New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced this week that the country has eliminated the novel coronavirus, but warned that residents must stay vigilant. Neighboring Australia has also experienced relatively high success in battling COVID-19. Nick Schifrin reports on how the Pacific nations have kept their losses from the pandemic low compared to other countries.

Throughout the pandemic, restrictions on social gatherings have forced those who observe major religious holidays to find new ways to practice their faith. How is COVID-19 changing places of worship? Judy Woodruff talks to New York University's Imam Khalid Latif, Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg of United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis and Rev. Tim Cole of Christ Church Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

Misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 have spread rapidly online, creating what some experts are now calling an "infodemic." Health officials across the globe are scrambling to refute a flood of bogus claims, some of which could have harmful consequences. John Yang reports on the dangerous course of falsehoods during this global health crisis -- and techniques to identify them.

Although the pace of infection has slowed in some U.S. coronavirus hot spots, the overall numbers keep rising. Nearly a third of the world's three million confirmed cases are in the U.S., which has also recorded 55,000 deaths. But despite the disease's continued spread, state and local officials are facing persistent pressure to get their communities back to business. Stephanie Sy reports.

As the U.S. grapples with the novel coronavirus, a bipartisan group is putting together an ambitious plan to scale capacity to track and contain the virus. Andy Slavitt, former director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the $46 billion proposal, which would expand contact tracing capabilities as well as provide income for people during isolation.

Weeks into the social distancing driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, some states are beginning to lift restrictions -- while others are extending them. How do business owners and customers feel about the decision to reopen? John Yang talks to Bill Nigut of Georgia Public Broadcasting and Anna Rau of Montana PBS about what they are seeing in their states, which are attempting a phased approach.

Cases of COVID-19 have been rising in some rural parts of the U.S. -- many of which were already squeezed for medical care before the pandemic. With fewer resources available in these places, a spike in patients requiring hospitalization and intensive care can be especially dangerous. William Brangham talks to Dr. Shanti Akers, a pulmonologist at the Phoebe Putney Health System in Albany, Georgia.

The spread of COVID-19 has dramatically altered the way Americans both live and die. We asked our viewers to share their stories about losing loved ones during the pandemic, whether to COVID-19 or to something else. Amna Nawaz reports on the strange and sorrowful process of grief for people in isolation.

The coronavirus is reshaping the way some Americans live and even how they receive healthcare. One challenge that has emerged from this crisis is which patients get life-changing surgeries that have been deemed elective medical procedures during the pandemic and which ones wait. NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker reports on how doctors and patients are being impacted by the delays.

There are more than 1.5 million homeless public school students in the United States. But with many of those young people relying on school for safety, stability and food, the mass closures of school buildings all over the country due to the coronavirus have left them even more vulnerable than before. NewsHour Weekend's Zachary Green reports as part of our series, "Chasing the Dream."