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NBC News, Updated March 12, 2020, 4:55 AM CET:

WHO declares COVID-19 disease to be a pandemic

The coronavirus crisis continues to unfold across the globe as the World Health Organization uses the word for the first time.

Screenshots, Public Transit being disinfected in NY/NJ Metro Area

For the first time, the World Health Organization called the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, a pandemic. Meanwhile, the United States now has more than 1,000 people infected with the coronavirus — but testing in the country is still ramping up, meaning that number could continue to climb.

WHO defines a pandemic as the worldwide spread of a new disease for which most people do not have immunity.

On Wednesday, the governor of New York questioned the number of people who have been tested for the virus in the U.S.

“When they do the retrospective on this one, they are going to say, ‘Why did it take the Unites States so long to bring up the testing capacity?’” Gov. Cuomo said on “TODAY.” On Tuesday, Cuomo announced that he was implementing a “containment area” around a one-mile radius in the city of New Rochelle, home to one of the largest clusters of coronavirus cases in the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that more than 8,500 specimens have been tested for the coronavirus across the U.S. Because multiple specimens are required from each individual, the number of actual patients who have been tested is likely far lower.

- Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

- Here’s what to know about the coronavirus.

- MAPS: Where cases have been confirmed in the U.S. and worldwide.

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Visigrad Countries Pledge to Help Greece

Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia pledge to help Greece deal with border crisis

By VOICE OF EUROPE 4 March 2020:

KASTANIES, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities fired tear gas and stun grenades Wednesday morning to repulse a push by migrants to cross its land border from Turkey, as pressure continued along its frontier after Turkey said its own border with Europe was open to whoever wanted to cross.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia pledged to help Greece to deal with pressure along its border.

Speaking after meeting his counterparts from the other three countries, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the situation was serious and the EU must protect its borders.

“We’re ready to help,” Babis said.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country was ready to deploy guards at the Greek-Turkish border, while his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini said the growing number of migrants “poses a security threat not just for Greece.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that there are some 130,000 migrants on the move that the EU has to stop on its borders, and that “Hungary will take an active role in doing so.”

The four countries have been known for their tough stance against migrants and rejected an EU plan to redistribute refugees in member states.

Meanwhile, European Council head Charles Michel was meeting with Erdogan in Ankara Wednesday, while EU Vice President Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic were holding talks with Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Erdogan, Borell said that the EU delegation asked Turkey “not to encourage the further movement of refugees and migrants toward the EU borders.”

“We had the opportunity to express our understanding of the difficult situation Turkey is currently facing but also stressed that the current developments at the European borders is not leading to any solution,” he said.

Borell also told reporters that Turkish officials’ response was that Turkey was not encouraging people to move but that “they cannot prevent people from doing so.”

Greek authorities said there were about 15,000 people along the Greek-Turkish land border on Wednesday. They said that between Saturday morning and Wednesday morning, they had blocked 27,832 attempts to cross the border, and had arrested a total of 220 people who managed to cross.

Ankara has come under harsh criticism from some European countries.

“The people are being used by President Erdogan as a political football, as weapons and as instruments of pressure on the European Union,” Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Tuesday.

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Elena Becatoros in Athens and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.

© 2020 AP

Poland offers Greece support in tackling migration crisis

Polandin.com 4 Mar 2020:

On behalf of the Polish authorities, the Interior Affairs Minister Mariusz Kamiński has declared readiness to send 100 border guard soldiers and 100 police officers to support Greece in dealing with the migration crisis that has recently emerged at the country’s frontier with Turkey.

On Wednesday, EU member states’ interior affairs ministers met in Brussels at an extraordinary assembly in the wake of thousands of migrants and refugees from the Middle East gathering at the gate to Europe.

“We hope that the situation will settle down, but we have to take into account all the scenarios, which is why we are able to lend the Greeks a hand very quickly,” Minister Kamiński said.

The Commander of the Polish Border Guard, in consultation with the Minister of the Interior has already forwarded information on this matter to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). Greek authorities had previously requested the institution launch a rapid intervention as regards the migrants issue. Such interventions are intended to provide immediate assistance to an EU country whose border is under extreme pressure due to a large number of developing countries’ nationals attempting to enter its territory illegally.

As it stands, Frontex does not have its own regular corps, hence it must be based on border guards from EU states. After agreeing on a rapid intervention operational plan with Greece, Frontex will ask other EU and Schengen-associated countries to provide border guards and other personnel from the rapid response reserves immediately.

Mr Kamiński stated that Poland’s participation in any plan to relocate refugees would be out of the question if such a proposal were put forward.

“Refugee relocation is not an option, I stressed it clearly. What matters first and foremost is the real protection of the Greek-Turkish border, which we treat as the external EU border. On that matter, Poland presents concrete, real proposals that can mitigate the situation on the EU border,” the minister said.

On Wednesday morning, Greek services reported that from Saturday to Wednesday, they had stopped nearly 28,000 people attempting to cross the border illegally from Turkey and arrested 220 who had succeeded.

Erdogan to Greece: “Don’t be stupid. The migrants don’t want to stay in your country. Just let them through to other countries in Europe.”

Erdogan: “Greece, these people won’t remain in your country. They will pass through and go to another country in Europe. Why do you feel disturbed? We told you! We said that if it goes on like this, we’ll open the gates, but you didn’t believe us. Oh, Greece, now I’m calling on you to open your gates. Get out from under this burden! Let them go to other countries of Europe. There is no other way. The burden must be shared and we are looking for partners.”

BREAKING NEWS: Coronavirus - Milan set for lockdown

The number of people in Italy who have died from Coronavirus has jumped by 36 since yesterday. The figure now stands at 233.

The State of the Syrian War | Part I, TPS #693

Coronavirus Patient Zero in Italy Reportedly a Pakistani Immigrant

GatewayPundit, 7 Mar 2020:

According to recent reports from Italy the coronavirus patient zero in the Pavia area is a Pakistani immigrant who refused to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus.

The EU Times reported that the Pakistani man continued to cook and deliver Chinese food and infected an entire region of Italy.

Mainstream Italian news outlets, such as Il Giornale and ADNKronos are reporting the news.

According to Il Giornale the police intervened following an anonymous tip.

Paul Joseph Watson at Summit News reported:

The man believed to be coronavirus patient zero in Italy is a Pakistani migrant refused to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus and continued to deliver food.

Health authorities asked the man to quarantine himself at his home in the Pavia area for two weeks, but he ignored the request and continued to work at a Chinese restaurant.

He then compounded the risk of spreading the virus by making home deliveries of Chinese food.

Authorities were alerted to the situation and the military intervened to return the man to his home.

“The Carabinieri have been busy reconstructing all the movements of the young man, in order to identify as many people as possible with whom he came into contact. In the meantime, the military has closed the Chinese restaurant,” reports Free West Media.

The migrant now faces up to 3 months in jail for failing to self-isolate under article 650 of the Italian penal code.

Italy has recorded a total of more than 3,000 cases of coronavirus and 148 people have died. The country was the primary source of the virus spreading to numerous other European countries.

By MARK DUELL FOR DAILY MAILONLINE, 6 March 2020:

Britain is now facing a ‘recession’ as first coronavirus death on UK soil sends markets in panic with FTSE 100 opening 1.85% down at 6,581 - wiping off gains made during the week

London FTSE100 index major companies loses 124 points, 1.85% to 6,581

Frankfurt DAX30 sheds 1.8% to 11,735, Paris CAC40 drops 1.8% to 5,264

Milan’s major stock index FTSE-Mib also goes down 3.1% to 20,890 points

Hong Kong & Shanghai stocks also tanked overnight amid economic fears.

European stock markets including the FTSE 100 sank further this morning as traders feared that the coronavirus crisis could plunge Britain into recession.

London‘s benchmark index of major companies lost 124 points or 1.85 per cent to 6,581 today after Britain recorded its first death from the infection.

It also comes as a top investment bank warned coronavirus could push the UK to the brink of recession in the coming months.

In eurozone, Frankfurt DAX30 shed 1.8% to 11,735 points and ParisCAC 40 dropped 1.8% to 5,264, compared with yesterday’s closing levels.
       
TODAY: London’s FTSE 100 of major companies lost 124 points or 1.85 per cent to 6,581 today
       
THIS WEEK: The FTSE fell this morning, wiping out the gains it had seen so far this week
       
PAST FORTNIGHT: The FTSE has plunged since the virus sparked a worldwide rout last week

Meanwhile Milan’s major stock index the FTSE-Mib went down 3.1 per cent to 20,890 points as Italy continues to face the biggest outbreak in Europe so far.

In Asia, Hong Kong and Shanghai stocks also tanked as the coronavirus crisis overshadows government and central bank moves to limit economic impact.

Global markets hit by another wave of panic selling as fears…

for the FTSE 100 erased the index’s gains from earlier this week, with export-heavy companies now having lost more than £175million in value since the epidemic sparked a worldwide rout last week.

Cruise operator Carnival dropped 4.2 per cent to its lowest level since 2012, a day after its Grand Princess ocean liner was barred from returning to its home port of San Francisco on virus fears.

Britain said an older person with underlying health problems had succumbed to the flu-like virus yesterday, while the number of infections jumped to 115.

In company news, drug maker AstraZeneca fell 1 per cent after it said its treatment for a form of bladder cancer failed to meet the main goal of improving overall survival in patients in a late-stage study.

Top investment bank Goldman Sachs analysts has warned coronavirus could push the UK to the brink of recession in the coming months.

They say the outbreak will cause a ‘substantial’ near-term hit to economic growth, decimating the tourism industry and slashing leisure spending as Britons stay indoors.

It will cause a headache for new Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who is due to present his first Budget next week.

But analyst Sven Jari Stehn said: ‘The Budget may now focus on measures to safeguard public health than a broad-based expansion of spending.’

Goldman Sachs expects the economy to be flat in the first three months of 2020 and to contract by 0.2 per cent between April and June.