The Continental Hockey League has officially announced the suspension of the Gagarin Cup for one week. During the pause, the league intends to agree with the state authorities on a new playoff format with the participation of the six remaining Russian clubs - SKA, CSKA, Sibir, Dynamo, Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev.

US President Donald Trump has warned that the coronavirus could lead to a recession in the country's economy. Trump also opined that the outbreak would last until July or August, or "maybe longer." Against the backdrop of the president's statement, stock indices intensified the fall that began in the morning of the trading day. As a result, the Dow Jones lost 12.9% by the close, the Nasdaq lost 12.3%, and the S&P 500 lost 12%.

France imposes restrictions on the movement of people around the country for two weeks. This was stated by President Emmanuel Macron in an address to the nation. All residents of the country are ordered to stay at home and go out only in cases of emergency. At the same time, utility bills will be temporarily abolished. In addition, Macron announced the postponement of the second round of municipal elections and the suspension of all ongoing reforms, including pension reforms.

The government of the Russian Federation has decided to restrict the access of foreigners to the country in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. Entry to citizens of other states will be closed from March 18 to May 1. The restrictions will not apply to diplomats, crew members of aircraft, ships and trains, as well as transit air passengers and foreigners who have a residence permit in Russia.

The main questions about the future of the pandemic Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP / Scanpix / Leta All Medusa materials about coronavirus are open to distribute Creative Commons CC BY for distribution . You can reprint them! The license does not apply to the photo. The spread of coronavirus, apparently, can no longer be stopped - why then do you need to cancel flights and other tough measures? Is it just a panic? Short.

The main thing of the 52-page conclusion Petr Kovalev / TASS / Vida Press The judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation for two days checked and recognized the constitutional law on amendments to the Constitution, and also approved the procedure for adopting it.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a special address to the nation, urged citizens to limit social contacts in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. Johnson urged the people of the country to work from home, as well as to refuse to visit pubs, clubs, theaters and public events. At the same time, the prime minister did not announce any strict bans from the authorities.

Update: From March 18 to May 1, Russia’s borders will be closed to all but Russian citizens. In addition to the exceptions described below, private individuals may be permitted to enter Russia to attend the funerals of close family members. Russia’s executive cabinet has drafted an order that would temporarily block all foreign citizens from entering Russia. The ban would include Belarusian citizens. Its timing is not yet clear.

Clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine have begun in the United States, reports the Associated Press. Research is being conducted at the Washington State Health Research Institute in Seattle. They involve 45 volunteers who will be given two doses of the vaccine now and a month later. The vaccine was developed by Moderna with input from the National Institutes of Health. As noted by AP, even if the experiment is successful, the vaccine will enter the market no sooner than a year later.

The Government of the Russian Federation has prepared a draft resolution on temporary restrictions on the entry of foreign citizens into Russia. Residents of Belarus will also be subject to restrictions. The ban will not apply to employees of diplomatic missions, crew members of aircraft, ships and train crews, as well as to foreigners who have a residence permit in Russia. The date of the possible adoption of the resolution and the period of its validity are not called.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed introducing a number of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. In particular, Zelensky called on the government to suspend the operation of the metro , and to ban intercity and interregional bus, rail and air traffic from 12:00 on March 18. For public transport, Zelensky believes, it is necessary to limit the number of passengers - no more than 10 people in a minibus, no more than 20 people in buses, trams, trolleybuses.

Petersburg, the musician and poet Konstantin Ryabinov, also known by the nickname Kuzya UO, died. He was one of the founders of the punk group Civil Defense. Ryabinov was 55 years old. The death of the musician is reported by Fontanka.ru with reference to his girlfriend Ksenia Kislitsyna. According to her, Ryabinov died at home, the cause of death has not yet been precisely established. Yegor Letov and Konstantin Ryabinov founded Civil Defense in 1984.

Dmitry Astakhov / Pool / TASS / Scanpix / LETA On March 16, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced his cabinet’s plans for battling the global pandemic of COVID-19. The proposal is scheduled to be revealed in full on March 18, but media sources like Vedomosti and Kommersant have already uncovered a number of the measures it contains. The federal executive branch has now confirmed some of those steps, particularly those related to business and the economy.

Updated . French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the external borders of the EU and the Schengen area will be closed from noon on March 17. The European Union plans to impose a travel ban on its territory for foreigners in all cases except for urgent ones. Corresponding measures were proposed by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Initially, the restrictions will be introduced for 30 days, later this period can be extended.

The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation recommended that subordinate institutions temporarily impose a ban on visits for foreigners, Interfax reports. The Ministry of Culture also instructed to close the library for visiting, limit mass events (including excursions) in museums and stop foreign tours of creative teams. Updated . The Bolshoi Theatre, as well as Sovremennik and the Vakhtangov Theater, have canceled all performances until April 10, Interfax reports .