Coronavirus Watch: Cruise ship kept off West Coast

Thousands of people aboard a cruise ship are waiting in limbo off the coast of San Francisco, the most recent in a series of coronavirus-related marine scares. (More on this below.)

Welcome, new subscribers! This is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network, where we'll be sending updates on everything you need to know about COVID-19.

If you missed our earlier editions, here's how this newsletter works: Up top, we'll provide you with the crucial stuff you need to know. Scroll down and we've curated the day's 10 most important articles that will give you the best picture of what's going on, from national news to travel policy updates to the latest safety recommendations.

Here's the latest, as of 2:30 p.m. ET:

• More than 20 passengers and crew members aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship have developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Health officials believe they may have come in contact with a 71-year-old man who had been on the ship previously and who later died from the virus. Officials were set to conduct tests today. 
• Tennessee, still recovering from a series of deadly tornadoes and storms, reported its first case of the coronavirus in the state. 
• In the U.S., at least 11 people have died, with almost 200 confirmed cases across 16 states. More than 30 cases are in California and 70 cases are in Washington. Both states have declared emergencies. See a map of cases here.
• The director of the World Health Organization has urged all nations to "pull out all the stops" in the fight against the coronavirus. He reiterated that the global outbreak is not a pandemic.
• As expected, the Senate passed a $8.3 billion emergency spending deal. 
• A suburban Seattle school district has closed all its schools for 14 days in an effort to slow the coronavirus outbreak that has infiltrated King and Snohomish counties.
• And no, cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans. Hong Kong officials have confirmed that pets can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners, like that dog that tested "weak positive" for the virus last week. But pets can't get sick from the virus.

Thanks to the hundreds of you who have already reached out to us with your questions! We've put together an FAQ and explainer that address many of your concerns. What other questions would you like answered?

Dana from Titusville, Florida, wants to know: What are the underlying health conditions that are putting adults at greater risk for critical condition or death from the virus?

People with hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer are at higher risk for severe disease and death, according to the World Health Organization. People over 60 years old are also at higher risk, and the highest mortality rate is among people over 80 years old.

Finally, thank you for subscribing. We appreciate you trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information. Know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Please forward this email so they can sign up here.

To make sure you receive each update, add us to your email contacts. You can also drag this email to your "primary" inbox or hit "not spam" should you find this in your spam folder.

Here are today's coronavirus need-to-knows.

— Grace Hauck, Breaking News Reporter, @grace_hauck