4A ❚ TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 ❚ USA TODAY NEWS
died of the coronavirus in Washington
state, raising the death toll in the state
and the nation to six.
Jeffrey Duchin, a health officer in
King County and Seattle, said at a news
conference Monday that five of the
deaths were people from King County
and one was from Snohomish County,
north of Seattle.
Researchers said earlier that the
virus may have been circulating for
weeks undetected in Washington state.
“To increase your chances of staying
healthy, avoid crowded settings if pos-
sible,” King County Public Health said
on Twitter. “Especially if you are over
60, or have other chronic health condi-
tions such as diabetes, heart disease,
lung disease, or a weakened immune
system.”
There’s concern about the spread of
the virus in nursing homes. One facility,
Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washing-
ton, said in a statement that one of its
residents and one of its associates have
been diagnosed with COVID-19. The
center is banning visitors for now.
The two earlier deaths in the U.S.
were over the weekend at Evergreen
Health in King County. The patients
were men who had underlying health
conditions.
A shift from China
The worldwide death count rose to
nearly 3,100 Monday, and the number of
confirmed cases increased to more than
90,000. Though 80,000 of those have
been reported in mainland China, the
outbreak appears to be shifting from that
country, where hundreds of patients
have been released from hospitals.
The World Health Organization re-
ported that nine times as many new in-
fections were recorded outside China as
inside it over the past 24 hours.
At the White House on Monday,
Trump told the pharmaceutical compa-
ny CEOs he wants them to work togeth-
er and speed development of a vaccine,
though other government officials have
said that process could take at least a
year.
“We will confront this challenge to-
gether,” Trump told the executives. “We
will continue to do exactly what we’re
doing.” The guests, including the lead-
ers of GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson &
Johnson and Pfizer, nodded their heads
when Trump spoke of cooperation.
The president said he had heard a
vaccine could be ready in as little as
three or four months, but Anthony
Fauci, director of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said
a vaccine wouldn’t be ready to “deploy”
for at least a year.
Alex Azar, secretary of Health and
Human Services, told the group Trump
wants to challenge the normal lines for
drug development, saying they “can be a
little slow and bureaucratic.” Develop-
ment and government approvals of vac-
cines can take months or even years.
In taking questions from reporters,
Trump again said his administration is
considering new and expanded travel
restrictions on “certain countries where
they’re having more of a breakout.”
He did not provide specifics.
In Washington state, King County
officials announced plans to buy a local
motel and turn it into a quarantine facil-
ity for those who need to be isolated. The
building was expected to be available by
the end of the week. “We have moved to a
new stage in the fight,” King County Ex-
ecutive Dow Constantine said.
Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of
emergency after the first death was an-
nounced Saturday. Schools around the
state have closed as a precaution as
districts undergo cleaning and disinfec-
tant protocols.
New York state reported its first case
on Monday, a 39-year-old Manhattan
woman who contracted the virus while
traveling in Iran, New York Gov. AndrewCuomo said. The woman, a health care
worker, is isolated in her home with
“respiratory symptoms” but is not in se-
rious condition, he said. Expect more
cases, he added.
“We said early on it was a case of not
if but when,” Cuomo said at a news con-
ference. “This is New York; we’re a gate-
way to the world. To see all these cases
around the world, around the country,
of course we are going to have here.”
Cuomo said the risk remains low in
New York and the challenge is contain-
ment. Testing will help with that, he
said, and he set a goal of 1,000 tests
daily statewide within a week. Mayor
Bill de Blasio said the city had set aside
1,200 beds for coronavirus patients.States get their first casesIn New Hampshire, a hospital em-
ployee who recently traveled to Italy is
the first person in that state to test
positive for the virus, officials said. State
epidemiologist Benjamin Chan said the
male patient has mild symptoms and re-
mains at home in Grafton County.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis de-
clared a public health emergency after
two state residents tested “presump-
tively positive” for the coronavirus. A
presumptive positive case means that
the patient has tested positive by a pub-
lic health laboratory and is pending con-
firmatory testing at the CDC.
The cases were reported in Hillsbor-
ough County, which includes Tampa,
and in Manatee County just to the
south. “Both individuals remain in iso-
lation at this time,” the Florida Depart-
ment of Health said in a news release.
On Capitol Hill, Democratic and Re-
publican aides said an agreement on
funding to confront the virus is almost
complete. The $7 billion to $8 billion bill
may be unveiled by Tuesday, with the
hope of getting it through the House and
Senate by the end of the week.
The emergency measure would fi-
nance federal and state response ef-
forts, fund the federal government’sdrive to develop and produce a vaccine
and offer Small Business Administra-
tion disaster loans to help businesses
that have been hurt by the outbreak.
In Texas, San Antonio Mayor Ron Ni-
renberg criticized the CDC in a Facebook
post after health officials reportedly re-
leased a patient who later tested posi-
tive for the coronavirus. Nirenberg said
the patient was quarantined, fully treat-
ed, tested negative for the virus twice
and was discharged from the Texas
Center for Infectious Disease in San An-
tonio on Saturday. A third test returned
positive, Nirenberg said.
“This incident is exactly why we have
been asking for federal officials to ac-
cept the guidance of our local medical
community,” Nirenberg said.
Worldwide, the Chinese city at the
center of the outbreak, Wuhan, shut
down one of its 16 makeshift hospitals
because of a steady decline in new
cases, state media reported. The Chi-
nese mainland reported 202 new con-
firmed cases, the lowest number in six
weeks, the National Health Commis-
sion said Monday.
More than 80,000 cases have been
confirmed across China in less than
three months, the vast majority of them
in Hubei Province, home to Wuhan.
“While the rise has been halted, the
overall battle is far from over,” said Zhou
Jiaxi, a researcher of the Chinese Acad-
emy of Medical Sciences.
In Iran, a member of the country’s
Expediency Council, which provides
counsel to Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei, died Monday of the coro-
navirus, the Tehran Times reported.
Seyed Mohammad Mirmohammadi, 71,
was the representative from Qom for
two four-year terms. Mirmohammadi’s
mother also died from the coronavirus
in recent days, the Times said.
Contributing: David Jackson, Joseph
Spector, Lindsay Schnell, and Jorge L.
Ortiz, USA TODAY; Brandon Mulder,
Austin American-Statesman; Zac An-
derson, (Sarasota, Fla.) Herald-Tribune;
The Associated PressCoronavirus
Continued from Page 1A
MANILA, Philippines – Officials said
a recently dismissed security guard re-
leased his hostages and walked out of a
shopping mall, ending a daylong hos-
tage crisis in an upscale commercial
district near the police and military
headquarters.
The man, identified by police as Ar-
chie Paray, a former guard at the com-
plex, left the V-Mall in suburban San
Juan city Monday evening with his
hostages, who were secured by police.
The suspect was allowed to speak to
reporters and authorities to outline his
grievances against his former superi-
ors, whom he accused of corruption
and abuse, before police approached
and subdued him.
Police said the man shot a security
officer in the morning before rushing to
the second floor of the complex, where
he held dozens of people, mostly em-
ployees, hostage in an office. The num-
ber of hostages wasn’t immediately
clear.
San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora
said the gunman, who was armed with
a pistol, shot one person at the V-Mall.
The victim was in stable condition at a
nearby hospital.
“He felt bad because he was re-
moved as a guard,” Zamora said, adding
that the man failed to convince fellow
guards to join him. Aside from a pistol,
the hostage taker yelled that he had a
grenade, but authorities could not im-
mediately confirm that, Zamora said.
The suspect complained of “unequal
treatment,” the police report said.
He was dismissed from work after
abandoning his job without notifying
management, Zamora said.
The shopping complex, popular for
its restaurants, shops, bars and a ba-
zaar, lies near an upscale residential
enclave, a golf club and the police and
military headquarters in the bustling
metropolis of more than 12 million peo-
ple.
Three years ago, a gunman stormed
a mall-casino complex in Manila, shot
TV monitors and set gambling tables on
fire, killing 36 people, most of whom
were suffocated by the thick smoke.
The gunman stole casino chips before
he fled but was found dead in an appar-
ent suicide in an adjacent hotel at the
Resorts World Manila complex.
The Islamic State claimed responsi-
bility for the attack, but Philippine au-
thorities rejected the claim, saying the
attacker was not a Muslim militant but
a heavily indebted gambler.Dozens released after hostage
situation in Philippines mall
Jim Gomez and Aaron Favila
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of a SWAT team with private guards stand outside one of the
entrances to a mall after a hostage situation was reported in Manila on Monday.
TED ALJIBE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
AUSTIN, Texas – Fears of the coro-
navirus outbreak loom over one of the
state’s most popular – and populous –
gatherings.
A petition launched on Change.org
to cancel the sprawling SXSW Confer-
ence & Festivals because of coronavi-
rus concerns swelled to more than
20,000 signatures. Twitter CEO Jack
Dorsey, scheduled to speak at the con-
ference, pulled out of the event, as did
China Gathering, a grouping of Chinese
entrepreneurs.
The 10-day gathering, set to begin
March 13, draws about 400,000 people
a year to discuss and celebrate the con-
vergence of film, tech and music. It has
never canceled in its 34-year history,
organizers said.
In a letter posted to the China Gath-
ering website, Vivian Forrest, the
group’s founder and chief executive,
expressed remorse for pulling out of
SXSW because of the coronavirus, also
known as COVID-19.
In a statement, a spokesman for
SXSW said event organizers are in close
contact with local, state and federal
agencies to monitor the outbreak.
“As a result of this dialogue and the
recommendations of Austin Public
Health, the 2020 event is proceeding
with safety as a top priority,” the state-
ment said.
It continued: “There is a lot about
COVID-19 that is still unknown, but
what we do know is that personal hy-
giene is of critical importance. We hope
that people follow the science, imple-
ment the recommendations of public
health agencies, and continue to par-
ticipate in the activities that make our
world connected. That’s our plan.”
Austin Public Health officials gave
SXSW the green light to proceed.
“At this time, no health departments
in the state have requested the cancel-
lation of any gatherings as the current
risk of person-to-person spread in their
jurisdictions remains low,” it said on its
website. “The health of the Austin com-
munity and those who visit our city is
our highest priority. APH coordinates
with South by Southwest (SXSW) an-
nually to monitor and prepare for any
public health emergencies during the
festival – this year is no different.”
The global death count from the cor-
onavirus has climbed past 3,000, and
the number of confirmed cases topped
90,000. In the USA, six deaths and 100cases have been reported. All U.S.
deaths occurred in Washington state.
Across the nation, groups and cor-
porations discourage global travel and
rethink large gatherings. Cancellations
based on coronavirus fears include:
❚Facebook canceled the in-person
portion of its F8 developer conference
“to prioritize the health and safety of
our developer partners, employees and
everyone who helps put F8 on,” it said
on the F8 website.
❚Organizers canceled the annual
meeting of the American Physical
Society, scheduled to draw thousands
to Denver this week, “due to rapidly es-
calating health concerns relating to the
spread of the coronavirus disease,” ac-
cording to its website.
❚The world’s biggest mobile phone
show, Mobile World Congress, can-
celed its gathering in Barcelona, Spain,
after exhibitors and companies pulled
out of the event.
❚CERAWeek, one of the premier en-
ergy industry conferences, canceled its
annual gathering in Houston, sched-
uled for next week.
State health officials confirmed
three cases of the coronavirus in Texas.
One of those patients was released
from a quarantine center in San Anto-
nio, then tested positive for the virus,
according to the San Antonio Express-
News.
The woman, an evacuee from Wu-
han, China, ground zero for the out-
break, visited a San Antonio hotel and
ate at a mall before being requaran-
tined and testing positive.
Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott criticized
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, which oversees the quar-
antine. “What happened in San Anto-
nio and what the CDC did is completely
unacceptable,” he said at a news con-
ference. “I think they understand the
magnitude of the error they made.”
SXSW, which brought more than
$355 million in economic impact last
year, plans to go on with the majority of
its programming, including talks with
Hillary Clinton, Chairman of the House
Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff
and entertainer Janelle Monáe.
Austin resident Shayla Lee said she
posted the online petition to stop the
gathering because she was concerned
by the sheer numbers expected.
“There are still too many unknowns
with this virus for anyone not to take
extreme precautionary measures,” Lee
said in an email. “Holding this event is
highly irresponsible.”Coronavirus spurs
calls to cancel SXSW
Rick Jervis
USA TODAY