March 26 coronavirus news

Markets struggling: US stock futures are stumbling today, even as the US moves closer toward passing a $2 trillion stimulus bill. The House of Representatives is expected to take up the measure on Friday. Markets in Asia Pacific struggled for direction, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was the only major benchmark in the region to trade firmly in the green.

Deadliest day in the US: Wednesday was the deadliest day the US has seen during the pandemic with 233 fatalities reported, taking the US to 65,273 cases and 938 deaths. California's cases are doubling every few days, while officials have warned that San Francisco could reach New York levels.

Dire situation in Spain: The total number of infections in Spain is inching closer to 50,000, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. At over 3,600 fatalities, the number of deaths reported in the country has surpassed those in China. Only Italy has reported more.

New imported cases in China: The country reported 67 new imported coronavirus cases on Wednesday, but no new locally transmitted ones. Its rate of new infections has slowed significantly, with 81,285 cases, 3,287 deaths, 74,051 recovered.

Largest single-day spike in Japan: The country saw its largest single-day spike in cases since the outbreak began, with 98 new cases and two more deaths reported Wednesday. The nation has now had 2,003 cases and 55 deaths. Japanese people have been urged to avoid all non-essential overseas travel.

New Zealand on high alert: Authorities confirmed 73 new coronavirus patients and five more probable cases -- the most in a 24-hour period to date. The country is in its first full day on alert Level 4, the highest category. Most people are required to stay home.

India pledges $22.6 billion in support: The government has announced a relief package to assist those most affected by the pandemic and 21-day nationwide lockdown. It includes medical insurance cover of $66,400 per person to those working on the frontlines and 5 kilograms of rice or wheat per month for 800 million people.

Moscow closes down: All cafes, parks and stores (except grocery stores, delivery kitchens and pharmacies) will shut until April 5 after Russia saw its sharpest spike in the past 24 hours, reaching 840 cases and three deaths. Putin said last week Russia had managed to slow the spread of coronavirus thanks to early and aggressive measures.

Some happy news: Wynn, a service dog in training, is bringing joy and comfort to the medical staff on the front lines of the battle against the virus in Denver, Colorado.

Moscow is closing all restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and parks from March 28 until April 5 for the “stay-at-home holidays” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, the city’s mayor said in a statement.

Exceptions will be made for grocery stores and pharmacies, and restaurants that deliver food are also allowed to stay open. Moscow residents were urged to refrain from attending religious sites.

Russia has seen its sharpest spike in numbers in the past 24 hours, adding 182 confirmed coronavirus cases, 136 of which are in Moscow. The total number of cases in the country now stands at 840, with three deaths, according to Russian health authorities.

The Russian government has also moved to ban all regular and charter international flights starting from March 27, per government decree.

Putin said last week Russia had managed to slow the spread of coronavirus thanks to early and aggressive measures -- and the number of confirmed cases is surprisingly low, despite Russia sharing a border with China and recording its first case back in January.

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Prince Charles did not “jump the queue” for a coronavirus test, one of the UK’s junior health ministers has said after it emerged that the royal had tested positive for the virus.

Edward Argar was asked on Sky News why the Prince of Wales was able to get the test while some frontline medical workers with symptoms have not been tested.

Prince Charles, who is 71 years old and the heir to the British throne, is self-quarantining in Scotland with mild symptoms, Clarence House announced Wednesday. His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested and does not have the virus.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Catherine Calderwood told BBC Scotland on Thursday that she has spoken to the team looking after Prince Charles.

“My understanding is there are very good clinical reasons for that person and his wife to be tested and I wouldn't be able to disclose anything else that I know because of patient confidentiality,” she said.

The Indian government has announced a relief package worth $22.6 billion to assist those most affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown.

The relief package includes medical insurance cover of $66,400 per person to those working on the frontlines, such as medical workers, sanitation workers and community health workers. This measure will cover around 2 million people.

The government will provide 800 million people -- nearly two-thirds of the country’s population -- with 5 kilograms of rice or wheat each month for the next three months for free. “We do not want anyone to go hungry,” Sitharaman said.

Other measures announced include fast-tracking subsidies and benefits for farmers, construction workers, widows and the disabled as well as increasing the minimum wage.

The 87 million farmers who currently receive $80 a year will be given the first instalment for the next financial year immediately, in the first week of April.

Workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) -- which guarantees 100 days of unskilled manual work per year -- will have their wages increased by $26.

Senior citizens, widows and the disabled will get a one-time $13 payment over the next three months in two instalments, benefiting 30 million people. 

The 200 million female Jan Dhan (government’s direct benefits transfer scheme) account-holders will get a one-time amount of $6.60 each per month for the next three months.

Women on the Ujjwala (government gas subsidy scheme) will be given free cylinders for three months. This will benefit 83 million families living below the poverty line.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting at midnight Wednesday. Only essential services are operational across the country’s 36 states and territories. These include water, electricity, health services, fire services, groceries and municipal services.

More than half a million people in the UK have signed up as volunteers to support the country’s National Health Service (NHS), the UK’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock says.

The government was hoping to get 250,000 people to sign up.

Hancock tweeted on Thursday: “Fantastic that 560,000 people have now responded to our call to volunteer to support our NHS to defeat #Coronavirus."

Volunteers will be asked to carry out various tasks, including collecting shopping, medicines or other essential supplies to deliver to people who are self-isolating.

They might also be asked to provide transport for patients who are being discharged from hospital, transporting medical supplies, or chatting with people who are self-isolating and at risk of loneliness.

Jordan on Wednesday eased one of the world's strictest lockdowns over the coronavirus after it prompted chaotic scenes in the country. 

Days after a total curfew went into effect, people clamored to receive bread distributions from government trucks, the emergency hotline went offline after it apparently became overloaded with phone calls, and some reported they had nothing at home to eat. 

But on Tuesday, the government backtracked, loosening restrictions on movement. After four days of total lockdown, people were allowed to leave their homes on foot for essential trips, such as purchasing food from small convenient stores and obtaining medicine. A curfew is still in place from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.

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With the cascading glissandos of the harp and the rich sounds of the cello, classical music is known to relieve stress or even lull you to sleep. And amid the coronavirus pandemic, when anxiety has reached an all-time high, a good night's sleep is much needed.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra's "Bedtime with Bach" series can help with that.

Every night at 9 p.m., members of the orchestra post videos of themselves performing on Facebook, all from the comfort of their homes in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Song choices range from Domenico Scarlatti's "Sonata in B minor K.27 (performed by ASO's principal harpist Alisa Coffey) to Aretha Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer for You" (performed by ASO's conductor and violinist Geoffrey Robson).

The short performances are a way for the orchestra members to stay connected with the community while their concerts are canceled, members said.

The orchestra's normal concerts usually draw in about 1,000 audience members, Irvin said. The "Bedtime with Bach" series is even more popular, garnering thousands of views. Principal cellist David Gerstein's performance of "Romance" alone racked up 10,000 views.

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This Arkansas orchestra will soothe all your coronavirus anxiety with its bedtime lullabies

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically altered daily life around the globe. Stores are shut, streets quiet, restaurants closed, face masks ubiquitous, and supermarket aisles empty.

Phrases like social distancing and self-isolation have made their way into the public consciousness. In some places, like Thailand's capital Bangkok, people diligently follow the rules of social distancing -- even sitting feet apart from each other in neat grids in mall food courts.

In other places like Japan, where the popular cherry blossom season is underway, social distancing doesn't appear to have taken hold yet.

There were similar scenes in the United States, where more than a dozen states have imposed stay-at-home orders. Last weekend, crowds gathered on beaches, hiking trails, and parks in California, in open defiance of the state-wide order to shelter in place and avoid close contact with others.

Meanwhile, in places like mainland China, coronavirus case numbers continue to drop every day -- leading to a cautious easing of travel restrictions and strict lockdowns.

Businesses in China are returning to work, and even tourist sites are reopening -- the Badaling section of the Great Wall is finally open again this week, after being closed for two months.

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Thousands of people are practicing social distancing worldwide -- but that's not stopping neighbors from leaving messages of hope in the windows of their homes.

It's unclear where or when the effort started, but photos of people putting rainbows, colorful heart cutouts, teddy bears and anything that resembles a sign of hope have been spreading all over social media.

Some are participating because they want their neighbors who have been deemed "essential workers" to see some joy on their way out of their homes. Others say they decorated their windows so families taking walks and getting fresh air have a nice reminder that everyone is in this together.

In Norfolk, Virginia, Kyle Siebels told CNN he found out about the effort through his neighborhood Facebook page. When the Siebels family went for a walk Tuesday, Kyle said he saw 30 houses participating. On Monday, Kyle's wife, Tory, cut out the hearts and went to town on their front door.

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People are decorating their windows with hearts and messages of hope right now