LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN CORONAVIRUS

U.S. TOPS CHINA

THE U.S. DEATH TOLL FROM COVID-19CLIMBED PAST 3,500 TUESDAY, ECLIPSING CHINA’S OFFICIAL TOLL OF ABOUT 3,300. WORLDWIDE, MORE THAN 800,000PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INFECTED AND OVER 39,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED, ACCORDING TO JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.

NURSING HOME INFECTED

METRON OF CEDAR SPRINGS, NEAR GRAND RAPIDS, SAID 31 RESIDENTS AND FIVE STAFF MEMBERS HAVE COVID-19. TWO RESIDENTS ARE BEING TREATED ELSEWHERE, SAID PAUL PRUITT, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR.

DRUG TREATMENTS

HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM SAID THE DRUG HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO SERIOUSLY ILL COVID-19PATIENTS AT ITS DETROIT-AREA HOSPITALS. DR. MARCUS ZERVOS SAID SOME PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS HAVE RECOVERED, BUT THAT THE DRUG “IS NOT A MIRACLE CURE.”

CONSUMERS WORRIED

U.S. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE FELLS TO ITS LOWEST LEVEL IN NEARLY THREE YEARS. EXPERTS SAYS THE STEEP MARCH DECLINE REFLECTS WORRIES ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DAMAGE FROM THE COVID-19PANDEMIC AND EXPECT IT TO FALL FURTHER AS THE TOLL INCREASES.

CAPTAIN: QUARANTINE CREW

THE CAPTAIN OF THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT AIRCRAFT CARRIER HAS ASKED THE NAVY TO QUARANTINE 90% OF CREW ON GUAM TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19VIRUS. “DECISIVE ACTION IS REQUIRED,” HE WROTE.

‘IMPEACHMENT DIVERTED ATTENTION’

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL, TOLD A CONSERVATIVE RADIO HOST THE IMPEACHMENT DISTRACTED THE ADMINISTRATION’S ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE VIRUS CRISIS, DEFENDING THE PRESIDENT AMID CRITICISM OF A DELAYED RESPONSE.