Coronavirus live updates: TSA worker at Florida airport tests positive for coronavirus

Live updates for Saturday, March 14, continue below:

TSA worker at Florida airport tests positive for coronavirus 

Update 11:25 p.m. EDT March 14: A Transportation Security Administration spokesperson released a statement Saturday night after a TSA officer at Orlando International Airport tested positive for COVID-19, the coronavirus.

"This afternoon, after communication with the TSA chief medical officer, the CDC and the Orange County Public Health Department, Federal Security Director Pete Garcia notified Orlando International Airport TSA employees that a Transportation Security Officer received an initial positive test for COVID-19," a TSA officials said.″ The officer is at home resting and will remain home until cleared by a doctor."

TSA officials also said they coordinated with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and performed “enhanced cleaning of all areas where the officer worked.”

Officials told other TSA officers who were in close contact with the impacted officer to stay home and self-observe for the next 14 days, according to a statement.

Union officials said every worker who was in contact with that person has been notified.

Taco Bell closes dining rooms; will pay workers impacted by coronavirus

Update 11:05 p.m. EDT March 14: Customers can still make a run for the border, just don't expect to sit inside a Taco Bell restaurant.

Taco Bell is closing its dining room but will keep its drive through and delivery options available, company officials said Saturday.

"Should we temporarily close our dining rooms, we would be limiting millions of guest interactions and further enabling social distancing," Mark King, Taco Bell CEO, said in a statement.

The company will also pay employees who are required to stay at home, or who work at a restaurant that has to be closed.

2 members of New York State Assembly test positive for coronavirus

Update 10:15 p.m. EDT March 14: Two members of the New York State Assembly, Helene Weinstein and Charles Barron, have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.

Both members have not been in Albany since early March, Carl E. Heastie, speaker of the New York State Assembly, said on social media.

"I have spoken with the Governor and the Senate and we are undertaking an intensive cleaning of the Capital and the Legislative Office Building," Heastie said on social media. "Additionally, all legislators and staff that have come in contact with these members will be tested to ensure the safety of everyone."

President Trump calls for national day of prayer, says he will tune in to Georgia church service

Update 9:20 p.m. EDT March 14: President Donald Trump announced that on Sunday, he is calling for a national day of prayer and he will be tuning in to an online sermon by a Georgia pastor.

“Tomorrow I have called for a National Day of Prayer,” Trump said on social media Saturday night. “I will be tuning in to Pastor (Jentezen Franklin) at the FreeChapel Church in Gainesville, Georgia at 11 a.m. God bless the USA!”

Franklin, pastor at Free Chapel church, announced a “special online experience with worship” earlier Saturday.

Walmart, Kroger cut hours

Update 8:50 p.m. EDT March 14: The world's largest retailer slashed hours amid fears of the coronavirus, company officials said Saturday.

Walmart will begin closing stores at 11 p.m. Sunday, CNN reported. Neighborhood Market grocery stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Grocery chain Kroger also announced reduced hours Saturday. The stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting Monday, WHIO-TV reported.

Trump tests negative for coronavirus

Update 7:24 p.m. EDT March 14: President Donald Trump tested negative for the coronavirus Saturday, The New York Times reported.

Georgia postpones presidential primary until May

Update 6:40 p.m. EDT March 14: Georgia has postponed its presidential primary until May over fears of the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported.

The state’s primary was scheduled for March 24.

Pentagon restricts worker access to building

Update 6:25 p.m. EDT March 14: Pentagon officials laid out new restrictions for access Saturday, saying personnel who need to access classified information as part of their job can come in but starting Monday, employees who can work remotely are encouraged to.

People who have been overseas were told to stay away from the building for two weeks, The Associated Press reported.

Personnel coming to work at the Pentagon will not have their temperatures taken at this time.

There have been 21 reported cases of Defense Department personnel worldwide testing positive for the coronavirus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Virginia, Louisiana announce first coronavirus deaths

Update 5:50 p.m. EDT March 14: Virginia and Louisiana officials announced their states' first deaths related to the coronavirus Saturday afternoon.

In Virginia, a 70-year-old male patient died after acquiring COVID-19 from an unknown source, health officials said.

"Pam and I were deeply saddened to learn that a Virginian has died from COVID-19," Gov. Ralph Northam said on social media. "The health of Virginians continues to be my absolute top priority. I will meet with local Peninsula officials tomorrow, and we will speak to the community about next steps."

Health officials said there were 41 cases in Virginia.

In Louisiana, a 58-year-old from Orleans Parish with underlying health conditions died at Touro Infirmary Hospital and Medical Center.

"We send our prayers and condolences to the family of the deceased," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. "In addition, we now have 10 new presumptive positive cases bringing our total to 77. Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant against the spread of this illness by taking care of ourselves and each other, avoiding going into public areas if you are sick, practicing social distancing and washing your hands frequently with soap and water. "

Spain announces nationwide lockdown

Update 4:24 p.m. EDT March 14: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a nationwide lockdown on Saturday, which means residents are required to stay home and can only leave for essential reasons, The Washington Post reported.

Events, including religious services and classes at schools and universities were also prohibited.

The measures are in place for 15 days but could be extended.

French prime minister orders closure of non-essential businesses

Update 3:26 p.m. EDT March 14: Édouard Philippe, the prime minister of France, announced that beginning at midnight Saturday, all nonessential businesses will be closed until further notice, The Washington Post reported. That includes cafes, restaurants and theaters, the newspaper reported.

Banks, gas stations, supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.

Royal Caribbean Cruises suspends all global voyages

Update 2:53 p.m. EDT March 14: Officials with Royal Caribbean Cruises released a statement Saturday that it will suspend all global sailings at 12:01 a.m. Sunday a statement from the cruise line said.

Service is expected to resume April 11, the company said in its statement.

Friday, Royal Caribbean announced it was suspending all cruises in the United States through April 10, CNN reported.

NYC firefighter tests positive, mayor says

Update 2:21 p.m. EDT March 14: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced there were 29 new cases of the coronavirus in New York City, including a firefighter from Brooklyn, WABC reported. De Blasio said the firefighter had not been on any recent fire or medical calls.

Fauci on virus: ‘We have not reached our peak’

Update 1:18 p.m. EDT March 14: The United States has "not reached our peak" regarding the coronavirus, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said during a White House briefing Saturday.

Fauci predicted there would be more cases and deaths, particularly among those people who are older and therefore more vulnerable to the virus.

“Now, it’s all systems go," Fauci said. “Let’s look forward.”

Pence: Travel restrictions to UK will begin midnight Monday

Update 12:27 p.m. EDT March 14: Vice President Mike Pence said at a coronavirus briefing at the White House that travel restrictions will be implemented in the United Kingdom beginning at midnight Monday night.

“Americans in the United Kingdom and Ireland can come home,” Pence said, adding that travelers will have to undergo screening upon their return.

Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, added that the ban would include foreign nationals who had been in the United States over the past two weeks.

“This does not apply to U.S. citizens,” Wolf said.

Wolf added that American tourists returning from the United Kingdom and Ireland would undergo medical screening and will be self-quarantined for 14 days.

Trump gives update about virus, lauds stock market rebound

Update 12:27 p.m. EDT March 14: President Donald Trump held a news conference Saturday afternoon to give updates about the coronavirus. The president, wearing a black hat adorned with a "USA" logo, said he was using "the full powers of the federal government" to control the virus.

Trump also said he had his temperature taken before Saturday’s news conference and said he had taken a coronavirus test Friday night. The president said he did not know the test results yet, adding it would take one to two days to find out. Trump did say his temperature was normal.

“We’re all in this together,” Trump said. “The American people have been incredible.”

Trump also lauded the stock market’s rebound Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 2,000 points.

Trump, responding to a question about possible travel restrictions to the United Kingdom, said he was “looking at it” but had not made a decision.

White House medical officials conducting temperature checks

Update 12:04 p.m. EDT March 14: White House officials are now conducting temperature checks on anyone who has been in close contact with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, The Associated Press reported.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said the temperature checks were “taken out of an abundance of caution” over the coronavirus outbreak,

Trump has had direct and indirect contacts with people who have tested positive for the virus, the AP reported.

47 employees at Washington state nursing home test positive

Update 11:16 a.m. EDT March 14: Forty-seven employees of Life Care Center of Kirkland, Washington, have tested positive for the virus, according to tweet from KIRO-TV in Seattle. The results, from Public

The results from Public Health-Seattle & King County, the health agency that serves the Seattle metropolitan area, include 24 employees who tested negative. One test was inconclusive.

First virus-related death confirmed in New York City

Update 10:37 a.m. EDT March 14: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a conference call Satruday morning that an 82-year old woman who tested positive for coronavirus died in a Manhattan hospital Friday, marking New York City's first coronavirus-related death.

The woman was “long-suffering with emphysema,” Cuomo said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declares state of emergency

Update 10:37 a.m. EDT March 14: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a statewide public health emergency Saturday morning, WSB-TV reported.

The decision gives the governor powers to suspend laws and take “direct operational control” of civil forces in the state, Kemp said in a news conference. The declaration also gives health authorities power to isolate or quarantine Georgia residents, restrict travel into or within the state, and limit -- or even cancel -- large public gatherings.

"I do not take this lightly,” Kemp said.

Spain announces nationwide lockdown

Update 10:02 a.m. EDT March 14: Spain is declaring a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, according to Spanish media outlets.

The Associated Press reported that Spain was going to follow Italy's lead and place tight restrictions on its population of more than 46 million people. Spanish health authorities said Saturday that coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people, with more than half of them in the capital city of Madrid. That is an increase of over 1,500 in 24 hours, the AP reported. Spain now has 136 deaths from the coronavirus.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez tests positive

Update 8:03 a.m. EDT March 14: Francis Suarez, the mayor of Miami, announced he tested positive for the coronavirus, the Miami Herald reported.

Suarez, 42, said in a statement that he was not feeling any symptoms. He advised anyone who had come into contact with him since Monday to self-isolate for 14 days, WTVJ reported. On Monday, Suarez attended an event with Fabio Wajngarten, press secretary to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the Herald reported. Wajngarten tested positive after returning to Brazil on Thursday, prompting Suarez to go into self-isolation, the television station reported.

First coronavirus cases confirmed in Rwanda, Mauritania

Update 6:41 a.m. EDT March 14: The African nations of Rwanda and Mauritania have confirmed their first cases of the novel coronavirus.

The case in Rwanda involves an Indian citizen, who was asymptomatic when he arrived from Mumbai on March 8, the country’s health ministry confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Mauritania case also involves a visitor, who entered the country March 9 from Europe.

Mauritania Minister of Health Mohamed Nazir Ould Hamid told The Associated Press late Friday night that the patient "was immediately removed and all medical measures taken to treat him and contain this first case of (the coronavirus) in our country."

Only 19 of Africa’s 54 countries have not yet confirmed novel coronavirus cases.

Gabon and Ghana reported their first cases on Thursday, followed Friday by Kenya, Guinea and Ethiopia.

Coronavirus cases continue climbing in Italy, Iran

Update 5:31 a.m. EDT March 14: According to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization, the novel coronavirus has infected 142,320 worldwide.

The cumulative total – which has resulted in 5,388 virus-related deaths to date – spans 129 countries and territories.

Although China remains the hardest-hit nation with nearly 81,000 recorded cases, Italy has now confirmed more than 17,000 infections, while Iran has identified nearly 13,000 cases.

According to The Associated Press, new infections in Italy swelled by more than 2,500 cases on Friday, with virus-related fatalities experiencing their largest single-day jump to date at 250. All told, the virus has sickened 17,600 and 1,266 lives.

Iranian state TV said Saturday that the coronavirus had killed another 97 people among 12,729 total cases, bringing the nationwide death toll to 611.

Meanwhile, France saw an 800 new cases on Friday bring its nationwide total to 3,600 infections, and Britain recorded 208 new cases for a total of 798.

Grand Ole Opry pausing live audiences amid coronavirus fears; radio show to continue

Update 5:07 a.m. EDT March 14: Beginning tonight, the Saturday Night Grand Ole Opry show will revert temporarily to its original format as a live radio broadcast with no live audience.

The move marks the latest high-profile reshuffling as the nation’s entertainment industry grapples with cancellations amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

While Opry and Ryman Auditorium officials decide how to proceed with future bookings, the iconic Nashville venue is taking the precautionary step of suspending both live audiences and tours through April 4. Although daytime tours of Ryman Auditorium will proceed, all currently booked shows will be postponed through April 4.

Publix changes store hours to combat coronavirus spread

Update 4:43 a.m. EDT March 14: Publix announced late Friday that all of its stores will close earlier in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak sweeping the nation.

Beginning March 14, the Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer will adjust store and pharmacy hours companywide to close at 8 p.m.

The change is intended to “better serve our customers, give our store better serve our customers, give our store teams time to conduct additional preventive sanitation and restock product on our shelves."

Apple closing all retail stores outside China until March 27

Update 3:23 a.m. EDT March 14: Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook announced via Twitter early Saturday morning that all of the company's retail locations outside of greater China will be shuttered until March 27.

In his letter to staff, Cook encouraged team members to adopt some of the "best practices" developed during the company's shutdown of mainland China retail locations which ended Friday.

“What we’ve learned together has helped us all develop the best practices that are assisting enormously in our global response,” Cooko wrote, adding, “One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance. As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers.”

Cook's letter also announced Apple's committed donations to the global pandemic response has reached $15 million.

“We’re also announcing that we are matching our employee donations two-to-one to support COVID-19 response efforts locally, nationally and internationally,” Cook wrote.

Statewide school closures mount amid coronavirus spread, DC follows suit

Update 3:02 a.m. EDT March 14: The District of Columbia announced early Saturday that all public schools will close from Monday through March 31 to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Washington, D.C. now joins 18 U.S. states closing schools in a bid to minimize virus transmissions.

The scope of the closures vary, but most of those announced to date impact K-12 schools. And while measures in some states apply only to public schools, some will affect private and charter schools as well.

To date, the following states have announced coronavirus-related school closures.

• Alabama

• Alaska

• Delaware

• Illinois

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maryland

• Michigan

• New Mexico

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• Utah

• Virginia

• Washington

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

White House physician says Trump does not need coronavirus testing, quarantine

Update 2:45 a.m. EDT March 14: Despite his recent proximity to infected dignitaries visiting Mar-A-Lago, U.S. President Donald Trump does not require coronavirus testing or quarantine measures, the White House physician said in a statement issued late Friday.

According to CNN, three members of a Brazilian delegation – one of whom was seated at the same dinner table as Trump's Mar-A-Lago on Saturday – have tested positive for the virus. Another reportedly shook the president's hand and had a photo taken with him.

"These interactions would be categorized as LOW risk for transmission per CDC guidelines, and as such, there is no indication for home quarantine at this time," the physician's statement read, adding, "Given the President himself remains without symptoms, testing for COVID-19 is not currently indicated."

Coronavirus relief bill passes US House 363-40

Update 1:48 a.m. EDT March 14: The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan coronavirus relief package just before 2 a.m. Saturday aimed at cushioning U.S. citizens from hardships caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The legislative package, known as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, passed with a final tally of 363-40. All 40 nays were recorded by Republicans, and Independent Justin Amash voted "present," CNN reported.

State-by-state breakdown of the 2,204 US coronavirus cases, 49 deaths

Update 12:55 a.m. EDT March 14: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States eclipsed 2,200 in 49 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, CNN reported late Friday.

The New York Times' infection-tracker database pegged the number of cases slightly lower at 2,110. The infections have resulted in at least 49 deaths, including 37 in Washington state, five in California, two in Florida and one each in Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, New Jersey and South Dakota.

Alabama, Idaho and Montana confirmed their first positive tests on Friday, leaving West Virginia as the only states without any diagnosed cases. Meanwhile, Colorado confirmed its first fatality, and six more people in Washington succumbed to the virus on Friday, the Times reported.

According to CNN, Washington state remains the hardest-hit, with 468 patients and 37 fatalities.

The latest figures include 21 people aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship, which arrived in port in Oakland, California, on Monday. The figures also include 49 repatriated citizens, including 46 sickened aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and three others retrieved from the outbreak’s epicenter in Wuhan, China.

The complete state-by-state breakdown – including presumptive cases – of the 2,134 cases detected on U.S. soil is as follows:

• Alabama, Utah: 5 each

• Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming: 1 each

• Arkansas: 9

• Arizona, District of Columbia, New Mexico: 10 each

• California: 241, including 5 deaths

• Colorado: 77, including 1 death

• Connecticut, Kentucky: 11 each

• Delaware, Missouri, Montana: 4 each

• Florida: 51, including 2 deaths

• Georgia: 42, including 1 death

• Hawaii, Vermont: 2

• Illinois: 46

• Indiana: 12

• Iowa, Maryland, Nevada: 17 each

• Kansas: 6, including 1 death

• Louisiana: 36

• Maine, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico: 3 each

• Massachusetts: 123

• Michigan: 25

• Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island: 14 each

• Mississippi, New Hampshire: 6

• New Jersey: 50, including 1 death

• New York: 421

• North Carolina: 14

• Ohio, South Carolina: 13

• Pennsylvania: 41

• South Dakota: 9, including 1 death

• Tennessee: 26

• Texas: 39

• Virginia: 30

• Washington: 568, including 37 deaths

• West Virginia: No reported cases

• Wisconsin: 19