March 15 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Jenni Marsh, Ivana Kottasová and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 10:22 PM ET, Sun March 15, 2020
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4:56 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Illinois governor orders bars and restaurants to close

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Bartenders make drinks at the I.W. Harper cocktail bar in Chicago, Illinois, on February 15. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is ordering all bars and restaurants to close to the public beginning Monday night until March 30
Bartenders make drinks at the I.W. Harper cocktail bar in Chicago, Illinois, on February 15. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is ordering all bars and restaurants to close to the public beginning Monday night until March 30 Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is ordering all bars and restaurants to close to the public beginning Monday night until March 30, he said at a press briefing Sunday. 

State officials are working with restaurant owners and food delivery services to coordinate so restaurants can keep kitchens open for food delivery. Pritzker is allowing for drive-through and curbside pickup at restaurants as well.   

4:58 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Iraqi government restricts movement in Baghdad for nearly a week

From CNN’s Aqeel Najim and Raja Razek 

Baghdad will be under a curfew starting Tuesday from 11 p.m. local time through March 23, 11 p.m. local time, according to the prime minister's office.

Under the curfew, people are not allowed to leave their houses for nearly a week. Security personnel, health workers, authorized media and diplomats are not included in the restriction, according to the statement from the prime minister's office. The government says it will allow for commercial movement of goods and food.

Separately, flights are suspended from Tuesday until March 24, according to the statement. On Saturday, Iraq’s Border Ports Commission extending the suspension of commercial trade through its land borders with Iran and Kuwait effective Sunday "until further notice."

 

 

4:50 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Germany now has more than 4,800 coronavirus cases

From CNN’s Nadine Schmidt and Claudia Otto

The number of positive coronavirus cases in Germany has risen to 4,838 as of Sunday, according to the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s agency for disease control. 

Included in that number are 12 deaths due to coronavirus, the disease control agency said.

4:47 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

All Ohio restaurants and bars ordered to close at 9 p.m. with only carryout and delivery available

From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian 

Starting Sunday, all bars and restaurants in Ohio will close daily at 9 p.m. Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton will be signing an order Sunday to put the rule into effect. How long the order will be in effect is unclear at this time.

Carryout food is still allowed and encouraged, and restaurants can stay open to prepare carryout food, Gov. Mike DeWine said. DeWine said at a Sunday press conference that "this social distancing is absolutely, vitally important" due to the contagiousness of the coronavirus.

4:40 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

All Vermont schools will close no later than Wednesday, governor says

From CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian 

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott holds a press conference to address the coronavirus outbreak on Friday, March 13, in Montpelier, Vermont.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott holds a press conference to address the coronavirus outbreak on Friday, March 13, in Montpelier, Vermont. Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus/AP

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced Sunday that all pre-K-12 schools in the state will close no later than Wednesday and remain closed until April 6, according to a news release from Scott's office.

Students are not required to go to school Monday or Tuesday, if their parents or guardians would prefer to keep them home, Scott said.

“We must ensure children are safe, nourished, and still learning even as the traditional structure of school is disrupted," Scott said. "The work of educators will be essential in this effort.”

Scott's announcement said local districts will be tasked with three key components to support the state response:

  • Food and special needs services for children
  • Collaborating with the state to provide childcare options for health care workers and others essential to the response
  • Systems for ensuring maintenance of education during the initial dismissal and a continuing education plan if schools are dismissed for an extended period.

Under the Scott's order, schools will remain operational for administrators, teachers and staff to sustain essential services and create a continuity of education plan by remote learning, the release said.

3:52 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Department of Transportation relaxes regulations for truck drivers making emergency deliveries

From CNN's Ross Levitt

The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has relaxed restrictions on truck driver hours for those making coronavirus-related emergency deliveries.

The relief, which was issued Friday, applies to six categories of emergency deliveries of goods and people and is good through April 12 unless it is rescinded sooner.

Drivers must be allowed to have downtime after the delivery, the FMCSA says. 

The FMCSA says it is the first time it has issued nationwide relief like this and came in response to the national emergency. 

4:04 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Italy announces 368 more coronavirus deaths

From CNN’s Nicola Ruotolo and Duarte Mendonca

Hospital workers work in a triage tent set up outside of the Brescia hospital in Lombardy, Italy, on March 13.
Hospital workers work in a triage tent set up outside of the Brescia hospital in Lombardy, Italy, on March 13. Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images

Italy on Sunday announced 368 new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in the country to 1,809, according to Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli.

Speaking at a press conference in Rome, Borrelli went on to reveal that the total number of positive cases registered in Italy reached 24,747 on Sunday, with an increase of 3,590 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours.

3:23 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Colombia will block entry for all non-residents to stop coronavirus spread

From CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey in Atlanta

Colombia will block entry for all non-residents and require residents who enter the country to self-isolate for 14 days beginning on Monday in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, President Ivan Duque announced this afternoon.

“Let me tell the country: from March 16, entry into the country is restricted for non-nationals and non-residents in Colombia. All Colombian passengers and foreign residents will have mandatory preventive isolation for 14 days,” Duque said on Twitter.

On Saturday, Duque announced that Colombia will close its border with Venezuela.

By the numbers: Colombia currently has 34 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

3:33 p.m. ET, March 15, 2020

Health care, consumer industry groups raise concerns about potential supply shortages

From CNN's Katelyn Polantz

Violet Helsing looks at a display of Clorox products while shopping at McGuckin Hardware in Boulder, Colorado, on March 13.
Violet Helsing looks at a display of Clorox products while shopping at McGuckin Hardware in Boulder, Colorado, on March 13. Jeremy Papasso/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera/Getty Images

Over the past several days and weeks, health care and consumer industry groups and even federal agencies have sounded the alarm that the US may face major problems in keeping basic medical, food and retail supplies available during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Sunday, the group representing food and retail companies like Clorox, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo told the State Department and the US Trade Representative they fear other countries cutting off exports to the US, which could exacerbate the public health emergency.

The group is particularly concerned about countries restricting chemicals, ingredients and products they manufacture from getting to the US. 

For instance, India, a major drug ingredient supplier, has already limited exports of medications like acetaminophen, a common painkiller used for flu-like symptoms, and Germany has banned the export of protective equipment like masks, gloves and suits used by health care professionals.

President Trump also planned to speak to grocery, food and beverage corporate leaders on Sunday about supply chain concerns, including the Consumer Brand Association's head and major grocery chain CEOs.