AMERICANS UP IN ARMS AS NATION FACES SHUTDOWN
A WAVE of panic buying has hit gun stores across the United States amid signs communities were fraying because of coronavirus fears.
Customers seeking firearms and ammunition were lining up outside stores as President Donald Trump appealed for calm.
Mr Trump sought to soothe a jittery nation by declaring the government has “tremendous control” over the situation and urging people to stop panic buying of grocery staples that has depleted store shelves nationwide.
But as he spoke officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Governors and mayors closed restaurants, bars, and schools as the nation sank deeper into chaos.
Travellers returning home from abroad were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have urged people to avoid.
A government expert said a 14-day national shutdown may be needed. In a sign of impending economic gloom, the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate to near zero.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommended gatherings of 50 people or more should be cancelled or postponed throughout the country for the next eight weeks. Even before the warning, parts of the country already look like ghost towns.
New York City said eateries could only accept takeout and delivery orders. Mayor Bill de Blasio also ordered nightclubs, movie theatres and other entertainment venues closed.