(NEW YORK) — Here’s the latest information on the COVID-19 coronavirus as of 9:45 a.m. ET.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 2,582,529
Global deaths: 178,481. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 45,373.
Number of countries/regions: at least 185
Total patients recovered globally: 695,324
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 825,306 diagnosed cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 45,373. New York City has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 14,887.
U.S. total patients recovered: 75,673
U.S. total people tested: 4,163,464
U.S. total people hospitalized: 120,665
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in New York, with 258,589 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 19.5 million. That is the most reported cases than in any other single region in the world. New Jersey is next, with 92,387 reported cases out of a total population of 8.88 million.
Latest reported deaths per state
Visit https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html for 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
President Trump commits to ordering 60-day immigration suspension
Following his late-night tweet on Monday, President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced an executive order suspending all immigration into the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During his daily White House briefing about the pandemic, the president said he will sign the order Wednesday that will give a 60-day “pause” the green light. The order will also affect those applying for green cards but not those entering the country on a temporary basis. An extension will be “based on economic conditions at the time,” the president said, adding that the ban will “protect our U.S. workers” and “also help to conserve vital medical resources for American citizens.”
Africa could see one billion COVID-19 cases
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African countries are bracing themselves for grave consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic. Projections released April 17 in a U.N. report estimate more than a billion cases and 300,000 deaths in Africa due to COVID-19. The pandemic is further expected to cut already modest economic growth nearly in half, consequently forcing as many as 27 million people on the continent into extreme poverty. The news comes as dozens of people were seen Tuesday escaping quarantine from a facility in Nairobi, Kenya. Officials say they have the names of those who escaped and are actively searching for them.
7-11 discovered selling fake COVID-19 test kits
While researchers are working to develop effective COVID-19 test kits for medical professionals, there currently is no such thing available for purchase by the public. But as WTNH in New Haven, Connecticut reports, police in New London on Tuesday seized fake coronavirus testing kits from a 7-11 store there. Chief of Police Peter Reichard said undercover officers visited the retail location after receiving an anonymous tip and attempted to buy one of the kits, which were priced at $40 and were sitting in a countertop display. Police say the owner could face criminal charges, even though he insisted he believed the kits were legitimate and had even tried one himself.
Good news!
Publix supermarket chain to donate excess farm produce, fruit, milk to food banks
Publix, one of the largest supermarket chains in the Southeastern U.S., today announced a new initiative to purchase milk, fruit and produce from regional farmers who currently have shrinking markets for their goods because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Publix will then donate the purchased goods to Feed America member good banks, for distribution to needy families. The coronavirus pandemic has placed a tremendous strain on food banks due to school closures and record numbers of people losing their jobs due to shuttered businesses. Publix says the initiative will run for several weeks.
Florida scientists say potential COVID-19 vaccine shows early promise
Scientists at Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida are today expected to announce promising results in their ongoing search for a COVID-19 vaccine. The Palm Beach Post reports Scripps scientists, working with Chinese researchers, injected four rats with a collection of amino acids known as receptor-binding domain, or RBD. The RBD then helped trigger what was described as the “robust” production of antibodies against COVID-19. Findings are scheduled to be presented during a public webinar this afternoon. Any vaccine must still be tested on humans, meaning even if it works, wide distribution could be as much as a year away, or more.
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