France, Italy, Spain and Belgium curbed stock market trading on Tuesday, banning short-selling to shield some of Europe’s biggest companies from a sell-off triggered by the coronavirus.   The move will temporarily halt bets on falling shares at scores of companies from the world’s largest brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, to Spanish bank Santander and Air France-KLM.The radical curbs, and calls by some Italian politicians for stock markets to be shut, were in contrast to the United States and Britain, where regulators said they should stay open and no curbs are imposed.   They also differed from Germany and highlighted the splintered approach of the European Union and its haphazard response to the health pandemic and economic fallout.   The intervention by some of Europe’s biggest countries, last seen in the wake of the financial crisis, also underscores a growing sense of alarm in Europe’s capitals as they scramble to contain a disease that has shut schools and shops.In short-selling, traders borrow a company stock with a view to selling it, hoping to buy it back later at a lower price and pocket the difference, a practice that often exacerbates market moves amid panic selling.   In Italy, Tuesday’s 24-hour short-trading ban applies to its biggest bank UniCredit and car maker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.   Italian market regulator Consob is expected to announce on Tuesday a more lasting short-selling ban which it can introduce for up to 90 days, a person familiar with the matter said.   The ruling 5-star party, part of a governing coalition, had even called for the country’s stock markets to be closed entirely. That, however, has not gained wider political support.
 “CALM THINGS DOWN”Asked whether stock markets should be closed, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told RTL radio that other things could be done first, such as banning short selling, describing that as “a first step to calm things down.”   He said it was important to keep financial markets open so companies can be correctly valued.   Other countries are hesitant to follow.   Germany has said it is not planning a ban, while the Dutch financial watchdog said it saw no reason for such a move.   The splintered response highlights differing views in Europe to financial markets, with Italy and France traditionally more skeptical and interventionist, while Britain, the Netherlands and, to some extent, Germany more liberal.   The London Stock Exchange declined to comment on a trading suspension for the whole market, but noted it did not suspend trading in previous times of extreme volatility like the financial crisis and the 1987 “Black Monday” rout.   France is banning short-selling on 92 stocks, the financial markets authority said. Spain imposed a one-month ban that could be extended.   Such restrictions can wrong-foot hedge funds, who often rely on short selling to turn a profit in a downturn, as well as to counterbalance other bets they have taken.   In Italy, hedge funds held 84 short positions as of Tuesday compared with 33 in Spain and 20 in Belgium. French regulator the AMF reported 728 notifications of changes to short positions in 2020.   Bridgewater, the world’s biggest hedge fund, has placed a $15 billion bet against European and British companies although it is not clear whether the firm owns more European stocks than it shorts.   Under European Union law, national authorities have the power to introduce such bans. They are required to inform the EU umbrella body, the European Securities and Markets Authority.   Many countries curbed short-selling around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. While such bans can soften the impact of a shock, however, market experts say they only work for a limited time.
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Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and University Hospitals have added a second location for drive-through COVID-19 testing for patients with a doctor’s order. Patients can stay in their cars while samples are taken with nasal and throat swabs.  People with symptoms are instructed to start with an online visit to  Cleveland Clinic’s Express Care Online or call their primary care physician. The Cleveland Clinic says it has tested more than 600 people on Monday. The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals opened their first testing location on Saturday. So far they have tested 800 patients, with 26 testing positive who are then treated at the clinic.  Brian Rubin, head of the clinic’s pathology medicine, said the group is following CDC’s  (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines.  Rubin told Reuters news agency that local testing is very important because the specimens don’t need to be transported and the results can be obtained rapidly. But he added that the role of big laboratories is also important because they can test a large number of people. Rubin warns the public this is not a short-term health problem.  “If I had to guess right now, I would say we’re in for at least a three month haul to deal with this virus before we really understand it and are able to cope with it in a more reasonable way,” he said. 
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Одразу після відкриття торгів на українському міжбанківському валютному ринку долар подолав чергову психологічну позначку – 27 гривень за одиницю американської валюти. За даними Finance.ua, станом на 10:15 котирування становлять 26 гривень 98 копійок – 27 гривень 1 копійка. Це одразу на 30 копійок більше за рівень закриття торгів 16 березня.

Курс НБУ на 17 березня становить 26 гривень 52 копійки. Офіційний курс відбиває тенденції міжбанківського ринку з деяким лагом, оскільки формується за підсумками торгів піковими обсягами валюти. Котирування, що формуються щодня в останні години торгів, НБУ не відбиває.

 
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Voters in three U.S. states are set to go to polling places Tuesday to cast ballots in primaries to pick the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, despite worries about the coronavirus outbreak that forced one state to postpone its voting. Going into Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden leads Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders 898 to 745 in pledged delegates. Under ordinary circumstances Tuesday’s primaries would be a major focus of the campaign to win the spot to take on Republican President Donald Trump in November with three big states holding their votes on the same day. Florida, with 219 pledged delegates at stake is one state where officials gave assurances Monday that the voting will be safe as it goes ahead Tuesday. “There is no need to panic,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, adding that most people will only be inside the polling place for a few minutes. Florida health officials have reported 142 coronavirus cases. But in Ohio, where 136 delegates are at stake and 50 coronavirus cases have been confirmed, leaders there supported voters in seeking a court order to postpone the vote because of the coronavirus. After a judge denied their request, Governor Mike DeWine and Health Department Director Amy Acton ordered the polls closed.  Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose then said the election would be postponed until June. “Logistically, under these extraordinary circumstances, it simply isn’t possible to hold an election tomorrow that will be considered legitimate by Ohioans,” DeWine and LaRose said in a joint statement.  “They mustn’t be forced to choose between their health and exercising their constitutional rights.” Illinois has 155 delegates at stake and election officials said the voting will go on as scheduled with authorities “working hard to ensure the safety of voters and poll workers.” Arizona is the smallest prize Tuesday with 67 delegates at stake.  Its leaders noted voter concerns, but described the scheduled election as the best opportunity for people to cast ballots. “This decision was not made lightly, and what it all comes down to is that we have no guarantee that there will be a safer time to hold this election in the near future,” said Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.  “The longer we wait, the more difficult and dangerous this will become.” 
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Американський фондовий індекс Dow Jones за підсумками торгів 16 березня показав в абсолютних цифрах найгірший результат за всю історію: за одну торговельну сесію цей показник втратив близько 3000 пунктів і зупинився на позначці 20 тисяч 188 пунктів. У відсотках (майже 13%) це друге за обсягом падіння після «чорного понеділка» 1987 року, коли індекс втратив понад 22%.

Раніше 16 березня президент США Дональд Трамп заявив, що через коронавірус в економіці Сполучених Штатів може розпочатися рецесія. Трамп також висловив думку, що спалах захворювання триватиме до липня або серпня або «може бути і довше».

Водночас із падінням на фондових ринках обвалилися і котирування нафти. Нафта марки Brent упала до менш як 30 доларів за барель, це найнижчий показник за останні чотири роки. Зранку 17 березня цей сорт нафти коштує менш як 31 долар за барель.
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A gunman who crashed his car into a convenience store in Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday fatally shot four people, including himself, police said Monday. A police officer is among the dead. Officials say they arrived at the store after receiving a number of calls that someone in a car was shooting at other drivers and had deliberately driven through the front of the store. The gunman opened fire at officers and customers, leaving three dead at the scene before taking his own life. Springfield’s police chief said the officer died at a hospital. The gunman has not been identified, and the motive for his violent rampage is unclear.  
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Thanat Apichonpongsakorn, a 34-year-old business owner, had nearly given up on Thai politics. But after he saw young politicians launch a new party, he went to the polls last year with a new attitude, not just to vote “no” as he had the previous two elections since 2011.   Thanat left the voting booth on March 24, 2019, filled with optimism for the Future Forward Party. Within less than a year, the party he supported was gone after a court ruled against its financial practice, a verdict that pries open Thanat’s prior view on politics.  “No matter who the new government will be,” he said, “There will be the same kind of people and bodies. Nothing is going to change.”        The demise of Future Forward, the country’s second-biggest opposition party, removes a challenge in the parliament for the military-backed government and armed forces, and has a knock-on effect to the U.S.-Thai relationship. It tests the ability of the U.S. to thread a delicate line between strengthening military ties with its oldest ally in Asia and advocating for democracy in a region where strongman rulers including Cambodia’s Hun Sen and Thailand’s General Prayut Chan-o-cha emerged triumphant from elections regarded as flawed by international observers.Election Monitor Slams ‘Deeply Flawed’ Ballot Counting in Thailand

        A regional election observation group is criticizing the initial results from Sunday’s general election in Thailand as “deeply flawed.”

 
Preliminary results released Monday by the country’s election commission show the military-backed Phalang Pracharat was leading in the ballot counting, but the populist Pheu Thai is leading in the number of parliamentary seats with 137 versus 97 seats for Phalang Pracharat. The commission blames the confusing and contradictory results on “human error.”

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“I still think that Washington would prefer to have a more democratic government in Thailand than exists today,” said Paul Chambers, a visiting research scholar at Kyoto University in Japan. “A more democratic government would be more popular and the U.S. would rather connect with a popular, democratic government with which it can boost the U.S. interests.”  Elsewhere, the U.S. has chosen strategic interest in security over ideological principle, and vice versa. For Thailand, growing discontent with the government could determine the choices of the Washington’s approach in the future.  Storm of criticism  On February 21, the Thai Constitutional Court ruled that the Future Forward Party violated a law when it took $6-million loans from its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a 41-years-old tycoon who had left his family automotive empire to dabble in politics. The ruling touched off a storm of criticism in Thailand and abroad.  “While the United States does not favor or support any particular political party in Thailand, more than six million voters chose the Future Forward Party in the March 24th elections,” the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok said in a statement hours after the court’s verdict. “The decision to disband the party risks disenfranchising those voters and raises questions about their representation within Thailand’s electoral system.” On February 25, one of Future Forward’s fiercest critics, Thai Army Chief Apirat Kongsompong, entered the Hart Building in Washington, DC, free from the legion of Thai news crew who had followed him at home in recent weeks. He was greeted by Senator Tammy Duckworth, the Democrat from Illinois who is a member of Senate Armed Services Committee.  “As a Thai-American, I feel strongly that we must continue building upon the strong relationship between the U.S. and Thailand. …  We should be doing more to support and advance our partnerships in Southeast Asia,” Duckworth said in a statement. Apirat’s trip, by American Army Chief James McConville’s invitation, coincided with the full participation of the U.S. in the Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand, the largest international military drills in the Indo-Pacific region. Military exercise between Thai and U.S. had been scaled down after a coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014. During that period, Thailand and China forged deeper ties, leaving the U.S. to play catch up to counterweigh Beijing’s power when Thai democracy was restored.    Balancing act The U.S. balancing act in Thailand as a shepherd of democratic ideal and a military realist offers a window into how Washington walks a policy tightrope, more deliberately than it did in some parts of the world.  In Egypt, Army Chief Abdel Fattah el-Sissi ousted the country’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013. The U.S. government under President Barak Obama didn’t call Morsi’s removal a coup thus circumventing a legally binding requirement to withdraw $1.5 billion aid in U.S. aid for Egypt, long a strategic ally that helped keep peace in the region. But it’s a different story in the Philippines.  The longstanding U.S.-Philippine military alliance started faltering when Washington criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for his crackdown on drugs after he took office in 2016. In January this year, Washington canceled the visa of  Senator Ronald Dela Rosa of the Philippines who served as national police chief when Duterte began his anti-drug campaign in which thousands of people were killed extrajudicially.  On February 10, the Manila government announced that it had sent a “notice of termination” regarding the Visiting Forces Agreement to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The agreement, signed in 1998, allows for U.S. forces on Philippine soil to conduct military exercises and humanitarian missions in the region.   Thailand’s turning point When Thailand’s Yingluck was ousted from office six years ago by Prayut who was then army chief, the military was credited for ending political gridlock and taking down the political dynasty of Thaksin Shinawatra. The telecom tycoon-turn-politician rose to power with a landslide victory in the 2001 election, which was later tarnished by cronyism and corruption allegations.  Many supporters of former junta leader Prayut who became prime minister again after the 2019 elections, think the general is overstaying his welcome.  “He could be remembered forever as ‘The man who returned the democracy to Thailand’ but instead he chose to further dirtying his hands,” said a Thai business owner who identified himself as Derndin Kinkaogang. “Let’s just say I lost faith.” Prayut fatigue has intensified in recent weeks as his administration has faced the economic repercussion from the global outbreak of COVID-19. Citing analysts, Bloomberg News reported on January 31, that Thailand’s economy may slide into a technical recession in the first quarter this year. The disbandment of Future Forward is helping to fan the sense of despair.  “The regime just doesn’t care,” said Boonyawee Johnson, a Thai resident in Washington areas. “Why, just why did (the party’s executive members) have to get banned from politics for a decade over this mere loan issue?” The so-called “flash mobs” against the government by more than 35 universities and high schools could nudge the country into a cycle of swelling demonstration, unstable government, military interference and another general election all over again.  Analysts said, faced with a series of setback from a shortage of surgical masks to recent spikes in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Thailand, Prayut may try to appease public discontent by removing cabinet members who gained less support than others after the censure debates during February 24-27. While a cabinet reshuffle may send a message to Thailand’s democratic allies that Prayut takes into account opposition voice, there are detractors who call for a bigger change. 
“It has come to a point where the rip tide of public discontent is too strong for a reshuffle to make it recede,” Pannika Wanich, one of Future Forward’s executive members said in an interview.      If this rip tide forewarns further ebbs of Thai democracy, the U.S. may have to recalibrate its balancing act. “For decades, we have witnessed the U.S.’s complicated interplay of democracy promotion, and American security interests,” said Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, lecturer at Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “This perplexity makes it difficult for the U.S. to find a balance in her relations with Thailand, between democratic rhetoric, and military power and benefits.” 
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A retired African American educator is using his new career as an artist to educate younger generations about racial divisions that led to some of the darkest chapters in American history. The work of the sculptor is now on exhibit in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where VOA’s Chris Simkins caught up with the artist.
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British actor Idris Elba said on Monday he has tested positive for the new coronavirus. Elba, who starred in TV drama “The Wire” and movie “Avengers: Infinity War,” said in a Twitter post that he had no symptoms but was isolating himself from others. It was not clear where he was located.   “This morning I tested positive for Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing… No panic,” Elba, 47, wrote.  Elba said he had taken the test because he found out on Friday that he had been exposed to someone who had contracted the disease. He did not identify the person.  “Stay positive. Don’t freak out,” he said in a video accompanying the Twitter post. Elba was the second major Hollywood celebrity to announce he has the virus. Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced last week that they both had contracted the disease while working on a film in Australia. 
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Національний банк України знизив офіційний курс гривні щодо долара на 23 копійки у понеділок 16 березня – до 26 гривень і 8 копійок. У п’ятницю 13 березня офіційно долар коштував 25,85 гривні.

Довідкове значення, встановлене Нацбанком опівдні 16 числа, становить 26 гривень 42 копійки (натомість у п’ятницю цей показник дорівнював 26,06 гривні).

За даними сайту «Мінфін», торги в понеділок почалися з позначки 26 гривень 38-41 копійка, а завершилися на рівні 26,62-26,66 гривні.

Нацбанк вдень 16 березня повідомив про продаж 130,5 мільйона доларів на аукціоні за середнім курсом 26,54 гривні. У регуляторі запевняють, що мають достатній рівень міжнародних резервів – понад 25 мільярдів доларів, – щоб проводити подальші інтервенції на валютному ринку.

Зростання котирувань долара в Україні відбувається на тлі погіршення світової кон’юнктури в зв’язку з поширенням коронавірусу. Це спричиняє відтік валюти нерезидентів із українських цінних паперів та неможливість для українського уряду оформити нові запозичення за рахунок випуску облігацій внутрішньої державної позики. Експортери за таких обставин воліють притримати валюту, імпортери – якнайшвидше купити обсяги, потрібні для оплати за контрактами.
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As the coronavirus spreads across Africa, countries are taking stronger measures to curb its spread.  The restrictions may contain the virus, but will likely have a deep impact on the continent’s economies.   With several African governments closing borders, canceling flights and enforcing strict quarantine requirements to curb the spread of the virus, experts say there will be consequences for the continent’s economy.  The United Nations said it now estimates Africa’s GDP rate will fall from 3.2 percent to 1.8 percent this year. “This is going to deal a very severe blow to growth,” said Vera Songwe, secretary-general of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, “even though the numbers of cases on the continent are quite small.  If you look at that Africa does not seem to be affected. But then when you look at the economics, I think that is where the big story is for Africa. We are being severely affected.” Over the weekend Kenya shut its border to foreigners, while Ghana banned entry to anyone who visited a country with the coronavirus in the last two weeks.  South Africa, already in a recession, declared a national state of emergency and banned travel to and from China, Europe and the U.S.FILE – People ride a boat past an oil discharge facility in Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 10, 2016.Economists say these restrictions and others around the world will disrupt global supply chains and decrease travel, which in turn should cause oil prices to drop. Songwe said African oil exporters will feel the impact.  “If you’re a country like Nigeria, which is a net oil exporter — one, we’re demanding less oil from you, but secondly the amount of oil that we’re demanding from you has dropped [in price]. We’ve estimated that Nigeria could lose almost $19 billion if the trend continues and that’s a big shock to Nigeria’s economy, which was already growing at quite a low rate of 2.8 percent.” In order for Africa to meet its global targets under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, economists say Africa must grow at a minimum of 8 percent.  Stephen Karingi, the director of the trade division at the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa, told VOA that the impact on Africa’s economy and health systems would be devastating. “As things stand now the 3.2 percent growth has actually been insignificant when it comes to meeting these SDG goals,” he said. “That’s the point that we want to make.  In other words, we are going to see an increase in the number of people who are actually poor or below the poverty line.” The coronavirus also resulted in the cancellation of talks in Addis Ababa that were aimed at completing the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is scheduled to launch on July 1.  Wamkele Mene, the secretary-general of the free-trade bloc, told VOA that without the talks, the deadline will be hard to meet.  “We will have to find a way to expedite the work,” he said. “To give you an example in 2018, we worked for 26 days nonstop from nine in the morning until 2 or 3 am, 25 to 26 days nonstop to meet the deadlines of March 21, the signature of the agreement. So we will have to find a way and do something similar to expedite the work.” For the moment, most African government are focused on simply containing the coronavirus.   South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said Monday the government would need to set aside additional funding to deal with the crisis.  More than 50 cases have been identified in South Africa to date, while both Ethiopian and Cameroon on Monday confirmed their fifth case respectively. 
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South Africa has announced strong measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, just a week after the nation saw its first case and then tens more in the space of a week.  On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa effectively shut down all borders, schools and large gatherings across the country.  In Johannesburg, the nation’s economic and transport hub, residents reacted to the news.   VOA’s Anita Powell reports from Johannesburg
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Україна вперше здійснила транзит газу між двома країнами Євросоюзу, повідомив Оператор газотранспортної системи 16 березня.

«Відомий німецький енергетичний трейдер замовив транспортування природного газу через Україну по маршруту Угорщина – Словаччина. До речі, облік газу по даній операції здійснюється, як і по транзитній угоді з «Газпромом» – в енергетичних одиницях», – йдеться в заяві органу.

За повідомленням, транзит між європейськими країнами через територію України можливий через нову послугу short-haul («транзит на невеликі відстані»).

«Нова послуга транзиту на короткі відстані «short-haul» дозволяє замовникам транспортних послуг транспортувати газ між європейським країнами (Польща, Словаччина, Угорщина та у майбутньому Румунія) через територію України. Початок надання цієї послуги дозволить активізувати торгівлю газом між країнами східної Європи та дасть можливість додатково завантажити потужності української ГТС, які після будівництва «Північного Потоку-1» вже не використовуються у повному обсязі», – стведжують у пресслужбі оператора.

На початку березня голова Оператора ГТС України Сергій Макогон повідомив, що обсяг транзиту газу з Росії через Україну до країн Євросоюзу та Молдови у лютому сягнув 3 926 мільярдів кубічних метрів.

Читайте також: П’ять відповідей на запитання про нафтову кризу 2020​

30 грудня 2019 року Національна акціонерна компанія «Нафтогаз України» і російський газовий монополіст «Газпром» підписали контракт про транзит російського газу до Європи з використанням української газотранспортної системи за правилами Європейського союзу на п’ятирічний термін із можливістю продовження. Термін раніше чинного контракту 2009 року на транзит, як і контракту на постачання російського газу до України, збіг вранці 1 січня 2020 року. Підписанню цього контракту передувало укладення між сторонами мирової угоди – договору про врегулювання претензій.
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Beirut’s usually congested streets were largely free of cars and pedestrians stayed away from its seafront Corniche as government measures to curb the spread of coronavirus took effect with varying degrees of success on Monday.   Police ordered closed several shops that were open in Beirut in violation of the shutdown order, and a group of swimmers were cleared from the beach in the southern city of Sidon, Reuters journalists said.   The government declared a medical state of emergency on Sunday, announcing a shutdown that included most public institutions and private companies as it looks to rein in the virus that has infected 109 people.  It also also ordered the closure of borders, ports and airport from March 18-29 and said Lebanese are obliged to remain at home except for matters of “extreme necessity.”   Beirut traffic was unusually light on typically heavily congested roads.   A security official said compliance with the government decision was still lacking, noting that some people had no choice but to go to work.   “The traffic is definitely less but there are still cars in the streets,” he said “There are awareness campaigns but they are not reaching all parts of society.”   A security source said security forces were acting to disperse gatherings of people. Police cleared people off the Corniche, where some were walking wearing facemasks and surgical gloves.  “These two weeks are the most dangerous,” Health Minister Hamad Hassan said, according to Lebanese broadcaster al-Manar.   Lebanon is already grappling with a financial and economic crisis.   Addressing a news conference after an emergency cabinet session, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the steps would “no doubt” impact the economy but “people’s lives and health are more precious.”    
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The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia continues to rise. Doctors say the infections do not at this stage appear to be influenced by warmer weather. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump predicted the pandemic would end in April with warmer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. Australia has about 300 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Five people have died.Scientists around the world are racing to unlock the secrets of the COVID-19 virus in search of a vaccine. The disease was first reported in China late last year. Some experts have been hoping the new coronavirus might behave like influenza that thrives in cold, dry air, and start to fade as the summer months arrive in temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere.Understanding any seasonality of COVID-19 could eventually help to determine the best time to administer any vaccine.
 
However, there are no clear signs that warmer conditions will subdue or stop the virus.
 
Australia is in the first month of autumn, but temperatures are still in the 20s and 30s Celsius, and infections continue to increase.
 
Brad McKay, a Sydney doctor and author, says the indications here are that heat has not slowed the spread of COVID-19.
 
“We are seeing that things have been pretty terrible in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly around Italy,” said McKay. “We hope that as the summer months come along that things will improve, but we really do not know and we are still seeing the spread very quickly throughout Australia and the weather has still been relatively warm and hot. So I cannot say that the sun will save people. I think that the virus can still spread from people-to-people even during the summer months.”
 
Australia and New Zealand have now ordered all international arrivals into mandatory quarantine in a bid to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
 
It’s unclear how Australia’s coronavirus quarantine orders will be enforced. The government has said that everyone arriving from overseas will have to shut themselves away for two weeks. Those who don’t will be committing an offence, according to the Prime Minister.
 
Foreign cruise liners will also be prevented from docking in Australia for 30 days. Gatherings of 500 people or more are also banned starting Monday.
 
Cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed in every Australian state. 
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