The numbers: At least 339,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus and over 14,700 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking cases recorded by the World Health Organization and additional sources.
Olympic dreams hang by a thread: For the first time Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged that Tokyo 2020 may have to be postponed. Canada has already said it won’t send a team even if the Games go ahead this year as planned.
Stock markets take a hit: Dow futures fell 5%, while the Australian benchmark — the S&P/ASX 200 — plunged more than 7% to an eight-year low when markets opened Monday morning. Chinese and Korean markets were also down.
Indian cities go into lockdown: The capital New Delhi is among 75 districts in the country that will go into lockdown until March 31 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Several districts are now enforcing a pre-existing law that makes it a punishable offence for four or more people to gather.
New Zealand issues highest-level alert: All non-essential businesses across the country will close, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The Pacific nation already limited international arrivals amid fears of imported cases.
US relief bill delayed: A key Senate vote related to a massive economic stimulus plan in response to the coronavirus pandemic has been pushed back as lawmakers continue to wrangle over its contents.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-23-20-intl-hnk/h_773a4e508be683c17df444c36463c44a
