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The crowded sports stadiums for soccer games during early February in the Lombardy region accelerated the spread of coronavirus in Italy by the end of February. The sports stadiums soccer games spread the virus like wildfire in northern Italy. This is why along with nursing homes, sports stadiums pose the greatest threat from coronavirus. The tens of thousands of people from a single game can contaminate as many as 40,000 or 50,000 people as these 10,000 people go on subways, restaurants and other places. This spreads to millions very quickly creating a wildfire effect. Airports and sports stadiums or music venues, theatres have this wildfire spreading effect that is then compounded by the use of public transport and restaurants other close proximity places, spreading it far and wide. These are also not essential activities as work and office, employees working at companies or in manufacturing, which are essential to the economy.  This is why in terms of priority sports and leisure travel can be deferred till a vaccine is developed. Business travel is increasingly being substituted by using videoconferencing and other ways of staying in touch remotely. ...

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A NYT video simulation that shows how early action is critical with decisive steps for quarantine and lockdown with enforcement, to control the spread of coronavirus. It shows the spread along a timeline of the coronavirus in the U.S.

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India imposes a travel ban for 30 days for visitors and overseas citizens of India in an effort to control spread of the coronavirus. The rule goes into effect on March 13, Friday. Visitors to India will face a quarantine of 14 days. The ban was announced on the same day that the U.S. president Trump announced a travel ban for 26 European countries for 30 days.

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More games are being played in stadiums behind closed doors as in Japanese baseball or canceled altogether as in Italy. The coronavirus is leading to restrictions on mass gatherings, both in live entertainment and in sports.  Japan has changed its sports calendar postponing most events. Switzerland banned gatherings of over 1000 people, and France suspended events with gatherings of over 5000 people.  There is an acceptance of the fact that social distancing reduces the speed and extent of the spread of the virus, with countries that acted with quarantines and restrictions having a slower spread. This is now the case in China. In South Korea the lack of effective quarantine has led to spread of the virus. The extra time gained from slowing down the spread is important to let hospitals and medical systems cope. Things can be less intense for the medical community which is important for all countries.  Players and performers also are reluctant to be exposed to the virus in the current situation, particularly in locker rooms and other locations in stadiums. ...

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As corporate America takes stock of the damage it finds on April 12, 2020-

270 companies have draw on existing credit lines or added ones for a total $221 billon in new debt.

100 companies furloughing 3 million employees.

Unemployment insurance claims filed by 17 million people.

Airlines, retail and automobiles some of the worst hit industries.

President Trump acted quickly on April 11, to save the oil and gas industry by negotiating cuts with OPEC+ so that oil prices do not collapse at the opening of markets on April 13 from the price of $22  barrel. He also pledged to save Boeing.

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How the travel limits imposed by coronavirus have reduced automobile and airline travel leading to drastic reduction in polluting gases in the atmosphere. In New York about a 50% reduction in carbon monoxide. Both China, Northern Italy show large reductions in nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. This gas is related to automobiles and industrial activity. Pictures taken from satellites show the map of the areas around big cities in China- Shanghai and Beijing- mostly clear compared to before the coronavirus hit the country.

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The White House faces alarm as the U.S. president's valet and vice president Mike Pence's press secretary tests positive for the coronavirus. The cramped quarters at the White House and lack of the recommended social distancing at meetings of the U.S. president, most of the meetings being conducted maskless, are also cause for concern. 

Admiral Gilday of the Joint Chiefs will quarantine for one week. Self-isolating for 2 weeks are Dr. Fauci, Dr Redfield head of the CDC, and Dr. Hahn head of the FDA.

A senior economic adviser to president Trump, Kevin Hassett, says on CBS television program "Face the Nation" that it is scary to go to work now.

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CDC has given no explanation for its new guidelines that say testing for coronavirus needs to be done only for those with symptoms, not for those exposed to someone within 6 feet who has symptoms. About half of all new cases are from people who are exposed to people with symptoms but have not yet developed symptoms. One of the reasons the virus spread quickly in February is CDC failure in developing of its own test on February 9 and policy that did not let private labs and labs of teaching hospitals develop their own tests and use them for another 3 crucial weeks.  CDC and Health and Human Services Department errors in February, combined with the stalling of an American team for 3 weeks by China to enter Wuhan in January,  have combined to let the coronavirus spread to the wider population. Once it spreads to a wider population the strategy of test and trace cannot be implemented the way it was first in South Korea and Taiwan, and later in Germany. ...

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India closes state borders and stems the flow of migrants as it tackles the spread of coronavirus. The Home Ministry ordered states to effectively seal their borders. The whole country is in a lockdown and prime minister Modi says this is the only way to tackle coronavirus spread.

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With coronavirus spread out over wide parts of each country and with so many people infected it is very difficult to do the contact tracing and isolation that was tried during the first wave. In Germany during the first wave efforts for contact tracing and isolation worked reasonably well. During the second wave in November things have changed. In Germany authorites do not know in November where 75% of the people testing positive for coronavirus got it. In Spain this figure is 93% for the last week of October. In France and Italy it is at 80%. In New York it is over 50%. Other problems are the increasing number of cases where the coronavirus is spread in an home setting, the lack of restaurant data collected on who visits, and the delay in getting test results. In Germany frequently people say they cannot remember where they were. Researchers from the German version of the FBI, the Pasteur Institute in France and the Koch Institute in Germany are getting involved in November to understand in what settings the virus spreads most. ...

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The role of human behaviour not lockdown restrictions alone that help prevent spread of coronavirus variant.

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The CDC in the U.S. recommends use of face masks, cloth masks or scarfs, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

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This graphic report in NYT shows how the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant spread in Europe and how dangerous it can be. It was first seen in Britain and is more contagious increasing the risk in the third and fourth wave of coronavirus in 2021.

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Putting fans in seats at the sports stadiums for Bundesliga soccer in Germany could pose severe risks from coronavirus spread. It was in Lombardy that fan packed sports stadiums exponentially spread the virus in Italy. RB Leipzig is trying to start this in September to get 20,000 fans into its stadium and this is facing a lot of resistance.