(NEW YORK) — Here’s the latest information on the COVID-19 coronavirus as of 9:30 a.m. ET.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 542,788
Global deaths: 24,361
Number of countries/regions: at least 176
Total patients recovered globally: 124,351
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
At least 85,996 diagnosed cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam. This is now more than any other country. China is now second, with 81,894 reported cases.
At least 1,296 dead.
Latest reported deaths per state
Visit https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.htmlfor the latest numbers.
School closures
For a state-by-state interactive map of current school closures, please visit the Education Week website, where numbers are updated once daily.
There are 98,277 public schools and 34,576 private schools in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Those schools educate almost 50.8 million public school students and 5.8 million private school students.
At least 30 states and the District of Columbia have announced or implemented closures of non-essential businesses.
The latest headlines
Airlines update: workers die, TSA workers test positive, domestic air travel plummets
A Philadelphia-based American Airlines flight attendant died earlier this week after contracting COVID-19, the airline confirmed. The news comes after a report earlier this week that a United employee passed away after being diagnosed with COVID-19. A source familiar with the matter said the employee was a ramp worker. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration reports 68 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. The TSA will now begin to allow certain personnel to wear N95 masks as they perform their duties. The developments come as the TSA screened its lowest number of passengers Wednesday in over a decade: 239,234 travelers, compared to 2,273,811 travelers on the same weekday last year – a more than 89% drop. Due to decreased air travel and increased home isolation, a Delta spokesperson confirms to ABC News that more than 21,000 employees have volunteered to take unpaid leave. Delta Airlines employs around 90,000 people globally. United Airlines told ABC News last week that “thousands” had taken voluntary unpaid leave, but wouldn’t provide a number.
ICE detainees ordered released
ICE detainees must be immediately released from county jails where cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, a federal judge in New York ordered Thursday night. Ten detainees sought release “because of the public health crisis posed by COVID-19,” their petition said. The men and women had been detained by federal immigration authorities and had removal proceedings pending in immigration court. They were being held at three jails in New Jersey where either detainees or staff had tested positive for coronavirus.
Doctor accused of intentionally coughing on medical staff
WTNH in New Haven, CT reports witnesses saw Dr. Cory Edgar of UConn Health intentionally cough on two other medical employees in such a way that other medical workers and witnesses believe he was intentionally disregarding social distancing guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Edgar has been charged with misdemeanor breach of peace. In response, UConn Health said in a statement, in part, “UConn Health is aware of the situation. We take all such allegations seriously and the matter is currently under review.”
California DMV closes field offices
You’re gonna have to wait a while to get your license renewed in California. The state has closed all field DMV offices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, KABC in Los Angeles reports. You’re also going to have to wait to do business online – the DMV says it’ll open its virtual field offices April 2, featuring expanded online business options.
Good news!
NFL draft to take place as planned
So far, there are no plans to cancel the NFL draft amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ESPN reports NFL Commissioner Roger Godell said in a Thursday memo that the April 23-25 dates will stand, for now. He also clearly doesn’t want to hear any criticism of the decision, writing in part, “public discussion of issues relating to the Draft serves no useful purpose and is grounds for disciplinary action.”
Sports apparel company Fanatics to make medical gear instead of baseball uniforms
Major League Baseball players won’t be needing their uniforms for a while, given that the season has been indefinitely postponed, so MLB and Fanatics executive chairman Michael Rubin have announced plans to use the fabric instead to make at least one million masks and hospital gowns to support health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Rubin said the work has already begun and that the materials will be distributed to hospitals and emergency medical personnel throughout Pennsylvania, where the company’s manufacturing plant is, with a goal of expanding to New York and New Jersey.
Dallas restaurants feeding people for free during pandemic
WFAA in Dallas, TX reports anyone needing a meal during the COVID-19 pandemic can find one, for free, no questions asked. HERO and HG Sply Co call the initiative ‘Everybody Eats,’ and on Wednesday served a combined 750 free meals from their drive-thrus. They say they can crank that up as high as 2,000 a day if needed. Elias Pope, founder of the area restaurant group 8020 Concepts, which owns the restaurants, says it’s just the right thing do to. “We want to feed as many people as possible. We’re going to give it a go until we run out of money, and then we will continue to do it,” says Pope.
Flowers from postponed wedding donated to area nursing homes
As KSAT in San Antonio, TX reports, like countless other couples, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Kristall Goytia and Jason Oswald to postpone their wedding, which was planned for March 21. The flowers had already been delivered – 100 bouquets of roses and hydrangeas. What do to with them? “I went around and we distributed them to the nursing homes,” Goytia said. Three facilities in all received the blooms.
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