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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

US coronavirus news: Washington state residents call for shelter-in-place order – as it happened

That’s all from me today. Here’s a summary of the top stories of the day:

  • New York, Illinois and Connecticut told residents to stay home except for essential activities in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. The announcements come one day after California issued a similar order to its 40 million residents.
  • The US-Mexico border is closing to all non-essential travel, secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced. The same restrictions will take affect at the US-Canadian border tonight at midnight.
  • The Dow closed down 900 points, extending its weekly loss to 17%. Overall, the markets suffered their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.
  • Senators are negotiating over the stimulus package, which is meant to bolster the economy through the coronavirus crisis. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the bill, which will likely cost more than $1 trillion, by tonight in order to set up a Monday vote.
  • Senator Richard Burr called for a Senate ethics investigation into his recent stock trades. The North Carolina Republican is facing calls for his resignation after reports revealed he sold up to $1.7 million in stock last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus, sparking accusations he tried to profit off the pandemic.
  • Trump attacked the press for the second day in a row during the daily coronavirus briefing. Asked what he would say to Americans who are scared about the pandemic right now, Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.”
  • A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff tested positive for the coronavirus. Contact tracing is under way, and the White House says neither Pence nor Trump had close contact with the individual.

My west coast colleagues have a comprehensive report on Day One of California under lockdown:

And you can stay on top of all the latest developments with our global coronavirus live blog here:

Guardian contributor Hallie Golden reports from Seattle:

Washington state residents have taken to Twitter to broadcast their frustration over local leaders not implementing a shelter-in-place order to address the rapidly growing coronavirus outbreak.

They are using the hashtag #ShutItDownJay and #SHUTDOWNSEATTLE, with some posting about the many people in parks and at stores not practicing social distancing. One user posted a photo of a group of people sitting together in a truck bed.

Some Twitter users wrote about how amazed they were that the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, had not yet instructed residents to shelter-in-place, while others shared their experience still having to go to work.

“What if our workplace is still requiring us (including seniors and those with underlying health conditions) to work in crowded rooms with groups of more than ten where there is no possibility of being six feet apart?” Sarah Ann posted Friday on Twitter.

Other people remarked on the fact that California residents have already been ordered to shelter-in-place, and New York and Illinois locals have been instructed to stay home except for essential activities, but Washington leaders have still not implemented similar policies.

Washington has the second highest number of cases in the U.S., reporting 1,524 cases, including 83 deaths.

Senator Bernie Sanders is holding another “virtual roundtable” on the coronavirus pandemic, this time with Sara Nelson, president of the flight attendent’s union, and Saru Jayaraman, director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley.

You can tune in here:

Residents of Washington state call on governor to impose 'shelter-in-place'

Guardian contributor Hallie Golden reports from Seattle:

As the number of coronavirus cases in Washington continues to increase, people across the state have called on local leaders to implement a shelter-in-place order to curb the spread.

Washington has the second highest number of cases in the U.S., reporting 1,376 cases, including 74 deaths.

When the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, was asked during a press conference on Wednesday whether he’s getting close to calling for a shelter-in-place, he called that a “futile” thing to think about.

“We can’t just try to speculate what may happen, 30, 40, 60 days from now,” he said. “It’s just a futile exercise of chasing our tail. We got to pull together, be calm, be rational and make good decisions today.”

A Change.org petition pushing for a shelter-in-place order from Washington’s governor has received over 500 signatures.

In a tweet posted Friday, Lauren Deacon wrote, “Get it together and #ShutItDownJay! If you wait any longer the blood is on your hands!”

In California, residents have been ordered to shelter-in-place, while New York and Illinois have instructed locals to stay home except for essential activities.

On Monday, Inslee ordered a ban on gatherings of 50 people or more, as well as a two-week closure of all restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities.

Jason Rantz, who hosts a local radio show, wrote on local news site MyNorthwest.com that a shelter order may be painful, but is necessary in Washington.

“The sooner we get to extreme self-isolating, the faster we’ll get back to a normal life,” he wrote.

Localized shutdowns continue to expand across the country. The city of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County are shutting down hotels, and the city is imposing a nightly curfew. The message? Spring break is over.

In the past 24 hours we have also seen governors of the following states impose stay-at-home orders:

  • California – population 40m
  • New York - population 20m
  • Illinois – population 12.5m
  • Connecticut – population 3.5m

Altogether, those four states account for approximately 76m people, or more than 20% of the US population.

Member of Vice President's staff tests positive for coronavirus

A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement by the VP’s press secretary.

According to the statement, neither the president nor Pence was in “close contact” with the individual.

The Guardian’s Kathleen Caulderwood and Tom Silverstone spoke to American doctors and nurses from around the country about what it’s like to treat patients as Covid-19 spreads.

They say they’re frustrated with a lack of testing ability, and a lack of protective equipment they need to fight Covid-19. They say the US isn’t prepared for the spike of patients suffering from the virus in the coming weeks.

A distinct partisan divide still exists in how seriously Americans are taking the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll by ABC News/Ipsos.

The survey found that 87% of Democrats are concerned about getting coronavirus, compared to just 66% of Republicans. The divide is somewhat narrower than last week, when just 56% of Republicans reported concern about the virus.

Strikingly, nearly three fourths of respondents (72%) said their lives had been disrupted by the coronavirus in some way – a huge jump from the previous week’s poll when only 26% of Americans reported the same.

The poll also found growing numbers of people working from home (17%, from 3% last week), and that the highest rates of concern for Americans came from 18-29 year olds (83%). People over 65 reported similarly high rates of concern (82%).

When billionaire Mike Bloomberg launched his ill-fated presidential campaign in late 2019, he promised staffers that they would be employed through November, whether or not he won the Democratic nomination.

But since dropping out after failing to win a single state on Super Tuesday (he did win American Samoa, a US territory), the former New York City mayor has reneged on that promise.

Today, the Bloomberg campaign announced that it is donating $18m to the Democratic National Committee – and laying off staff in six swing states, BuzzFeed News reports.

The newly unemployed staffers will lose their healthcare at the end of April. “He’s chopping his employees in a pandemic,” one staffer told BuzzFeed.

The $18m donation to the DNC is large, and could enable the committee to hire the laid-off organizers, but there are no guarantees of employment.

The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:

Wisconsin elections officials do not currently have enough cleaning supplies or poll workers to adequately run the state’s April 7 primary, election officials warned on Friday.

The officials asked Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, to help them acquire hand sanitizer, as well as with assistance recruiting poll workers in a Friday letter. They also asked him to assign a public health expert to the commission to assist with guidance for local officials and messaging.

“As of today, local election officials do not have access to the people or supplies needed. This leaves voters, clerks, and poll workers to make difficult choices,” Megan Wolfe, the commission’s administrator, wrote on Friday. “Voters should not have to choose
between voting or staying healthy.”

Florida and Illinois, two states that held primaries this week faced criticism for moving ahead with their primary contests despite health concerns. In both states, poll workers didn’t show up on election day and some of those who did lacked adequate cleaning supplies. A handful of states have already moved their primaries amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Wisconsin’s April 7 election includes many local contests in addition to its presidential preference primary, including a crucial statewide state supreme court race. The state does not require an excuse to vote absentee, and election officials there have already received more than 300,000 requests for absentee ballots. Democrats are suing the state to try and give voters more time to register online or by mail and to waive the requirement that voters submit photo ID with their request for a ballot.

Connecticut to order "nonessential" workers stay home

Hello everyone, this is Julia Carrie Wong in Oakland, California, taking over the blog for the rest of the day.

Connecticut governor Ned Lamont plans to order employees of “non-essential” businesses to stay home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Hartford Courant reports.

The order is akin to that of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who ordered non-essential businesses in his state closed earlier on Friday.

Businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations will remain open, but offices, malls and clothing stores will close. Construction and manufacturing can continue, according to the Courant.

Today so far

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Julia Carrie Wong, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • New York and Illinois told residents to stay home except for essential activities in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. The announcements come one day after California issued a similar order to its 40 million residents.
  • The US-Mexico border is closing to all non-essential travel, secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced. The same restrictions will take affect at the US-Canadian border tonight at midnight.
  • The Dow closed down 900 points, extending its weekly loss to 17%. Overall, the markets suffered their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.
  • Senators are negotiating over the stimulus package, which is meant to bolster the economy through the coronavirus crisis. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the bill, which will likely cost more than $1 trillion, by tonight in order to set up a Monday vote.
  • Senator Richard Burr called for a Senate ethics investigation into his recent stock trades. The North Carolina Republican is facing calls for his resignation after reports revealed he sold up to $1.7 million in stock last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus, sparking accusations he tried to profit off the pandemic.
  • Trump attacked the press for the second day in a row during the daily coronavirus briefing. Asked what he would say to Americans who are scared about the pandemic right now, Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.”

Julia will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Updated

Dow closes down 900 points

The Dow has closed down 900 points, capping the worst week for the markets since the financial crisis.

Overall, the Dow’s weekly loss landed at 17% as investors’ fears about the economic fallout from coronavirus intensified.

Meanwhile, senators continue to negotiate over the stimulus package to bolster the economy through the crisis, a proposal that will likely end up costing more than $1 trillion.

For more analysis on the market drop, read the Guardian’s business live blog:

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said essential services like grocery stores would remain open and urged residents to only buy the supplies they need, as many stores’ shelves go empty.

“Grocery stories, pharmacies, gas stations, these sources of fundamental supplies will continue to operate,” Pritzker said.

“There is no need to run out and hoard food, gas, or medicine. Buy what you need within reason. There is enough to go around as long as people do not hoard.”

The “stay at home” order will take effect tomorrow evening and last until at least April 7.

Three states are now ordering all residents to stay home except for essential activities: California, New York and Illinois.

The three states collectively have 72 million residents, meaning roughly 1 in every 5 Americans is under an order to remain indoors right now.

Considering the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, other states may likely soon follow suit.

Illinois issues 'stay at home' order

Illinois is ordering all residents to stay at home except for essential activities, mirroring the restrictions in New York and California.

The order will take effect tomorrow evening and will apply to all 13 million residents until at least April 7.

Illinois held its presidential primary on Tuesday, which raised concerns about exposing residents to coronavirus in order to cast their ballots.

Updated

The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:

Guaranteeing that every American can cast a mail-in ballot this year would cost between $982 million and $1.4 billion, according to a new estimate from the Brennan Center for Justice.

The projection comes as many states are rushing to expand vote-by-mail options amid the coronavirus outbreak. States have a wide range of rules on who can use an absentee ballot (17 states require an excuse) and there is deep concern that unless states act urgently, Americans will have to choose between between risking their health and casting a ballot in November. Senators Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar have introduced legislation that would require every voter to be mailed a ballot.

The Brennan Center’s estimate reflects the many systems states would need to invest in to guarantee vote by mail. The center estimated it would cost between $54 and $89 million to print a ballot for every American. It would cost between $413 million and $593 million to cover the cost of mailing and receiving mail-in ballots.

The estimate also lays out the costs of some of the technological upgrades to switch to voting by mail, including implementing ballot tracking ($4.2 million), and better mail-in ballot processing technology ($120 to $240 million).

The Trump Organization is feeling the effect of coronavirus as well, closing properties and cutting staff as the pandemic leaves hotels largely empty.

The New York Times reports:

In recent days, the Trump Organization cut staff from hotels in New York and Washington, halted new reservations at a hotel overlooking the Las Vegas Strip and closed golf courses in Los Angeles and the Miami area, according to people with knowledge of the matter. It also closed the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, which normally would be at a peak right now, with regular seasonal visits by Mr. Trump himself.

The cutbacks, expected to continue in coming days, were a last resort, a company executive said, as the priority had been keeping thousands of employees and contract workers on the job. The company has a portfolio of more than a dozen golf clubs and at least partially owns or operates five-star hotels in Chicago, Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York, Vancouver and Washington, as well as Ireland and Scotland.

Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago resort earlier this month, meeting with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Two of the Brazilian president’s colleagues who accompanied him to Mar-a-Lago later tested positive for coronavirus.

The closure of DC bars and restaurants will also extend until April 27, Mayor Muriel Bowser just announced.

The city had already shut down bars and restaurants except for takeout and delivery, and that order will now last for at least another month.

Bowser said the city’s previous restrictions on mass gatherings would similarly be extended until at least April 27.

DC will keep its schools closed until April 27, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced at a press conference moments ago.

Bowser’s announcement comes just after DC recorded its first coronavirus-related death, a 59-year-old man with underlying health conditions.

Trump’s campaign launched its own attack on Joe Biden after the Democratic candidate criticized the president’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Most of what Biden says the government should do are things President Trump is already doing,” Trump’s campaign communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said in a statement.

“The President is leading an unprecedented mobilization of America against the coronavirus and all Joe Biden can offer is ineffective partisan sniping from the sidelines.”

Biden said in a campaign call with reporters that Trump’s response to the crisis had alternated between “over-promising and buck-passing.”

Joe Biden criticized Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in a campaign conference call with reporters.

The Democratic presidential candidate said he was “inspired” by how Americans have responded to the crisis but argued Trump has not met the moment.

“In times of crisis the American people deserve a president who tells them the truth and takes responsibility,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, President Trump has not been that president.”

Trump has come under repeated criticism for making statements or promises during White House briefings that later have to be corrected or clarified by other officials. Just moments ago, the Mexican foreign minister came out to say Trump’s statement that Mexico was suspending flights from Europe was false.

Biden gave Trump this advice: “Stop, stop stop. Stop swerving between over-promising and buck-passing. ... Stop saying false things that make you sound like a hero.”

The former vice president also promised he would be taking regular questions on-camera as the coronavirus crisis unfolds.

“I want to be in daily or at least significant contact with the American people and communicate what I would be doing and what I think we should be doing,” Biden said.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the state has had its first death from coronavirus, as the number of cases across the country continues to climb.

DeWine said he was acquainted with the unnamed individual, who was “very well respected by everyone who knew him.”

On a more emotional note, the governor asked state residents to remember that every coronavirus death represents not a statistic but a person who was loved.

North Carolina’s other senator said Richard Burr owes the state an explanation for his stock activity, as some demand Burr’s resignation over the controversy.

Senate Thom Tillis, another North Carolina Republican, said Burr’s request for the Senate ethics committee to investigate the matter was “appropriate” and called for a “professional and bipartisan inquiry into this matter.”

It’s worth noting that the work of the Senate ethics committee is notoriously slow, so it could be many months before the panel reaches any kind of conclusion on the issue.

Senator Kelly Loeffler denied wrongdoing in connection to her stock trades last month, which have raised concerns she tried to profit off the coronavirus pandemic.

“I can only speak for myself in saying I have been very careful though my entire career to adhere to the letter and the spirit of the law,” the Georgia Republican told CNBC.

Loeffler and one of her colleagues, Richard Burr, are facing calls to resign over their stock activity, which shielded them from significant losses as coronavirus devastated the markets in recent weeks.

Burr said earlier today that he had asked the Senate ethics committee to review the matter, which Loeffler appeared to encourage.

“I’m happy to answer any and all questions and will submit to whatever review is needed,” Loeffler said.

Canada closes border to asylum seekers

The Guardian’s Leyland Cecco in Toronto writes:

Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau has announced his government will turn away asylum seekers at the US-Canada border as a temporary measure, meant to further halt the flow of people into Canada amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference on Covid-19 in Canada, from his residence in Ottawa earlier today.
Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference on Covid-19 in Canada, from his residence in Ottawa earlier today. Photograph: Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images

“Canada and the United States are announcing a reciprocal arrangement that we will now be returning irregular migrants that attempt to cross anywhere at the Canada-US border,” Trudeau said Friday.

Speaking to reporters from self-isolation for the fifth day in a row, Trudeau said the plan to deny entry into Canada for asylum seekers is part of a broader agreement struck with the United States.

The two countries announced plans earlier this week to shutter the 5,500 mile shared border to all non-essential travel.

Trudeau stressed the “exceptional measure” to deny asylum seekers was temporary. The federal government had previously weighed placing those seeking to enter Canada into mandatory self-isolation.

Canada has received roughly nearly 55,000 asylum claims since February, 2017.

The prime minister also announced plans to support manufacturing companies across the country, including large automative companies, as they quickly re-tool much of their production lines to build much-needed medical equipment, including ventilators and masks.

Early indications suggest the virus is hitting the Canadian economy hard as businesses across the country close.. Trudeau said the government has received 500,000 employment insurance applications this week— compared to 27,000 from the same period in the prior year.

Canada has close to 1,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 11 documented deaths from the virus.

Updated

Today so far

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • The US-Mexico border is being closed to non-essential travel, secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced. The news comes two days after it was announced the US-Canadian border was closing to all but essential travel.
  • All non-essential employees in New York have been asked to stay home. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced strict guidelines for state residents, banning all non-essential gatherings of any size for any reason and ordering vulnerable groups to remain indoors.
  • Senator Richard Burr asked the Senate ethics committee to investigate his recent stock trades. The North Carolina Republican sold up to $1.7 million in stocks last month as he received briefings on coronavirus, raising concerns that he attempted to profit off the pandemic.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Coronavirus briefing summary

Well, that was an eventful daily coronavirus briefing. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced the US-Mexican border was being closed to non-essential travel. The announcement comes two days after officials said the US-Canadian border was similarly closing to all but essential travel.
  • Trump said the Department of Education was waiving standardized testing requirements for K-12 students. The government is also temporarily waiving interest on all federally-held student loans.
  • Trump lashed out against the press for the second day in a row. When NBC’s Peter Alexander asked what message the president had for Americans who are scared right now, Trump replied, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.”
  • Dr Deborah Birx said evidence indicates the coronavirus fatality rate is twice as high for men across all age groups, based on data from Italy, which has recorded the most coronavirus deaths.
  • Trump offered a muddled message on whether he is using the powers of the Defense Production Act. The president said he is invoking the act, but he then seemed to say he was not requiring companies to speed up production of medical supplies.
  • Trump and Dr Anthony Fauci sent two very different messages about a potential coronavirus treatment. Trump said he was optimistic about using a malaria drug as treatment for coroanvirus. (He said yesterday that the drug had been approved for treating coronavirus, but that was not accurate.) Fauci said the evidence of the drug’s benefits against coronavirus are “anecdotal,” and it should not be viewed as some kind of miracle cure.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Trump and Dr Anthony Fauci both downplayed the need for universal coronavirus testing.

The president said he did not believe every American should go out and receive a coronavirus test, a message that was reiterated by Fauci.

“I don’t see how testing everybody in the country is going to help you implement this,” said Fauci, referring to the social distancing restrictions the CDC has released.

“Let’s not conflate testing with the action you have to take,” Fauci added.

Trump followed up on his comments yesterday that the Carnival cruise company offered their ships for the coronavirus response.

The president clarified that the offer was extended by the company, but he was not currently taking them up on it.

Trump again noted that two hospital ships would soon be deployed to New York City and the west coast to help free up hospital beds.

Vice President Mike Pence sought to answer the question asked to Trump about what message they had for scared Americans right now.

“I would say do not be afraid, be vigilant,” said the vice president, who is leading the coronavirus task force.

Pence noted early evidence indicates coronavirus is three times more contagious than the flu, which is why Americans need to take every possible precaution right now.

Dr Anthony Fauci criticized senator Ron Johnson for downplaying the threat of coronavirus and questioning the drastic government response to it.

“I’m not denying what a nasty disease COVID-19 can be, and how it’s obviously devastating to somewhere between 1 and 3.4 percent of the population,” Johnson said earlier this week.

“But that means 97 to 99 percent will get through this and develop immunities and will be able to move beyond this. But we don’t shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on the highways.

Fauci said it was a “false equivalency to compare traffic accidents” to coronavirus and emphasized a drastic response was necessary when a new and dangerously contagious virus was uncovered.

Updated

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo is now taking questions from reporters about how the State Department is addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

When Trump introduced Pompeo, he referred to the State Department as the “Deep State Department.”

The derisive nickname appeared to prompt a baffled chuckle from Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

However, when Pompeo was asked about Trump’s use of the term, the secretary shrugged off any concern and insisted the president respects the diplomats carrying out America’s foreign policy.

Trump’s former press secretary, Sean Spicer, asked the president about reports of senators selling stock last month as they received briefings on coronavirus.

“I’m not aware of it,” Trump said. “I find them all to be very honorable people, and they said they did nothing wrong.”

Senator Richard Burr is facing calls for his resignation over his trade activity, and he has called on the Senate ethics committee to investigate the matter.

The country just saw a surreal moment where Trump called on his former press secretary, Sean Spicer, to ask a question during the briefing.

Spicer appeared to be in the briefing room on behalf of his new employer Newsmax, a conservative website.

Spicer’s appearance in the briefing room triggered some immediate criticism from the White House press corps:

Trump was asked again what message he had for Americans who are currently scared about the coronavirus pandemic.

“There is a very low incidence of death,” the president said in response, predicting the country would be stronger than ever after combatting the virus.

Health experts have estimated the rate of death from coronavirus is about 1%, making it ten times more deadly than the flu.

Trump attacks the press for a second day in a row

Trump was asked what he had to say to Americans who are scared about the spread of coronavirus right now.

“I say that you’re a terrible reporter,” Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander.

“The American people are looking for answers, and they’re looking for hope,” Trump said. “That’s really bad reporting.”

Updated

Trump said he did not believe a national lockdown was necessary at this stage, while New York and California have told residents to stay indoors except for essential activities.

The president said New York and California are “hotbeds” of coronavirus, but some parts of the country do not have to take the same steps.

On the subject of social distancing, Trump said it is “probably the hottest term there is” right now.

Trump says he is invoking Defense Production Act

Trump said his administration is now invoking the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of medical supplies.

The president signed the act earlier this week but said he would not use the powers of it unless absolutely necessary.

Trump had a call this morning with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who urged him to invoke the act, and the president said he is now using it to accelerate medical supply production.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, applauded the governors of New York and California for ordering residents to stay indoors except for essential activities.

Fauci noted he himself is a New Yorker, and he urged fellow residents to adhere to the restrictions outlined by Governor Andrew Cuomo this morning.

“I know what New Yorkers can do,” Fauci said. “We’re tough.”

Coronavirus fatality rates appear to be twice as high for males, Birx says

Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force response coordinator, said data from Italy indicate the coronavirus fatality rate is twice as high for men across all age groups.

Birx reiterated the virus appears to be less deadly for younger people, but she emphasized younger Americans still need to take precautions.

“No one is immune,” Birx said. “We know it’s highly contagious to everyone. Do not interpret mild or moderate disease as lack of contagion or that you’re immune.”

Pompeo confirms US-Mexican border closing to non-essential travel

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo has confirmed the US-Mexican border will be closing to non-essential travel.

The announcement comes two days after officials said the US-Canadian border would similarly ban all non-essential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Pompeo also reiterated that the State Department has issued a Level 4 advisory for all international travel, urging all Americans to stay in the country or immediately return home if they are abroad.

Trump said secretary of state Mike Pompeo would announce restrictions on US-Mexican border travel today.

However, the president then appeared to preempt the announcement by saying the southern border was closing to non-essential travel.

The restrictions mirror those placed on the US-Canadian border earlier this week.

Trump expressed approval of California and New York’s decisions to order all residents to stay home except for essential activities.

“I applaud them,” Trump said of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The president has also confirmed the tax deadline has been extended three months to July 15, as Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin announced earlier today.

Trump said he had a “very good” call with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer about the Senate stimulus package to bolster the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The president also announced the Department of Education was waiving standard testing requirements for students in elementary school through high school.

Trump said the government was also temporarily waiving interest on all federally-held student loans.

The White House is about to hold its daily coronavirus briefing, where the president is expected to announce restrictions on travel at the US-Mexican border.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer was spotted in the briefing room. Spicer recently joined the conservative website Newsmax.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the new restrictions would take effect Sunday evening.

The governor pushed back against a reporter who characterized the restrictions as a “shelter-in-place order.”

Cuomo emphasized the language used to describe the restrictions matter, and he does not want to unnecessarily scare people about the new reality.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he made the decision to restrict all non-essential activity in consultation with local leaders, but he emphasized he accepts “full responsibility” for the decision.

“If somebody is unhappy, if somebody wants to blame somebody, they should blame me,” Cuomo said.

The governor said he wants to be able to look back on the coronavirus pandemic and be able to say, “I did everything we could do.”

Cuomo said, “This is about saving lives. If everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state now has 7,102 cases of coronavirus, marking an increase of 2,950.

Cuomo retierated the increasing number of cases is a reflection of the expanding testing capacities in the state.

“The tests are just demonstrating what was,” Cuomo said. “Finding positives is a good thing because then we can isolate and track back.”

The governor noted the state did 10,000 tests last night.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state is banning non-essential gatherings of any size for any reason amid the pandemic.

The governor noted all residents over the age of 70 and other vulnerable populations must remain indoors.

Cuomo said residents can go outside for solitary exercise, but he emphasized there should not be groups gathering outside for any reason.

“There are people and places in New York City where it looks lke life as usual,” Cuomo said. “No, this is not life as usual.”

All non-essential workers in New York must stay home, Cuomo announces

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced all non-essential workers in the state must stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is the most drastic action we can take,” Cuomo said.

The announcement comes one day after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced all of the state’s 40 million residents must stay indoors except for essential activities.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said lawmakers should not be allowed to own individual stock, as senator Richard Burr faces calls to resign over his stock activity.

Burr sold up to $1.7 million in stocks last month as he was receiving briefings on coronavirus, raising concerns that he attempted to profit off the pandemic.

Burr released a statement this morning denying wrongdoing and asking the Senate ethics committee to investigate the matter.

McConnell sets up stimulus package vote for Monday

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is moving quickly on the third coronavirus bill, which is aimed at bolstering the economy through the pandemic.

McConnell said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the package by tonight so that senators can vote on the bill Monday.

That timeline would require senators and their staffers to work through the entire weekend to have the bill ready by Monday.

McConnell said the $1 trillion package Senate Republicans released yesterday -- which outlines direct payments to American families and $200 billion to airlines and other distressed industries, among other things -- would be the starting point for negotiations.

However, Senate Democrats have already signaled they want many changes made to the bill, so a lot of negotiating will need to take place between now and Monday to set up a vote.

Burr asks Senate Ethics Committee to investigate stock sale

Senator Richard Burr has denied wrongdoing in his massive stock sales last month, which occured as he received briefings on coronavirus.

In a new statement, the North Carolina Republican called on the Senate ethics committee to review the trades, but Burr insisted he relied solely on public reports to inform his stock activity.

Joe Biden called on companies to commit to not buying back their own stock as the economy suffers because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump surpisingly said yesterday that he would be “okay” with requiring companies who receive federal bailout money to commit to not buying back their own stock.

For reference, the tax cuts the president signed into law in 2017 sparked a record-setting round of corporate buybacks, which were widely criticized by Democratic lawmakers.

Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin previewed the likely tax filing deadline extension last week, after testifying on Capitol Hill.

“For small and medium sized businesses, for hardworking individuals, we are going to recommend to the president that we allow the delay and that they don’t have to pay an interest or penalty on that,” Mnuchin told reporters last week. “That will have the impact of putting over $200 billion back into the economy, and that will create a very big stimulus.”

Interestingly, Mnuchin’s tweet announcing the extension said it would apply to “all taxpayers and businesses,” even though he signaled last week some of the wealthiest Americans would be excluded.

Tax filing deadline pushed back three months due to coronavirus

Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the tax filing deadline would be pushed back three months, to July 15, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mnuchin said Trump had directed the move, which will allow individuals and businesses additional time to file and pay the government without suffering a penalty.

NBC News announced one of their longtime employees had died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Larry Edgeworth had spent 25 years working as an audio technician at the network’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters in New York. His wife said he suffered from other health issues.

“Many of you were fortunate enough to work with Larry over the years, so you know that he was the guy you wanted by your side no matter where you were,” NBC News Chairman Andy Lack said in an email to staff this morning.

A number of Edgeworth’s NBC colleagues shared their memories of him after his passing:

Kevin Hassett, the White House’s former top economist, said he is returning to the Trump administration to serve as an adivser on the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Hassett spent two years serving as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and left the White House last summer.

Hassett has recently been warning of severe economic consequences tied to the coronavirus pandemic, predicting the US will lose 1 million jobs this month alone.

“You’re looking at one of the biggest negative job numbers we’ve ever seen,” Hassett told CNN on Monday.

The Trump administration is expected to announce travel restrictions at the US-Mexico border today, as officials from both countries work to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said yesterday he was working with his Mexican counterpart on limiting cross-border traffic:

According to Reuters, the restrictions are expected to be similar to those that Trump announced on Wednesday for the US-Canadian border, where all non-essential travel has been banned.

Dr Anthony Fauci said Americans should prepare for having to stay home for several weeks in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that the trajectory of outbreaks in other areas indicated Americans would need to continue their social distancing beyond the month of March.

“It’s at least going to be several weeks,” Fauci said. “I cannot see that all of a sudden, next week or two weeks from now, it’s going to be over. I don’t think there’s a chance of that. I think it’s going to be several weeks.”

Burr faces calls to resign over stock scandal

Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, is facing calls for his resignation after ProPublica reported he sold up to $1.7 million in stocks last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus.

In the weeks since, the market has suffered severe losses that have impacted many Americans’ retirement savings.

NPR also obtained a recording of Burr privately warning that coronavirus was “aggressive in its transmission” and could create a crisis similar to that of the 1918 flu pandemic.

The reports of Burr’s actions triggered immediate calls for his resignation from both sides of the aisle.

Progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Burr of failing in his duty to the public:

Even Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Burr had to resign if he could not come up with an explanation for his actions:

“There is no greater moral crime than betraying your country in a time of crisis, and that appears to be what happened,” Carlson said.

De Blasio says Trump 'should get the hell out of the way' on coronavirus response

Good morning, live blog readers!

Donald Trump is once again coming under harsh criticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic, with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio telling MSNBC this morning that the federal government has been “absent” as the city grapples with thousands of cases.

Mayor Bill De Blasio speaks during a video press conference Thursday.
Mayor Bill De Blasio speaks during a video press conference Thursday. Photograph: Getty Images

“He should get the hell out of the way and let the military do its job,” said de Blasio, who simultaneously praised the work of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The mayor warned that if Trump does not immediately deploy the military and speed up production of medical supplies, the consequences could be tragic.

“A lot of people are going to die who don’t have to die,” de Blasio said. “If the president doesn’t act within days to maximize production, to get surgical masks, if he doesn’t mobilize the US military, people will die.”

Updated

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