More than 95,000 people around the world have been infected by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, and over 3,200 of them have died.
The newly identified virus was first detected in December in Wuhan, China, which remains the epicenter of the global outbreak. The virus, known officially as COVID-19, has since spread to every continent except Antarctica and the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. South Korea, Italy and Iran have the highest national totals of confirmed cases behind China, respectively.
In the United States, at least 180 confirmed cases have been detected through the local public health system. There are an additional 49 Americans diagnosed with the virus who were either repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan or were evacuated from Wuhan on a U.S. government-chartered plane.
Today's biggest developments:
Here's the latest on the developing situation. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.
8:45 a.m. Egypt reports 12 new cases from Nile cruise ship
Twelve people from a Nile cruise ship in Egypt have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said Friday.
The infected individuals are Egyptian workers from the boat, which sailed along the Nile River from Aswan to Luxor. They are all asymptomatic, according to a joint statement from Egypt's health ministry and the World Health Organization.
Tests revealed a Taiwanese tourist of "American origin," who was a passenger on the ship, was the "main case that infected other cases," according to the statement.
The 12 workers were quarantined due to suspicions of infection. They tested positive on the final day of their two-week isolation despite not showing any symptoms. Other people on board who had come in contact with the tourist were also quarantined for 14 days, according to the statement.
The 12 new positive cases brings Egypt's national total to 15.
7:30 a.m. Passenger aboard Grand Princess cruise ship speaks out
The Grand Princess cruise ship remained docked off the California coast Friday morning as health officials await results from dozens of coronavirus tests.
Test kits were delivered to the vessel via helicopter on Thursday after it was determined that the first person to die from the novel coronavirus in California had previously sailed on the ship in February.
The Grand Princess was originally scheduled to return to San Francisco on Saturday but the 15-day voyage had to be cut short due to fears that the virus could be present on board.
Samples were collected from 45 people currently on board who were showing symptoms and sent to a California Department of Public Health lab in Richmond for testing, according to a statement from Princess Cruises, which operates the ship. The results were expected later Friday.
Meanwhile, all passengers have been told to stay in their rooms, pending the test results.
American Debbi Loftus and her elderly parents are among those on board. She told ABC News they are healthy and in good spirits.
"We've not been tested because we feel fine, we're totally healthy, no symptoms," Loftus said in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America."
"We did take the precaution of packing extra medication in case this would happen," she added. "We were hoping it wouldn't, and hopefully still the test results come back negative and we can all go home tomorrow."
6:53 a.m. Johns Hopkins bars fans from NCAA Division III basketball tournament due to coronavirus
Johns Hopkins University announced it's barring fans from attending the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament in Baltimore on Friday and Saturday, after a cluster of cases of the novel coronavirus popped up in Maryland.
"In light of Maryland's recently confirmed cases of COVID-19, and based on CDC guidance for large gatherings, we have determined that it is prudent to hold this tournament without spectators," the school said in a statement Thursday night. "While we await further guidance from public health authorities, we will be assessing large events on a case-by-case basis. We regret any inconvenience to the families and fans of the players."
Health officials confirmed the first three positive cases of COVID-19 in Maryland on Thursday, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency.
5:14 a.m. Tech giants tell staff to work from home as employees contract virus
Two Microsoft employees have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Washington State, a company spokesperson told ABC News on Friday.
Both employees are located in the Puget Sound region, a coastal area that includes several major cities such as Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, the site of Microsoft's corporate headquarters. One of the employees works for LinkedIn, a Microsoft subsidiary.
"We have learned that a Microsoft employee and a LinkedIn employee, both in Puget Sound, are among those diagnosed with COVID-19," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We are working closely with local public health authorities to provide the necessary support for our colleagues and their co-workers. We continue to provide real-time guidance for employees and take appropriate actions in accordance with public health guidance."
On Wednesday, Microsoft instructed all employees in the Puget Sound region and California's Bay Area to work from home, if possible, for the next three weeks. The company also restricted employee travel and said it would continue cleaning and sanitizing its office locations.
Amazon and Facebook are also encouraging Seattle-area staff to work from home amid the mushrooming outbreak in Washington state, which has confirmed 71 cases so far with 11 deaths. Eight of those deaths have been linked to a nursing home in Kirkland.
Meanwhile, Facebook announced it is closing its Seattle office until Monday after a contractor tested positive for the virus. The company is asking all employees in Washington state's largest city to work from home for the rest of the month.
3:30 a.m. American tourist becomes 1st case in Bhutan
An American tourist in Bhutan has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus as the first confirmed case in the South Asian country, situated on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, prompting officials there to temporarily ban all incoming tourists and shutter schools in three regions.
Bhutan's Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet announced the case in a press release early Friday morning, saying the patient is a 76-year-old U.S. citizen who had entered the country via a flight from India on Monday.
The man left Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18 and toured India from Feb. 21 to March 1. He was traveling with his 58-year-old partner, according to Bhutan's Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Upon arriving at Bhutan's Paro International Airport, officials assessed the man's health declaration form, on which he had indicated "negative" against all conditions. He did not show any signs of fever, officials said.
However, upon reaching the capital, Thimphu, later that afternoon, the man went to a hospital complaining of bloat and nausea. He suffers from chronic hypertension and is on medication. At that time, he did not have any flu-like symptoms, officials said.
On Wednesday, the man traveled to Punakha, a town in the Himalayas of Bhutan, where he stayed at Densa Boutique Resort. Upon returning to Thimphu on Thursday, he went back to the hospital again and was found to have a fever, sore throat, cough and shortness of breath. He was kept under observation at the flu clinic, which has become a designated coronavirus hospital, and samples were collected and sent to Bhutan's Royal Center for Disease Control for testing, officials said.
The test results came back positive for COVID-19 late Thursday night and were validated early Friday morning. Since then, he has been isolated in the coronavirus hospital.
By Friday morning, health officials have traced more than 90 people who had come in contact with the American tourist in Bhutan.
In response to the detection of COVID-19 in the country, the government of Bhutan has ordered the closure of schools and institutions in three regions and has banned public gatherings in the affected localities.
The government has also imposed a two-week restriction on all incoming tourists, effective immediately.
"This is to enable rigorous monitoring, source assessment of infection and mitigate the situation," Bhutan's Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said in a statement Friday. "The government will assess the situation after two weeks and accordingly decide on the restrictions."
ABC News' Will Gretsky, Dragana Jovanovic, Hatem Maher and Gabrielle Sarann contributed to this report.
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