4 million children and youth, according to UNESCO.

The number of people who have died from the coronavirus globally has exceeded 8,000, while the number of infections has soared past 200,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The same university reported that 100,000 people were infected on March 6, meaning that the number of cases has doubled in just 12 days.

Remember: This number is slightly different to the latest count from the World Health Organization, which is reporting over 184,000 cases and more than 7,500 deaths. Johns Hopkins, based in Baltimore, Maryland, and WHO report tallies at different times of the day, so the counts often differ.

These are the worst-affected countries by deaths, according to Johns Hopkins:

And these are the most affected by cases, according to Johns Hopkins:

Iran has confirmed 147 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing the country’s total death toll to 1,135.

Iran has been the epicenter of the outbreak in the Middle East, as countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait report cases linked to the Iranian city of Qom, which hosts many holy sites.

Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi advised people in Iran to stay at home for a two-week period in a bid to stem the spread of the disease.

Iran has canceled Friday prayers for a third week in a row. Many Iranians would have been celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on Friday this week.

The country has struggled to slow the rapid spread of the virus, which has infected a number of lawmakers and killed advisers to senior government officials.

Authorities also confirmed an additional 1,192 cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 17,361.

Dissent is growing among leading athletes as they voice concerns about preparing for the Olympics amid the novel coronavirus outbreak after organizers encouraged them to continue preparation as planned.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Tuesday that no "drastic decisions" will be made about the Games, which get underway in Tokyo in July, and that measures are being taken to guarantee the "safety and interests of athletes, coaches and support teams."

But athletes believe they have been forced into an impossible position given the virus, which has infected more that 198,000 people worldwide and killed at least 7,900.

In a statement to CNN, the IOC said: “This is an exceptional situation which requires exceptional solutions.”

“The IOC is committed to finding a solution with the least negative impact for the athletes, while protecting the integrity of the competition and the athletes’ health."

On Tuesday, the UK's world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson expressed her frustration at the situation.

In a statement posted on social media she said: “The IOC and the Local Government are at odds with one another.”

“The IOC advice 'encourages athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympics Games as best as they can' with the Olympics only four months away but the government legislation is enforcing isolation at home, with tracks, gyms and public spaces closed.”

This year's Glastonbury music festival in the United Kingdom has been canceled, the event's organizers said on Twitter Wednesday.

"Clearly this was not a course of action we hoped to take for our 50th anniversary event, but following the new government measures announced this week - and in times of such unprecedented uncertainty - this is now our only viable option."

Scheduled to headline the June event was Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Diana Ross.

Organizers said they had expected to attract more than 200,000 people to the festival in Somerset, western England; even if the situation improved by June they would be unable to spend the next three months preparing for the event.

Those who have paid deposits on tickets would be entitled to a refund or to roll them over to the 2021 event.

The UK's largest pharmacy chain Boots has joined other retailers in imposing rations on items like hand sanitizer, as shoppers panic-buy products during the coronavirus outbreak.

In Boots stores across London, items like thermometers, paracetemol and hand soap have sold out. Hand soap sales alone are at about 1,000% of usual levels, the company says.

"Clearly people are very anxious," Boots Chief Operating Officer for the UK and Ireland Tracey Clements told CNN.

"So customers may find we have [a product] for a part of the day, but not the whole of the day, but we continue to try and procure as much as possible."

Supermarket chain Sainsbury's also announced it would implement a series of measures, including some to help the elderly and vulnerable ensure they get the items they need.

"We will set aside the first hour in every supermarket this Thursday 19th March for elderly and vulnerable customers," Sainsbury's Chief Executive Officer Mike Coupe said in a statement shared on Twitter on Wednesday. 

"We will also help elderly and vulnerable customers to access food online. From Monday 23rd March, our online customers who are over 70 years of age or have a disability will have priority access to online delivery slots."