Coronavirus Watch: Italy declares lockdown of north

Italy has declared a lockdown on 17 million people in the north. In the U.S., 466 infections have been reported, and the number is rising almost as fast as the tests for the virus can be conducted.

It's Sunday, and 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 1:45 p.m. ET:

• The Grand Princess cruise ship will begin to allow guests to disembark Monday, three days after 21 people aboard tested positive for the coronavirus.
• A New Jersey man who tested positive attended a conference also attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, but organizers say the 55-year-old man did not interact with them.
• There are 105 cases now reported in New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called out and called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asking approval for private labs to conduct coronavirus testing. 
• 466 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., and more than 107,800 worldwide. Here's a map of confirmed cases in the U.S.
• Large areas of northern Italy have gone into lockdown as the government has taken drastic measures to stop the spread, affecting at least 15 provinces that house more than 15 million people. The Vatican has shut down its museums and the Sistine Chapel until April 3.
• At least 10 people were dead and 23 missing as first responders in Beijing sifted through the debris of a collapsed building used to isolate arrivals from other parts of the country.
• Conferences and large gatherings, including South by Southwest in Austin, have been canceled. See a list of canceled events in the U.S. here.

Thank you for submitting so many questions. To date, we've received more than 500! Many of you have asked similar questions about keeping yourself and your family prepared for what could come. We've put together an explainer that answers many of these questions. What else would you like to know?

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.

— Lindsay Deutsch, Newsletter Strategist, @lindsdee