President Trump plans to declare a national emergency Friday, as public life in America continues to grind to a halt. Concerns about the coronavirus pandemic rippled across the globe, as more events were canceled and more landmarks were shuttered; U.S. schools closed to millions of students; Louisiana delayed its presidential primary until summer; and the Group of Seven leaders planned a virtual crisis conference.Here are some other significant developments:
- The World Health Organization warned that Europe “has now become the epicenter” of the pandemic, and more European Union nations took action — shutting down schools, implementing travel restrictions and passing other emergency measures.
- Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he tested positive for the virus after attending an event in Florida with a Brazilian government aide, who has also tested positive. A top Australian official also tested positive just days after meeting with U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr in Washington.
- After facing heated, bipartisan criticism over U.S. testing, the Trump administration announced a series of steps to boost the availability of tests and said it would partner with the private sector to set up drive-through testing sites.
- Scientists have found that the coronavirus can stay infectious for days on some surfaces. They also discovered that the coronavirus can be shed by people before they develop symptoms and can linger in the body for many weeks.