Portal:Current events/2020 March 12

March 12, 2020 (Thursday)

Arts and culture

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema
  - Actor Tom Hanks reports that he and his wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after visiting Australia where he was filming Elvis. (The New York Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state), Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American television
    - It is announced that all Broadway theatres will go dark until the week of April 13, by order of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The ban also affects several television shows which film with live audiences in New York City. (Playbill) (The New York Times)

Business and economy

Black Thursday, economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- All three major United States trading indexes fall 7% during early trading, leading to a 15-minute trading halt. They all closed over 9% down. (Business Insider)
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 10%, the largest one-day percentage drop since Black Monday in 1987. (CNBC)
- Spain's IBEX 35 falls 14%, its worst drop in history in a single day. The UK FTSE falls by 11%, the German DAX and French CAC 40 by 12% and Italy's MIB by 17%. (El Comercio)
OMV, the giant Austrian oil and gas concern, is selling $2.3 billion in assets to buy a majority interest in Borealis AG, which will make it a major player in the production of polymers. (Reuters)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in India
  - India's first COVID-19 death is confirmed in Karnataka. (Hindustan Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
  - The number of confirmed cases in Italy climbs to 15,113, while the death toll rose to 1,016. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
  - Prime Minister Erna Solberg announces a national lockdown, closing schools, kindergartens, fitness centres, hair salons, sports and cultural events are suspended and restrictions applied to restaurants. (NRK)
  - Norway reports its first death from COVID-19. (NRK)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
  - Poland suspends all schools and universities, closes all theatres, operas, cinemas and museums for two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mass events are also banned, and the Polish Football Association announces that the two friendly matches scheduled later this month with Finland and Ukraine will be played behind closed doors. (PAP) (Daily Mail)
  - Poland reports the country's first death from COVID-19 in the city of Poznań. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
  - Greek authorities reports its first death, a 66-year-old pilgrim who visited Israel and Egypt last month. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
  - Cuba has confirmed its first three cases of COVID-19. (Miami Herald)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
  - Spain's Ministry of Health reports 828 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 36 more deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 84. (News18)
  - Irene Montero, Minister of Equality and Deputy, tested positive for coronavirus. Her domestic partner, Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Pablo Iglesias, self-isolates and all the government undergo tests. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also undergo tests after the Queen was in contact with Montero on March 6. (El Mundo)
  - The Catalan government orders the confinement of the city of Igualada and the towns of Vilanova del Camí, Òdena and Santa Margarida de Montbui after Igualada Hospital became a contagion focus. This first measure in Spain will affect 70,000 people during 14 days. (El País)
  - Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy and Civil Service Carolina Darias and Santiago Abascal, Deputy and leader of the third political force Vox, had tested positive in the disease. (ABC.es)
  - The closure of schools and universities extends to the entire country for two weeks affecting 9.5 million students. (El Mundo)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania
  - The Vilnius City Municipality announces that from March 13 until the end of the Easter holidays all educational facilities in the city will remain closed to contain the spread of the virus. (LRT)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
  - Ireland suspends all schools, colleges and childcare facilities until March 29 in response to the coronavirus, while indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled until further notice, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. (The Irish Times)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
  - Austria reports the country's first death from COVID-19, a 69-year-old man in Vienna. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
  - Slovakia orders the closure of all its borders to non-residents, while closing all international airports and schools to prevent the spread of the virus. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
  - President Rodrigo Duterte announces "community quarantine" in Metro Manila, Philippines, implementing travel restrictions to and from the metropolitan area. (GMA News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
  - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire self-isolate after she shows flu-like symptoms. They are both tested for the COVID-19, with Sophie later testing positive. (Reuters)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra
  - Andorran authorities confirms the second case in the country. (El Periòdic)
  - The Government announces that it will close all schools from March 16. (Diari d'Andorra)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
  - The United States surpasses one thousand cases of COVID-19. (CNN)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C.
    - After 10 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Washington, D.C., the U.S. government closes the White House, the Capitol building, and the U.S. Supreme Court Building to visitors until the end of the month. (U.S. News and World Report)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)
    - Washington Governor Jay Inslee closes all schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties until April 24. (The News Tribune)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
    - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declares a state of emergency. (The New York Times)
  - United States Senators Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz announce that they will temporarily close their offices. (The Hill)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in California, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American television
    - California Governor Gavin Newsom bans gatherings of more than 250 people. The ban puts several television shows filmed in the Los Angeles metropolitan area with live audiences on hiatus. (New York Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
    - After 12 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders all K–12 schools in the state to close from March 16–April 5 as well as banning gatherings of over 250 people. (MLive.com)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio
    - After five cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine orders all K–12 schools to close from March 16–April 5. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas
    - Five more presumptive cases of COVID-19 are reported in Arkansas, prompting Governor Asa Hutchinson to order school closings in four counties. (The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska
    - Alaska confirms its first presumptive case of COVID-19, with the patient identified as a foreign national residing in Anchorage. (Alaska Government)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado
    - The University of Colorado Boulder confirms its first presumptive case of COVID-19, identified as an employee who worked in the dining center. (Boulder Daily Camera)
    - School districts across the state close due to coronavirus concerns. (The Denver Post)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware
    - Delaware Governor John Carney declares a state of emergency and recommends the cancellation of all non-essential public gatherings of over 100 people. (WBOC)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Bolivia
  - Interim President of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez announces the suspension of all flights to Europe from March 14. (EFE)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Malta
  - Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela calls for the closing of all educational centers for one week from March 13. (Times of Malta)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
  - Portuguese Government calls for the closure of all schools and night clubs. (U.S. News & World Report)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Israel
  - The Israel Institute for Biological Research announces it is working on a vaccine. (Haaretz)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  - The first case of COVID-19 is found in the Cayman Islands. (Loop Cayman)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
  - Minister of Health Paulette Lenert announces the closure of schools from 16 to 27 March and bans visits at hospitals and care homes. (RTL)
- COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia
  - Armenian Government orders the shut down of all schools until 23 March. (Armen Press)

Politics and elections

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Mitch McConnell announces that the United States Senate will not have recess to work on a bill to contain the coronavirus. (CNN)

Sports

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- The NCAA, which had previously ordered that all of its winter championship events, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, would be played with no spectators, cancels all championship events until the 2020–21 academic year. This affects more than 70 of the NCAA's 90 championship events in all three of its competitive divisions. (NCAA)
- The YMCA Short Course Nationals swim meet is canceled in the United States for the first time since 1947. (Swim Swam)
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on baseball
  - 2020 Major League Baseball season
    - Major League Baseball announces the cancellation of all remaining spring training games and the delay of Opening Day of the regular season by at least two weeks. (MLB)
  - 2020 Chinese Professional Baseball League season
    - Chinese Professional Baseball League Commissioner John Wu announces that the opening game of the 2020 season will be postponed until 11 April. (FTV)
- 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay
  - The Olympic torch relay begins in Olympia, Greece, without public attendance. (CTV News)
- The 12 Hours of Sebring is postponed until November 11–14. This follows an announcement that the companion event 1000 Miles of Sebring would be cancelled. (Road & Track) (RACER)
- 2019–20 NHL season, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ice hockey
  - The National Hockey League announces the suspension of its season. (NHL)
- 2020 Major League Soccer season, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football
  - Major League Soccer announces it will suspend its season for thirty days. (ESPN)
- 2020 LPGA Tour and 2019–20 PGA Tour
  - The LPGA announces that the first three events of its season—including the ANA Inspiration, the season's first major championship—have been postponed due to the coronavirus. (CBS Sports)
  - The PGA Tour cancels The Players Championship and the next three tour events. (New York Post)

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