The latest news on the coronavirus front came in the form of the NBA suspending its season until further notice.  The league made the decision amid mounting pressure to limit public gatherings and the news that a player on the Utaz Jazz tested positive for the virus.  Mega star Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson also announced from Australia that they have tested positive for coronavirus.

In other developments:

  • The stock market fell another 1,464 points on Wednesday. It is down 20% from its February high.
  • Colleges across America, including Harvard, are temporarily closing down and telling students to vacate their dorms.
  • NYC’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been cancelled.
  • The NCAA March Madness Tournament will take place with only limited staff and family attendance.
  • The Democrat debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders this Sunday, before the set of four primaries next Tuesday, will be held without an audience.
  • Italy has virtually quarantined whole regions of the country.
  • The Iranian government has lost several members to virus death.
  • Public events of all types are being cancelled or scaled back.
  • The White House has cancelled public tours.
  • Current statistics show 126,000 cases in 110 nations. The global death rate stands at 4,600.
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While the U.S. infection rate remains low and the death rate is under 1%, on par with the average flu, the psychological effect is turning the virus into a major world event.