University of Texas president in isolation after wife tests positive
The president of the University of Texas' main campus said Friday he was in isolation after his wife tested positive for coronavirus.
Gregory L. Fenves said in a statement that the Austin, Texas, institution was closed and classes have been canceled after the first case of the virus was reported in "our UT community."
"It is difficult for me to write this because the person who tested positive is my wife Carmel," he said. "And a second member of my family (who works at UT) is presumed to have COVID-19 as well. I have now been tested for the virus, and the three of us are in self-isolation."
Fenves said he and his wife recently traveled to New York City for alumni and student events and returned Saturday.
Boston archdiocese suspends Catholic masses
Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, suspended all weekend masses in the city until further notice.
The directive is effective as of 4 p.m. Saturday and applies to all archdiocesan parishes, missions and campus ministries.
Baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals will be allowed to go on as planned with attendance limited to only immediate family, according to the Archdiocese of Boston.
People are encouraged to participate in daily mass via broadcast using the Catholic TV channel. Click here for more details.
Europe now 'the epicenter of the pandemic,' WHO says
More coronavirus cases are reported each day outside of China than China reported at the peak of its epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday.
"Europe has now become the epicenter of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said during a media briefing.
Washington's statewide school closures extended until end of April
Colorado announces first death
Colorado announced its first coronavirus death on Friday, bringing the national death toll to 43.
The patient was a woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions who lived in El Paso County.
The state now has 72 cases.
Movie theaters remain open, but AMC cuts capacity
With few exceptions, movie theaters across North America are remaining open while Broadway theaters, sports arenas and museums close their doors to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
While Hollywood studios have canceled most upcoming films, this weekend is going forward with a slate of new releases and holdovers. The largest chains, AMC, Regal and Cinemark, are all operating, though some theaters are taking extra precautions.
AMC Theaters announced Friday that it would cut audience capacity by 50 percent starting Saturday through April 30. The chain based in Leawood, Kansas, said it would do so by capping ticket sales.
It also said it would limit its larger theaters to a maximum of 250 people. "AMC is taking aggressive, nationwide steps to provide additional space between guests within all its U.S. theatres," the company said in a statement.
Alabama records its first patient, a resident who traveled out-of-state
Alabama officials Friday announced the state's first coronavirus case.
A Montgomery County resident tested by the state Bureau of Clinical Laboratories was positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, the state Department of Public Health said in a statement.
The patient, who had traveled outside the state recently, was in isolation, officials said.
"Health officials urge anyone experiencing symptoms to first notify their healthcare provider so that proper precautions can be taken," the department said.