50 ★ States
News from across the USA
ALABAMA Montgomery: The state is remaining open for business as its coronavirus caseload grows, with at least 215 people known to be infected as of Tuesday, according to the Department of Public Health. The ages of those infected ranged from 2 to 97, and about 6% to 7% of the cases have required hospitalization, State Health Officer Scott Harris said Monday.
ALASKA Anchorage: The state Senate approved a budget provision Monday that would give residents a $1,000 payment as a way to blunt economic impacts from the virus.
ARIZONA Phoenix: COVID-19 cases are accelerating quickly as more testing becomes available, with 326 identified cases and five known deaths reported in the state Tuesday.
ARKANSAS Little Rock: The state on Tuesday reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that the state faces a $353 million shortfall because of the economic fallout from the outbreak, and he planned to call a special legislative session that will begin Thursday.
CALIFORNIA Sacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ruled out releasing violent inmates in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but he left the door open to other relief that he said needs to be carefully weighed to avoid worsening the state’s homelessness crisis. One inmate and five employees in California’s massive prison system have tested positive for the coronavirus, leading to increased pressure on corrections officials to begin releasing some of the state’s 123,000 convicts early.
COLORADO Denver: The city issued a stay-at-home order Monday limiting most people to going out only for essentials such as groceries, medication and exercise as officials try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
CONNECTICUT Hartford: Businesses adapted to new social distancing guidelines Tuesday, and state lawmakers were planning to continue work on an assistance package for small companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak despite the postponement of the legislative session.
DELAWARE Dover: Gov. John Carney declared a public health emergency Monday as state officials reported a tenfold increase in the number of coronavirus cases in Delaware compared to a week ago.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: Mayor Muriel Bowser said nonessential business in the district, including personal services such as salons and barbershops, were ordered to close Tuesday in an effort to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus, WUSA-TV reports.
FLORIDA Tallahassee: Gov. Ron DeSantis asked President Donald Trump to declare Florida a disaster area, saying the coronavirus outbreak is having a “drastic effect” on the state’s economy and medical providers. Meanwhile, some of Florida’s harderhit municipalities ordered all their residents to shelter in place Tuesday after DeSantis argued against a statewide order and blamed people flying in from New York and New Jersey for potentially spreading the virus.
GEORGIA Atlanta: The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the state pushed past 1,000 Tuesday, with deaths rising to 32, as officials in southwest Georgia’s largest city – Albany – warned that they’re out of intensive care space, and Georgia’s municipalities were urged to impose more restrictions.
HAWAII Honolulu: The state has recorded its first death from COVID19. State officials said late Monday that the adult suffered from multiple underlying health conditions.
IDAHO Boise: The Idaho State Board of Education has ordered schools statewide to close until at least April 20 in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
ILLINOIS Chicago: Union leaders representing workers who have been deemed “essential” as the state battles the coronavirus called Monday for more protective gear to guard members against infection. Kenneth Franklin, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, which represents Chicago Transit Authority train engineers, said the agency is adequately cleaning train cars but is paying little attention to air filtering systems.
INDIANA Indianapolis: Five more deaths were reported Tuesday from the coronavirus-related illness, giving the state a total of 12, with a statewide stay-at-home order about to take effect Wednesday.
IOWA Cedar Rapids: The city was stopping its transit service at the end of Tuesday to help halt the spread of COVID-19. City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said plans are to resume service April 13.
KANSAS Topeka: Aircraft parts maker Spirit Aerosystems temporarily suspended production work for Boeing at its Wichita facility Tuesday amid an outbreak of the coronavirus that continues to send shock waves through the economy and has about one-third of Kansas residents in five counties under a shelter-in-place order.
KENTUCKY Louisville: A firefighter has tested positive for COVID-19, the mayor’s office said. Louisville’s health department is working with his home county’s health officials, along with Louisville Fire officials, to “determine any additional course of action,” a news release said.
LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: The governor on Tuesday asked the White House to declare a major disaster in his state to free up more direct federal aid to cope with the surging coronavirus outbreak, warning that the New Orleans area could run out of hospital beds by early April.
MARYLAND Annapolis: The state reported its fourth death due to the coronavirus Tuesday. Meanwhile, Gov. Larry Hogan visited the Baltimore Convention Center, where the Maryland National Guard is working to create a field hospital to treat people with the virus.
MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Two organizations that have been providing an outdoor respite for residents feeling cooped up because of the coronavirus pandemic closed their doors to visitors Tuesday. Mass Audubon and the Trustees of Reservations both announced they are shutting down their outdoor facilities in line with Gov. Charlie Baker’s order requiring nonessential businesses to close for two weeks.
MICHIGAN Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned Tuesday that a Detroit-area hospital system was “almost at capacity” treating people with the coronavirus.
MINNESOTA Minneapolis: Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced her husband, John Bessler, has tested positive for the coronavirus and been hospitalized. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota rose to 262 on Tuesday.
MISSISSIPPI Jackson: Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he will issue an executive order that further restricts people’s physical interactions, but he is not issuing a stayat-home order, and it was not clear whether any steps will be taken to enforce the things he is ordering.
MISSOURI Kansas City: The state’s death toll from the coronavirus doubled to six in one day, and cities and counties statewide took new measures Tuesday to slow the spread of the virus.
MONTANA Helena: The chief justice of the state Supreme Court is asking city and county judges to consider releasing from jail as many offenders as they can to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
NEBRASKA Lincoln: More COVID-19 cases have been reported in five counties, bringing Nebraska’s total to 61, a state agency said.
NEVADA Las Vegas: Two more people have died of the coronavirus in the Vegas area, bringing to four the number of deaths in the state, health officials said Monday. Casinos remained closed, most stores were shuttered, popular scenic areas were gated, and the control tower at McCarran International Airport remained idled.
NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: The city’s homeless have seen their daily routine interrupted with the closing of resource centers and business establishments, two key entities that have long made their lives a little more manageable, the Concord Monitor reports. Andy Labrie, who recently retired as an outreach coordinator for the Community Action Program, said generally speaking, homeless individuals, who are more likely to suffer from respiratory problems because of their penchant for smoking, are at higher risk to catch the coronavirus because it affects the lungs during its early stages.
NEW JERSEY Trenton: The state has had 17 new deaths stemming from coronavirus, the biggest single-day jump yet, bringing the statewide total to 44, Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday. Murphy called the report sobering and said the state has become No. 2 in the nation for positive COVID-19 results, but he said that is the result of much more testing over recent days.
NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: The State Investment Council on Tuesday approved the creation of a $100 million business recovery fund to help medium-sized businesses meet payroll obligations and avoid layoffs amid the economic turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic.
NEW YORK New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded his most dire warning yet about the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, saying the infection rate is accelerating, and the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide.
NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: The state government is sticking for now with incremental expanded business closings, tightened assembly limitations and health care system preparations to blunt the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Roy Cooper issued new orders this week closing several categories of entertainment and personal service establishments by Wednesday afternoon.
NORTH DAKOTA Fargo: The North Dakota Health Department said Tuesday that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state stands at 34, an increase of two from Monday afternoon.
OHIO Columbus: The fate of the remaining school year, including graduation requirements and state-mandated testing, is among the top issues before lawmakers planning a return to the Capitol this week to address challenges posed by the coronavirus.
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: A Cleveland County woman in her 60s has become the state’s third coronavirus-related death, and the number of confirmed cases continues to climb, health officials said Tuesday.
OREGON Portland: Gov. Kate Brown ordered Oregonians to stay home Monday and banned all nonessential gatherings and travel to try to slow the spread of coronavirus after crowds of people descended on beach towns and hiking trails over the weekend despite pleas to stay home.
PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg: Hospitals, nursing homes and child care centers are asking the state government for more money to avoid closures amid a surge of coronavirus-related demands on staffing and equipment, and Pennsylvania’s corrections officers’ union wants the prison system to stop all transfers of inmates.
RHODE ISLAND Providence: Rhode Island-based retailer Ocean State Job Lot has donated $250,000 to buy protective equipment and cleaning supplies in response to the pandemic.
SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: All state parks in South Carolina are closing Wednesday and Thursday as officials figure out and implement new policies to help control the spread of the coronavirus.
SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: Gov. Kristi Noem said the state may be as much as eight weeks away from the peak of the COVID-19 crisis and needs to limit business activity, even as President Donald Trump considers relaxing national guidance.
TENNESSEE Nashville: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is shutting down for two weeks in an effort to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus, according to a news release from the park.
TEXAS Houston: Leaders in Houston and Austin on Tuesday joined a growing a list of Texas cities that have urged people to shelter in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Fort Worth and El Paso also announced similar orders Tuesday.
UTAH Bountiful: A man who died from the coronavirus had visited a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the week prior to his diagnosis, church officials said.
VERMONT Montpelier: The Vermont National Guard is helping to set up three overflow medical facilities as the state prepares for an increase in patients due to the new coronavirus.
VIRGINIA Lynchburg: Local officials said Tuesday that they were fielding complaints about the hundreds of students who’ve returned from their spring break to Liberty University, where President Jerry Falwell Jr. has welcomed them back amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We could not be more disappointed in the action that Jerry took in telling students they could come back and take their online classes on campus,” Lynchburg City Manager Bonnie Svrcek said.
WASHINGTON Olympia: Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday ordered nonessential businesses to close and the state’s more than 7 million residents to stay home unless necessary.
WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice has ordered residents to stay inside and close all nonessential businesses. The Republican’s executive order, which went into effect at 8 p.m. Tuesday, says people can leave their homes for food, medicine and other essential items.
WISCONSIN Madison: Gov. Tony Evers issued a sweeping order Tuesday closing nonessential businesses, banning gatherings of any size and imposing monthlong travel restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
WYOMING Cheyenne: The Wyoming Democratic Party will postpone its presidential selection vote count by three weeks and will only accept mail-in ballots to avoid disruptions from potential new coronavirus restrictions, state party spokeswoman Nina Hebert said Monday.