U.S. cases surpass 2,000
Coronavirus cases in the U.S. surpassed 2,000 Friday, a twofold increase since Tuesday.
The majority of the cases are in four states: California (247), Massachusetts (123), New York (421) and Washington (457).
There have been 42 deaths.
Trump says he doesn't support House Democrats' aid package
President Donald Trump said Friday that he does not support the House Democrats' coronavirus aid legislation.
"We're negotiating," the president said during Rose Garden remarks to announce he was declaring a national emergency. "We thought we had something, but all of a sudden they didn't agree to certain things they agreed to. So, we could have something, but we don't think they're giving enough. They're not doing what's right for the country."
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said on a call with his members on Friday that the chamber's Republicans also don't support the Democrats' legislation in its current form. Provisions in the bill on paid family and sick leave, as well as abortion, have been sticking points during the negotiations.
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Norwegian Cruise Line suspends all voyages through April 11
Norwegian Cruise Line announced Friday it is suspending all cruise voyages embarking through April 11 across its three cruise brands to help contain the spread of coronavirus. The company has not experienced any confirmed cases of the novel virus.
Norwegian also saw its stocks briefly halted Friday afternoon after shareholders announced a class action lawsuit alleging the company misled travelers with false information about the novel coronavirus that endangered their lives.
The complaint alleged the company downplayed the severity of the virus and assured potential travelers that the virus’ danger was exaggerated. The lawsuit claims shareholders lost more than $100,000 as a result of these misleading statements.
Wyoming, Iowa parties reconsider their caucuses
Wyoming Democrats are suspending the in-person portion of their April 4 caucus as well as their county conventions to prevent the spread of pandemic, state party chair Joe Barbuto announced in a statement Friday. Voters are instead encouraged to cast their caucus vote by mail.
In Iowa, the parties are divided: state Democrats said they were postponing their March 21 county conventions, while Republicans said they would continue with theirs, scheduled for Saturday.
“In the event IDPH modifies its guidance for public gatherings, we will make necessary changes,” the state Republican Party said in a release, urging anyone who feels unwell to stay home.
Empty shelves in Virginia
Trump declares national emergency, authorizes waiving laws and regulations
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to help the country combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus — a move he said will empower his administration to waive certain laws and regulations and will free up to $50 billion to help fight the pandemic.
"To unleash the full power of the federal government … I am officially declaring a national emergency," Trump said in a nationally televised address from the White House Rose Garden. Trump said the action would "open up access" to up to $50 billion "for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against this disease."
He also said he was ordering every state to set up emergency operation centers to help stem the spread of the disease, and announced that he was empowering the secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain laws and regulations to ensure the virus can be contained and patients treated. The president said that could allow for easier admission to nursing homes and end limits on the length of hospital stays and the number of beds available. He also said there were plans to allow "drive-through" virus tests.
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Dow tumbles, soars as President Trump declares a national emergency
Wall Street tumbled and then soared Friday afternoon as President Donald Trump announced he was declaring a national emergency and implementing a series of "decisive" measures to address the coronavirus pandemic.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had surged by around 1,200 points earlier in the day, sank by around 500 points as the president addressed the nation from the White House Rose Garden, flanked by health officials and members of the coronavirus task force.
The blue-chip index then soared to a gain of more than 1,000 points as key details of the White House response were revealed, including a close collaboration with companies such as Walmart, Target, and Google.
Missouri to declare state of emergency
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was expected to declare a state of emergency over coronavirus Friday.
The governor has scheduled a 5 p.m. news conference to make the announcement.
Missouri will become the 33rd state to declare an emergency over the virus.
St. Louis County declared a state of emergency Friday. The declaration prohibits gatherings of more than 250 people, with the exception of schools and religious institutions.
Cities turn to a new model of coronavirus testing: Drive-throughs
New York state opened its first drive-through coronavirus test site Friday in New Rochelle, the city that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said has the biggest cluster of coronavirus cases in the country.
With 158 cases in Westchester County, many of them in New Rochelle, the city has become a hot spot not just for the outbreak but also for unique ways to track and minimize the spread of the virus. Earlier this week, Cuomo implemented a "containment zone" around a one-mile radius of the city as an emergency measure to limit movement in the area and shut down schools, houses of worship and other gathering places.