Coronavirus updates: As US death toll rises, governors close schools, bars; Trump promises more tests - USA TODAY

The Federal Reserve made a historic flex in the fight against coronavirus. Wochit

Millions of American children will be stuck at home this week, and beyond. Many bars and restaurants will be empty for the foreseeable future.

As governors and mayors across the country took action over the weekend to stop the rapid spread of coronavirus, the pandemic that's sent the world spiraling, U.S. health officials on Sunday pledged to ramp up testing efforts by the tens of thousands.

The death toll rose again in the U.S., to 69, with more than 3,770 confirmed cases as of Monday morning. The global death toll has surpassed 6,500.

In an attempt to slow the virus, more than 30 states ordered the shuttering of all schools. Included in those closures are New York and Los Angeles public schools, the two largest districts in the nation that serve more than a combined 1.8 million K-12 children.

Also Sunday, President Donald Trump and his administration promised to ramp up testing for the virus.

“This is a very contagious virus, it’s incredible,’’ Trump said. “But it’s something we have tremendous control of.’’

Governors in Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington ordered the closing of bars, wineries and restaurants, and encouraged customers to continue supporting those businesses by ordering both delivery and takeout.

Other important headlines on coronavirus:

The CDC issued new recommendations late Sunday, saying that gatherings of 50 or more people should not take place in the U.S. for the next eight weeks. The recommendation does not apply to businesses or schools.
Five governors closed bars and restaurants, including California, and mayors in Nashville and New Orleans announced restrictions for those establishments. More closures are expected in the coming days.
Major hotels on the Las Vegas Strip are starting to close, including Wynn Resorts and MGM, both of which will close their hotel-casinos starting Tuesday.
In an effort to lessen negative impacts on the economy, the Federal Reserve cut short-term interest rates to zero, renewed its crisis-era bond purchases to lower long-term rates and encouraged more bank loans to households and businesses.
Roughly 2,000 labs are expected to come online across the nation in the coming weeks, and they will be able to process both drive-thru and walk up tests quickly.
More than 30 states have closed schools, and there's no guarantee they'll re-open anytime soon.
The race to find a coronavirus treatment:One strategy might be just weeks away, scientists say, but no vaccine yet. Meanwhile, what we don't know about COVID-19 is 'epic.' Can you have influenza and coronavirus at the same time? We answer readers' questions.

CDC says gatherings of 50+ shouldn't happen for 'next eight weeks'

The CDC issued on Sunday issued new guidance recommending against gatherings of 50 or more people "for the next eight weeks," saying those who have already planned events with that many people should cancel or postpone.

"This recommendation is made in an attempt to reduce introduction of the virus into new communities and to slow the spread of infection in communities already affected by the virus," the CDC wrote on its website. "This recommendation is not intended to supersede the advice of local public health officials."

The guidance notes it "does not apply to the day to day operation of organizations such as schools, institutes of higher learning, or businesses," however those types of organizations are closing nationwide.

"Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing," the CDC wrote. "When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual."

– Jordan Culver

Coronavirus news: What to know

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More: Ustedes nos hicieron muchas preguntas sobre el coronavirus, nosotros se las respondemos

Fauci: US should brace to 'hunker down' amid coronavirus pandemic

A top official in the coronavirus response says the U.S. should be prepared "to hunker down significantly more than we as a country are doing.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” that it is not clear whether the spread of the virus has been blunted.

Asked if he would prefer something like a 14-day national shutdown, Fauci told NBC: “You know, I would prefer as much as we possibly could. I think we should really be overly aggressive and get criticized for overreacting."

Fauci, making the Sunday talk show rounds, told ABC's "This Week" that domestic travel restrictions have not been seriously considered by the federal task force – yet.

"I do not see that right now in the immediate future," Fauci said. "But, remember, we are very open minded about whatever it takes to preserve the health of the American public."

– David Jackson

States start shuttering bars and restaurants, encourage takeout

The governors in six states — California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, New York and Washington — mandated the closings of bars, restaurants and wineries on Sunday in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 3,770 Americans and killed 69.

Describing coronavirus as "incredibly contagious" at a Sunday news conference, Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters, "If we take decisive steps now and everyone plays their part by following the best medical guidance, we can slow down the spread."

More: What is social distancing? When should I quarantine versus isolate?

Also Sunday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all restaurants and bars across five counties (Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery) to close dine-in facilities to help control the spread of the virus, beginning Monday.

– Lindsay Schnell

Hotels on Las Vegas Strip start to close

Wynn Resorts will close its two luxury hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip for two weeks starting Tuesday. MGM will cease casino operations on Monday and will completely close its properties on Tuesday.

"It is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression," Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, said in a statement.

The companies announced the closures after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered that all K-12 public schools in the Clark County School District close.

After two weeks, the Wynn resorts will evaluate the situation, according to a release sent to investors. MGM will not take reservations for new arrivals prior to May 1.

– Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette Journal

Fed cuts rate to zero, launches more bond purchases in historic moves

The Federal Reserve unleashed much of its arsenal Sunday to combat the economic damage caused by the coronavirus, cutting short-term interest rates to zero, renewing its crisis-era bond purchases to lower long-term rates and encouraging more bank loans to households and businesses.

Central bank policymakers agreed to lower the Fed’s benchmark federal funds rate by a full percentage point to a range of zero to 0.25% — where it hovered for years during and after the 2008 financial crisis.

“The coronavirus outbreak has harmed communities and disrupted economic activity in many countries, including the United States,” the Fed said in a statement. “The effects of the coronavirus will weigh on economic activity in the near-term and pose risks to the economic outlook."

The Fed already had cut its key rate by half percentage point earlier this month. Many economists expected the central bank to agree to a percentage point cut at a two-day meeting that ends Wednesday, but the Fed decided to move early in a historic show of force.

– Paul Davidson

Health care officials say tests will ramp up nationwide this week

Vice President Mike Pence and other health officials said two factors will allow them to increase testing capacity dramatically in coming days: Some 2,000 labs coming online across the nation to process tests and high throughput tests that can be used for drive-through or walk-up test centers.

Admiral Brett P. Giroir, assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services, said gear and federal health care workers would being shipping out Monday.

Health officials said they were focusing those tests on two groups: Healthcare workers and first responders as well as those who are 65 and older with a respiratory symptom and a fever of at least 99.6 degrees. The officials implored Americans to help prioritize those two groups.

– John Fritze and David Jackson

Parents brace for kids at home; thousands of schools close

Minnesota and South Carolina shut public schools effective Monday as the wave of widespread closings in the U.S. continued to grow. More than 20 states and a number of large urban school districts — including Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest — are shutting down all K-12 schools as part of a sweeping attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington are among states shutting down schools. Major metropolitan districts such as Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco, San Diego, Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas, have also shuttered. And a growing number of smaller districts around the country have also chosen to close.

How to help: Mister Rogers said to 'look for the helpers.' Here's how to help amid coronavirus panic.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who closed school for three weeks, says he expects confirmed coronavirus cases to rise "dramatically," suggesting 100,000 could be infected in his state. "While we have closed schools for three weeks, the odds are this is going to go on a lot longer," DeWine told CNN's "State of the Union." "It would not surprise me at all if schools did not open again this year."

– Erin Richards

Map: Which states have coronavirus cases?

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2020-03-16 09:11:47Z
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