Stories for March 16th 2020

Monday, March 16th 2020 - 11:20 UTC
Coronavirus: Argentina closes borders for 15 days and suspends classes until March 31

Argentina will close its borders for 15 days to non-residents in order to combat the spread of coronavirus, President Alberto Fernandez announced on Sunday. Public and private school classes would also be suspended until March 31, Fernandez said. National parks would also be closed.
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 11:19 UTC
G7 global rescue: Fed cuts rates to almost zero and launches US$ 700bn stimulus program

The US has cut interest rates to almost zero and launched a US$ 700bn stimulus program in a bid to protect the economy from the effect of coronavirus. It is part of a coordinated action announced on Sunday in the UK, Japan, the Eurozone, Canada, and Switzerland.
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 11:18 UTC
France, Spain join Italy in imposing lockdowns for the next two weeks

France and Spain joined Italy in imposing lockdowns on tens of millions of people, Australia ordered self-isolation of arriving foreigners and other countries extended entry bans as the world sought to contain the spreading coronavirus.
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 11:16 UTC
Spanish King Felipe VI takes further distance from his scandal-hit father and even cuts his annual grant

Spain's King Felipe VI has renounced the inheritance of his scandal-hit father Juan Carlos. In a statement, the palace said that Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, would also stop receiving an annual grant of €194,000 (US$ 217,100).
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 11:15 UTC
Chile quarantines 1.300 people aboard two cruise vessels

Chile has quarantined more than 1,300 people aboard two cruise ships after an elderly Briton aboard one of them tested positive for the coronavirus, the health ministry announced on Saturday. Both ships are cruising the Chilean fjords in Patagonia.
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 11:01 UTC
Coronavirus: Chile imposes quarantine for visitors from high risk countries and bans cruise vessels until 30 September

Chilean president Sebastián Piñera announced nine basic measures which will be enforced as of Monday referred to containing the spread of coronavirus. Chile had on Sunday 75 cases that tested positive but no deaths. Magallanes region and Punta Arenas had no cases according to the Chilean Health ministry daily report.
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 10:40 UTC
Tierra del Fuego rushes 400 tourists to Buenos Aires from an Antarctic cruise

The Argentine Tierra del Fuego province government rushed some 400 passengers from a cruise vessel, by air, to Buenos Aires before the implementation of a coronavirus fourteen-day quarantine which becomes effective this Monday. The Norwegian flagged vessel Midnatsol arrived on Saturday to Ushuaia from Antarctica.
Monday, March 16th 2020 - 10:23 UTC
Oil drilling sediment shows Falklands could have suffered a tsunami a million years ago

Scientists have found evidence of ancient slope failures on the seafloor to the south of the Falkland Islands on the South Atlantic. Computer models suggest these underwater landslides would have been capable of sending waves crashing on to the Falklands' coastline that was tens of meters high.