Live updates: U.S. schools, businesses shut down due to coronavirus as surgeon general warns ‘we could be Italy’
Disastrous economic figures out of China underlined the real-world effects of extended disruption to daily life, a scenario now unfolding across America as much of the labor force retreats into enforced isolation.Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today’s most popular stories on The Washington Post
Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story included incorrect information about Zach Wurtz's status in the trial of a vaccine for COVID-19. He is currently in the evaluation process and could be one of 45 people selected to be test subjects for the first phase of testing the vaccine.
YORK, Pa. – When Bridget and Adam Wurtz came home from teaching at their church on, March 11 in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Adam didn’t feel well.
Coronavirus live updates: China reports no new cases, US death toll reaches 150, 2 congressmen test positive
US deaths jumped to 150 across 22 states. Meanwhile, China reaches a milestone after no new cases were reported. Read the latest coronavirus news.China reached a milestone: the epicenter city of Wuhan and the surrounding province reported no new domestic cases. Meanwhile, Italy was poised to surpass China in total deaths.
He was tired and just felt run-down. He had a cough. The next morning, he woke with a fever; his temperature was 102. He stayed in bed.
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Friday morning, Bridget woke up having difficulty breathing. She checked her temperature, and it was 102.
They suspected they had been infected with COVID-19. Their doctor suspected that as well, and although they were at risk of becoming critically ill because of their ages – Bridget is 62 and Adam is 63 – they did not meet the criteria to be tested for the virus. Their doctor explained that they had to have a fever of at least 103 or be ill enough to be admitted to a hospital to be tested.
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Vaccines to halt the spread of COVID-19 have been trialed in human patients for the first time, but experts suggest they are still a year away.Since it was first discovered as the causative agent of the new disease, scientists have been racing to get a better understanding of the virus' genetic makeup, how it infects cells and how to effectively treat it. Currently there's no cure, and medical specialists can only treat the symptoms of the disease. However, the long-term strategy to combat COVID-19, which has spread to every continent on Earth besides Antarctica, will be to develop a vaccine.
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Little did they know that their 36-year-old son, Zach, living 3,000 miles away in Seattle, was participating in a project that has the potential to change the course of a global pandemic.
'I just wanted to help'
Washington was the canary in the coal mine of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the first state in which COVID-19 was identified as having landed within the nation’s borders, on Jan. 21. As the rest of the country was still relatively complacent about the new disease, thinking it was something that was confined to China, Washington State was bracing for the worst.
When it appeared the pandemic was inevitable, Moderna Inc., a biotech company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts., was working on developing a vaccine. The company specializes in using what’s called “messenger RNA” to develop “a new generation of transformative medicines” to cure viral diseases. Using the genetic sequence of the virus shared by Chinese researchers in January, the company developed what could be a vaccine, and in February it submitted the vaccine to the National Institutes of Health for testing.
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International students studying in America struggle to figure out if they should stay, or go back home. And what happens if they get stuck somewhere?The virus, which started in China and has since spread around the world, has infected nearly 245,000 people and killed more than 10,000 as of early Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. In the last week, millions of people have been forced to work from home or lost their jobs, countries have closed borders and schools have moved to online learning models, effectively closing campuses.
In early March, the company began working with the Kaiser-Permanente health care consortium to begin tests of the vaccine, a lengthy and tedious process.
Kaiser-Permanente began advertising for test subjects in early March. A friend of Zach’s mentioned it to him, and he looked into it. His business was “decimated” by the pandemic, he said. He runs a political consultancy, a company that tracks political candidates and videotapes everything they say in hopes of capturing them saying something dumb.
The world is battling an outbreak of a new coronavirus called COVID-19, which started in the city of Wuhan, China, and has been spreading around the globe, killing thousands. The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11.
(Pictured) Catholic priest Reginaldo Manzotti prays before a mass with photos of the faithful over the church's pews at the Santuario de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe church in Curitiba, Brazil, on March 21.
Local community workers prepare to use a drone loaded with disinfectant to release on streets during the coronavirus outbreak in Talcahuano, Chile, on March 21.
Aerial view of empty roads in Bogota, Colombia, on March 21. Colombian authorities announced a mandatory isolation simulation for the extended weekend, from March 21 to 23, as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus.
DJ Francesco Cellini records people as he plays for them from the rooftop terrace of his apartment building, as Italians remain under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Monteverde district, Rome, Italy, on March 21.
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The moving walkway at Waterloo underground tube station is seen, as people respond to government measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus in London, England, on March 21.
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci speaks during a news briefing on the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak at the White House in Washington, on March 21.
Passengers from the the Costa Luminosa cruise ship that was hit by the coronavirus are led from a ship to buses, at the port of Savona, near Genoa, in Italy, on March 21.
Russian pianist Denis Matsuyev performs on a stage at Tchaikovsky Concert Hall while preparing for an online broadcast, during a rehearsal in Moscow, Russia on March 20.
Houston ISD launches online learning portal to help students, parents during pandemic
Houston ISD officials have created an online portal for distance-learning tools that will serve students and parents throughout the extended closure caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The portal is named HISD @ H.O.M.E. Accessible at the website houstonisd.org/home, the portal currently contains links to online learning applications, advice on creating an in-home school schedule and support for accessing digital tools. Starting March 31, HISD staff will begin posting more detailed curriculum and activities through the portal, as teachers provide more individualized instruction to students.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a daily press conference on March 20 in London, England. During the press conference, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told pubs, cafes, bars, restaurants and gyms to close, whilst Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the government will pay up to 80% of the wages of those unable to work due to the coronavirus.
Sheikh Abdirahman Kaariye, the Imam at the Islamic Center of Bothell, gives a Friday sermon on his computer in the center's empty prayer hall during the outbreak of coronavirus in Bothell, Washington.
A digital sign flashes instructions on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus at the Rockville Centre Train Station on March 20 in Rockville Centre, New York.
President Donald Trump responds to a question by NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on March 20 in Washington D.C.
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A general view of The Den, home of Millwall FC is seen as football in England remains suspended due to the outbreak of the coronavirus on March 20 in London, England.
French police officers patrol on the banks of the Seine on the fourth day after the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron of the confinement of the French due to an outbreak of a coronavirus pandemic on March 20 in Paris, France.
People stand apart as they line up to enter a supermarket in Rome, March 20.
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Check out three-year-old Aaliyah's stunning basketball trick while on a hoverboard! This toddler already seems destined to have a great future in the sport! Her dad is super proud of her.
Expeditioners unloading cargo off the Aurora Australis at Davis for annual station resupply, as Tasmania placed tough new restrictions on mainland Australians seeking entry in response to a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread, on March 20.
A homeless man holds up a sign outside Westminster underground station as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, March 19.
An undated scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow), also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (blue/pink) cultured in the lab.
A nurse in protective suit attends to a baby with COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, at an isolation ward of Wuhan Children's Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, China March 16.
A combination picture shows residents posing on their balcony and the window of their homes with an object significant to them during the lockdown imposed by the Belgian government in an attempt to slow down the coronavirus outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium on March 19.
A notice in a passageway points to a "shopping aid Coronavirus", on March 20, in Stuttgart, Germany.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivers a televised speech on the occasion of the Iranian New Year Nowruz, praising doctors and nurses for their courage in fighting against the coronavirus, in Tehran, Iran on March 20.
Military officers stand near parked trucks and ambulances at the premises of the Expo Center, after government declared it a mass isolation center and field hospital following an outbreak of the coronavirus, in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 20.
President Donald Trump, left, and Vice President Mike Pence attend a teleconference with governors at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters on March 19 in Washington, D.C.
A grocery store limits customers to one package of toilet paper per person to prevent hoarding during to the coronavirus outbreak on March 19 in Washington, D.C.
Municipal Civil Guards ask a beach goer to leave Icarai beach on March 19 in Niteroi, Brazil. Niteroi city officials temporarily closed and restricted beach activities during the coronavirus emergency.
A general view of the Piazza Della Repubblica empty and without traffic during the Coronavirus emergency March 19 in Rome. The Italian government continues to enforce the nationwide lockdown measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
A view of almost empty streets from traffic or people on Kurfürstendamm shipping boulevard in Berlin on March 19. Everyday life in Germany has become fundamentally altered as authorities tighten measures to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, left, and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance, right, flank British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he speaks during a coronavirus news conference inside No. 10 Downing Street on March 19 in London.
Police ask a group of people who had gathered in a park to disperse as a measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus on March 19 in Stuttgart, Germany.
People stand in designated areas of an elevator as a social distancing effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus at a shopping mall in Surabaya, Indonesia, on March 19.
With coronavirus spreading, neighbor worries her Amish neighbors 'wouldn't know'
Mary Swander put the wheels in motion and with the help of others, the Amish community of Kalona has seemed to heed warnings about the coronavirus.It was March 13, five days after Iowa announced its first coronavirus patient, and the man Swander was speaking with seemed unaware of the pandemic that was just then creeping into Iowa. The longer they spoke, the more her worry grew – for her friend and the other 1,200 Amish residents in Johnson and Washington counties.
A shopper walks the aisles carrying a pack of toilet paper at Costco Perth on March 19, in Perth, Australia. The store is limiting toilet paper purchases to one packet per customer in response to panic buying across Australia as fears grow over the COVID-19 pandemic.
A local medical worker embraces and bids farewell to another medical worker from Jiangsu at the Wuhan Railway Station as the medical team from Jiangsu leaves Wuhan, China, on March 19.
Personal trainer Antonietta Orsini carries out an exercise class for her neighbors from her balcony while Italians cannot leave their homes in Rome on March 18.
An unusually empty Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower on March 18 in Paris as a strict lockdown requiring most people in France to remain at home came into effect at midday the day before prohibiting all but essential outings in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
With the pandemic prompting candidates to cancel public events, business dried up. “There was not much work,” said Zach, whose company works for progressive candidates. “My entire business depends on events, and if they’re canceled, we have nothing.”
He looked into the ad and thought he could make a little money and, at the same time, help out. During this pandemic, it’s easy to slide into hopelessness. He saw this as something he could do. “I just wanted to help,” he said.
He called, and after answering some questions, went for a physical and spoke to a number of doctors. “It was a pretty lengthy process,” he said. At the end of the process, he could be one of the 45 people selected to be test subjects for the first phase of testing the vaccine, a sort of human guinea pig.
For his trouble, he will be paid $1,100.
From mice to human tests
He and the others in the initial trial of the experimental vaccine won’t be injected with “live” COVID-19 virus. Instead, Moderna, according to its website, has been specializing in developing what’s called “messenger RNA” to replicate the effects of the “live virus.” The “messenger RNA,” according to the company’s website, contains the genetic code that instructs cells how to manufacture the proteins that make up the virus, which is then supposed to prompt the body’s immune system to fight the toxic virus.
It is the first vaccine – code-named mRNA-1273 – developed to battle the Covid-19 virus. No vaccine developed with this technology has reached the market yet, according to The New York Times. The trials would be critical.
The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the new coronavirus. Since December 2019, coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected more than 109,000 people and killed more than 10,800 people in 105 countries.
(Pictured) Members of Joint Task Force 2, composed of soldiers and airmen from the New York Army and Air National Guard, work to sanitize the New Rochelle High School on March 21, in New Rochelle.
A member of the White House physician office takes the temperature of a member of the media before a briefing about the coronavirus at the White House in Washington, on March 21.
Shoppers wait in line at the Safe Supply outdoor grocery store at Bow Market on March 21 in Somerville, Mass. In order to comply with the city of Somerville's food safety protocol and social distancing recommendations, patrons registered to shop in advance, stood six feet apart at all times, and vendors handled and bagged all food.
Residents of Brookfield Road in Montclair, N.J., get together for a street happy hour toast Friday on March 20. With bars shuttered and stressed-out workers stuck at home, companies and friend groups across the U.S. are holding happy hours over video chat to commiserate and keep spirits.
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Sheikh Abdirahman Kaariye, the Imam at the Islamic Center of Bothell, gives a Friday sermon on his phone in the center's empty prayer hall in Bothell, Washington, on March 20.
Benji's best friend from high school, Angela Roth, live-streams to friends and family as Benji Mincy and Matt Friedman participate in a handfasting ceremony during a much smaller wedding ceremony than planned, in Mukilteo, Washington, on March 20.
Chef Danny Conkling plans a delivery schedule as part of an effort organized by The London Plane restaurant to donate more than 1,000 meals per day to local hospital workers at The London Plane in Seattle, on March 20.
U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on television, prior to California's Governor Gavin Newsom’s effective immediately statewide "stay at home order" directing the state's 40 million residents to stay in their homes, at the Chateau Barber Shop in Napa on March 19.
Naomi and Doug Hassebroek and their children catch up with friends and family digitally from their living room as a precaution during the outbreak, in Brooklyn, New York, on March 20.
Vice President Mike Pence speaks as President Donald Trump, left, listens during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference, in Washington DC, on March 20. Americans will have to practice social distancing for at least several more weeks to mitigate U.S. cases of Covid-19, Anthony S. Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said today.
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Computer specialists help traders break down their computers so they can work from home, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after the closing bell, in New York, on March 20. The NYSE will temporarily stop floor operations at the end of the day after two people who work in the building were tested positive for the coronavirus. The market will still be open, but there will be no in-person trading on the floor.
A shopper pauses at a makeshift memorial for grocer Steve Shulman, who died from the effects of the coronavirus disease, at Leschi Market in Seattle on March 19.
People stock up on groceries at the Stop and Shop ensuring that they had enough food in the homes to last at least a couple of weeks during the lockdown in South Bay on March 14.
National Guard troops give food to residents of New Rochelle, New York at Westchester Community Opportunity Program, Inc.(WestCOP) on March 12. The National Guard will help clean surfaces and deliver food in the one-mile radius containment area around a point near nations biggest cluster of cases of the coronavirus.
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U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation during a live television broadcast regarding the pandemic on March 11 in Washington, he announced the suspension of travel from Europe to U.S.
The Cincinnati Cyclones and the Toledo Walleye play in an empty arena during a regular-season ECHL hockey game on March 11 at the Huntington Center in Toledo. The Toledo Walleye restricted attendance to the game due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
White House is seen as police take measurements around after US capital declares state of emergency over COVID-19, in Washington on March 11. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency and public health emergency Wednesday after cases of the novel coronavirus more than doubled in the city.
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at National Institutes of Health, greet each other with an elbow bump before the start of a House Oversight And Reform Committee hearing concerning government preparedness and response to the coronavirus, on Capitol Hill March 11 in Washington.
Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka guards against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert in the first half during an NBA basketball game on March 9 in Salt Lake City. Rudy Gobert was tested positive and apologized for being careless about coronavirus. The NBA suspended the 2019-20 season after Rudy was tested positive.
The cruise ship Grand Princess docks at the Port of Oakland as authorities prepare for a passenger debarkation in Oakland on March 9, after 21 people on board tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
US President Donald Trump holds up a USD 8 billion emergency funding bill to combat the pandemic, after signing it in the White House in Washington on March 6.
New Jersey officials announced that a 32-year-old man from the town of Fort Lee has tested positive for COVID-19 on March 5 in New Jersey. The patient has been quarantined as the State's first officially confirmed case at the Hackensack University Medical Center.
Dr. Howard Zucker (L), Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, listens to Gov. Andrew Cuomo discusses the state's preparedness for the spread of coronavirus during a news conference, as first confirmed case is announced in-country on March 2 in New York.
U.S. President Donald Trump 3rd (R) and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence 3rd (L) announced travel restrictions on Iran and raised travel advisories for certain areas of Italy and South Korea, at the White House on Feb. 29 in Washington.
A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus at Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation on Feb 28 in Nutley. The facility develops novel therapies for some of the world’s most difficult diseases.
American evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrive at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Feb. 17 in San Antonio. The Diamond Princess cruise ship where the passengers were evacuated from, docked at the Japanese city of Yokohama, is believed to be the highest concentration of novel coronavirus cases outside of China.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced the first case of a person catching the virus from another person on American soil in Chicago on Jan 30.
John Wiesman, Secretary of Health at the Washington State Department of Health, talks about the first case of coronavirus in the United States during a press conference in Washington on Jan. 21.
As one of the initial test subjects, Zach will receive a series of injections while physicians monitor how his body reacts, checking for side effects and drawing blood samples to see whether the vaccine has any effect on his immune system. He won’t contract the disease, and he doesn’t have to be quarantined, although he said he is taking measures to reduce contact with others, the same as everybody else. Earlier tests had been conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health on mice.
This is the very initial stage of testing, a process that is expected to last 14 months. While the vaccine has been developed with remarkable speed, according to reports, it won’t be ready for widespread use for 14 to 18 months.
Zach asked about the risk of being a test subject and was told that it was low.
“I don’t really understand the science behind it,” Zach said. “I do know that we have a lot of smart people attacking this from a lot of different angles.”
News to stay informed. Advice to stay safe. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage from Microsoft News
'He didn't think it was such a big deal'
Adam’s fever broke Monday morning. Bridget’s broke the next day. A couple of days later, they still felt the effects. “We’re on the other side of it now,” Bridget said. “We just feel wiped out, like we had the flu.”
They were staying inside and away from others.
They hadn’t known Zach was participating in initial tests of a vaccine until a friend pointed out a Facebook post in which he announced it.
“Apparently, it was in the news in the Seattle area,” his mother wrote in an email. “He didn’t think it was such a big deal so he failed to mention it on our phone call on Sunday.”
Zach thinks he is just playing a small role in the creation of a vaccine.
“There are a lot of people a lot smarter than me involved in this,” he said. “I’m just showing up for appointments and keeping a diary. The scientists are doing the work. They’re the ones doing the real work.
“I don’t think this thing has a chance against that kind of brainpower.”
Signs block the paths to the beach at the Okaloosa Island, Florida, Boardwalk, Saturday, March 21, 2020, as beach closure orders are in effect for Walton and Okaloosa Counties in the Northwest Florida panhandle.
Times Square in Manhattan was far emptier than usual for a Saturday afternoon March 21, 2020. Coronavirus concerns have closed almost all businesses and kept most New Yorkers indoors.
A security guard walks through a sparsely populated transit hub in the downtown financial district as retail stores remain shuttered due to COVID-19 concerns, Saturday, March 21, 2020, in New York. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced sweeping orders Friday that will severely restrict gatherings of any size for the state's more than 19 million residents and will require workers in nonessential businesses to stay home.
Medical personnel administer tests to New Jersey residents at the drive-through coronavirus testing center at Bergen County Community College in Paramus, New Jersey on Friday, March 20, 2020.
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A sign at Ever Open Cafe references the statewide closure of restaurants in Fort Collins, Colo. on Friday, March 20, 2020. Gov.¤Jared Polis ordered all Colorado restaurants, bars and breweries close to public dining and drinking on Monday, March 16, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Bethany Baker/The Coloradoan via USA Today Network. (Via OlyDrop)
Shoppers line up at a grocery store in Ardsley, NY early Friday morning, March 20, 2020. The store is limiting shoppers and attempting to enforce social distancing.
A man wears a mask on his face and a camera around his neck as he looks at a mostly empty Times Square in New York City, early Thursday evening, March 19 2020.
A car parked on Main Street in the village of Brewster telling people to stay home because of the Coronavirus March 19, 2020.
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Healthcare workers screen patients who will be tested for COVID-19 at the FoundCare drive-thru testing station in Palm Springs, Florida on March 19, 2020.
Eva's Village distributes meals to-go to hundreds of north Jersey residents in need during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic on March 19, 2020. The change from sit down meals to take away, is aimed to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus by limiting or canceling in-person events consisting of 50 people or more, according to CDC guidelines.
Healthcare worker Ludnie Emile prepares to test people for COVID-19 at their drive-thru coronavirus testing station in Palm Springs, Florida on March 19, 2020.
Two Taiwanese tourists wear N-95 masks while taking in the view at Mather Point at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Mar. 18, 2020. Due to the coronavirus COVID-19, park entrance fees are suspended, shuttle bus service is suspended and visitor centers are closed.
Gillian Goldman-Klein helps her son Ethan,6, with his math work as he does his school work at their Bedford, N.Y. home March 18, 2020. Ethan is a first-grader at the Bedford Village Elementary School. Students of all ages have started schooling at home as schools have closed due to coronavirus concerns.
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Electronic message sign in front of the Rockland County Courthouse in New City gives advice on fighting the COVID-19 coronavirus March 18, 2020.
Aerial view of the Lincoln Tunnel entrance during the morning rush hour commute where few cars are seen on the road during the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday March 18, 2020 in Weehawken, N. J.
Jordan Cook of Anderson Interfaith Ministries Hunger Ministries, gets ready to load a car in the drive-through during food pantry hours in Anderson, S.C., March 18, 2020.
Former employees at Redfire Grill in Hockessin, Del. come in for free to help owner Carl Georigi shut down and sort through perishable food for his employees to take home on March 17, 2020. Georigi had to lay off nearly 400 employees across his 6 restaurants after dine-in services were banned by Gov. John Carney Monday afternoon.
Ashley Layton, an LPN at St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center, communicates with a person before taking a swab sample at a special outdoor drive-thru screening station for COVID-19 coronavirus in Meridian, Idaho on March 17, 2020.
Clark Drobek works at processing collections of swabs taken from various patients to see if they tested negative or positive for the Coronavirus COVID-19. The pathology and laboratory medicine labs at the Henry Ford Hospital on W. Grand Blvd in Detroit , Mich. were very busy on March 17, 2020 with many medical technologists and laboratory managers working long hours.
Lt. Raul Perez helps fellow New Rochelle Firefighter Marstus Hewitt put on special protective gear firefighters wear when responding to a potential Coronavirus call at New Rochelle fire headquarters in New Rochelle March 18, 2020.
The Mall of America is largely empty after announcing it is closing temporarily because of the coronavirus outbreak, March 17, 2020, in Bloomington, Minn.
A New Orleans Police Department cruiser drives past Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, known as the oldest bar in the United States dating back to the 1700s, as it enforces an order from Louisiana's Governor John Bel Edwards to shut bars and restaurants state-wide to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, La., March 16, 2020.
With gloves, mask and gown on, Johanna Mannone, 79, caresses and hugs her husband Michael Mannone in the front room of WellBridge of Rochester Hills, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Rochester Hills, Michigan on March 13, 2020.She didn't know when she'd get to see him again, perhaps in a few days as the center is restricting visitors because of the Coronavirus Covid-19. She was only able to visit her husband who has lived here for 6 months for a half hour.
Kristi Rodriguez takes the sack lunches being handed out by Student Nutrition workers at Johnston Elementary School in Abilene, Texas on Tuesday March 17, 2020. Rodriguez was feeding her nine-year-old son Lucas and two other children in the back seat. The Abilene Independent School District is handing out breakfast and lunch to students at designated schools around the city.
Volunteers from the nonprofit Sponsored By Grace gathered across the street from the Vista Landing apartments on Cleveland Road in Jacksonville, Fla to distribute 11 pallets of food including dry goods, produce and meat from Feeding Northeast Florida Tuesday, March 17, 2020. According to Ron Armstrong, the Executive Director of Sponsored By Grace his organization has sponsored children in the neighborhood for some time but with the closing of schools due to the coronavirus fears and the the closing of the nearby Save A Lot, two major sources of food for the communities children, they decided to bring food to the community. "It is good that the schools are providing free lunches" said Armstrong "but 70 percent of the neighborhood does not have transportation and with the closed Save A Lot the area has become a food desert." Much of the food from Feeding Northeast Florida was donated by The Players Championship after the cancelation of this years golf tournament.
Vinnie Porretti, of Jupiter, suns on a patch of grass after the Town of Palm Beach closed its beaches to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus on March 17, 2020 in Palm Beach, Fla.
Mar 17, 2020; Valhalla, NY, USA; A car enters an area where tents are set up on the grounds of the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for Coronavirus testing by appointment only March 17, 2020.
Delta flight DL9954, a Boeing 767 from Atlanta lands at the Pinal Airpark on March 17, 2020. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Delta wide-body aircraft are being moved to storage in Marana, Ariz.
The Outlets at Bergen Town Center in Paramus had fewer shoppers due to the coronavirus, and the mall will be implementing shortened hours starting Monday, March 16, 2020, closing at 7 p.m. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy urged all residents to stay home after 8 p.m.
Bethel School District workers staff a station to hand out breakfast and lunch bags to students at Fairfield Elementary School in Eugene, Ore. on March 16, 2020.
A medical team prepares to test people for COVID-19 at a drive through station set up in the parking lot of FoundCare, federally qualified health center in West Palm Beach, Fla. on March, 16, 2020.
Helen Wood, a client advocate, and Nicole Davis, a special events planer, prepare food packages for client pickup on March 16, 2020. The Center for Food Action in Englewood, NJ is limiting the packing of food donations and access to the inside of their pantry to staff only in accordance to social distancing recommendations to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. Clients picking up food are doing so outside and all employees are wearing gloves to handle food items and interact with the public. Donations are down and the request for food has increased.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel, Chief Clinical Officer at Banner Health discusses the COVID-19 coronavirus testing process during a press conference in Phoenix on March 16, 2020.
A pharmacist gives Jennifer Haller, left, the first shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus,, March 16, 2020, at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle.
Aranza Arteaga, 4, receives a bagged lunch at the Edison Elementary School in Port Chester, N.Y., March 16, 2020. With public schools closed due to the coronavirus, several schools in Port Chester distributed free lunch to students. (Via OlyDrop)
People entering the White House grounds have temperatures checked by officials at the northwest gate along Pennsylvania Avenue due to the coronavirus emergency before being allowed into the grounds on March 16, 2020 at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Roger Grimmett delivers his message to an empty sanctuary and a camera crew for First United Methodist Church's Sunday morning service for the first time due to restrictions of large gatherings because of COVID-19, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. First United Methodist Church live streamed their 9 a.m. traditional service as well as their 10:30 a.m. contemporary service on the church's Facebook page because of the restrictions. It's the first time the church has closed to corporate worship since 1918 at the height of the flu epidemic.
Amy Driscoll, 45, looks out the front door of her home, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Hudson, Ohio. After testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, Driscoll became Summit County's second confirmed case of coronavirus.
New York State Police and Westchester County Police stop cars at the entrance to Glen Island Park in New Rochelle March 14, 2020. The park is the location for mobile testing of the Coronavirus.
Even for a typically slow Sunday afternoon Grand Central Terminal in New York City was quieter than usual March 15, 2020 as Coronavirus concerns kept travelers and tourists off the streets and away from popular destinations in the city.
Deer Valley ski resort officially closed March 15, 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Parent company Alterra Mountain Company closed all of their fifteen resorts.
A health care worker with ChristianaCare takes a swab from a person in a vehicle during a drive-thru coronavirus testing setup in the parking lot of Chase Center on March 13, 2020. Tests were free, and patients will receive their results in two to five days.
People stand outside the gates of Disneyland Park on the first day of the closure of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks as fear of the spread of coronavirus continue, in Anaheim, California, on March 14, 2020.
Customers at grocery chain HEB in Austin look for products among increasingly empty shelves as the city responds to concerns of the spread of the new coronavirus and COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
ACT Environmental Services crews clean a JetBlue plane after a flight from New York landed Wednesday night carrying a passenger who’d been infected with coronavirus at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida on March, 12, 2020. (Via OlyDrop)
A woman moves out of Chadbourne Hall Thursday, March 12, 2020 on the campus of UW-Madison in Madison, Wis. The university is one of multiple Wisconsin universities on Wednesday took dramatic steps to ward off or curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, everything from moving courses online to canceling university-sponsored travel and events to extending spring break.
Tourists visit the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on the final day the U.S. Capitol will be open to the public due to the coronavirus outbreak on March 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Earlier today it was announced the U.S. Capitol will be closed until at least April 1 due to evolving concerns about the spread of the virus.
Trader Michael Gallucci works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Stocks are closing sharply lower on Wall Street, erasing more than 1,400 points from the Dow industrials, as investors wait for a more aggressive response from the U.S. government to economic fallout from the coronavirus.
Judie Shape, left, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, waves to her daughter, Lori Spencer, right, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, as they visit on the phone and look at each other through a window at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle. In-person visits are not allowed at the nursing home. The vast majority of people recover from the new coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, most people recover in about two to six weeks, depending on the severity of the illness.
Workers from a Servpro disaster recovery team wearing protective suits and respirators are given supplies as they line up before entering the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash. to begin cleaning and disinfecting the facility, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, near Seattle. The nursing home is at the center of the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Washington state.
Street performers who wear character costumes to pose for photos with tourists in exchange for tips, stand around waiting for customers, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in New York's Times Square. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.
Students leave New Rochelle High School after classes are dismissed, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in New York. State officials are shuttering schools and houses of worship for two weeks in part of the New York City suburb New Rochelle and sending the National Guard there to help respond to what appears to be the nation's biggest cluster of coronavirus cases.
David Rodriguez, top, and Joseph Alberts, of the City of Austin Transportation Department, take down a South by Southwest street banner on East 7th Street outside the music venue Barracuda on Tuesday March 10, 2020, after SXSW was canceled due to the coronavirus scare.
Passenger aboard the Grand Princess celebrate as they arrive in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2020. The cruise ship, which had maintained a holding pattern off the coast for days, is carrying multiple people who tested positive for COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
A patient is loaded into an ambulance at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash. Monday, March 9, 2020, near Seattle. The nursing home is at the center of the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Washington state.
A worker wipes down fare gates at the Montgomery Street Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station on March 7, 2020 in San Francisco, California. As the Coronavirus continues to spread, people are taking precautions to keep themselves and the general public safe by cleaning surfaces and wearing protective masks.
A woman who tested positive with the coronavirus is brought to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, March 6, 2020. She was transferred from Omaha's Methodist Hospital in an isolation pod inside an ambulance.
People walk through a sparse international departure terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport as concern over the coronavirus grows on March 7, 2020 in New York City. The number of global coronavirus infections has now surpassed 100,000, causing disruptions throughout the globe. The airline and travel industries has been especially hard hit by the outbreak, with both business and leisure travelers cancelling plans.
Golden State Warriors fan Noah Gutierrez 11-years-old form Littleton, Colo. holds out his hand while wearing an elastic glove hoping to get a high five from Golden State Warriors Damion Lee prior to their game against the Denver Nuggets, March 3, 2020 in Denver. The NBA has told players to avoid high-fiving fans and strangers and avoid taking any item for autographs, the league's latest response in its ongoing monitoring of the coronavirus crisis.
Larry Bowles, an equipment service worker for King County Metro, sprays Virex II 256, a disinfectant, throughout a metro bus at the King County Metro Atlantic/Central operating base on March 4, 2020 in Seattle, Wash. Metro's fleet of 1600 buses will get sprayed once a day to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Shelves where disinfectant wipes and sprays are usually displayed sit empty in a pharmacy, March 4, 2020, in Providence, R.I., as confirmed cases of the coronavirus rise in the U.S.
A staff member blocks the view as a person is taken by a stretcher to a waiting ambulance from a nursing facility where more than 50 people are sick and being tested for the COVID-19 virus, in Kirkland, Wash. on Feb. 29, 2020.
A man makes use of a hand-sanitizing station at CenturyLink Field prior to an MLS soccer match between the Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Fire, March 1, 2020, in Seattle. Major North American professional sports leagues are talking to health officials and informing teams about the coronavirus outbreak.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks as National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listen, during a briefing about the coronavirus in the press briefing room at the White House in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.
A sign directs vehicles toward a drive-up testing site at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash., Saturday, March 21, 2020. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is hosting the testing for the new coronavirus over the next several days for people at higher risk for COVID-19 and people with symptoms who work in healthcare, public safety, and for critical businesses such as grocery stores and public utilities.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Sick parents with 102° fevers denied coronavirus test, as son begins vaccine trial
With coronavirus spreading, neighbor worries her Amish neighbors 'wouldn't know' .
Mary Swander put the wheels in motion and with the help of others, the Amish community of Kalona has seemed to heed warnings about the coronavirus.It was March 13, five days after Iowa announced its first coronavirus patient, and the man Swander was speaking with seemed unaware of the pandemic that was just then creeping into Iowa. The longer they spoke, the more her worry grew – for her friend and the other 1,200 Amish residents in Johnson and Washington counties.
Disastrous economic figures out of China underlined the real-world effects of extended disruption to daily life, a scenario now unfolding across America as much of the labor force retreats into enforced isolation.Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today’s most popular stories on The Washington Post
© Courtesy of Zach Wurtz Zach Wurtz, a 2001 graduate of Delone Catholic High School, is one of the test subjects participating in trials to develop a coronavirus vaccine. 
Disastrous economic figures out of China underlined the real-world effects of extended disruption to daily life, a scenario now unfolding across America as much of the labor force retreats into enforced isolation.Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today’s most popular stories on The Washington Post 
US deaths jumped to 150 across 22 states. Meanwhile, China reaches a milestone after no new cases were reported. Read the latest coronavirus news.China reached a milestone: the epicenter city of Wuhan and the surrounding province reported no new domestic cases. Meanwhile, Italy was poised to surpass China in total deaths. 
Vaccines to halt the spread of COVID-19 have been trialed in human patients for the first time, but experts suggest they are still a year away.Since it was first discovered as the causative agent of the new disease, scientists have been racing to get a better understanding of the virus' genetic makeup, how it infects cells and how to effectively treat it. Currently there's no cure, and medical specialists can only treat the symptoms of the disease. However, the long-term strategy to combat COVID-19, which has spread to every continent on Earth besides Antarctica, will be to develop a vaccine. 
International students studying in America struggle to figure out if they should stay, or go back home. And what happens if they get stuck somewhere?The virus, which started in China and has since spread around the world, has infected nearly 245,000 people and killed more than 10,000 as of early Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. In the last week, millions of people have been forced to work from home or lost their jobs, countries have closed borders and schools have moved to online learning models, effectively closing campuses. 
Houston ISD officials have created an online portal for distance-learning tools that will serve students and parents throughout the extended closure caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The portal is named HISD @ H.O.M.E. Accessible at the website houstonisd.org/home, the portal currently contains links to online learning applications, advice on creating an in-home school schedule and support for accessing digital tools. Starting March 31, HISD staff will begin posting more detailed curriculum and activities through the portal, as teachers provide more individualized instruction to students. 
Check out three-year-old Aaliyah's stunning basketball trick while on a hoverboard! This toddler already seems destined to have a great future in the sport! Her dad is super proud of her. 
"If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not gonna let it stop me from partying," the Ohio man said in a recent TV interview.Brady Sluder said he has realized he's not invincible after all. 
Mary Swander put the wheels in motion and with the help of others, the Amish community of Kalona has seemed to heed warnings about the coronavirus.It was March 13, five days after Iowa announced its first coronavirus patient, and the man Swander was speaking with seemed unaware of the pandemic that was just then creeping into Iowa. The longer they spoke, the more her worry grew – for her friend and the other 1,200 Amish residents in Johnson and Washington counties. 
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