Disney Gives the World Good Coronavirus News

But sadly the world has its youngest coronavirus case: a newborn
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 14, 2020 11:20 AM CDT
Disney Gives the World Good Coronavirus News
A moment in "Frozen 2."   (MovieWeb)

Amid all the negative COVID-19 stories, a good one from Disney: Frozen 2 will be available for streaming three months earlier than expected, CNN reports. New Disney CEO Bob Chapek says the movie's "powerful themes of perseverance and the importance of family" are "incredibly relevant during this time." With Disney's own parks shut down, thousands of schools closed, and millions of kids homebound, this might give families a pleasant break. The animated movie will begin streaming March 15 on Disney+ and will reach other nations—Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand—two days later. In other coronavirus news:

  • Military travel: The Pentagon said Friday that military employees—meaning troops, Defense Department workers and their families on military properties—can't travel within the US starting Monday, CNN reports. The move is designed to curb the coronavirus and "preserve force readiness," says a DoD memo. The Pentagon has set new restrictions for entering the building, per the AP.

  • Puerto Rico and Spain: Puerto Rico has announced its first official coronavirus cases—three in all—as it closes schools for two weeks, blocks all cruise ships, and bars the ferry from the Dominican Republic, the AP reports. Spain's government says it plans to lock down the country and order people to stay home unless they need medicine, food, or work at a hospital, per the Guardian.
  • Apple: The tech giant is shuttering most stores worldwide until March 27, a rare move among retail giants. But stores will remain open in China (where infection rates are down), Taiwan, and Hong Kong, the New York Times reports.
  • NCAA athletes: Student athletes will get to keep their eligibility for a year despite the coronavirus ruining the current season, ESPN reports. "Details of eligibility relief will be finalized at a later time," says the NCAA.
  • Green-card holders: The feds are casting aside a rule that bars people from green cards if they take advantage of government benefits—as long as they have COVID-19 or virus symptoms and get medical care, per US News & World Report.
  • Newborn victim: Coronavirus has its youngest victim: a newborn in England whose mom had been rushed to a hospital with possible pneumonia, Fox News reports. As of Friday, the baby and mother were receiving care at separate hospitals.
  • Middle East: Saudi Arabia has stopped all international flights into the country for two weeks, per the AP. In the United Arab Emirates, elderly people are being told to stay home as tourist restaurants and nightclubs are shuttered for the rest of the month. Nearby Iran has one of the world's worst breakouts, with over 11,000 infected and over 500 dead.
  • Heidi: Model Heidi Klum announced on Instagram that she's come down with something ("a chill, feeling feverish, cough, runny nose") but "just can't get" a coronavirus test, the Hill reports. She stopped taping America's Got Talent this week after feeling ill.
(More coronavirus stories.)

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