More than 1 million cases confirmed worldwide

National coronavirus updates: More than 1 million cases confirmed worldwide

The latest:There are more than 242,000 cases in the United States, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. More than 5,800 people have died nationwide.Globally, the number of cases has surpassed 1 million with more than 52,000 deaths, Hopkins reports.A record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment in the week ending March 28.Social Security recipients will not have to file a tax return to receive a stimulus check, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday. President Donald Trump acknowledged that the federal stockpile of personal protective equipment is nearly depleted. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reconsidering guidance on who should wear face masks from insights about asymptomatic spread of the virus, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” President Trump takes second COVID-19 testPresident Donald Trump said Thursday he took another coronavirus test earlier that day.It literally took him a minute and gave a conclusion of negative about 14 or 15 minutes later, he said.He took the test out of curiosity, he said, to see how long it would take.The president also took a test March 13 after coming into contact with two individuals who tested positive for the virus.1 million cases confirmed worldwideAt least one million cases of the virus have been confirmed worldwide, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University. As coronavirus spreads across Europe, governments and the European Union are focusing much of their economic rescue efforts on containing a boom in joblessness, particularly by helping companies not fire workers.Unions estimate, based on reports from local branches, that at least one million Europeans lost their jobs over the past two weeks – and say the actual number is likely far higher – as a shutdown of schools, businesses and social gatherings froze large parts of the economy.While the rise in unemployment is devastating and rapid, it is still far below that of the U.S., where nearly 10 million people applied for jobless benefits in two weeks. The contrast highlights Europe’s greater social safety nets, in particular schemes where governments help companies put workers on shorter hours instead of firing them – in the hope of bringing them back quickly once the pandemic fades.Aggressive measures needed to avoid projected deathsThe nation’s top infectious disease expert stressed Thursday the U.S. can still defy alarming projections of coronavirus deaths with aggressive measures.Models had showed that the U.S. death toll could be at least 100,000 with aggressive social distancing, White House experts said earlier, and as high as 2.2 million without them. But, “it’s within our power to modify those numbers,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told “CBS This Morning” Thursday.”If you really push hard on mitigation … you can modify the model,” Fauci said. “We need to push and push with the mitigation to try and get that number lower than the projected number.”With the CDC estimating 25% of coronavirus carriers have no symptoms, health officials like Fauci have said they’re considering whether to recommend the general public wear non-hospital-grade masks to prevent the virus’s spread.Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday recommended that people there wear non-medical-grade masks or face coverings such as bandanas when they’re in public.”Please do not get medical grade or surgical masks, or N95 masks. We must not contribute to the shortage of these essential personal protective equipment for medial personnel and first responders,” he said.Record high number of Americans file for unemploymentMillions more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, as businesses continue to lay off and furlough workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.A record 6.6 million workers filed for their first week of unemployment benefits in the week ending March 28. Economists polled by Refinitiv had expected 3.5 million claims.Deaths in US top 5,000Coronavirus deaths across the U.S. have topped 5,000 and all but 11 states have issued sweeping orders for residents to stay home — affecting nearly 90% of the country’s population.”What are you waiting for? What more evidence do you need? If you think it’s not going to happen to you, there are proof points all over the United States, all over the world,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.Newsom was the first governor to issue a statewide stay-at-home order in March after health officials warned social distancing measures would be the most effective in curbing the spread of the virus.Related video: Gov. Newsom says California’s stay-at-home order appears to be workingEven if Americans follow mitigation measures closely, the U.S. death toll could be at least 100,000, White House experts said this week. But without those measures in place, that death toll could be as high as 2.2 million, said Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator.It was these kinds of aggressive measures that helped some areas “flatten their curve,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said.PGlmcmFtZSBpZD0iaHR2LWNvdmlkLW1hcCIgc3JjPSJodHRwczovL2NvdmlkLTE5LWFzc2V0cy5odHZ0b29scy51cy9pbmRleC5odG1sIiBzY3JvbGw9Im5vIiBzdHlsZT0iYm9yZGVyOm5vbmU7Ij48L2lmcmFtZT4=”The good news is that states like Washington, like California, countries like Italy, when they leaned into aggressive mitigation, they’re being able to flatten their curve,” Adams told NBC.”The governors get to make the decisions, but we’re going to give them the best possible guidance we can and that’s to stay at home and social distance,” Adams said.Since Jan. 20, when the first U.S. case was detected, more than 200,000 Americans have been infected. At least 928 of those deaths were reported Wednesday — the highest number reported in the country since the beginning of the outbreak.Facing increasing pressure from local leaders and experts, governors in states including Florida, Georgia and Mississippi said they’d also be ordering residents to stay home. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also announced Wednesday students would not be returning to class this school year.”I want to encourage my fellow Georgians to hang in there. I know you’re tired of this but we must first overcome the obstacles in our path,” Kemp said, according to CNN affiliate WSB.President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would not issue a national stay-at-home order because different states have different infection rates.”You have to look — you have to give a little flexibility. If you have a state in the Midwest, or if Alaska for example doesn’t have a problem, it’s awfully tough to say close it down. We have to have a little bit of flexibility,” he said. The 11 states that have not issued statewide stay at home orders include: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.Up to 16,000 New Yorkers could dieIn hard-hit New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential workers home last month.On Wednesday, he cited a model that showed as many as 16,000 New Yorkers could die from the virus.”If you believe these numbers, 16,000 deaths in New York, that means you’re going to have tens of thousands of deaths outside of New York,” the governor said. “So to the extent people watch their nightly news in Kansas and say, ‘Well this is a New York problem,’ that’s not what these numbers say.””It says it’s a New York problem today. Tomorrow it’s a Kansas problem and a Texas problem and a New Mexico problem. That’s why I say to my fellow governors and elected officials across this country, look at us today, see yourself tomorrow,” he said.New York, now the epicenter of the outbreak, has reported at least 84,025 cases and 2,219 deaths.At least 45,707 of those infections and 1,374 of the deaths are in New York City.This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent hundreds of ambulances, EMTs and paramedics to New York City to help assist first responders. New York City hospitals still need 3.3 million N-95 masks, 2.1 million surgical masks, 100,000 isolation gowns and 400 ventilators by April 5, Mayor de Blasio said Wednesday.The mayor has warned that this Sunday will be a crucial day for the city and that demands will continue to rise in the following weeks. W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZDJjbXZicTdzeHgzM2ouY2xvdWRmcm9udC5uZXQvZW1haWwvcHJvZF9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1c19pZnJhbWVfYXJ0aWNsZS5odG1sIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQxNCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOjEwMCU7Ym9yZGVyOm5vbmU7b3ZlcmZsb3c6aGlkZGVuIiBzY3JvbGxpbmc9Im5vIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgYWxsb3dUcmFuc3BhcmVuY3k9InRydWUiXVsvaWZyYW1lXQ==CNN contributed to this report.

The latest:

There are more than 242,000 cases in the United States, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. More than 5,800 people have died nationwide.
Globally, the number of cases has surpassed 1 million with more than 52,000 deaths, Hopkins reports.
A record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment in the week ending March 28.
Social Security recipients will not have to file a tax return to receive a stimulus check, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday.
President Donald Trump acknowledged that the federal stockpile of personal protective equipment is nearly depleted.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reconsidering guidance on who should wear face masks from insights about asymptomatic spread of the virus, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

President Trump takes second COVID-19 test

President Donald Trump said Thursday he took another coronavirus test earlier that day.

It literally took him a minute and gave a conclusion of negative about 14 or 15 minutes later, he said.

He took the test out of curiosity, he said, to see how long it would take.

The president also took a test March 13 after coming into contact with two individuals who tested positive for the virus.

1 million cases confirmed worldwide

At least one million cases of the virus have been confirmed worldwide, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University.

As coronavirus spreads across Europe, governments and the European Union are focusing much of their economic rescue efforts on containing a boom in joblessness, particularly by helping companies not fire workers.

Unions estimate, based on reports from local branches, that at least one million Europeans lost their jobs over the past two weeks – and say the actual number is likely far higher – as a shutdown of schools, businesses and social gatherings froze large parts of the economy.

While the rise in unemployment is devastating and rapid, it is still far below that of the U.S., where nearly 10 million people applied for jobless benefits in two weeks. The contrast highlights Europe’s greater social safety nets, in particular schemes where governments help companies put workers on shorter hours instead of firing them – in the hope of bringing them back quickly once the pandemic fades.

Aggressive measures needed to avoid projected deaths

The nation’s top infectious disease expert stressed Thursday the U.S. can still defy alarming projections of coronavirus deaths with aggressive measures.

Models had showed that the U.S. death toll could be at least 100,000 with aggressive social distancing, White House experts said earlier, and as high as 2.2 million without them. But, “it’s within our power to modify those numbers,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told “CBS This Morning” Thursday.

“If you really push hard on mitigation … you can modify the model,” Fauci said. “We need to push and push with the mitigation to try and get that number lower than the projected number.”

With the CDC estimating 25% of coronavirus carriers have no symptoms, health officials like Fauci have said they’re considering whether to recommend the general public wear non-hospital-grade masks to prevent the virus’s spread.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday recommended that people there wear non-medical-grade masks or face coverings such as bandanas when they’re in public.

“Please do not get medical grade or surgical masks, or N95 masks. We must not contribute to the shortage of these essential personal protective equipment for medial personnel and first responders,” he said.

Record high number of Americans file for unemployment

Millions more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, as businesses continue to lay off and furlough workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

A record 6.6 million workers filed for their first week of unemployment benefits in the week ending March 28. Economists polled by Refinitiv had expected 3.5 million claims.

Deaths in US top 5,000

Coronavirus deaths across the U.S. have topped 5,000 and all but 11 states have issued sweeping orders for residents to stay home — affecting nearly 90% of the country’s population.

“What are you waiting for? What more evidence do you need? If you think it’s not going to happen to you, there are proof points all over the United States, all over the world,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.

Newsom was the first governor to issue a statewide stay-at-home order in March after health officials warned social distancing measures would be the most effective in curbing the spread of the virus.

Related video: Gov. Newsom says California’s stay-at-home order appears to be working

Even if Americans follow mitigation measures closely, the U.S. death toll could be at least 100,000, White House experts said this week. But without those measures in place, that death toll could be as high as 2.2 million, said Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator.

It was these kinds of aggressive measures that helped some areas “flatten their curve,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said.

“The good news is that states like Washington, like California, countries like Italy, when they leaned into aggressive mitigation, they’re being able to flatten their curve,” Adams told NBC.

“The governors get to make the decisions, but we’re going to give them the best possible guidance we can and that’s to stay at home and social distance,” Adams said.

Since Jan. 20, when the first U.S. case was detected, more than 200,000 Americans have been infected. At least 928 of those deaths were reported Wednesday — the highest number reported in the country since the beginning of the outbreak.

Facing increasing pressure from local leaders and experts, governors in states including Florida, Georgia and Mississippi said they’d also be ordering residents to stay home. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also announced Wednesday students would not be returning to class this school year.

“I want to encourage my fellow Georgians to hang in there. I know you’re tired of this but we must first overcome the obstacles in our path,” Kemp said, according to CNN affiliate WSB.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would not issue a national stay-at-home order because different states have different infection rates.

“You have to look — you have to give a little flexibility. If you have a state in the Midwest, or if Alaska for example doesn’t have a problem, it’s awfully tough to say close it down. We have to have a little bit of flexibility,” he said.

The 11 states that have not issued statewide stay at home orders include: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.

Up to 16,000 New Yorkers could die

In hard-hit New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential workers home last month.

On Wednesday, he cited a model that showed as many as 16,000 New Yorkers could die from the virus.

“If you believe these numbers, 16,000 deaths in New York, that means you’re going to have tens of thousands of deaths outside of New York,” the governor said. “So to the extent people watch their nightly news in Kansas and say, ‘Well this is a New York problem,’ that’s not what these numbers say.”

“It says it’s a New York problem today. Tomorrow it’s a Kansas problem and a Texas problem and a New Mexico problem. That’s why I say to my fellow governors and elected officials across this country, look at us today, see yourself tomorrow,” he said.

New York, now the epicenter of the outbreak, has reported at least 84,025 cases and 2,219 deaths.

At least 45,707 of those infections and 1,374 of the deaths are in New York City.

This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent hundreds of ambulances, EMTs and paramedics to New York City to help assist first responders.

New York City hospitals still need 3.3 million N-95 masks, 2.1 million surgical masks, 100,000 isolation gowns and 400 ventilators by April 5, Mayor de Blasio said Wednesday.

The mayor has warned that this Sunday will be a crucial day for the city and that demands will continue to rise in the following weeks.

CNN contributed to this report.

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