Coronavirus: WHO warns elderly and sick to avoid crowds as Louvre shuts doors for crisis talks

People aged over 60 or with long-term illnesses should try to avoid crowded places to cut the risk of catching coronavirus, the head of the World Health Organisation has said.

The latest advice by director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came as countries around the globe ramped up restrictions in the face of the escalating crisis.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-who-warns-elderly-and-sick-to-avoid-crowds-as-louvre-shuts-doors-11947053

Trump team yanking green cards from immigrants who abuse U.S. welfare system

Conservatives have been trying for decades to create an immigration system that rewards immigrants who won’t be a burden on society and discourages those who will.

The Trump administration this week began enforcing the “public charge” rule, giving U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the authority to refuse green cards — the key step on the path to citizenship — to people who have used a wide range of nonemergency welfare programs.

“The main reason this got done is because we have a president who is determined enough to make self-sufficiency matter again in a meaningful way,” said Ken Cuccinelli, who pushed through the rule as acting chief of USCIS and is now acting deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. “That kind of entrepreneurial mentality is a natural for him.”

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/feb/29/trump-team-yanking-green-cards-immigrants-who-abus/

EMPTY SHELVES: WASHINGTON REACTS

ON THE SCENE IN WASHINGTON

China officials knew of coronavirus in December, ordered cover-up, report says

Chinese scientists knew about the coronavirus and its deadly effects as early as December — but were ordered by government officials to suppress the evidence, according to a report.

In late December, several genomics companies tested samples from sick patients in Wuhan — the center of the coronavirus outbreak — and noticed alarming similarities between their illnesses and the 2002 SARS virus, the Sunday Times of London reported, citing Chinese business news site Caixin Global.

The researchers alerted Beijing of their findings — and on Jan. 3, received a gag order from China’s National Health Commission, with instructions to destroy the samples.

https://nypost.com/2020/02/29/china-officials-knew-of-coronavirus-in-december-ordered-cover-up-report-says/?

Health officials confirm 2 new cases of coronavirus in western Washington

Canada shares first genome sequence of the newly emerging coronavirus

More and more laboratories around the world are releasing through the GISAID Initiative the genome sequences of the newly emerging coronavirus. The virus was first identified in late December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, where patients were suffering from respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. Since then, the virus has been detected in several other countries.

The genome sequences of the emerging betacoronaviruses are crucial to design and evaluate diagnostic tests, to track and trace the ongoing outbreak and to identify potential intervention options.

https://www.gisaid.org/