Puerto Rico imposes island-wide curfew

The governor of Puerto Rico has announced an island-wide curfew starting Sunday evening.

During a statement, Gov. Wanda Vazquez stressed that the government was implementing "strict control measures and social isolation to prevent the propagation of this virus."

"I have ordered a curfew for all the residents of Puerto Rico. It will start at 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. of the following day, and will be extended through March 30th," she said.

On Friday, Gov. Vazquez announced that tests had confirmed three cases of the new coronavirus in Puerto Rico, the first for the U.S. territory.

She also announced that the public school system would close for 14 days and that no cruise ships or the ferry from the Dominican Republic would be allowed to dock.

Vazquez said one of the cases involved a local man who had relatives who traveled off the island and the other two are tourists from northern Italy, which is at the center of a major outbreak of COVID-19 disease in that nation.

Even before the announcement, several events including concerts and a circus performance had been canceled on the island due to worries about the virus, which has spread around the world. The University of Puerto Rico and some private colleges cancelled classes.