Coronavirus News Roundup: Thursday, March 12th

It’s official: The World Health Organization says COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, is a pandemic. Government and industry leaders are moving to cancel events and stem the flow of the disease, even though some experts say it is too late. President Donald Trump announced a travel ban from European countries last night. The NBA has suspended its season and the NCAA will play tournament games — including some scheduled for Indianapolis — without fans.

Here’s the latest from the region: 

Illinois: 

  • There are 25 cases of the virus in Illinois, the most in the Midwest. 
  • The General Assembly is cancelling next week’s session
  • Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been cancelled. 

Indiana:  

  • The NCAA has prohibited fan attendance at the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight tournament games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 
  • The Big Ten says that fans can’t attend men’s basketball conference tournament games in Indianapolis. 
  • Ball State University joined other major Indiana universities in suspending classes. 

Iowa: 

Kentucky: 

  • Eight people have tested positive for COVID-19. 
  • The governor is asking major institutions such as schools, houses of worship and prisons to cancel events. 

Missouri: 

Ohio: 

Check back to Side Effects for frequent round-ups of coronavirus news from the Midwest. We also want to help you sort fact from fiction when it comes to virus. Email health@wfyi.org or text “health” to 73224 with your questions, and we will search for the answers.

This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.

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Brian Moline

Brian Moline is the Managing Editor of Illinois Newsroom and host of Morning Edition for Illinois Public Media/WILL. He's been with WILL since 2015, after a long stint at WDWS-AM in Champaign where he covered both news and sports for more than a decade. If you have story or interview ideas, you can reach Brian at bmoline@illinois.edu.