11 Milwaukee County leaders issue order closing bars, restaurants except for carryout, delivery

MILWAUKEE -- Eleven Milwaukee County municipal leaders, supported by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, issued an emergency order late Monday, March 16 to close bars and restaurants in their jurisdictions to in-house patrons, effective on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 and until further notice.

Evidence of 'community transmission' of COVID-19 in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik revealed on Monday, March 16 evidence of community transmission (meaning the transmission was not the result of travel or direct contact with a known carrier) of the coronavirus in the City of Milwaukee.

White House: Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10 amid coronavirus

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The White House on Monday, March 16 urged all older Americans to stay home and everyone to avoid crowds and eating out at restaurants as part of sweeping guidelines meant to combat an expected surge of coronavirus cases.President Donald Trump and the coronavirus task force released the guidelines as the U.S. government moved to try to blunt the impact of the virus, racing to bolster testing and aid even as financial markets fell and Americans scrambled to reorder their lives.Among the new recommendations: Over the next 15 days, Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10 people, schooling should be at home and discretionary travel and social visits should be avoided.

National Guard helps 29 residents get back to state from cruise ship docked in California

MADISON -- Twenty-nine Wisconsin residents who were aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship that docked at the Port of Oakland in California last week were safely transported back to Wisconsin late Sunday night, March 15.

US officials: Foreign disinformation stoking virus fears

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is alleging that a foreign disinformation campaign is underway aimed at spreading fear in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, three U.S. officials said Monday.Also on Monday, national security officials said there had been a cyber incident involving the computer networks of Health and Human Services, but that the networks were operating normally.

'Just relax:' President Trump calls on Americans to cease hoarding food, supplies

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Sunday, March 15 called on Americans to cease hoarding groceries and other supplies, while one of the nation's most senior public health officials called on the nation to act with more urgency to safeguard their health as the coronavirus outbreak continued to spread across the United States.

Fauci open to 14-day 'national shutdown' to stem virus

WASHINGTON  — The government’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday he would like to see aggressive measures such as a 14-day national shutdown that would require Americans to hunker down even more to help slow spread of the coronavirus.Still, Dr.

President Trump defends US over airport crowding amid virus fears

CHICAGO — Harsh criticism rained on the Trump administration Sunday from state and local officials over long lines of returning international passengers at some U.S. airports that could have turned them into coronavirus carriers as they tried to get home.Illinois Gov.

Doctor says President Trump tests negative for coronavirus

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the president's personal physician.The White House released the test results Saturday night after President Trump told reporters hours earlier that he had taken the coronavirus test, following days of resisting being screened despite the fact that he had been in recent contact with three people who have tested positive for the virus.President Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Saturday that he had his temperature taken and it was “totally normal,” shortly before stepping into the room to discuss the government’s efforts to halt the spread of the virus.

President Trump’s latest travel ban highlights gaps in containment net

NEW YORK — In the weeks before President Donald Trump spoke from the Oval Office to announce restrictions on travelers from more than two dozen countries in Europe, thousands of people from the region already had stepped off planes at U.S. airports, and an untold number of them carried the coronavirus.The same can be said of flights from China in the weeks before the U.S. clamped down on those.

Travel ban to extend to United Kingdom, Ireland; President Trump eyes US limits

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States will broaden its European travel ban, adding the United Kingdom and Ireland to its list, and was considering imposing restrictions on travel within the U.S. to areas hit hard by the coronavirus spread.Under the restrictions on European travel, American citizens, green card holders and others are still allowed to return home to the U.S., but will be funneled to 13 airports and be subjected to health screenings and quarantine orders.“If you don't have to travel, I wouldn't do it," President Trump said.The new restrictions came as in Britain, the death toll nearly doubled from the day before to 21, and the number of people infected rose to over 1,100 from about 800 the previous day.

Pelosi: Congress, Trump administration reach coronavirus aid deal

WASHINGTON — Late Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal with the Trump administration for an aid package from Congress that aims at direct relief to Americans — free testing, two weeks of sick pay for workers, enhanced unemployment benefits and bolstered food programs.“We are proud to have reached an agreement with the Administration to resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi announced in a letter to colleagues after days of negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.The House was poised to vote late Friday.

President Trump declares coronavirus pandemic a national emergency

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is declaring the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, as Washington struggles with providing Americans with relief and officials race to slow the spread of the outbreak.Speaking from the Rose Garden, President Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency.” He said the emergency would open up nearly $50 billion for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak.President Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.He also announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities, as his administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test available.