US Surgeon General warns that this week will be the “hardest and saddest week of most Americans’ lives”. Wearing homemade face masks and face coverings in public is encouraged by the CDC. A Texas city mandates that people wear masks in public or face fines. Projections suggest that “flattening the curve” appears to hold true for states as much as it does for countries. A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus. The UN warns of a surge in domestic violence during global lockdowns. In the UK, 5G cell towers are being burned due to conspiracy theories.

In addition to posting today's curated news on our website at C-19 Daily, we're bringing you an interview with Stephanie Marjoram, Vice President of Enterprise Applications at Infinite Blue. Stephanie has over 15 years of experience in business continuity planning and discusses pandemic planning and response.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 approaches one million globally. Coronavirus deaths exceed 5,000 in the United States as more states issue stay-at-home orders for residents. Over 40 spring breakers who ignored public health advice test positive for the coronavirus. FEMA is sending 85 refrigerated trucks to New York City to serve as temporary morgues. The New England Patriot’s jet is used to bring over one million N95 masks from China to the US. The governor of California pleads with other states to shut down.

The number of new cases of COVID-19 have leveled off to a two-week low in Italy. Testing in Iceland suggests that 50% of COVID-19 positive individuals have no symptoms. Visualizing infection curves is helping to better understand the coronavirus outbreak in countries with the highest number of cases. The Pentagon says it has not sent ventilators and equipment because it has not been told where to send the supplies. Consumer traffic at large retailers falls for the first time in weeks as stockpiling behaviors begins to shift. A cruise ship with four dead and 200 sick passengers will be allowed to dock in Florida.

CDC Director, Dr. Robert Redfield, discusses the latest COVID-19 models for the months to come. The CDC is considering recommending that the public wear face coverings when out in public. Dr. Birx, White House coronavirus coordinator, predicts up to 200,000 US deaths as a best case scenario. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are crafting triage policies regarding ventilator access for patients. USNS Comfort arrives in New York City to relieve coronavirus pressure from hospitals. The US unemployment rate may hit 32%, with 47 million job losses estimated by the Federal Reserve.

Dr. Fauci, member of the White House coronavirus task force, says the US could see millions of coronavirus cases and more than 100,000 deaths. President Trump has extended the guidelines to slow coronavirus until the end of April. Germany is planning to introduce ‘immunity certificates’ for individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. Russia is using authoritarian technology to control the spread of the virus. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that residents who break social distancing rules will be subject to fines. Johnson & Johnson plans to start human testing of their coronavirus vaccine by September. Amazon workers prepare to strike at the Staten Island warehouse in support of demands for coronavirus protections.

In addition to posting today's curated news on our website at C-19 Daily, we're bringing you an interview with Chris Duffy, Head of Advisory Services at Infinite Blue. Chris has been involved in organization resiliency for over 20 years and discusses his recent blog post regarding pandemic planning and response.

The US Senate agrees a historic $2 trillion stimulus deal to address the economic impact of COVID-19, that now heads to the House. President Trump wants to open the country by Easter, but it is feared that easing restrictions now would be disastrous. India implements a country-wide lockdown as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. South Korea is seen as a model for tactics to flatten the growth curve of the pandemic. States are finding creative ways to deploy much needed healthcare workers to assist with treating coronavirus.

China prepares to lift the lockdown in Wuhan City as new cases have slowed significantly. The US Surgeon General warns that the outbreak is going to get worse this week. New York City’s high density of people is its biggest issue contributing to the high number of coronavirus cases. FEMA publishes a website to address misinformation with regard to COVID-19. Several states have delayed primary voting and other states consider expanding absentee voting. The coronavirus is extremely difficult to kill because it is not alive.