Ryan Beene and Ari Natter

Venturing out of a hotel room in Hawaii right now might land you in handcuffs.

Just ask one of the roughly 20 people who’ve been arrested for violating Governor David Ige’s two-week quarantine imposed on all who arrive in the state or travel between its islands.

Hundreds more have been arrested or issued citations for violating other aspects of the state’s emergency orders to combat the coronavirus, which are among the nation’s strictest and have helped to drive down the rate of infection to the second lowest in the country.

State parks and Hawaii’s famous beaches have been closed. Hotels are issuing single-use keys, forcing quarantined guests who leave their rooms to go to the front desk and explain why. Airlines have been encouraged to suspend incoming flights. The state’s visitors bureau has asked media organizations to “refrain from publishing any stories about Hawaii that might encourage people to travel to the islands.”

Keep Reading

March 29, 2020, 7:53 AM CDT / Updated March 29, 2020, 12:15 PM CDTBy Yuliya Talmazan, Lidia Sirna and Hernan Muñoz Ratto

People in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were urged to “refrain from non-essential domestic travel” for the next two weeks by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the number of people killed by the coronavirus pandemic around the world surpassed 30,000….NBC News

DELTA, UNITED, AND OTHER AIRLINES SENDING THEIR LARGEST PLANES TO THE DESERT FOR STORAGE AS THEY DRASTICALLY REDUCE OPERATIONS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS- Yahoo

REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

• Pinal Air Park in Arizona is best known for being an aircraft boneyard where aging aircraft are stored and scrapped for parts.
• Iconic airliners from yesteryear including the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 line the taxiways and parking areas of the isolated airfield. 
• Delta Air Lines, among others, are now turning to the airfield for storage as the novel coronavirus con…..

Back in business, China’s online travel sites Qunar, Ctrip expect a surge in domestic tourism amid global shutdown

• Ctrip started selling travel packages and attraction tickets last week as the country accelerated the pace of reopening parks and tourist spots
• Analysys is forecasting that the proportion of domestic tourism will increase to 60 per cent from 47 per cent last year

State Department warns Americans: Don’t travel abroad, come home if overseas

By DAN DIAMOND, NAHAL TOOSI and SAM MINTZ

03/19/2020 10:46 AM EDT

Updated: 03/19/2020 04:55 PM EDT

The State Department on Thursday issued an extraordinary advisory urging Americans not to travel overseas and to return to the United States if they can, a move that comes amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Car Rentals at Los Angeles, CA International Airport

Car Rentals at Fort Lauderdale, FL, International Airport

A woman who flew last week from Massachusetts to Los Angeles — then to Beijing, where she tested positive for the new coronavirus — is under investigation on allegations of concealing her symptoms and putting fellow travelers at risk of infection.

The woman took fever-reducing medication before boarding a plane and lied to flight attendants, according to Beijing’s disease control center and an Air China representative, who held a news conference on Monday.

The woman, who was hospitalized and is receiving treatment, is under investigationfor the crime of “impeding prevention of infectious diseases.” According to Chinese law, she could face up to three years of imprisonment or detention with possible forced labor, or up to seven years of prison if there are “serious consequences.”

Keep Reading

Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette Journal USA TODAY March 13, 2020, 6:07 PM CDT 0:56 1:24   Nevada: Trump backers rally as Dem caucus ahead

LAS VEGAS – Closures in the wake of coronavirus continue along the Las Vegas Strip. 

MGM Resorts International will now close all night clubs, day clubs, spas, salons and fitness centers. The temporary changes are effective Monday, the company announced Friday.

The latest shuttering of popular resort stops comes as health officials grapple with the spread of COVID-19 in Nevada, where there are 19 cases reported.

Restaurants, buffets close at MGM Resorts 

Fleur, Aurole and Mizuya will temporarily close Monday at the Mandalay Bay, according to MGM Resorts International.

The closures will follow MGM’s decision to close buffets at seven Las Vegas Strip properties due to coronavirus concerns.

Buffets at ARIA, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Luxor and Excalibur will temporarily close on Sunday.

Keep Reading