<img ” src=”http://abcnewsradioonline.com/storage/news-images-march-2020/N_COVID-19UpdateImage_031820.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1585144094381″ alt=”” style=”display:none”>Here’s the latest information on the COVID-19 coronavirus as of 10:00 a.m. ET.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 435,006
Global deaths: 19,625
Number of countries/regions: at least 171
Total patients recovered globally: 111,822
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
At least 55,225 diagnosed cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam.
At least 802 dead
Latest reported deaths per state
Visit https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.htmlfor the latest numbers.
School closures
For a state-by-state interactive map of current school closures, please visit the Education Week website, where numbers are updated once daily.
There are 98,277 public schools and 34,576 private schools in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Those schools educate almost 50.8 million public school students and 5.8 million private school students.
The latest headlines
Negotiators reach deal in principle on $2 trillion stimulus bill
After a little under 15 hours of closed-door bipartisan talks, White House Legislative Affairs Director Eric Ueland told reporters early this morning that negotiators have reached a deal on the $2 trillion economic stimulus package, though parts of it are still being drafted. “Much of the work on the bill text has been completed and I’m hopeful over the next few hours…we will circulate it early in the morning,” said Ueland. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also announced the deal and, while not setting an exact time for the vote later Wednesday, both indicated the bill will pass. When asked if the president would sign this deal, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said, in part, “Absolutely.”
DOJ tells prosecutors to consider terrorism charges for those who threaten or try to purposely spread COVID-19
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen has sent a memo to U.S. attorneys across the country offering guidance on how the Justice Department should plan to prosecute those who seek to take advantage of the current national crisis around COVID-19. One portion of the memo says terrorism charges should be considered in the event individuals threaten or try to purposefully spread the coronavirus to other people. “Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated,” Rosen says. Separately, Attorney General Bill Barr sent a memo to the department’s workforce updating them on implementation of President Trump’s executive order Tuesday regarding efforts to combat hoarding and price gouging during the national emergency. In the memo, Barr announces that he has tasked U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of New Jersey with leading the DOJ’s anti-hoarding task force.
Publix to install Plexiglas barriers at registers in wake of coronavirus pandemic
WFTS in Tampa Bay, Florida reports the Publix supermarket chain will install Plexiglas barriers in its stores beginning this weekend to provide a barrier between shoppers and workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The Florida-based company will install barriers at cash registers, pharmacies and customer service stations, with work expected to be completed over the next two weeks.
Miami residents told to shelter in place; Vermont, Wisconsin orders go into effect today
The City of Miami is ordering all residents to shelter in place and remain at home until further notice, effective today at 11:59 p.m. ET, in order to help halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. All non-essential travel within the City of Miami is prohibited until further notice, with few exceptions. Residents may engage in outdoor recreational activities but not in those places that have already been closed to the public under the existing emergency order. In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers Tuesday announced a ‘Safer at Home’ order that prohibits all nonessential travel, with some exceptions. It went into effect at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday and will remain in effect until 8:00 a.m. April 24. Also today, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ order is officially in effect, mandating all non-essential businesses to cease in-person operations and ordering residents to leave their homes only if critical for health and safety. The order remains in effect until April 15.
Good news!
Woman with COVID-19 improves after being treated with remdesivir
KGO in San Francisco reports a Palo Alto, California woman who tested positive for COVID-19 has recovered after being treated with the anti-viral drug remdesivir [rem-DESS-ih-veer]. Monica Yeung Arima and her husband, Adrian, both tested positive after returning from a recent trip to Egypt, and were admitted to Stanford Hospital. Monica, who developed pneumonia and already had asthma and diabetes was enrolled in the ongoing remdesivir trial. After five IV infusions of the drug over five consecutive days, along with antibiotics, Monica’s health improved enough that she and Adrian are now recovering at home. Remdesivir was initially developed as a possible treatment for the Ebola virus, and was subsequently shown to be effective against other viruses, including coronaviruses.
Thirteen-year-old uses 3D printer to make respirators
Like millions of other kids, Charles Randolph is staying at home from school amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the 13-year-old from Falls Church, Virginia is putting his down time to good use. As WJLA in Washington, D.C. reports, he’s using a 3D printer to make respirators, at a cost of about a buck a mask. “I saw in the news that high-risk patients, people with existing diseases like heart problems and asthma, I thought this would help him,” says Randolph. Each mask takes about 90 minutes to make, though he notes, “It may not be 100 percent of a filtration system but it works.” Now Charles is looking for a place to donate the masks.
Landlord cuts rent by $200 a month during pandemic
KATU in Portland, Oregon reports landlord Mike Shiley has cut the monthly rent for his 12 tenants by $200 a month, to ease the strain on workers watching their income dwindle or disappear due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For Shiley, who weathered the Great Recession as a property owner, it’s not just a question of compassion – it’s also common sense. If he loses a tenant, “That’s the same thing as losing seven months of me giving them a $200 discount and keeping them. Then I have to clean the place, re-paint it, put in another ad, find another tenant, screen them, move them in — it’s a hassle and it’s a lot of my time.” Shiley won’t say how long he can afford to keep the rent discounts in place, but he hopes other landlords see the wisdom in the practice and follow suit.
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.