The Coronavirus Pandemic

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CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC
COVID-19

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_________


_________

GENEALOGY
LINE

FAMILY
NAMES

LOFTIN:
 Beatty
 Corzine
 Cranford
 Fisher
 Givens
 Harwell
 Kaiser
 Lanier
 Lomax
 McCorkle
 Rudisill
 Sherrill
 Upright
 Washington
 Work

SETZER:
Aderholdt
Barringer
Bovey
Bushart
Deal
Heavner
Herman
Ikert
Miller
Motz
Rankin
Witherspoon

GOBLE:
Babst/Bobst
Douglas
Faber
Fink
Fulbright
Hefner
Meinhert
Miller
Muller
Pabst/Bobst
Robinson

JOHNSON:
Corzine
Fink
Hamilton
Kaiser
Leslie
Lewis
Moore
Sherrill
Upright
Wilkinson

Additional
Family
SURNAMES
 _________

Home


_________


_________

GENEALOGY
LINE

FAMILY
NAMES

LOFTIN:
 Beatty
 Corzine
 Cranford
 Fisher
 Givens
 Harwell
 Kaiser
 Lanier
 Lomax
 McCorkle
 Rudisill
 Sherrill
 Upright
 Washington
 Work

SETZER:
Aderholdt
Barringer
Bovey
Bushart
Deal
Heavner
Herman
Ikert
Miller
Motz
Rankin
Witherspoon

GOBLE:
Babst/Bobst
Douglas
Faber
Fink
Fulbright
Hefner
Meinhert
Miller
Muller
Pabst/Bobst
Robinson

JOHNSON:
Corzine
Fink
Hamilton
Kaiser
Leslie
Lewis
Moore
Sherrill
Upright
Wilkinson

Additional
Family
SURNAMES

 

Illnesses: COVID-19             Flu/N1H1, Polio, The Plague, Cholera, Smallpox, Red Blood Cells, Scarlet Fever   One thing for sure - if you're born, you're eventually gonna die. Some of our ancestors and relatives have died as a result of accidents, heart attacks, strokes and cancer but there are some who have succumed to death as a result of Flu, Pneumonia, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Fever and Various Virus. This page gives information about some of those. This page also includes some letters. I hope you'll take the time to read them. Evn though some are 150 years old, the words still have life in them and help you better appreciate what they were going through.   Measles, Dyphtheria, COCID-19, Typhoid Fever, Dysentery, Whooping Cough, Measles, Pneumonia             The Coronavirus (COVID 19) Pandemic of 2020     This page was birthed as a result of my watching and living during the Coronavirus Pandemic of in the Spring of 2020. In my 66 years, I'd never seen anything like it. [Curtis D. Loftin]   The virus seems to have started in China in Dec 2019. The source is currently unknown, but many initial cases had visited an animal and seafood market in Wuhan, China, in the days prior to becoming ill. In the past other coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS have resulted from the transmission of animal coronaviruses tot humans. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, the Chinese tried to cover it up and downplay the severity of the disease. On 11 Jan 2020 China reported its first known death from the coronavirus. The patient was a 61-year-old man in Wuhan, China. On 20 Jan 2020 A World Health Organization report detailed the first confirmed cases outside of China in Thailand, Japan and South Korea. On 21 Jan 2020, the US announced its first confirmed coronavirus case - a man in his 30s in Washington state. 23 Jan 2020, China placed Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, under quarantine orders. All flights and trains departing from the city were canceled, as well as buses, subways and ferries. 30 Jan 2020, WHO declared the outbreak a global public health emergency as more than 9,000 cases were reported worldwide, including 18 countries beyond China. 31 Jan 2020, the US announced that it would ban entry for most foreign nations who had traveled to China within the last 14 day. 01 Feb 2020, Princess Cruises confirmed that a passenger who sailed aboard the Diamond Princess from Yokohama, Japan, on Jan 20 and disembarked in Hong Kong on Jan 25, had tested positive for the virus. 04 Feb 2020, the Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in Yokohama, Japan with about 3,700 people, including passengers and crew onboard. 07 Feb 2020, Dr. Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who first "blew-the-whistle" about the coronavirus outbreak before it was officially recognized, died in Wuhan, China. Li became a hero in China and his death sparked a wave of public mourning. 08 Feb 2020, the first US citizen died from the Coronavirus in Wuhan, China. 09 Feb 2020, the death toll in mainland China rose to 811, surpassing the number of fatalities from the SARS outbreak in 2003. 11 Feb 2020, WHO (World Health Organization) announced that the disease caused by the new coronavirus will be known by the official name of COVID-19. 14 Feb 2020, the first coronavirus death was recorded outside Asia. The patient was an 80-year-old Chinese tourist who died in France. 19 Feb 2020, Egypt confirmed its first coronavirus case. 19 Feb 2020, Iran reported two coronavirus case. Hours later, officials confirmed that both patients had died. 20 Feb 2020, South Korea reported its first coronavirus death as the country's number of confirmed cases rose to 104. 24 Feb 2020, Italy became the worst-hit country in Europe as cases spiked. Health officials announced the sixth death from the virus. 24 Feb 2020, The US stock market plummeted over coronavirus fears. 26 Feb 2020, California announced the first cas in their state with no clear source of exposure. 26 Feb 2020, Brazil confirmed its first coronavirus case, the first in Latin America. 28 Feb 2020, Iran reported 34 deaths out of 388 confirmed coronavirus cases, making it the country with the highest number of deaths outside of China "thus far". 29 Feb 2020, US President Donald Trump announced additional travel restrictions to Iran, Italy and South Korea. 29 Feb 2020, the first recorded coronavirus death in the US, a man in his 50s in Washinton state. 03 Mar 2020, first case of the coronavirus in North Carolina. 06 Mar 2020, Vice President Mike Pence announced that 21 people aboard the Grand Princess, a cruise ship being held off the coast of California, tested positive for the coronavirus.   As the virus quickly spread to Europe in March of 2020, the World Health Organization classified the Corona Virus as a pandemic. The difference between this virus and the flu which most of us have lived with for our entire lives, is how quickly it spreads. Some of the usual precautions like surgical masks didn't seem to stop you from becoming infected. This particular virus seemed to be hardest on the elderly - those over 60 - and in the beginning the younger group (Millenials) didn't seem to take the virus seriously. But that would eventually change.   In less than a week, most countries in Europe had closed their borders and Italy was especially hard hit - both with the number of people infected with the virus and the number of deaths. 08 Mar 2020, Italy issued a lockdown to quarantine around 16 million people in the country's northern Lombardy region, as confirmed cases surpassed 5,800 and more than 230 people died from the virus. Tha area sealed off included Milan and Venice.   08 Mar 2020, As the disease spread to the US, 500 confirmed cases, the US stopped all flights coming from China and Europe. And in less than a week, schools throughout the country were closed for three weeks while teachers struggled to prepare lessons/homework that students could do at home. Before the week was over, Kansas had canceled school for the remainder of the academic year (March to May) with other states quickly following suit. Another governmental concern was for those students who ate breakfast and lunch at school. These meals were still offered, but parents had to do a "drive-through" type situation to pick up the food.   The US government initially suggested banning groups of 100 or greater, causing churches to close their doors and move to streaming their sermons on Sunday morning via the internet. The size group was quickly lowered to 50 and then to 10. We had our kids and grandkids over last Friday evening for dinner (pizza) and game night, but when they left, we told them to call us but not to come back. Since my wife, Carolyn, had a heart-cath scheduled two week later, we needed to be sure she wasn't infected - especially since she's already struggling with shortness of breath and the coronavirus is a pulmonary affliction.   Following government guidelines, bars and gymns were closed. Initially it was suggested that restaurants stay open, but with the government and CDC (Center for Disease Control) dropping "group size" from 100 to 50 to 10, it was quikly suggested that restaurants only offer the option of drive-through purchases & pick-up.   Still during that first week, there was a mass panic to purchase food and other supplies from grocery stores and Wal-Marts. The shelves quickly emptied and there was no toilet paper to be found anywhere. People even got into fights over supplies at stores.   My family had been using Wal-Mart's new "Pick-Up" service prior to the pandemic. You ordered your groceries at Wal-Mart.com and told them what time you wanted to pick them up the next day. You informed them through an email on your phone when you were leaving home to go pick them up. When you arrived, a Wal-Mart employeed placed your purchased groceries in the truck of you car - and you didn't even have to get out of the car. When the coronavirus became a world-wide pandemic, this was the easiest and safest way to shop. It didn't take too long, however, before you couldn't get all the items you wanted because they were out of stock.   In addition to toilet paper, bottled water, soap, alcohol, hand sanitizer and hand wipes sold out quickly. Before long many of the food aisles in Wal-Mart, Sam's and other stores were also empty. We even tried getting "chicken-livers" but they were out. Who is the world (besides us) decides they need chicken livers during a pandemic. To prevent hoarding, Wal-Mart, Sam's and the other stores started limiting the number of each item you could get - such as two boxes of cereal,two bags of chicken breasts, two bottles of dish liquid, two bags of apples and so one. Some stores only allowed one of each type of item.   With the shortage of toilet paper due to hoarding, we chose to order ours through Amazon.com - as well as Gator-Ade, Bush's Great Northern Beans and Ramen Noodles which were foods that didn't need to be refrigerated but were also no longer in stock at Wal-Mart. Amazon's usual 2-day deliver was gone, however, due to the demand placed on the on-line store. It took at least a week for most deliveries.   Due to the severity of the virus, doctors, nurses and other medical workers had to use extra precautions to keep from getting the virus. Docotor's offices were closed unless you had made an appointment stating that you had symptoms of the virus. And then, all they could do was to give you a test to see if you did indeed have the virus.   The government suggested cancelling all medical appointments that weren't absolutely essential. We canceled our dental appointments, and I suggest that my wife, Carolyn, cancel her cardiac and pulmonary doctor appointments that weren't crucial.   Drug stores were closed except for drive-through.   Most places of employment closed cafeterias and many encouraged employees to work from home if possible.   Earlier this week, the statistics for the countries with the most reported cases of coronavirus were: (1) China 81,086 (2) Italy 31,506 (3) Iran 16,169 (4) Spain 11,826 (5) Germany 9,360 (6) South Korea 8,413 (7) France 7,695 (8) United States 6,496 (9) Switzerland 2,700 (10) United Kingdom 1,960.   In little over a week's time, there were cases of the coronavirus confirmed in all 50 states with New York, Washington and California having the largest number of infected. The number of confirmed cases had risen from 6,496 to 9,365 total cases, 150 deaths and 108 recovered cases. As of 18 Mar 2020, in a listing of states and the number of cases of the coronavirus in each state, North Carolina was number 17 with 97 cases. As of 18 Mar 2020, there were confirmed cases in Lincoln and Iredell County but none in Catawba County.   One precarious situation we (the US) found ourselves in was the fact that all our medicines are made in China. As the US blamed China for not releasing information about the virus sooner, they threatened to withhold our medications. There was a shortage of ventelators for use in hospitals, but these too were made in China. President Trump and government officials stated that this would have to change.   Many colleges were closed for the rest of the year and many millenials headed to the beach for Spring Break instead of taking seriously the government's warning about no more that 10 to a group. The millenials didn't seem to be concerned about getting the coronavirus themselves, but neither did they seem to realize that they could carry the virus back home to their parents and grandparents.   Due to the rapid change of "everything", there was a continuous drop in the stock market. The only thing that did seem to improve was the price of gas - which is currently selling for $1.80 gallon on 17 Mar 2020 in Catawba County, NC. It's lowest I've seen gas prices in many years. But, when I was out for a doctor appointment on 23 Mar 2020, it was up to $1.69 at Sam's and Murphy Gas and much higher at other gas stations.         The entire situation is like living in a sci-fi movie. Like with the flu, doctors say the corona virus should die out this summer. Currently, however, the government is saying it might be July or August before we get over this pandemic.         Symptoms   The Three Main Symptoms of COVID-19 Are: (1) Cough, (2) Fever (103+), (3) Shortness-of-Breath (Sustained) Emergency Symptoms Also Include:  (1) Difficulty breathing, (2) Persistent Chest Pain or Pressure, (3) Confusion, Difficulty Walkin, and (4) Bluish face or Lips  If you have all 3 of the main symptoms, call your doctor   The incubation period (the moment a person is infected with the virus until they start to develop symptoms) for COVID-19 is typically five to six days but may range from two to 14 days. 97.5% of people who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection. In some, the disease may progress to pneumonia, multi-organ failure and death. In those who develop severe symptoms, time from symptom onset to needing mechanical ventilation is typically eight days. Reports indicate that not all who are infected develop symptoms, but evidence suggests that they may still contribute to the spread of the disease.   PREVENTION   (1) Hand Washing, (2) Quarantine and (3) Physical Distancing.               Coronavirus Updates for the USA & World The number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and those recovered, comes from www.worldometers.info/coronavirus . These numbers could varry from other sources as well as the fact that some cases went undiagnosed. Date USA Infected TOTAL USA Deaths TOTAL World Infected TOTAL World Deaths TOTAL           18 Mar 2020 9,365 150 227,743 9,318 19 Mar 2020 10,755 154 235,701 9,786 20 Mar 2020 19,195 249 274,732 11,369 21 Mar 2020 24,148 285 303,001 12,762 22 Mar 2020 33,546 419 337,553 14,654 23 Mar 2020 40,855 483 366,880 16,098 24 Mar 2020 53,013 685 417,897 18,605           31 Mar 2020 187,347 3,860 856,917 42,107 07 Apr 2020 394,587 12,748 1,424,124 81,889 14 Apr 2020 598,687 24,770 1,991,275 125,951 * The Biblical festival of Pesach/Passover began at sundown on Wednesday, 08 Apr 2020. Many naitions around the world were living under stay-at-home orders, including Israel who also ordered a curfew for the nation on Erev Pesach. With over 1,500,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus world wide, much of the world prays that the angel of death will pass over their homes. Date USA Infected TOTAL USA Deaths TOTAL World Infected TOTAL World Deaths TOTAL           28 Apr 2020 1,035,765 59,266 3,138,115 216,970 28 May 2020 1,768,461 103,330 5,900,907 361,776 08 Jun 2020 2,026,493 113,055 7,198,634 408,733 23 Jun 2020  2,424,418 123,475 9,359,372 479,879 11 Aug 2020 5,305,957 167,749 20,514,016 745,687 09 Oct 2020 7,730,917 216,064 36,154,441 1,056,341 19 Nov 2020 12,070,712 258,333 57,231,635 1,365,461       Questions & Answers:   Q: How Long can the coronavirus stay airborne?      A: Thransmitting "usually" occurs by respiratory droplets (sneezing and coughint) that gets into the air. They can live for a few            hours or days. Q: How long can the coronaviris survive on packages & surfaces?      A. From a few hours to a few days. On surfaces like paper or plastin probably a few hours. On hard surfaces, perhaps a few days. Q: Will the coronavirus become a seasonal/annual virus like the flu?      A: We don't know yet. Usually the flu thrives during the colder months and dies away during the warmer months of summer. Q: Can the coronavirus survive on surfaces below freezing?      A: It's possible. We just don't know yet. Virus like this usually thrive in the cold and die in heat. Q: Is it safe to cough into the sleeve of our arm? How long can the coronavirus survive on fabric?      A: It's still to early to know. You should cough into a kleenex, throw it away and then wash your hands would be the safest way.               Continued Evolution of the Coronavirus/COVID 19 Pandemic     09 Mar 2020, Ireland cancels St. Patrick's Day festivities over the coronavirus concerns. 10 Mar 2020, Italy's prime minister announced that the lockdown placed on millions in the Lambardy region will be extended to the entire country. 10 Mar 2020, Iran reported a spike of almost 900 new cases, bringing the country's total number of confirmed cases to 8,042 with 291 deaths. 11 Mar 2020, The NBA suspended all basketball games after a player for the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19. 11 Mar 2020, Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, announced that they have tested positive for the coronavirus in Australia. 11 Mar 2020, President Trump announced restrictions on foreign travelers from 26 countries in Europe (except for the US & Ireland) for next 30 days. 12 Mar 2020, The MLB announced it will suspend spring training and delay the start of the regular baseball season by at least two weeks. 12 Mar 2020, The NHL announced that it will pause its hockey season. 12 Mar 2020, The NCAA canceled both the men's and women's collage basketball tournaments, known as March Madness.   13 Mar 2020, Italy's death toll topped 1,000 as confirmed cases in the country swell to more than 15,000. 13 Mar 2020, Princess Cruises, Norwegian & Royal Caribbean Cruises suspended outbound trips for 30 days at Trump's request. 13 Mar 2020, The World Health Organization said Europe "has now become the epicenter" of the pandemic 13 Mar 2020, President Trump declared a nation state of emergency in the US. 13 Mar 2020, States across the US (including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Maryland) announced plans to close schools over the coronavirus. 14 Mar 2020, Spain recorded a spike of nearly 2,000 new cases., with more than 3,800 total confirmed cases and at least 84 dead. 15 Mar 2020, The White House announced that the European travel ban would be extended to include the U.K. and Ireland. 15 Mar 2020, Iran reported a big jump of 1,365 new cases in the past 24 hours with 12,729 total confirmed and 611 dead. 15 Mar 2020, Italy's death toll rose to more than 1,800, with 368 deaths reported in just 24 hours. 15 Mar 2020, The number of confirmed cases in the US surpassed 3,000 with NY, California & Washington recording the most cases. 15 Mar 2020, Twenty-nine additional states, including NY, NC, SC, Massachusetts and Hawaii, announced school closings.   16 Mar 2020, Wall Street plunged again, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average snak by 3,000 points. 16 Mar 2020, Germany sealed its borders with France, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Denmark to curb the virus' spread. 16 Mar 2020, Italy announced that confirmed cases rose to nearly 28,000, more than 3,000 from the previous day, with 2158 deaths. 16 Mar 2020, Canada announced plans to close the border to noncitizens (except the US) as the number of confirmed cases rose to 339. 16 Mar 2020, San Francisco imposed strick prohibitions on residents leaving their homes except for essential needs - the first US city to do so. 16 Mar 2020, President Trump advised all Americans to avoid gathers of 10 or more to avoid going to bars & restaurants. 16 Mar 2020, US researchers administer the first "shot" to the a person in an experimental vaccine - may not be widely available for 12 to 18 months. 16 Mar 2020, France imposes more stringent restrictions on people's movement, suggesting they only leaving their homes for essential needs. 16 Mar 2020, NASCAR announced it would postpone all races until at least the beginning of May.   17 Mar 2020, The Kentucky Derby was postponed until September. 17 Mar 2020, Ohio and Maryland's state primary elections were postponed. 17 Mar 2020,  The European Union announced a 30-day ban of most non-essential incoming travel. 17 Mar 2020, West Virginia, the last state in the US without a coronavirus case, recorded its first. US confirmed cases rose to more than 5,800. 18 Mar 2020, Canada and the US agreed to close their borders to all "non-essential traffic" 18 Mar 2020, Belgium announed plans to lock down the country enacting a nationwide quearantine - following Italy, France and Spain. 18 Mar 2020, Trading halted on Wall Street for the fourth time in two weeks, with a Dow Jones loss of just over 1300 points. 18 Mar 2020, The Trump administration suspended refugee admissions until April 6th due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. 18 Mar 2020, Italy reported its deadlies day after number of deaths rose by 475, the biggest one-day jump - 2978 total deaths. 18 Mar 2020, The US's Families First Coronavirus Response Act would provide free testing and ensure paid emergency leave for those infected.                 19 Mar 2020   Fox News seems the best place to get information about the virus. President Donald Trump, Vice-President Mike Pense and the Coronavirus Task Force (including several doctors from FDA/Food & Drug Aministration) met with the press to give updates. The FDA has 10,000 doctors and scientists working around the clock to combat this virus.   1. The FDA & US government leaders passed the "Compassionate Use" act that allows critically ill patients the right to try drugs that are used elsewhere around the world but at the current time may not be approved by the FDA.   2. President Trump & FDA announced that they were beginning to use a common malaria drug for those infected with the coronavirus and said the drug was showing encouraging results.   The US Coronavirus Task Force including President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx   3. Americans are encouraged to continue with social distancing and self-quarentining.   4. There is currently Coronavirus/Covid 19 testing in all 50 states including drive-through testing which is being offered by some states. We've also been told if we don't have symptoms, don't take the test.   5. The majority of those affected live in three states: New York, California and Washington.   6. Due to the coronavirus, there has been a shortage of blood donations. Millenials and Gen X Americans have been encouraged to donate. Americans have been encouraged to postpone elective surgery.   7. Cruise ships have cancelled cruises and some have been made available for handling CV patients if/when it is needed.   8. All state and private labs have been told that they are required to report all cases of CV to the CDC/Center for Disease Control.   9. The CV test is free and the government has promised an Economic Response Package to businesses as well as individuals in the US.   10. U.S. Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) both announced positive tests. They are the first confirmed cases in Congress. But it didn't stop here.   11. The Trump administration and congressional leaders rushed to assemble a massive $1 trillion stimulus package aimed at preventing the US economy from plummeting into its worst collapse since the Great Depressions, as fears about the coronavirus pandemic brought much of American life to a standstill. The Democrats, however, slowed down the process by trying to slip every other thing they wanted into the new "bill".   12. According to the Washington Post, actors, politicians and athletes have had quick and easy access to coronavirus tests while other Americans - including front-line health-care workers and those with obvious signs of infection - have been out of luck.   13. The deadly coronavirus has been met with a bit of a shrug among some of the under-30 set in the US. Even as public-health officials repeatedly urged social distancing, the young and hip spilled out of bars on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. They gleefully hopped on flights, tweeting about the rock-bottom airfares. And they gathered in packs on the beaches. Their attitudes were based in part on early data from China, which suggested that the coronavirus might seriously sicken or kill the elderly - but spare the young. New data, however, from the US, the Netherlands and France suggests otherwise. Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus task force leader warned that "young people are getting seriously ill and very seriousl ill in the ICUs." One newscaster put it this way, "To get to adulthood, teens and young adults have to overcome their own stupidity!"   14. In lieu of the recent influx of college student for Spring Break at Florida beaches, the governor announced that starting on Monday all public beaches would be closed to the public.   15. The closure of the border between Canada and the US to "all nonessential travel" will go into effect lat Friday or early Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today. He said the two sides are hammering out the details of the "mutual" agreement to shut down the world's longest undefended border - an unprecedented measure that officials hope will stem the spread of the coronavirus. The partial border closing, which was announced Wednesday/yesterday by both countries' leaders, will allow the movement of essential goods and workers. But travel for tourism or shopping by residents of border communities will not be permitted.   16. Italy hits a grim milestone, surpassing China for the largest number of coronavirus-related deaths at 3,405. The big difference is in the fact that China has 1.4 billion people while Italy only has 60 million.   17. India barred incoming commercial flights for a week while Australia and New Zealand closed their borders to everyone except citizens and residents.   18. In Israel, the public security ministy has requested that police and security chiefs urgently prepare and present to him a detailed plan for implementing a countrywide lockdown, in which only essential workers will be allowed to leave their home, while other citizens will only be allowed out in order to buy supplies and for medical treatment. If a lockdown is ordered, police will be placed in charge of enforcement while the IDF Home Front Command will be in charge of the supply of essential items.   19. Prince Albert of Monaco has tested positive for the coronavirus.   20. Hundreds of US citizens are stuck around the world - from Morocco to Peru to the Ukraine - struggling to return home after suddenly becoming cut off by flights and travel bans in the countries they were visiting.   21. Italy announced that 60% of those with the coronavirus are male and 70% of the deaths are male.         20 Mar 2020   1. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo ordered all workers in his state to stay home, except for those in essential services. The move came after California Governor Gavis Newstom ordered 40 mission residents to remain in their homes.   2. California's governor issed a "stay-at-home order", which took effect Thursday night. The state's 40 million residents were asked to leave their homes only when necessary and the order will remain in place until further notice.   3. The US Tax Filing Deadline has been pushed back from April 15th to July 15th. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.   4. Senate Republicans have unveiled a plan to send direct cash payments to help Americans hurt by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Under the play, individuals making up to $75,000 annually would be eligible for a $1,200 check from the federal government.   5. Also in the Senate, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), as well as three other senators, are under fire after reports emerged that the sold off stock amid the coronavirus outbreak.   6. The US Defense Department announced the first positive cases of the Coronavirus at the Pentagon.   7. More than 4000 National Guard members have been activated across 31 states with more likely to come. As members of a reserve military force, most soldiers and airmen in the National Guard hold a civilian job but can be called into action fy the president or governor in response to domestic emergencies.   8. President Trump said Friday that his administration is waiving all federal requirements for Standardized Tests for Students in kindergarten through 12th grade because the coronavirus pandemic has forces most schools in the country to close for an indefinite period of time during annual testing season. The Deaprtment of Education will not enforce standardized testing requirements for the current year.   9. The US and Mexico have reached an agreement for a partial closure of the border, according to US and Mexican officials. CDC director determined that the introduction and spread of the coronavirus to the border patrol stations and detention facilities presents a serious danger to migrants, our frontline agents, officers and the American people. The agreement will not apply to lawful trade and commerce. Mexico will NOT allow the US to return all migrants who cross the border illegally to Mexico, as the Trump Administration proposed earlier this week. It remains unclear how the two countries will determine which travelers to stop at the border. Roughly one million people cross legally between the countries every day.   10. Poll finds that 55% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the crisis.   11. Meanwhile, China announded that for the second day in a row it had no new local cases.   12. Italy announced another record-breaking death toll, with 627 deaths, up from 427 deaths the previous day. The country cited (gave citations) to 9,600 people in one day for violating lockdown.   13. The UK announced that it would pay 80% of a person's wages who is not working because of the Coronavirus.   14. The death toll from the coronavirus in Spain surged 30 percent within a day as the grim tally rose from 767 on Thursday to 1,002 on Friday. Confirmed cases in the vrus-ravaged nation increased to 1998 today, a figure that is now roughly equivalent to Iran's, even though severe doubts have been raised over whether the figures provided by Iranian authorities are trustworthy. After Italy, Spain has been the hardest-hit country in Europe, with many cases centered in the capital, Madrid.   15. Hong Kong reports record jump in new cases, fueling fear about imported infections. Even as the virus swept through parts of China and elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong managed to largely control its oubreak. The newspaper reported that 92% of the cases confirmed in the last two weeks were linked to internation travel.   16. Japan allowed schools to reopen in regions deemed to be virus-free when the new academic year begins in April.   17. YouTube follows Netflix in lowering streaming quality in Europe for at least a month. The decisions are menat to alleviate possible strain on the continent's Internet infrastructure as more people are staying at home.   18. South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives), home to nearly 2 billion people (one quarter of the world's population), could emerge as next virus hotspot. There are now more than 600 cases in the region, a figure that has quadrupled in the last week. While that total is low compared with Europe and the US, experts say there is not nearly enough testing underway.         21 Mar 2020   1. Illinois joins California and NY in ordering residents to stay at home and Oregon officials indicated that similar restrictions are on the horizon.   2. The US Air-Force flew 89 Americans who were stranded in Honduras back to the US.   3. US Track & Field pushed for postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, adding to calls to delay the Tokyo Games.   4. Health officials in NY, California and other hard-hit parts of the country are restricting coronavirus testing to health-care workers and people who are hospitalized, saying the battle to contain the virus is lost. "In a universe where masks and gowns are starting to become scarce every time we test someone who doesn't need one, we're taking that mask and gown away from someone in the intensive care unit" says NYC Department of Health.   5. WalMart, which has been operating on a 24-hour basis in the past, has adjusted shopping hours to 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help make it easier for associates to stock and perform enhanced cleaning and sanitizing. Starting March 24, Wal-Mart will offer a "senior hour" (aged 60 and older) from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. every Tuesday until April 28. Stores have limits for customers in certain categories including paper products (toilet paper), milk, eggs, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, water, diapers, wipes, formula and baby food.   WalMart, Conover, NC   6. Vice President Mike Pence said that he and his wife, Karen, would be tested later today after a member of his staff had tested positive.   7. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) approved a new test that can detect the coronavirus in about 45 minutes.   8. President Trump's top economic adviser said a rescue package could ultimately inject more than $2 trillion into the economy.   9. Major flight restrictions were imposed at key airports along the East Coast, including Washington, DC, after an air-traffic controller trainee tested positive for COVID-19.   10. Spain reported the country's biggest single-death death toll. The death toll from coronavirus jumped by 324 cases in just 24 hours - thec ountry's biggest single-day death toll thus far.   11. Australia authorities ordered people to stay off of Sydney's Bondi Beach after thousands took to the sand in defiance of calls for social distancing and a ban or large gatherings.   12. Finland's confirmed the country's first coronavirus-related death.   13. Vietnam, with 94 cases of coronavirus, will ban nearly all foreigners from entering the country starting today and stop all inbound flights. Pakistan will also suspend operation of all international passenger flights until April 4th.   14. The British government pleaded with Britons to stop panic buying.   15. Israel's first coronavirus victim is an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor who caught the virus in the senior home where he lived.         22 Mar 2020   1. President Trump announced that the federal government has activated the National Guard to assist New York, Carlifornia and Washington, three of the sateds hit hardest by the coronavirus.   2. US Justice Department brings first fraud case stemming from the coronavirus crisis persuading a federal judge to issue a restraining order to block a website that claimed to be distributing vaccines. The department alleged that the operator of the website was facilitating a wire-fraud scheme, "intentionally making false statements" about the vaccines, which do not exist.   3. Mayor Bill de Blasion said that there are 8,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York City. There have been 60 deaths from the virus in the city. "April is going to be worse than March, and I fear May will be worse than April," de Blasio said. "So, bluntly, it's going to get worse, a lot worse, before it gets better." He added that NYC is about 10 days from experiencing widespread shortages of essential medical supplies such as ventilators. The state of New York's death toll has reached 114, surpassing Washington state and accounting for a third of all US deaths.   4. A large manufacturer of the N95 masks for medical workers said it is shippin half a million to New York and Seattle, with arrivals starting tomorrow. 3M said it is ready to rush additional shipments across the country and will double production of the masks over the next year. A 3M factory in South Dakota is producing 35 million N95 masks a month, 90 percent of which the company is selling hor health-care workers after a change in law last week eliminated the threat of lawsuits from such sales in the midst of the coronavirus.   5. Many Americans who lost their jobs as a result of coronavirus "closings" now worry about how they are going to pay their house payments, rent and their other bills.   6. Canada says "travelers" returning home from abroad must stay at home for 14 days or face penalties. Canada's Helath Minister issued a directive for those individuals to practice "social distancing" and even eliminate runs to the store for essential goods, saying, "When we say that you must stay at home for 14 days, that means you stay home for 14 days. You do not stop for groceries, you do not go visit your neighbors or friends and you must rest in your house for 14 days. No exceptions." There have been almost 1,400 reported cases and 19 deaths related to the coronavirus. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been in self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the virus.   7. North Korea says Trump offered to help in the fight against coronavirus. Iran's supreme leader rejected American offers of aid in the country's fight against the virus.   8. Lebanon deploys the army to enforce a lockdown after a big jump in coronavus cases.   9. Australian Prime Minister announced strick measures as coronavirus cases in his country increased to 1,354. Pubs, athletic facilities, entertainment venues and places of worship will be prohibited from opening their doors starting tomorrow. Restaurants and cafes will be restricted to delivery and takeout services. The Prime Minister called "social distancing" the "biggest weapon" in fighting the spread of the virus.   10. Afghanistan, Romania and Kosoveo report their first coronavirus deaths. Albania announced that it would suspend all comercial air travel to and from the country starting at midnight. The United Arab Emirates announced that it would suspend all passenger flights by Wednesday of this week in response to the coronavirus.   11. India capital, New Delhi, is shutting down all but essential services, sealing borders, suspending public transportation and ordering residents to stay at home except when necessary starting tomorrow in a bid to check rising coronavirus infections. The restrictions will affect nearly 30 million people. The total number of coronavirus cases stands at 341, a fourfold jump from a week ago. Several other Indian states, including Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Karnataka, have announced they are shutting down nonessential services through the end of the month. Mumbai, India's financial capital, has prohibited public gathering of more than four people. The announcements came as the entire country observed a voluntary 14-hour curfew.   12. Croatia's capital, Zagreb, was hit by a large earthquake on Sunday morning, pushing people out into the streets only days after the country began a lockdown because of the coronavirus. Officals have told residents to remain outside their homes amid the possiility of aftershocks, but are urged to continue to practice social distancing.   13. Spain will extend its nationwide lockdown for 15 days.         23 Mar 2020   1. WHO (World Health Organization) director-general says the pandemic is "accelerating". It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases, eleven days for the second 100,000, and just four days for the third 100,000.     2. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that all public K-12 schools in NC will be closed until May 15th. The governor is also mandating the closure of gyms, movie theaters and other similar businesses as soon as possible. He said theat hair salons, nail salons and barber shops should close by 5 p.m. Wednesday because of their inability to conduct social distancing.   3. Social distancing is necessary to save lives as public hospitals face potential overburdening, NYC mayor says. He said that if left unchecked, the virus will overburden the health-care system to the point where it cannot function. "Everyone need to act as if they have the virus right now", he said.   4. U.S. Surgeon General warned today of a worsening crisis in America as some people continue to disregard messages to stay home.   5. Despicte stimulus measures announced around the world in recent days, global and US stocks have continued to plunge. A global recession, once unthinkable in 2020, is now a foregone conclusion and some experts warn that the pandemic could drag the world's economy into a depression.   6. On most people's minds is job security. A shocking 2.25 million Americans have filed for their first week of unemployment benefits this week - the highest on record. The investment bank thinks the US unemployment rate will shoot up from an all-time low of 3.5% to 9% over the next couple of quarters.   7. Death toll in Spain surged more than 25% within a day, rising from 1,720 yesterday to 2,182 today. After Italy, Spain has been the hardest-hit country in Europe.   8. 2020 Olympics - After weeks of insisting that Tokyo 2020 would go ahead as planned in July despite the global pandemic, Tokyo's organizing committee admitted this morning that postponement of the Games was now a "realiztic option. The Games were dealt another blow today when Australia joined Canada in announcing that it would not be sending athletes to the Summer Games and suggested that the games be pusheb bay until 2021.   9. In Europe, which is now host to half of all coronavirus cases worldwide, governments are struggling to make their citizens adhere to strict lockdown measures, as the pandemic widens. Chancellor Angela Merkel has banned groups of more than two from gathering in Germany - among the strictest rules enforced to combat the virus. It follows reports that young people in parts of the country were holding "corona parties". She is now is self-isolation after learning her doctor tested positive.   10. Italian mayors are deeply frustrated over people who are breaking lockdown measures, but fines and arrests don't seem to be deterring them. Spain is set to extend its sate of emergency for another 15 days, as cases soar and it saw the highest daily number of deaths yesterdY.   11. British Prime Minister Johnson wared citizens to behave more responsibly or face more dramatic restrictions, after people flocked to parks to enjoy the sunny weekend. This morning in London, some Tube trains were packed as though it was business as usual.   12. India's Prime Minister has placed millions of people under lockdown in marjor cities until the end of the month.   13. Italy, hardest hit by deaths from the pandemic, reported 601 more fatalities in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's total death toll to 6,077. The total confirmed coronavirus cases in Italy has climbed to 63,927 according to the country's Civil Protection Agency.         24 Mar 2020   1. North Carolina has 404 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. First case diagnosed on 03 Mar 2020.   2. South Carolina's governor makes it a misdemeanor to gather in groups of more than 3 people.   3. The 2020 Toyko Olympics has been postposed until 2021. 4. India's Prime Minister said a 21-day shutdown would begin at midnight, extending restrictions to the entire nation of more than 1.3 billion people.   5. The rate of infection in New York - the pandemic's epicenter in the US - is doubling every three days.   6. Italy reported 743 new deaths, bringing the country's death total to 6,820.   7. France became the fifth country to have more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths.   8. Stocks showed the highest increase ever.   9. Child's death in California marks the first known coronavirus fatality of someone under 19 in the US.                 25 Mar 2020   1. North Carolina confirmed cases of the coronavirus increases to 577.   2. United Kingdom's Prince Charles, age 71, and heir to the British throne has tested positive for the coronavirus and in now self-isolating in Scotland.   3. Monaco's Prince Albert II, age 62, tests positive for the coronavirus.   4. US Coronavirus Task Force says the we could see a second-cycle of the coronavirus next fall, winter & spring and said that it was important to get vaccines in place.   5. China advises US that when our coronavirus numbers begin to decline, to be careful when it comes to reducing travel restrictions, especially when it comes to an influx of people from other countries.         26 Mar 2020   1. Catawba County, NC, now has 9 cases of the coronavirus. Two of the newly identified people are hospitalized, two are isolated at home and one has recovered. 400 people have been tested for COVID-10 in Catawba County an 112 negative results have been returned.     2. In an effort to limit person-to-person interaction, the Catawba County Department of Social Services is encouraging people to appl for food-stamps online at ePass.nc.gov . Applications can also be requested by calling (828) 695-6326.   3. The number of cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina has increased by more than 100. There are at least 641 coronavirus cases in the state with an average age of 41. Mecklenburg County reported the most cases with 181 confirmed coronavirus case. The county is also one of several in the state to issue stay-at-home order. North Carolina has had three coronavirus-related death. One death was in Cabarrus County yesterday. Another death reported yesterday was someone from Virginia who was traveling through NC when they were hospitalized. NC's third coronavirus-related death was announced today in Harnett County. This person was in their 30s with an underlying medical condition.   4. The death toll in the US reaches 1,000.   5. Worldwide, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpasses 5,000,000.   6. The confirmed coronavirus death toll in Italy rose to 8,165, the highest in the world.   7. More than half the global population is living under government restrictions related to the coronavirs.   8. The death toll in coronavirus-ravaged Spain continues to surge, with more than 600 additional fatalities reported Thursday. More than 4,000 people have been killed by the novel coronavirus in Spain; only Italy, with 7,503 has more deaths has recorded more deaths during the outbread.   9. An Italian priest who lives in the same Vatican residence as Pope Francis has tested positive for the coronavirus.   10. European stocks fall amid fears of global recession despite stimulus deal.   11. Dubai - The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior has detained 64 people for violating the 14-day quarantine mandated for suspected exposure to the coronavirus.   12. The US pushes to pass a $2 trillion emergency relief bill by the Senate and will be voted on tomorrow by the House.   13. The Labor Department's weekly tally of 3.3 million jobless claims shattered the old US record of 695,00 set in 1982.   14. The Afghan government is preparing to release 10,000 prisoners in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.   15. The Trump administration is contemplating putting troops near its northern border with Canada, a move that could seriously strain relations between longtime allies said to share the world's longest nonmilitarized border.         27 Mar 2020 1. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has issued an entire state Stay-At Home Order beginning immediately and will be in effect until April 29th. Enforcement of the Order will officially begin on Monday, March 30th at 5:00 p.m. North Carolina's 10 million residents will join about half of the US who are, or soon will be, under Stay-At-Home orders from their governors in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. North Carolina currently has 763 cases of the coronavirus in 60 counties.   Governor Roy Cooper        You Can...            * Go to the grocery, convenience or warehouse store           * Go to the pharmacy to pick up medications.            * Visit a health care professional for medical services (call first)            * Go to a restaurant for "take-out" delivery or drive-thru            * Care for or support a friend or family member            * Take a walk, ride your bike, hike, jog - just keep at least six feet between you and others            * Walk your pets and take them to veterinarian if "necessary"            * Help someone get necessary supplies           * Recieve deliveries from any business which delivers       You Should Not...            * Go to work unless you are providing essential services as defined by this Order            * Visit friends and family if there is no urgent need            * Visit loved ones in the hospital, nursing home, etc.       Stay at home means...            * Stay home, stay unexposed and do not expose others.   2. Catawba County announced one new case of the coronavirus tody. Statewide, case numbers jumped and a fourth coronavirus-related death was reported. Burke County reported its second case of the coronavirus. Caldwell County has three cases of the coronavirus. About 47% of people infected with coronavirus in NC are between 25 and 47 years old. About 24% are between 50 to 64 years old. About 14% are 65 and older and about 13% are 18 to 24.   3. More than 93,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week in NC. In the US, that was 3.2 million - which is six times larger than the Great Depression of 1930.   4. The US, which recorded its first confirmed case of the coronavirus two months ago, becomes the first country to record 100,000 confirmed cases of the virus.   5. Fifty million American children are stuck at home, their schools closed and trying to tackle online learning.   6. Italy reported 919 coronavirus deaths today - the largest single-day death toll reported by any country thus far.   7. British Prime Minister tests positive for coronavirus.   8. ISRAEL - The whole country is in lockdown. Citizens can only be 100 meters from their homes.   9. Myrtle Beach, SC, shuts down to all tourists.   10. New York City is the current US epicenter of the coronavirus. There are also hotspots in Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans.   11. A Washington Post / ABC News poll finds that 9 in 10 Americans are staying home "as much as possible" practicing social distancing.         28 Mar 2020   1. President Trump considers quarantining New York and parts of New Jersery & Connecticut to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The federal government seldom exercised this authority, mostly because it doesn't have to. State and local governments generally take the lead in quarantine decisions, bearing the primary responsibility for the health of their residents.   2. The USNS Comfort Medical Ship heads to New York. Non-coronavirus patients with serious conditions will be moved from hospital to the ship. It           has:     *12 Operating Rooms, *1000 Hospital Beds, *Medical Lab, *Pharmacy   3. As another day passes in Italy, so do the number of deaths outnumber the previous day. Italy's total death toll exceeds 10,000   4. More than 600,000 people have been infected worldwide with 30,000 total deaths.   5. South Korea marked a new milestone, as more coronavirus patients have been discharged than those undergoing treatment.   6. The CDC issued a health advisory warning against the use of non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine.   7. President Trump tweets that there are thousands of federal government ventilators found in a storage facility in New York and that the state must distribute them now. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo had previously complained that they weren't getting the federal government ventilators that his state needed. Cuomo responded that the ventilators are in a stockpile and they hadn't sent them out yet since the hospitals didn't need them yet. The hospitals have enough ventilators today, but their numbers are going up. We're planning for an apex, a high point, in about 21 days. Cuomo had been advised to buy 15,000 ventilators in 2015 for "a" pandemic and he turned it down. In a time when everyone is complaining about hoarding, it looks like NY's governor might be doing the same thing.   8. New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) anticipates the coronavirus outbreak in New York state will reach its apex in “14 to 21 days,” based on health and science data projections, he said during a news conference Saturday. New York is the hardest-hit state in the United States so far, with more than 52,000 confirmed cases and at least 728 deaths.         29 Mar 2020   1. University of North Carolina Charlotte faculty members are stepping up by using 3D-Printers from home to make protective shields. So far, they have made 250 ot them. As production continues, faculty is working on creating clear instructions on the printing process so students can also make masks from home.   2. The North Carolina-based organization Samaritan's Purse is now bringing relief to New York amid the coronavirus pandemic. The group shipped a 68-bed field hospital with a special respiratory care unit. "People are dying from the coronavirus, hospitals are out of beds and medical staff are overwhealmed," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "We are deploying our emergency field hospital to New York to help carry the burden. This is what Samaritan's Purse does - we respond in the middle of crises to help people in Jesus' name." This comes a week after Samaritan's Purse opened an identical unit in Cremona, Italy.   3. Another 500 deaths in the US since yesterday.   4. In the US, White House Coronavirus Task Force member Anthony S. Fauci said the country could record 100,000 to 200,000 deaths and millions of infections, according to current but rapidly evolving projections.   5. Italy reported a slight decline in deaths today, with 756 dead in the past 24 hours, raising the country's toatal to 10, 799. War-ravaged Syria reported it first death.         30 Mar 2020   1. North Carolina's Stay-At-Home Order goes into effect. Enforcement begins at 5:00 p.m. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) considers NC to have widespread transmission.   2. The following are North Carolina businesses and organizations that are deemed essential and can operate during the Order.      a. Healthcare & Public Health Operations: including hospitals, clinics, dental offices, pharmacies, laboratories and veterinary offices.      b. Human Service Operations: Child care familities, nursing homes and shelters      c. Essential Infrastructure Operations: Food and beverage producers, distributors, fulfillment centes and storage centers.      d. Essential government operations      e. Stores that sell groceries and medicine      f. Food and beverage production and agriculture      g. Charitable organizations and social services      h. Religious centers      i. Media      j. Transportaion businesses: Gas stations, auto sales, supply and service enters and roadside assistance services, airlines, uber, train services      k. Financial and Insurance Institutions: Banks, lenders, insurance providers      l. Home improvement, hardware and supply stores      m. Critical trades: Construction, plumbers, electricians, exterminators, cleaning and janitorial services      n. Mail services      o. Laundry services      p. Restaurants - for consumption off-premises      q. Businesses that provide supplies to work from home      r. Home-based care and services.      s. Professional Services: Legal services, accounting insurance, engineering & architectural, land surveying, real estate and tax preparation.      t. Manufacturers, distributors and supply chain for critical industries      u. Defense and military contractors      v. Hotels & Motels      w. Funeral Services      x. Beer, wine and liquor stores      y. Book stores that seel educational materials      z. Pet and feed stores.    3. The grim reality is that, for the elderly, COVID-19 is an almost perfect killing machine. 80% of those who have died thus far were 65 or older. At a nursing home in Washington state, the initial epicenter of the US outbreak, 81 residents were infected. Staff and visitors were infected, too. More than 2 dozen people died. It is currently unclear how many NC facilities are battling an outbreak.   4. The NC State Board of Education approved measures to help high school Seniors graduate on time as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic keep children out of North Carolina schools.   5. President Donald Trump issued an order that seeks to force General Motors (Chevrolet) to produce ventilators for coronavirus patients under the Defense Production Act. Trump said negotiations with GM had be productive, "but our fight against the virus is too urgent to all the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course." He said, "GM was wasting time" and that his actions will help ensure the quick production of ventilators that will save American lives. The President had previously been reluctant to use the Act to force business to contribute to the coronavirus fight. GM says that it has been working around the clock for more than a week to build more ventilators.   6. A mandatory checkpoint was set up at the border of Florida and Alabama on I-10 to check for people from coronavirus hot spots.   7. Price gouging has become a worry to people as stores run short of some items people consider essential, such as hand sanitizer, toilet paper and N-95 masks, to protect themselves from infection by COVID-19. After a state of emergency was declared in North Carolina, the Attorney General was able to zero in on specific complaints. Back on the first week of March, a consumer investigator reported he had found lots of items on Amazon that were selling for excessive amounts of money, like a box of disinfectant wipes for $89 and a small bottle of hand sanitizer for $79. The Attorney General says that Amazon found business and sellers in our state who reportedly raised prices on products more than 40% between Feb 10 and March 16. Amazon says one group made more than $100,000 in sales as a result of those higher prices. NC's price gouging prohibits "charging a price that is unreasonably excessive under any circumstances." It's a $5000 penalty per violation. Complaints can be filed by callin: (877)-5-No-Scam.   8. People are crowding lakes and parks even with Stay-At-Home order, Mecklenburg County, NC, health director says.   9. With the coronavirus death toll soaring in the US and health experts warning that "no state, no metro area, will be spared" by the outbreak, Presidnet Trump warned the nation for an extended shutdown, dashing hopes of a quick resumption of normal life. The announcement came hours after Trump was presented with a model showing that the novel coronavirus could lead to 100,000 to 200,000 deaths in the US, even with the current guidelines in place. He announced that federal guidance urging social distancing measures will stay in place through April 30.   10. More than 1,100 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Washington state over the weekend, with at least 20 additional deaths. More than 65,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Washington.   11. New York continues to be the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US with nearly 60,000 confirmed cases and at least 965 deaths assiciated with the virus. The New York Times reports approximately 8,500 people are currently hospitalized in the state.   12. Today was the first day that the number of US deaths due to the coronavirus grew to more than 500. Almost half of the deaths were reported in New York. The previous national high was 446 on 28 March 2020.   13. The FDA has approved a Trump administration plan to distribute millions of doses of anti-malarial drugs to US hospital, saying it is worth the risk of trying unproven treatments to slow the disease in seriously ill patients.   14. The number of infections in Spain exceeded China's official figures, after Spain confirmed more than 6,000 new cases in 24 hours. Among those testing positive is the leader of Spain's Coronavirus Task Force.   15. Officials in South Korea, widely praised for its handling of the outbreak, warned that they were seeing a sustained increase of infections in and around Seoul.   16. With world leaders warning that the outbreak could take months, if not years, to fully get over, financial markets remained jittery about the lasting damage - even as countries continued to roll out unprecednted measures to prevent economic collapse.   17. Another 812 people have died in Italy bringing the country's total number of deaths up to 11,591.         31 Mar 2020   1. Catawba County, NC, officials reported two new cases of the coronavirus in their county, bringing the current total case-count to 12 in Catawba. There have been 483 people tested for COVID-19 in Catawba County and 171 negative results have been received. There have been no deaths accociated with COVID-19 thus far in Catawba County.   Catawba Valley Medical Center, Hickory, NC   2. NC Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order directing utilities to give residential customers at least six months to pay outstanding bills and prohibiting them from collecting fees, penalties or interests for late payments. The city of Newton will not disconnect residential utilities or sanitation service or assess late fees through 31 May 2020, but wanted customers to keep in mind that they will still be responsible for paying for all usage - and if possible, should continue to pay on their accounts to avoid sccumulating large balances.   3. The number of deaths in the US topped 800 in a day for the first time. The total US death count exceeds 3,700.   4. D.C. reported that 121 of 405 COVID-19 patients had recovered. Maryland reported that 53 COVID-19 patients had been released from isolation.   5. Louisiana reported by far the largest number of new confirmed casess in a 24-hour perioud today, with infections and deaths jumping about 30%. Total known infections in the sate hit 5,237 and deaths were up to 239 this afternoon. 6. A new report by the CDC shows people of any age with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk if they contract the virus, including people with heart and lung disease, diabetes, and even current or former smokers. 7. Virus-striken Spain reported 849 new deahs, the worst-24-hour period yet in an outbreak that has killed 81,89 people there. Italy reported 837 new deaths today bringing their national deth toll to more than 12,000.   8. The confirmed number of infections worldwide continues to grow, nearing 800,000.         01 April 2020   1. There are no new cases of coronavirus reported in Catawba County, NC, on Wednesday/today according to Catawba County Public Health. That leaved the county's total number of cases at 16. At least 222 negative tests have come back in Catawba County. At least 26,243 tests have been completed in NC. There are at least 1,584 confirmed cases of the coronavirus statewide with at least 204 of those people hospitalized. There have been nine reported coronavirus-related deaths in North Carolina.   2. Catawba Valley Medical Center has stopped ALL patient visitation. Some exceptions will be made for patients under 18, pregnant patients in labor and end-of-life patients. The limitations will stay in place until COVID-19 in no longer a threst.   3. Across the US, Americans braced for what President Donald Trump warned could be "one of the roughest two or three weeks we've ever had in our country." The White House projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the US before the outbreak is over.   4. In a remarkable turnaround, rich economies where virus cases have exploded are welcoming help from less wealthy ones. Russia sent medical equipment and masks to the US. Cuba sent doctors to France. Turkey dispatched masks, hazmat suits, goffles and disinfectants to Italy and Spain.   5. Worldwide, about 900,000 people have been infected and over 44,000 have died, according to a talley kept by Johns Hopkins University, although the real figures are believed to be much higher.   6. Even as the virus has slowed its growth in overwhelmed Italy and CHina, where it first emerged, hospital in Spain and France are reaching their breaking points, and the US and Great Britain are bracing for waves of desperately ill people. A French emergency worker said, "It feels like we are in a Third World country. We don't have enough masks, enough protective equipment, and by the end of the week, we might be in need of more medication, too.   7. Spain, which hit a record today with 864 deaths in one day, has boosted its hospital beds by 20%. Hotspots in Madrid and Catalonia have almost tripled their ICU capacity. Dozens of hotels across Spain have been turned into recovery rooms, and authorities are building field hospitals in sports centers, libraries and exhibition halls.   8. In Italy, with over 12,400 dead so far, the most of any country, morgues overflowed with bodies, caskets piled up in churches, and doctors were forced to decide which desperately ill patient would get a breaghing maching. The pressure is easing on hard-hit Italian cities like Bergamo and Brescia as the rate of new infections slows. Yet many Italians are still dying at home or in nursing homes because hospitals are overwhelmed and cannot get ventilators.   9. The medical staffing shortage has been exacerbated by the high numer of infected personell. In Italy alone, nearly 10,000 medical workers have been infected and more than 60 doctors have died.   10. For MOST PEOPLE, the coronavirus causes mild or moderat symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia and lead to death.   11. One readon Germany is in better shape than other European countries is its high proportion of ICU beds, at 33.9 per 100,000 people compared to 8.8 in Italy. Germany has only had 775 virus deaths to date.           02 April 2020   1. The total number of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus globally tops 1,000,000 with nearly a quarter of them in the United States.   2. The total number of confirmed cases in North Carolina is 1,857 with 16 deaths.   3. The North Carolina counties with the largest number of confirmed cases are: Mecklenburg (495), Wake (234), Durham (147), Guilford (71), Forsyth (56), Union (55), Cabarrus (50), Orange (37), Davidson (35), New Hanover (33), Gaston (33), Rowan (31), Iredell (31), Northampton (30), Pitt (29), Cumberland (25), Johnson (22), Henderson (22), Buncombe (22), Granville (20), Chatham (19), Brunswick (19), Randolph (19), Harnett (19), Wilson (17), Catawba (16), Alamance (13), Carteret (13), Franklin (12), David (11), Nash (10), Burke (9), Rutherford (9), Cherokee (8), Lincoln (8), Moore (8), Onslow (8), McDowell (8), Montgomery (8), and so on.   North Carolina Counties   4. The total number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the US are 239,630.   5. New York reported the largest one-day toll with near 600 deaths.         03 April 2020   1. The 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic lasted for two years - from Nov 1917 to Dec 1919 - with 675,000 deaths in the US, 14,000,000 deaths in India and about 50 million deaths world wide. Right now, the US is speculating that we could easily have 100,000 to 200,000 deaths in the US from the coronavirus. Those numbers could increase or decrease depending on how Americans follow stay-at-home guidelines.   2. President Trump announced that the CDC recommends that everyone wear a simple cloth face covering while out in public. The debate about whether the public should wear masks came after increasing evidence that infected people without symptoms can spread the coronavirus. Medical masks should still be reserved for health-care workers. While making the announcement, Trump said it was "voluntary so you don't have to do it" but it was a good idea.   3. Trump said he is invoking the Defense Production Act to stop the export of "scarce health and medical supplies by unscrupulous actors and profiteers", but 3M warned of "significant humanitarian implications." Federal officials will work to prevent the export of N95 respirators, surgical masks, gloves and other personal equipment. "We need these items for domestic use," Trump said. Trump had previously used the Defense Production Act to "stop the hoarding and price-gouging of crucial supplies." This week he said federal officials took custody of almost 200,000 N95 respirators, 130,000 surgical masks, 600,000 gloves and other items. 3M added that it continues to "act on reports of price gouging and unauthorized reselling."   4. Canadian Prime Minister said "it would be a mistake" for the US to stop 3M from exporting N95 respirator masks to Canada, which is scrambling to acquire critical medical equipment as supplies dwindle.   5. The nation's top infectious-disease expert questioned why a dozen states were not under stay-at-home orders. The governors of Alabama and Missouri issued stay-at-home orders, following the lead of most other states attempting to combat the coronavirus.   6. Wall Street ended another wild week on a low note, with the Dow Jones idustrial average sinking 360 points.   7. California governor announced a sweeping initiative to protect homeless people in the state by relocating them into isolated hotel rooms.   8. People who survive the most dire cases of disease caused by the coronavirus are about to learn on of the cruelest lessons of the pandemic: After defeating the virus, the really hard part begins. Those saved through extreme medical interventions, including being attached to mechanical ventilators for a week or two, often suffer long-term physical, mental and emotional issues, according to a staggering body of medical and scientific studies. Even a year after leaving the intensive care unit, many people experience post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's-like cognitive deficits, depression, lost jobs and problems with daily activities such as bathing and eating.   9. About 22,000 Americans are still seeking help returning home to the US.   10. New Jersey governor ordered flags in the state to be flown at half-staff to honor residents who have succumbed to the coronavirus.   11. WHO said that data out of China suggests the 75% of coronavirus patients originally listed as asymptomatic go on to develop symptoms.   12. France reported 588 new deaths linked to the coronavirus, marking the largest daily rise in French hospitals since the outbreak.   13. Turkey imposed a partial, two-week quarantine on dozens of Turkish cities and mandated a curfew that would apply to people under 20, as the country struggles to curb a surging coronavirus outbreak that has saddled Turkey with one of the highest infection rates in the world. The measures were announced after the country revealed that more than 20,000 people in the country have been infected, placing Turkey "ninth" among global nations in the the number of coronavirus cases, behind Britain. 425 people have died, the vast majority of them older than 60.   14. Italy records 766 more deaths but case numbers offer hope the outbreak is leveling off. An additional 4,585 cases were confirmed bringing the country's total number of confirmed infections to 119,827 with 14,681 deaths.         04 April 2020   1. The US reported more than 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in a day for the first time, bringing American total to more than 273,000 cases and a death toll of over 7,000.     2. The US will likely go down in history as the country that was supposedly best prepared to fight a pandemic but ended up catastrophically overmatched.   3. There are now  over 2,300 cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina with 19 deaths. There are 1,700 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Carolina with 34 deaths. There are 601 cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg Co, NC, with 3 deaths.   4. Catawba County announced that we now have 20 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and our first Covid-19 death.     5. Starting today, WalMart will limit the number of customers who can be in the store at once. Stores will not allow more than five customers for every 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 205 of a store's capacity. They also plan to institute one-way movement in its aisles. Customers will line us at one door and be admitted one at a time as people exit the store.   Walmart customers wearing facemasks and standing 6 to 10 feet apart while waiting in line to get in the store   6. Spain's prime minister plans to ask parliament this week to extend the nationwide lockdown until April 26th. Spain announced the nation's largest drop in the number of deaths due to the coronavirus today. The nation reported 809 deaths in 24 hours, its lowest daily death total in a week.   7. Official Chinese statistics put Wuhan, CHINA's coronavirus death toll at 2,563. Evidence coming out of the city suggests it was actually more than 40,000 deaths.   8. United Kingdom coronavirus lockdown measures will likely stay in place at least until the end of May, a top scientist said today.   9. Accusations continue that the Iraqi government is downplaying the number of coronavirus infections in the country. The Health Ministry has officially reported fewer than 800 cases, but physicians and helath official speaking anonymously to Reuters said the figure of confirmed infection was between 3,000 and 9,000. The government disputed the report and banned Reuters from workin in the country for three months.   10. Roughly 600 French soldiers have tested positive for the coronavirus.   11. Prosecutors say a D.C. man falsely claimed to be selling masks and gloves in a coronavirus scam.         Conover, NC, Business, NUFABRX, Makes Masks Reusable Up to 30 Times FOX NEWS interview with Jordan Schindler, Founder and CEO of NUFABRX Which Aired Saturday, 04, April 2020        FOX NEWS: American companies are shifting their focus to make ventilators, hand sanitizer and masks to help combat COVID-19. One of those companies is NuFabrx than went from making compression sleeves and socks to making medical masks that can be washed and reused up to 30 times. The company’s founder and CEO, Jordan Schindler, js us now. Jordan, thanks for being with us here this morning. We really appreciate it. You moved your company from Seattle to North Carolina to make this happen. Talk to us about what you’re doing   JORDAN: Good morning, Pete. Thanks for having me on. So, yeah, this is all about how can we make a difference. We were tired of sitting on the sidelines, so what we’ve created is a reusable copper cutec mask. So, we’ve been watching the news and hearing President Trump talk about issues with disposable masks. So, what if we had a reusable one where the doctor or health care professional could take home at the end of every day and wash it and have a good one in the morning. So, we’ve shifted all of our production and it’s been a linking of arms of the entire North Carolina textiles industry – to help us, to enable us to get these out there to the people that need them most.   FOX NEWS: So, Jordan, these are not just the type of masks that people would want to use at home. These can be used in hospitals, health care workers, front lines. You’re meeting the needs of the folks right in the middle of it.   JORDAN: So, we’re trying to provide these to whoever needs them most. We’re completely transparent. All of the data is available on our website. We want to let the health care professionals and professionals decide what they want to do with these. They’re a Copper Cutec Antibacterial Mask. Our hope is that folks like NYPD, hospitals, we’ve equipped our whole Catawba County government officials. These are currently being used right now all over the country.   FOX NEWS: Jordan, talk to me about the impact on your business. This is not what you normally make. You’ve shifted. Are you adding employees, keeping them, talk to us about the business environment for you.   JORDAN: Our core technology Nufabrx is about sole delivery of an ingredient. So our typical products are pain relief or other medications delivered directly through clothing so we felt that naturally equipped us to make a reusable mask. So we’ve coupled our technology with the partnerships throughout North Carolina to make these masks.   FOX NEWS: Who’s getting ‘em and how are you distributing them. Are you going straight to hospitals, are you working through a state-based system, can individuals get them, how are you built.   JORDAN: Yep, so we’ve been getting calls left and right and these are going out over night to hospitals, professionals, government workers as quick as we can. We’re trying to prioritize our health care professionals first and foremost. You can pre-order them theramasks.com but we’re trying to prioritize for our first responders. We have seen an increase in the number of new hires and jobs for our business as we try to create new masks for people. We’re on the cusp of making 250,000 to 500,000 a week of these masks.   FOX NEWS: 500,000 a week is a massive contribution. Jordan, thank you so much. The company is called NUFABRX. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.   CURTIS LOFTIN / WEBSITE HOST: I am proud to say that my son-in-law, Brad Seese, is VP in charge of production. It is good to see local businesses stepping up during this crisis. If you are interested in the mask, which is washable up to 30 times, go to Theramasks.com . My eldest granddaughter, Savanna, also works at NUFABRX. Just recently, the company delivered a mask to the NC Speaker of the House.   NYPD received masks from NUFABRX             05 April 2020   1. North Carolina projects that the state will reach its "peak" by the end of April (27th) with about 50 deaths a day. The state currently has 2,549 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 35 deaths in the state. NC is 19th in a listed of US states with confirmed cases of the coronavirus.   2. All states but 9 now have "Stay-At-Home" orders.   3. The US Surgeon General speculates that this will be the hardest week thus far concerning the coronavirus.   4. Michigan becomes the 3rd state of hardest-hit by the coronavirus, following New York and New Jersey.   5. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to grow in the US. Vice-President Mike Pence is overseeing the US response to the coronavirus. So far, 80% of patients experience a mild form of the illness, which can include a fever and pneumonia, and many of these cases require little to no medical intervention. The elderly and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes or heart and lung issues are the most vulnerable.   6. The following is a list of states in the US with the largest number of confirmed cases. The top 10 States are shown in Red while North Carolina and its neighbors are shown in Blue. (1) New York - 114,174, (2) New Jersey - 34,124 (3) Michigan - 14,225 (4) California - 13, 904 (5) Louisiana - 12,496 (6) Massachusetts - 11,736 (7) Florida - 11,545 (8) Pennsylvania - 10,507 (9) Illinois - 10,360 (10) Washington - 7,432 (11) Texas - 6,872 (12) Georgia - 6,383 (13) Connecticut - 5,276 (14) Colorado - 4,565 (15) Indiana - 3,953 (16) Ohio - 3,739 (17) Tennessee - 3,322 (18) Maryland - 3,172 (19) North Carolina - 2,549 (20) Virginia - 2,407 (21) Missouri - 2,345 (22) Arizona - 2,236 (23) Wisconsin - 2,128 (24) South Carolina - 1,917 (25) Nevada - 1,742 (26) Alabama - 1,633 (27) Mississippi - 1,455 (28) Utah - 1,36 (29) Oklahoma - 1,161 (30) Idaho - 1,078 (31) Oregon - 999 (32) Kentucky - 917 (33) D.C. - 902 (34) Minnesota - 865 (35) Rhode Island - 806 (36) Iowa - 787 (37) Arkansas - 743 (38) Kansas - 698 (39) New Hampshire - 621 (40) Deleware - 593 (41) New Mexico - 589 (42) Vermont - 461 (43) Maine - 456 (44) Puerto Rico - 452 (45) Hawaii - 351 (46) Nebraska - 323 (47) West Virginia -282 (48) Montana -281 (49) South Dakota - 212 (50) Wyoming - 187 (51) North Dakota - 186 (52) Alaska - 171 (53) Guam - 93 (54) US Virgin Islands - 42.   7. The US begins using plasma from the blood of people who have recovered from the coronavirus to treat those that are currently suffering from the virus. Their plasma which is filled with antibodies able to fight the virus, is separated then infused into those who have the virus. Last week a 36-year-old male survivor of the coronavirus in the US became one of the first to donate blood. Plasma infusion is not a new process. It was used to help combat SARS, Measles, Polio and the Spanish Flu.   8. Conover, NC: Conover-based company, NUFABRX, starts producing reusable masks to help fight COVID-19, producing 500,000 a week. My son-in-law, Brad, works for this company. They were featured on GQ on 16 Apr 2020.     9. Israel continues to be on complete lockdown in the country.   10. Over 100 doctors and nurses have died from COVID-19 globally - including Italy 66, China 13, UK 5, France 5, Spain 5, Iran 3, US 1, Greece 1, Poland 1 and Pakistan 1.         06 April 2020   1. A Sunday update from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that fewer lives will be lost during the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak than the previous model showed. The prvious numbers of 100,000 to 200,000 lives lost could be closer to 93,561.   2. New York City considers temporary mass grave in park for coronavirus victums as the virus overwhelms the capacity of morgues. They could then work with each family on the appropriate arrangements for their deceased loved one/s once the crisis has passed.   3. "Aliens" and "The Dark Knight Rises" actor Jay Benedict dies at 68 from the coronavirus.   4. The US topped 10,000 total deaths.   5. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the first world leaders diagnosed with COVID-19, was moved into an intensive care unit on Monday evening after his condition worsened.  President Trump offered drug treatments for British Prime Minister Borris Johnson.   6. US and global stock markets soared today as investors took in overseas progress against the coronavirus.   7. Major supermarket chains are beginning to report their first coronavirus-related employee deaths, leading to store closures and increasing anxiety among grocery workers as the pandemic intensifies across the country. Some companies have begun to install plexiglass sneeze guards at cash registers and requiring customers to stand six feet apart in line. The country's two largest grocers, Walmart and Kroger, are beginning to check employee's temperatures at the beginning of eachs hift and will provide workers with gloves and masks.   8. Civil rights group calls for release of race and ethnicity data on infections and deaths from COVID-19. In North Carolina, African Americans are 22% of the population and make of 37% of the cases and 22% of deaths.   9. Anthony s. Fauci dlownplayed the idea of getting "back to normal" before a vaccine is developed.   10. Amazon workers who violate social distancing rules are subject to firing.   11. New York, the nation's coronavirus epicenter, might be experiencing a "flattening of the curve" with 599 new deaths for a second day in a row. A total of 4,758 New Yorkers have died from COVID-19.   12. Italy announces 3,599 new coronavirus cases, its lowest figure in almost three weeks, as death toll rises.         07 April 2020   1. Catawba County's number of COVID-19 cases increases to 25. No new deaths have been reported in the county since the first death was listed by the couty on 03 Apr. Burke County now has 28.   2. North Carolina saw its biggest jump in the number of COVID-19 related deaths with 13 deaths since yesterday - a total of 52 deaths and 3,250 confirmed cases of the virus in the state. NC confirmed COVID-19 cases in 89 of its 100 counties.   3. With minimal investments in public stock, the North Carolina treasurer's office predicts the state pension fund will survive the COVID-19 economic downturn better than other states - a blessing to retired stated employees.   4. South Carolina goes into lockdown as the state becomes the latest to issues Stay-At-Home order. SC reports 2,232 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 48 deaths.     5. The death toll in New York reached a new one-day high.   6. US and European markets rose as investors grew more optimistic that restrictive measures around the world are working.   7. The US reported more than 1,700 coronavirus-related fatalaties, a new one-day high, with some states still to release their totals.   8. A key forcasting model used by the White House to chart the coronavirus pandemic has revised its estimates downward.         08 April 2020   1. North Carolina has at least 3,453 reported cases of the coronavirus as of this morning, and 59 deaths. At least one case of the virus has been reported in 92 of the state's 100 counties. Nearly one-fourth of the state's reported cases - 830 - are in Mecklenburg County which has seen eight deaths. Wake, Durham, Orange & Johnston counties had more than 700 cases. 43,000 people have been tested. 40% of coronavirus patients in NC are 25 - 49 years old and 20% of coronavirus cases with people ages 65 or older. BUT, 80% of the state's coronavirus deaths have been reported in patients older than 65. NC Governor Roy Cooper said the state will use hotels, dorms and other housing sites for some residents possibly exposed to the coronavirus. NC officials expect to provide more than 16,500 places to stay for residents who don't have stable housing. Governor Cooper said the statewide stay-at-home order is working, but he doesn't know when it will be lifted - maybe the end of May.   2. The NC Division of Motor Vehicles has asked state lawmaker to extend deadlines for driver's license and vehicle registration renewals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency says it's been swamped with complaints that changes have not been made to the requirements despite the statewide stay-at home order.   3. New York now has more confirmed coronavirus cases than any country around the world - including Italy and Spain - with over 149,300 total cases. The state has 6,268 deaths - with a record number of deaths (779) yesterday. The state has had 2 deaths in the FDNY (New York Fire Department), 15 deaths in the NYPD (New York Police Department) and 41 transitworker deaths.   4. The latest model indicates that the coronavirus will "peak" in 4 days - Easter Sunday.   5. Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders drops out of the presidential race leaving Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate.   6. A growing list of countries have blocked or limited food exports in an attempt to boost self-sufficiency and stockpiles of grain and other staples to ride out the coronavirus pandemic. The biggest blows are seen in regions that depond on some of the countries  that are cutting back on exports, including Kazakhstan with flour & wheat, and India & Vietnam with rice.   7. An Australian cruise ship set sail for Antartica on 15 March. It never arrived. Instead, as of today, the ship sat marooned off the coast of Uruguay and about 60% of passengers on the ship have tested positive for the coronavirus (127 out of 217 passengers and crew). In early April, Uruguay refused to allow it to dock. Beginning tomorrow/Thursday and Friday, passengers from Australia and New Zealand will be allowed to disembark and fly home, while European and American passengers will remain on the ship. The company is planning to charter a plane to Melbourne, Australia, which is estimated to cost each passenger over $9,000 per seat. Once in Melbourne, returness will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The company said that it is waiting for "further clearance" to annunce plans for American and European passengers, who for the time will remain on the ship.   8. Florida's governor announced plans to convert the Miami Beach Convention Center into a 45-bed facility to treat people with the virus, with 50 of the beds being designated for intensive care unit patients. The facility will be able to scale up to 1,000 beds in needed and will have 184 members of Florida's National Guard medical team. An additional 200 beds will be set up at Miami's old Pan American Hospital and 250 more will be available at a Miami field hospital. More than 15,000 Floridians have been confirmed to have the coronavirus and over 300 have died from the virus.   9. Italy's daily coronavirus death toll delined slightly today to 542, a sign of hesitant hope for the virus-stricken country, even as the number of confirmed new cases rose. Italy reported 3,836 "new" confirmed coronavirus infections, up from the 3,039 that were recorded yesterday. For the fifth consecutive day, the number of people in intensive care declined.   10. The US made a $490,000,000 deal with General Motors for 30,000 emergency ventilators. The order is due to be completed by the end of August. GM is expected to deliver more than 6,000 ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile of medical devices by 01 June. The mechanical breathing devices are needed to treat a wave of coronavirus patients expected to overwhelm hospital in the coming weeks. The cost per ventilator made by GM is about $17,000.   11.When the British government asked people to help the National Health Service during the coronavirus crisis, it called for a "volunteer army". Within four days 750,000 people had signed up - three times the original target and four times the size of the British armed forces. Britain hasn't seen such a surge in volunteers since World War II. The country has more than 60,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and with the Prime Minister among those who have been hospitalized, organizers are figuring out how to deploy this new volunteer army.   12. In a report sent to the White House, experts said that the summer may not slow coronavirus outbreaks.         09 April 2020   1. British Prime Minister was moved from intensive care but remains at a central London hospital.   2. The death toll continues to rise rapidly in the US with New York along having recorded 7,067 fatalities.   3. Italy announced 4,204 new cases of the coronavirus, along with 610 deaths. Both numbers were below peak but increases from earlier this week, suggesting a slow decline of the outbreak in the hard-hit nation.   4. My daughter Beth delivers some grocerys to us that she purchased from Walmart. She decided to spend a little time with us - sitting under the trees in the front yard while her Mom and I sat on the front porch. She's also a teacher and working half-a-day, so she also connected with some of her 3rd grade students via the Internet - asking questions and playing math games with them.                    10 April 2020   1. US number of coronavirus cases passes half-a-million (502,876).     US Territories   USA Territories:   American Samoa   Guam   Marshall Islands   Federated States of Micronesia   Northern Mariana Islands   Palau   Puerto Rico   US Virgin Islands Abbreviation:   AS   GU   MH   Fm   MP   PW   PR   VI Capital:   Pago Pago   Hagatna   Majuro   Palikir   Saipan   Ngerulmud   San Juan   Charlotte Amalie Acquired: *US Administered   1900   1899   *1944-1979   *1947- 1979   1986   *1944-1978   1899   1917 Population:   57,400   131,700   58,413   112,640   52,300   17,907   3,193,694   103,700 Total Land Area:   76 mi²   210 mi²   70 mi²   271 mi²   182 mi²   177 mi²   3,424 mi²   134 mi²         11 April 2020   1. All of D.C.'s new death cases were black, further exacerbating racial disparities in the death toll. In a city with 46% of residents being African American, COVID-10 has been more than 70% black.   2. Chicago , DC, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin and North Carolina hospitals and others consider do-not-resuscitate orders for coronavirus patients, regardless of the wishes of the patient or their family members due to the danger of exposing doctors and nurses to the contagion. The discussions are driven by the realization that the risk to staff amid dwindling stores of protective equipment - such as masks, gloves and gowns - may be too great to justify the conventional response when a patient "codes" and their heart or breathings stops..   3. Geography of coronavirus in the US - cases increase in new areas including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and D.C. A new CDC report finds the US national case count doubled in 6.5 days in April. Two-thirds of those cases concentrated in just seven states - New York, New Jersey, Michicn, Louisiana, California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.   4. In Europe, some countries may finally be seeing a slackening of the virus with others are only just getting started.       A Funeral and a Birthday Party CDC traces Chicago Coronavirus Outbreak to Two Family Gatherings The Washington Post   The CDC (Center for Disease Control) traces Chicago coronavirus outbreak to two family gatherings. Case study shows how a single person can set off a chain reaction of infections. The case study, published by the CDC, is one of the most detailed looks at how COVID-19 moves through communities and shows how a single person can set off a chain reaction of infections. The transmissions - traced to a funer and a birthday party held three days apart - before major social distancing policies were implemented.   A family friend who had been out of state attended and was just a bit sick with mild respirator symptoms. Before long, 16 people between the ages of 5 and 86 had been infected with the coronavirus and three had died.   The CDC report begins that night before the funeral. The traveling friend - dubbed "Patient A1.1" as the first patient in the first transmission "generation" in the first cluster discovered - shared a takeout meal eaten from common serving dishes with two family members of the deceased at their home. the meal lasted about three hours. At the funeral, Patient A1.1 hugged the friends who had been at the dinner and other family members to "express condolences". Two days later, one of the dinner hosts showed symptoms of the coronavirus. Two days after that, the other host got sick, too. A third familyl member who had hugged Patient A1.1 at the funeral also got sick.   Around the same time, Patient A1.1, who was then still experiencing mild respiratory symptoms, attended a birthday party with nine other people. They hugged and shared food at the three-hour party. Seven of the atendees soon became ill.   Within about a week of the onset of symptoms, the condition of the first dinner host deteriorated. The person was hospitalized, put on a ventilator and eventually died.   Another family member visited the dinner host at the hospital and - without any personal protective equipment - provided "personal care" and gave hugs. Three days later, that person developed a fever and cough, too.   Meanwhile, two of the birthday party attendees became critically ill and were put on ventilators. Both died. The five others experienced mild symptoms of cough and low-grade fever. While one of the critically ill patients was hospitalized, a family member and a home-care professional who visited that person developed probable COVID-19, the CDC said. The visiting family member, in turn, probably transmitted it to a household contact.   Three of the symptomatic birthday party attendees went to church six days after developing their first symptoms. Another church attendee who sat within one row for 90 minutes, talked to them and passed the offering plate with them also developed symptoms.   The CDC hypothesized that these clusters may have facilitated transmission of COVID-19 more broadly in Chicage and that they show why social distancing measures - particularly avoiding gathers with multiple people - have been critical as the virus moved out of retirement communities, cruise ships and other more contained places.   In New Orleans, local officials blamed another type of "super-spreading" event, Mardi Gras, for accelerating the transmission there. Outbreaks also have been traced to a French ski resort and an Italian soccer game.   These findings highlight the importance of adhering to current social distancing recommendations, including guidance to avoid any gatherings with persons from multiple households and following state or local stay-at-home orders, the CDC said.         12 April 2020   1. North Carolina has 4,520 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 81 deaths. Statistics show that peak for coronavirus is NC will be 17 April and South Carolina will be 29 April.   2. The US passes Italy becoming the country with the most coronavirus deaths in the world. A vaccine may not be available for 18 months.   3. There have been over 2,000 deaths daily in the US for the past five days.   4. The coronavirus is killing about 1 in 10 hospitalized middle-aged patients and 4 in 10 older than 85 in the United States.   5. New York has 758 new coronavirus deaths.   6. Top expert on infectious diseases in the US said some restrictions could begin to be lifted in May, but warned that the virus could return.   7. As a result of the coronavirus, Easter ceremonies across the country look different a churches tried new methods to meet church members needs.   8. Mathis Chapel in Catawba, NC, continues with their "drive-in" type of church service. Covenant Church in Lincolnton, NC, streams their services on Facesbook which works well for the 600+ member church.   9. Members of Temple Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi, were fined with $500 tickets for attending "drive-in" style Easter services, even though members stayed in their cars with the windows up. As the pandemic runs its course, the church has tried to run a "drive-in" service using a radio frequency that can only be heard within a block fom the church. Their Wednesday service was shut down by local police. Everyone in the car got tickets, so a car with three family members got three tickets, it wasn't "per car". Governor Tate Reeves had specifically exempted religious gatherings from his stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, calling them essential services. But the Greenville mayor and city council issued a more restrictive ban that prohibited "drive-in" church gatherings. Now the church has decided to sue the city. In challenging the citations, the church's complaint filed at a federal court in Greenville, noted the church marquee had declared "STAY IN CAR" and that the production team inside the church never exceeded 10 people. The complaint alleges that the city violated the church's First Amentment right to assembly and free speech. "In sum," the complaint said, "the Church's 'drive-in' services are a creative way for the church and its parishioners to worship together and exercise their faith while avoiding in-person contact and ensuring the health and safety of attendees and the local community." The city also fined church members at another Baptist church a few streets away.   10. All across the nation, religious gathering have been at the center of legal disputes. The mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, tried to stop a church's drive-in Easter service, but on Sadurday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraing order overturning that effort. Three Southern California churches that want to keep their doors open during the coronavirus outbreak sued the governor and other officials, arguing that social distancing orders violate their First Amendment rights and that the governor is clueless to think churches are not as "essential" as burger joints, coffee shops and liquior stores.   11. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was released from hospital today, nearly a week after he was admitted into intensive-care for COVID-19.   12. Japan marked a fifth day of record high daily jumps.         13 April 2020   1. Governors convened in a public conference to discuss a cooperative effort to reopen the country's economy once the threat from the coronavirus has sufficiently subsided.   2. China reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases since early March, most of them involving people returning from other countries. The uptick heightened fears of a second wave and let to new constraints on travel.   3. A sailor assigned to the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt has died of COVID-19 complications, the Navy said. There have been at least 585 confirmed infections on the ship.   4. France's national coronavirus lockdown will continue until May 11. After that point, restrictions will only be partially released.   5. Canadian officials are calling for curbs on travel for 1,600 Ontario nurses who work in US hospitals, which could devistate the health care system in detroit, where the pandemic has hit hard.   6. President Vladimir Putin said Russian's outbreak of the coronavirus was bad and getting worse as it reaches 18,328 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, double the number of five day earlier, with roughly two-thirds of them in Moscow. In war-torn Libya, residents face a dire choice: stay home or fless missles. Turkey's parliament passed a law that will allow the release of 45,000 prisoners, but excluding anyone convicted of terrorism charges - as well as those detained for sex offenses, drug offenses and first-degree murder. Low oil prices and pandemic combine to worsen Venezuela's misery. Britain is expected to extend lockdown into May as its tally of confirmed cases surpasses China's. In an example of how initial successes of social distancing campaign can fade once restrictions are relaxed, Japan's northernmost island declared a state of emergency for a second time and called on residents to stay at home for all but the most essential outings. Medical supplies to be distributed around Africa arrive in Ethiopia. For the fourth time in six days, Italian officials reported fewer than 600 coronavirus-linked deaths. Small number of Spanish workers return to work, but some fear it's too soon.         14 April 2020   1. Today was Philip's birthday. No card, No visit. But we were able to call him on the phone and wish him Happy Birthday and send him an "electronic" birthday present - although he can't go anywhere to spend it.   2. Presidnet Trump said that he plans to stop US funding of the WHO (World Health Organization) while reviewing its role in what he described as "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."   3. New York City, already an epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, sharply increased its death toll today by more that 3,700 as the number of deaths soar past 10,000.   4. The New York Times has identified more than 2,500 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the US with coronavirus cases. More than 21,000 residents and staff members at those facilities have contracted the virus and more than 3,800 have died.   5. In Michigan, more than one million people - over a quarter of the state's work force - have filed for unemployment during the pandemic.   6. The US watches as some hard-hit European nations begin to ease restrictions. As the US debates when and how to let businesses reopen, Italy and Spain, the two European nations hardest hit by the pandemic, are taking small steps to begin easing the restrictions they imposed to stem their outbreaks. After extending a lockdown from April 13 to May 3, Italy reopened some stores today, including bookshops and children's clothing stores, a sign of a gradual return to normalcy. But the loosening will not apply in the regions where infection rates have yet to decline significantly. Italy's total number of confirmed cases just shy of 160,000 with deaths surpassing 20,000. In Spain, more regions reopened factories and building sites today, joining others that had already begun a gradual return to work. Spain registeres a sligh increase with 567 deaths today, and a total surpassing 18,000 since the start of the crisis.   7. As NYC deals with a mounting coronavirus death toll and dwindling morgue space, the city has shortened the amount of time it will hold unclaimed remains before they are buried in the city's public cemetery. Under the new policy, the medical examiner's offices will keep bodies in storage for 14 days before they're buried in the city's potter's field on Hart Island. In recent days, burial operations have increased from one day a week to five days a week. Many of these are buried in a mile-long mass grave.         15 April 2020   1. Five states set up check points along their borders to keep non-residents out; Those states were North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Deleware and Rhode Island. When the number of coronavirus cases began to skyrocket, several states took the unprecedented step of setting up border checkpoints to stop nonresidents who might be carrying the virus. In Florida and Texas, state troopers are requiring motorist form out of state and their passengers to sign forms promising to self-quarantine for 14 days. Florida, Rhode Isaland and Texas require travelers to provide an address where they plan to shelter - and advise them to be prepared for a follow-up call or unannounced visit from public health officials. While the efforts initially targeted residents of New York, which had the most coronavirus cases, they quickly expanded. At local checkpoints for people entering the Florida Keys and North Carolina's Outer Banks, police ask motorist for ID. Only those with a local address or proof of residency, such as a special resident permit or utility bill, are allowed to proceed. The checkpoints don't apply to drivers of commercial, military or emergency vehicles.   2. 12 new COVID-19 cases linked to outbreaks at two Union County, NC, long-term care facilities. NC now has over 5,100 COVID-19 cases with 117 deaths in the state. These are the number of COVID-19 cases in and around Catawba County: Alexander County 3, Lincoln County 15, Caldwell County 19, Catawba County 38, Burke County 62, Iredell County 71, Gaston County 92, Mecklenburg County 1039.   3. Researchers say social distancing may be necessary into 2022 in order to contain the virus, in the absence of an effective treatment or vaccine.   4. Americans should prepare for a second wave of the coronavirus, CDC director says. "I think we have to assume this is like other respiratory viruses and there will be a seasonality to it. Until we see it, we don't know for certain. Bu I think it's critical that we plan this virus is likely to follow a seasonality pattern similar to the flue, and we're going to have another battle with it upfront and aggressively next winter."   5. More than 900 NYC hospital workers have contracted the coronavirus.   6. Russia reports its largest single-day increase in new cases in the past 24 hours with 3,388 new cases.         16 April 2020   1. The US had over 33,000 new cases of the coronavirus since yesterday with over 5,000 new deaths. Some people say it's not as bad as the "flu", but those numbers sound pretty bad to me.   2. Three new cases of the coronavirus confirmed in Mooresville, NC. There are at least 77 people confirmed to have the coronavirus and 3 related deaths in Iredell County, NC. The deveolpment comes as the coronavirus increased to 5,465 cases in NC. COVID-19 is found in 93 of the state's 100 counties. At lease 131 people in NC have died as a result of COVID-19.   3. Two more Amazon workers in Charlotte, NC, have tested positive for COVID-19. That makes five cases to date in Amazon facilities in the region.   4. NC reports 69 new cases in Mecklenburg County, NC, for a total of 1,084 coronavirus cases. Nineteen local deaths have been reported from the virus. The increase in new cases reported by the state is the third-largest in a single day since the first coronavirus case was reported in Mecklenburg on 11 March.   5. Much of the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina is closed. In the 15 Apr announcement, the Park Service said the closure to vehicular traffic is part of "a continuing effort to support federal, state, and local efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.   6. Four prisoners who tested positive for COVID-19 at the medium-security federal correctional institution in Butner, NC, have died. Forty-six inmates and 27 staff members there have tested positive there thus far.   7. Which stay-at-home order do we have to follow? Stay-at-home. That's become the new mormal for residents in NC. The problem is, there are multiple stay-at-home orders and knowing which one to actually follow can be confusing. Between the state, your county, and maybe even your city, which one do you actually have to follow? What happens if a mayor lifts the stay-at-home order, but the governor's order is still in effect until the end of the month? It may seem confusing, but the answer is actually pretty simple. You follow whatever the "most restrictive requirement" is. The most restrictive is what is enforced.   8. The NC Department of Public Instruction has said that the polocies for promoting students to the next grade have not changed, after hoaxes on 01 April (April Fools Day) spread about students having to repeat a year. Seniors who were passing their classes as of 13 Mar, the last day before schools closed, will be marked as passing for the year, while those who were failing will have the chance to pass by taking a final exam.         17 April 2020   1. My granddaughter, Alex Seese, in her Chick-fil-A uniform and face mask courtesy of her dad, Brad Seese, and NUFABRX.   2. Catawba Valley Medical Center (Hospital) resumes "elective" treatments, including my (Curtis Loftin) sleep study scheduled for June and my wife's (Carolyn Loftin's) heart cath scheduled for May. "Elective" surguries also include cancer treatments.   3. Fort Bragg, NC, repoets first coronavirus-related deaths - a civilian on post and a contractor, both from Cumberland County, NC.   4. North Carolina confirmed coronavirus cases nears 6,000 up 394 cases since yesterdsy, and deaths rise from 139 to 152.   5. Twenty-eight states have closed school for the rest of the year. At this point, NC is not one of them, but more than likely will do so.     7. Essential workers face their fears on the front lines of the coronavirus. A Charlotte-area FedEx developed a new routine for when she returns home from her shift. She takes her shoes off and leaves them outside. Then she heads inside, tosses her clothes in the washer and jumps into the shower. The employee, who works at a shipping facility at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, is terrified of bringing the coronavirus home to her children. The stress caused headaches, and she spends many nights lying awake in fear. Despite her anxiety, the worker said it's not an option for her to take unpaid leave. She has to provide for her family. "I'm scared for my health. But I'm also scared that I'm going to have nothing for me and my kids," she said. Those fears are playing out all across the country for essential workers in shipping centers, retain stores, grocery stores, doctors, nurses, police and other businesses who have thrust into the front lines fof the pandemic. Regardless of wheter they are working or isolated at home, many are trusting the LORD to see them through the pandemic.   8. A wedding - an Easter family gathering - and birthday parties. Cabarrus County, NC, residents held these gatherings over the past two weeks and now the Cabarrus Health Alliance is investigating COVID-19 outbreaks at each event. More than 18 people were infected at the events and there were less than 10 people at each gathering in most cases. Tracing how the people contracted the virus takes some digging. During that phase, investigators try to identify and notify "close contacts" of the positive cases, which means anybody within six feet of the subject for more than 10 minutes in the 48 hours prior to the onset of the symptoms. Of the positive cases from the four gatherings, six ar now out of work, and most of those people are essential workers.   9. Should booze be restricted? The World Health Organization (WHO) rattled booze lovers with an alert in Europe calling for governments there to set an example and restrict access to alcohol during coronavirus lockdowns. Alcoholic drinks compromise the immune system, the WHO warned, and intoxicated people take unnecessary risks that can put them and others in danger of contracting the virus. Then there's this: "Fear and misinformation have generated a dangerous myth that consuming high-strength alcohol can kill the COVID-19 virus. IT DOES NOT." the WHO said in the same press release.   10. Charlotte woman who recovered from coronavirus unable to donate potentially life-saving plasma. Half a million people around the world have now recovered from the coronavirus. In the US, the FDA is encouragin people who have recovered from the virus to donate their plasma because the plasma could contain antibodies to help others fight the virus. A 27-year-old NC woman described the major obstacles she'd faced while trying to donate her plasma. She said she had battled the coronavirus for two weeks and now she wants to give back but she's finding out it's not that simple. She said the coronavirus was a living nightmare for about half a month. "It was terrifying, I felt like I was drowning." When she went to the Red Cross, they said she needed to get tested by a physician. Her physician told her to go back to Red Cross. A spokesperson for Red Cross said they have collected plasma in other parts of the country, including New Yersey, but not in Charlotte at this point.   11. In Santa Cruz, CA, seven visitors fined $1,000 each after Tweeting they had been out for "essential drinks".   12. President Trump shares state reopening guidelines with governors; NC Governor Roy Cooper says NC need federal help and siaid NC is not ready to relax social restrictions. The guidelines detail a three-phase process for reopening. With each phase, more of society reopens as social distancing limits expand from gatherings of no more than 10 in phase one to 50 in phase two, to no limits in phase three. But to proceed through each step, states should first meet certain criteria tied to symptoms, cases and hospital availabity. The criteria calls for a "downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period."   13. Michigan governor is faced with two law suits due to state restrictions on visiting family.   14. China raised number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Whuhan by more than 50%. The US has long speculated that China was not accurately reporting the number of confirmed cases or deaths.         18 April 2020   1. The US & Canada border will remain closed to "nonessential" travel for an additional 30 days.   2. Beaches in Jaksonville, FL, reopen with restrictions amid coronavirus pandemic. Some Beaches in Florida reopened Friday night, after Governor Ron DeSantis gave the green light as long as social distancing is put in place. Beaches in Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic beach will now be open from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Allowed: Walking, running, biking, fishing, dog walking, swimming, surfing and recreational activities consistent with social guidelines. Prohibite: Sunbathing, towels & blankets, chairs, coolers, grills, loitering on the beach without moving & congregating in groups with more than 10.   © WBTV Charlotte   3. Tensions rise over coronavirus restrictions as protesters push to reopen the country.   4. Deaths in Spain surpass 20,000 while a spike in cases pushes Japan's emergency medical system to the brink.         19 April 2020   1. Catawba County, NC, has 43 confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 1 death. Surrounding counties are as follows: Iredell County 81 cases and 3 deaths, Lincoln County with 20 cases and 0 deaths, Burke County with 66 cases and 5 deaths, Alexander County with 3 cases and 0 deaths, and Caldwell County with 32 cases and 0 death.   2. North Carolina currently has 6,376 cases of the coronavirus with 191 deaths. The counties with the largest number of cases are Mecklenburg County with 1,153 cases and 24 deaths, Wake County with 586 cases and 4 deaths, Durham County with 409 cases and 4 deaths, Wayne County with 378 cases and 4 deaths, Rowan County with 248 cases and 12 deaths and Cabarrus County with 207 cases and 4 deaths.   3. Nearly 637,000 North Carolinians have filed for unemployment and more than 22 million Americans are out of work. A prominent NC CEO said, "All the working-class people I know want to be at work because they understand the connection between work and eating."   4. North Carolina farmer says COVID-19 pandemic forced him to dump 17,000 gallons of milk that he couldn't sell into a field down the road from his farm. With schoold and restaurantss closed, he's had a 65% decrease in total milk sales. That's $160,000 profict down the drain. In the meanwhile, he is supplying milk to a local food pantry and to help keep his business afloat, opened a drive-thru at his creamery, selling milk, ice cream and other items.   5. South Carolina currently has 4, 248 cases of the coronavirus with 119 deaths.   6. South Carolina plans to reopen their beaches next week.   7. The United States still leads the world with more than 25,000 new cases of coronavirus. For the US, that's the largest number of new cases in a single day.  According to world-O-meter , the website where I've been getting my statistics, the US had 738,792 cases yesterday and today the number was up to 763,836 at 9:30 p.m. today.           8. Tyson Foods issues statement on coronavirus safety after roughly 100 workers test positive, saying that they are following guidelines from the CDC, USDA and health departments. The infected worked at the plant in Goodlettsville, TN.   9. The UK and Russia with 6,000 new cases, and Canada, India & Turkey with 2,000 new cases.         20 April 2020   1. Happy Birthday to sweet granddaughter, Savanna Seese, who is spending her 20th birthday at home.   2. in the US, 26,000+ new cases of the coronavirus and 1800+ new deaths.   3. Russia, Spain, Turkey & United Kingdom each have 4000+ new cases of the coronavirus.   4. Brazil & France each have 3000+ new cases of the coronavirus.   5. Canada, Israel & Italy each have 2000+ new cases of the coronavirus.   6. Belgium, Germany, India, Iran, Saudi Aurabia & Singapore each have 1000+ new cases of the coronavirus.         21 April 2020   1. The US has 25,000+ new cases of the coronairus.   2. The greater Charlotte area's anticipated peak in coronavirus cases may not be until Jun 27.   3. Immigration to the US postponed for 60 days.   4. As governments moved forward with plans to reopen their economies, the CDC warned that a second wave of the coronavirus could be more devastating because it is likely to coincide with the start of flu season in the US.         22 April 2020   1. Rev. Franklin Graham: Unless Christians vote, we'll lose the country in the November elections.   2. Almost 30,000 new cases of the coronavirus in the US. 29,973 new cases and 2,341 deaths.   3. South Carolina schools will be closed for the remainder of the year.   4. Additional coronavirus updates around the world:           4,000 new cases in United Kingdom, Turkey & Russia           3,000 new cases in Brazil           2,000 new cases in Canada & Israel           1,000 new cases in Belgium, Germany, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia & Singapore.         23 April 2020   1. North Carolina has 7,608 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 253 deaths.   2. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper extends the stay-at-home order from 29 Apr to 08 May. Cooper also unveiled a three-phase plan for ending his statewide order, which would mean some form of restrictions could linger into at least late June.   3. United States has 27,439 new cases of the coronavirus.   4. Additional coronavirus updates around the world:           Canada has 1,601 new cases           Germany has 1,136 new cases           India has 1,669 new cases           Italy has 2,646 new cases           Mexico has 1,043 new cases           Peru has 1,664 new cases           Russia has 4,774 new cases           Saudi Arabia has 1,158 new cases           Spain has 4,635 new cases           United Kingdom has 4,583 new cases         24 April 2020   1. Catawba County, NC, has 47 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 1 death. Lincoln County has 24, Iredell County 94, Burke County 83 and Alexander County 4 cases.   2.. North Carolina K-12 schools closed for the rest of the academic year.   3. The United States has 38,764 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,951 new deaths.   4. Additional coronavirus updates around the world:          Belgium has 1,496 new cases          Canada has 1,778 new cases          France has 1, 645 new cases          Germany has 1,870 new cases          India has 1,408 new cases          Iran has 1,268 new cases          Italy has 3,021 new cases          Russia has 5,849 new cases          Spain has 6,740 new caes          United Kingdom has 5,386 new cases         25 April 2020, Saturday   1. The United States has 35,419 new cases of the coronavirus and 2,065 new deaths. No one else comes close.   2. Additional new coronavirus cases around the world:           Belgium: 1,032           Brazil: 6,201           Canada:1,466           France: 1,660           Germany: 1,419           India: 1,836           Iran: 1,134           Italy: 2,357           Mexico: 1,239           Russia: 5,966           Spain: 3,995           Turkey: 2,861           United Kingdom: 4,913         26 April 2020, Sunday   1. COVID-19 has now claimed at least 289 lives in North Carolina. The number of cases in the state jumped by 571 and is now at 8,623. 495 of the state's death toll comes from nursing homes and residential care facilities. Data shows that 656 of the 2,909 ventilators in NC are in use.   2. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals is allowing abortion clinics in Tennessee to continue providing abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court's decision came after Governor Bill Lee issued a state order on 08 April banning all abortion services other than medication abortions.   3. Should NC doctors, hospitals and nursing homes be shielded from criminal prosecution and lawsuits over treatment decisions they make concerning COVID-19? That's a debate that could play out next week when the NC Legislature gets back to work against the backdrop of a still unfolding pandemic. 4. An "impeccably preserved" Dale Earnhardt No. 3 car is among NASCAR items being auctioned for coronavirus relief by longtime friend and NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. Warnhardt, who was from Kannapolis, NC, died in a last-lap crash at the Dattona 500 on 18 Feb 2001.   5. The United States had 26,509 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,157 new deaths. No one elsce comes close.   6. Additional new coronavirus cases around the world:           Brazil: 3,663           Canada: 1,541           Germany: 1,257           India: 1,607           Italy: 2,324           Peru: 2,186           Russia: 6,361           Saudi Arabia: 1,223           Spain: 2,870           Turkey: 2,357           United Kingdom: 4,463       27 April 2020, Monday   1. The United States passes 1,000,000 cases of the coronavirus - 1/3 of all the cases in the entire world.   1. The United States had 23,196 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,384 new deaths reported.   2. Additional new coronavirus cases around the world:           Brazil: 3,642           Canada: 1,605           France: 3,742           India: 1,561           Italy: 1,739           Peru: 1,182           Russia: 6,198           Saudi Arabia: 1,289           Spain: 2,793           Turkey: 2,131           United Kingdom: 4,309         28 April 2020, Tuesday   1. The United States has 25,409 new cases of the coronavirus and 2,470 new deaths.   2. Additional new coronavirus cases around the world:           Brazil: 6,398           Canada: 1,526           Ecuador: 1,018           France: 2,638           India: 1,873           Iran: 1,112           Italy: 2,091           Saudi Arabia: 1,266           Spain: 2,706           Turkey: 2,392           United Kingdom: 3,996         29 April 2020, Wednesday   1. The United States has 28,429 new cases of the coronavirus and 2,390 new deaths.   2. Additional new coronavirus cases around the world:           Brazil: 6,462           Canada: 1,571           Germany: 1,627           India: 1,738           Iran: 1,073           Italy: 2,086           Mexico: 1,223           Peru: 2,741           Russia: 5,840           Saudi Arabia: 1,325           Spain: 4,771           Turkey: 2,936           United Kingdom: 4,076   3. The Unitd States have tested  5,954,311 people for the coronavirus. Russia has tested  3,303,717 people. Germany has tested  2,072,669 people. Italy has tested  1,846,934 people. Spain has tested  1,414,477 people.   4. There were 3,220,154 cases of the coronavirus worldwide, with  228,216 deaths and  1,000,333 recovered.   5. In the US, some meatpacking plants have closed due to COVID-19 concerns, raising questions about the industry's ability to supply grocery stores. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep chicken, pork and other meat plants open. Trump's order to open meat plants brings anxiety to one Iowa town where 90% of the 1,326 people testing positive for COVID-19 cases are tied to Tyson pork processing plant.   6. Curtis Loftin: "Are Tyson plants cloing around the country the reason I can't find my chicken livers at Wal-Mart?"   7. We've heard a lot about "herd immunity" over the past month. Waiting for herd immunity to develop through widespread COVID-19 infections alone would lead to a significant increase in the virus' projected death toll. Based on estimates, 70% of the population would need to be infected for herd immunity to develop and about 3,000,000 people would die. When the majority of the population has received an effective vaccine against the virus, herd immunity will develop rapidly.           30 April 2020, Thursday   1. Catawba County, NC, has 56 cases of the coronavirus and 1 death. Iredell County has 108 cases and 6 deaths. Lincoln County has 27 cases and 0 deaths. Burke County has 97 cases and 8 deaths. Alexander County has 4 cases and 0 deaths. Caldwell County has 33 cases and 0 cases. The county in North Carolina with the most cases is Mecklenburg County with 1,567 cases and 43 deaths. The county with the second largest number of coronavirus cases is Wake County with 814 cases abd 17 deaths,   2. COVID-19 cases in North Carolina pass 10,500 with an additional 24 deaths reported, bringing the state's death total to at least 378..   3. The United States has 30,829 new cases of the coronavirus and 2,201 new deaths.   4. Additional new coronavirus cases around the world:           Brazil: 6,019           Canada: 1,639           Chile: 1,138           Germany: 1,470           India: 1,801           Italy: 1,872           Peru: 3,045           Russia: 7,099           Saudi Arabia: 1,351           Spain: 2,740           Turkey: 2,615           United Kingdom: 6,032   5. There were 3,307,659 cases of the coronavirus worldwide, with  234,074 deaths and  1,039,179 recovered.   6. The US has hope for a promising drug therapy with a drug called Remdesivir. Although the drug can reduce the number of days a person is in the hospital dropping from 15 to 11, it only shows a marginal benefit in the rate of death. Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said that a death rate of 8% for those taking the drug versus 11% for those who don't. While not a "knockout," Fauci said, "It has proven that a drug can block this virus."   7. Dr. Fauci says that a coronavirus vaccine by January 2021 is "doable".         May 2020, Coronavirus Updates   1. US schools will look different when, and if, they reopen. Three-quarters of the US states have now officially closed their schools for the rest of the academic year - including North Carolina. In New York City alone, more than 60 educators have reportedly died from coronavirus. While remote learning continues, attention is alread starting to turn to next fall. Here are nine key ideas for what reopening might look like.           a. Stepped-Up Health and Hygine Measures.           b. Class Size of 12 or Fewer.           c. Staggered Schedules - one group of kids might attend Monday, Wednesday & Friday then Tuesday & Thursday the following week.           d. Younger Kids First - Denmark & Norway started with its day cares, kindergartens and primary schools first.           e. New Calendars - There have been suggestions of starting school sooner next year or continuing through next summer, or both.           f. Different Attendance Policies - Some parents might choose to keep their children at home.           g. No Assemblies, Sports Games or Parent-Teacher Conferences.           h. Remote Learning Continues Because of Staggered Schedules.           i. Social, Emotional and Practical Help for Kids   2. Ten Ways Life Will Be Different After the Coronavirus Lockdown:           a. Sports will be played in empty stadiums and arenas. Large gatherings are almost certain to be banned.           b. Waiters will more than likely be wearing masks, with a disposable dinner minu, and with only half of the table in the restaurant in use.           c. There will be no more handshaking - decreasing the number of coronavirus and flu cases.           d. We'll still be wearing masks and standing far apart while practicing social distancing.           e. There will be frequent and widespread testing for COVID-19. If you haven't been tested yet, expect to be tested in the next few months.           f. There will be temperature taking every where even at grocery stores.           g. Doctor visits will be via FaceTime, Skype and Zoom.           h. COVID-19 snigging dogs will be monitoring public places.           i. You'll continue to work from home. Companies are realizing that the cost of renting office spaces might be a waste of money.           j. Robots will replace humans in factories. Automated robots replaing human employees is a trend that started long before COVID-19.   3. Can dogs sniff out the coronavirus? Dogs can sniff out illegal drugs, dangerous explosives and even some diseases in humans. They have already shown that they can (1) detect cancer in blood, urine or breath samples, (2) sniff out malaria, and (3) warn their owners when their blood sugar has dropped to low. Can they be trained to help detect the coronavirus, too. Researchers in countries like the US, Britain and France are trying to answer this intriguing question. Scientists say, "We do not know if COVID-19 has a specific odor yet, but we do know that other respiratory diseases change our body odor, so there is a chance that it does".   4. In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, numerous countries have closed their airports to visitors, including: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Cambodia, Canand, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Phillippines, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), United States, Ukraine, Vietnam.   5. China Backlash:  Across the globe, a backlash is building against China for its initial mishandling of the crisis that helped loose the coronavirus on the world. Australia hs called for an inquiry into the origins of the virus. Britain and Germany are hesitating about investing in the Chinese tech giant Huawei. President Trump has blamed China for the contagion and is seeking to punish it. Some governments want to sue Beijing for damages and reparations. The Chinese government continues to deny that the coronavirus leaked from a research laboratory in Wuhan, CHINA (On 13 March the Chinese suggested that the American military created it).   6. Coronavirus Inconsistencies: Why does the virus hit some nations hard but barely touches another? The coronavirus had killed so many people in Iran that the country has resorted to mass burial, but in neighboring Iraq, the body count is fewer than 100. The Domican Republic has reported nearly 7,600 cases of the virus, but just across the border, Haiti has recorded only 85. In Indonesia, thousands are believed to have died from the coronavirus while in nearby Malaysia, a strict lockdown has kept fatalities to about 100. The coronavirus has touched almost every country on earth, but its impact has seemed inconsistent. Global metropolises like New York, Paris and Long have been devastated, while cities like Bangkok, Baghdad and New Delhi have, so far, largely been spared. The question of why the virus has overwhelmed some placdes and left others relatively untouched is a puzzle that has spawned numerous theories and speculations but no definite answers. Russia and Turkey appeared to be fine until, SUDDENLY, they weren't.   7. 05 May 2020: North Carolina is reporting 12,256 confirmed coronavirus cases with 452 deaths.   8. NC Phase 1 Re-Opening for May 9th:           a. Phase 1 would allow for travel not currently defined as essential, allowing people to travel to businesses allowed to be open.               This would include clothing stores, sporting goods stores, houseware stores and more, but would keep bars and salons closed.               Theaters, music venues, bowling alleys, gymns and playgrounds will remain closed.            b. Any open store must implement appropriate employee and consumer social distancing, enhanced hygiene and cleaning protocols,               symptom screening of employees, and accomodations for vulnerable workers.           c. Gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people.           d. Face masks and social distancing will continue to be recommended in public spaces.           e. Employers would be encouraged to continue teleworking policies           f. Outdoor worship services are allowed.           g. State parks and trails are encouraged to open.           h. Restaurants may only continue to serve customers for drive-through, take out and delivery.           i. Worship services of more than 10 people allowed outdoors if socially distanced.   9. 11 Ways You're Spreading Germs All Over Your Home Without Realizing It           a. You're not sanitizing your cell phone when you return home. You're cross-contaminating your space if you do sanitize it when you get home.           b. You're bring in your mail immediately. Coronavirus can live on some surfaces for up to three days, including your mail. It's suggested that you               leave your mail outside or in a garage for a few days before bringing it tion your living space.           c. You're opening packages in your living space. Open packages away from the living area and toss the packaging in the recycle bins, then wipe               any surfaces they may have touched with either soap and water or a disinfectant cleaner.           d. You're touching your face before washing your hands. If you don't immediately wash your hands or use hand sanitizer when you return home,               your house could become cross-contaminated in no time.           e. You're wearing the same gloves at home as you wore when you were out at the store.           g. You're wearing shoes inside your home that you wore outside. Have a paire of slippers handy, but leave the shoes at the door or outside.           h. You're wearing clothes you've worin in public inside your home.           i. You're emptying your pocket or purse withoug cleaning its contents.           j. You're using the same cotton cleaning cloth on every surface.           k. You're using a mop bucket. To limit cross-contamination, spray cleaner directly onto your floor and regularly replace or launder you mop pad.           l. You're using a not-HEPA vacuum. HEPA filters can capture dust, mold, bacteria and spores that are in your home.   10. Prices Americans paid for eggs, meat, cereal and milk were much higher in April as people flocked to grocery stores to stock up on food amid government lockdowns designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. On Tuesday, 12 May 2020, the Labor Department recorted that the prices US consumers paid for groceries jumped 2.6% in April, the largest one-month pop sind Feb 1974 - 46 years. More specifically, the price of meats, poultry, fish and eggs rose 4.3%, while fruits and vegetables climbed 1.5%; cereals and bakery products advanced 2.9% and dairy goods gained 1.5%.   11. 14 May 2020: US President Trump: Mobilizing military to "rapidly" distribute coronavirus vaccine when it's ready. The announcement comes as the Department of Defense has awarded a contract for prefilled syringes for future COVID-19 vaccine; more than 100 million syringes for distribution across the US by the end of 2020, with the ultimate production goal of over 500 million prefilled syringes in 2021.   12. 15 May 2020: Happy Birthday to my beloved Caroyn Weeks Loftin.   13. The CDC warns about a coronavirus-related illness in kids in 19 states. If child had a fever for more than 24 hours, call doctor's office immediately. Other symptoms: (a) Redness in both eyes, (b) Very red & swollen tongus, (c) Skin peeling, (d) rach, and (e) Swollen lymphnodes.   14. Chinese hackers trying to steal US coronnavirus vaccine.   15. President Donald Trump revelas the 6th branch of US military service. The US Space Force joins the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marines and US Coast Guards. Weeks ago, President Trump ordered NASA to put a man back on the moon in two years. We we soon have a missle that is 17 times faster than anything that we currently have.     16. 17 May 2020: Federal judge blocks NC governor's restrictions on religious services. A federal judge's order allows North Carolina religious leaders to open their doors to their congregations, in spite of the governor's warning that they risk spreading the coronavirus. Governor Roy Cooper said he wouldn't appeal the ruling blocking his restrictions on indoor religious services. Saturday's order pointed out that while only up to 10 people are allowed inside for religious services under Cooper's stay-at-home order, that same standard doesn't apply to other entities, such as businesses that are limited to 50% capacity, and funeral services, which allow up to 50 people. "Governor Cooper appears to trust citizens to perform non-religious activities indoors but does NOT trust them to do the same when they worship together indoors."   17. 20 May 2020: The CDC (Center for Disease Control) now says the coronavirus "Does NOT spread easily" via contaminated surfaces - but experts warn that doesn't mean it's no longer necessary to take "pratical and realistic" recautions in stopping the spread of COVID-19. The virus can be spread easily, (a) between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), (b) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, (c) these droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs, and (d) COVID-10 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.   18. 22 May 2020: On Friday, 22 May 2020, at 5:00 pm, North Carolina will move from Stay-at-Home to Safer-At-Home Phase Two. Everyone is encouraged to continue practicing (a) 6-ft Social Distancing, (b) wear a face mask when we're out, and (c) wash our hands often. Teleworking is urged to continue when possible. Mass gathering limits in Phase 2 will be no more than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors. Some businesses will remain closed in Phase 2 including: bars, night clubs, gyms and indoor fitness facilities, indoor entertainment venues such as movie theatres and bowling alleys. Certain businesses will be open at limited capacity with other requirements and recommendations, including: (a) restaurants at 50% dine-in capacity with distancing and cleaning requirements, (b) personal care businesses, including salons and barbers, at 50% capacity with distancing and cleaning requirements, (c) pools at 50% capacity with distancing and cleaning requirements. Employees of personal care businesses will be required to wear face coverings. Childcare facilities, day camps and overnight camps will be open with enhanced cleaning and screening requirements. Retail businesses allowed to open in Phase 1 at 50% capacity will continue at that level. Public health recommendations are provided for worship services to practice enhanced social distancing and other cleaning and hygiene practices. The Safer-at-Home Phase 2 runs through at least Friday, June 26th. Public health recommendations are provided for worship services to practice enhanced social distancing and other cleaning and hygiene practices.   19. 28 May 2020: Carolyn & I got a haircut today! Thank the LORD! It's been 9 weeks since the last one. When we arrived at the salon, we had to stay in the car. Only one customer was allowed in the salon at a time. The stylist sprayed and wiped down everything before the next customer entered the salon. She had to wear a face mask and was required to take our temperature before she could cut our hair. I'm thankful that the coronavirus did not kill as many people as they first suspected, but we're not out of the dark yet. The US has had over 1, 700,000 cases of COVID-19 and 103, 000 deaths. Our church will resume services this next Sunday, but Carolyn & I will not be going for a while - maybe not at all due to Carolyn's other health conditions which could cause death if she gets COVID-19. We'll move slowly.     Countries With the Largest Number of New Cases in May:   01 May 2020:  The United States has 36,007 new cases and 1,897 new deaths. 01 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 7,933 - Brazil: 6,729 - UK: 6,201 - Spain: 3,639 - Peru: 3,483 - India: 2,394 - Italy: 1,965   02 May 2020: The United States has 29,744 new cases and 1,691 new deaths. 02 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 9,623 - UK: 4,806 - Brazil: 4,450 - India: 2,442 - Peru: 2,075 - Italy: 1,900 - Canada: 1,653   03 May 2020: The United States had 27,348 new cases and 1,154 new deaths. 03 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10,633 - Brazil: 4,588 - UK: 4,339 - Peru: 3,394 - India: 2,806 - Canada: 2,760 - Ecuador: 2,074 03 May 2020: Researchers are saying that an annual coronavirus vaccination will more that likely be needed, just like it is for the flu.   04 May 2020:  The United States has 24,713 new cases and 1,324 new deaths. 04 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10,581 - Brazil: 7,119 - UK: 3,985 - India: 3,932 - Ecuador: 2,343 - Saudi Arabia: 1,645 04 May 2020: The latest US model predicts 200,000 new cases each day by the end of May and 135,000 deaths by 01 Aug.   05 May 2020:  The United States has 24,798 new cases and 2,350 new deaths. 05 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10,102 - Brazil: 6,449 - UK: 4,406 - Peru: 3,817 - India: 2,963 - Spain: 2,260 - Turkey: 1,832   06 May 2020:  The United States has 25,459 new cases and 2,528 new deaths. 06 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10,559 - Brazil: 11,896 - UK: 6,111 - France: 3,640 -  Peru: 3,628 - India: 3,587 - Spain: 3,121   07 May 2020:  The United States has 29,631 new cases and 2,129 new deaths. 07 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 11,231 - Brazil: 9,082 - UK: 5,614 - Peru: 3,709 - India: 3,364 - Spain: 3,173 - Turkey: 1,977   08 May 2020:  The United States has 29,162 new cases and 1,687 new deaths. 08 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10,699 - Brazil: 10,199 - UK: 4,649 - India: 3,344 - Peru: 3,321 - Spain: 3,262 - Turkey: 1,848   09 May 2020:  The United States has 25,524 new cases and 1,422 new deaths. 09 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10, 817 - Brazil: 10,169 - UK: 3,896 - Peru: 3,168 - India: 3,113 - Spain: 2,665 - Mexico: 1,906   10 May 2020:  The United States has 20,329 new cases and 750 new deaths. 10 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 11,012 - Brazil: 6,638 - India: 4,353 - UK: 3,923 - Peru: 2,292 - Mexico: 1,938 - S.Arabia: 1,912   11 May 2020:  The United States 18,196 new cases and 1,008 new deaths. 11 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 11,656 - Brazil: 6,444 - UK: 3,877 - Spain: 3,480 - Saudi Arabia: 1,966 - Iran: 1,683 - Peru: 1,515   12 May 2020:  The United States has 20,564 new cases and 1,466 new deaths. 12 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 10,899 - Brazil: 3,998 - India: 3,475 - UK: 3,403 -  Peru: 3,237 - Saudi Arabia: 1,911   13 May 2020:  The United States has 21,712 new cases and 1,772 new deaths. 13 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 11,555 - Russia: 10,028 - Peru: 4,247 - India: 3,763 -  UK: 3,242 - Chile: 2,660 - Pakistan: 2,624   14 May 2020:  The United States has 27,246 new cases and 1,715 new deaths. 14 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 13,761 - Russia: 9,974 - Peru: 4,298 -  India: 3,942 - UK: 3,446 - Chile: 2,659 - Saudi Arabia: 2,039   15 May 2020:  The United States has 26,692 new cases and 1,595 new deaths. 15 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 15,305 - Russia: 10,598 - Peru: 3,891 - India: 3,787 - UK: 3,560 - Chile: 2,502 - Iran: 2,102   16 May 2020:  The United States has 23,488 new cases and 1,218 new deaths. 16 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 14, 919 - Russia: 9,200 - Peru: 4,864 - UK: 3,450 - S. Arabia: 2,840 - Mexico: 2,437 - Spain: 2,138   17 May 2020:  The United States has 19,891 new cases and 865 new deaths. 17 May 2020: New World Cases - Russia: 9,709 - Brazil: 7,938 - India: 5,050 - Peru: 3,732 - UK: 3,534 - Saudi Arabia: 2,736 - Chile: 2,353   18 May 2020:  The United States has 22,630 new cases and 1,003 new deaths. 18 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 14,288 - Russia: 8,926 - India: 4,630 - UK: 2,711 - Peru: 2,660 - Saudi Arabia: 2,593 - Chile: 2,278   19 May 2020:  The United States has 20,289 new cases and 1,552 new deaths. 19 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 16,517 - Russia: 9,263 - India: 6,147 - Peru: 4,550 - Chile: 3,520 - Saudi Arabia: 2,509 - UK: 2,412   20 May 2020:  The United States has 21,408 new cases and 1,461 new deaths. For the first time, another country passes us with # of new cases. 20 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 21,472 - Russia: 8,764 - India: 5,553 - Peru: 4,537 - Chile: 4,038 - Mexico: 2,713 - S. Arabia: 2,691   21 May 2020:  The United States has 28,179 new cases and 1,418 new deaths. 21 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 17,564 - Russia: 8,849 - India: 6,198 - Peru: 4,749 - Chile: 3,964 -  UK: 2,615 - S. Arabia: 2,532   23 May 2020:  The United States has 21,929 new cases and 1,033 new deaths. 23 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 16,508 - Russia: 9,434 - India: 6,629 - Peru: 4,056 - Chile: 3,536 - Mexico: 2,960 - UK: 2,959   24 May 2020:  The United States has 19,608 new cases and 615 new deaths. 24 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 16,220 - Russia: 8,599 - India: 7,113 - Peru: 4,205 - Chile: 3,709 - Mexico: 3,329 - UK: 2,405   25 May 2020:  The United States has 19,790 new cases and 505 new deaths. 25 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 13,051 - Russia: 8,946 - India: 6,414 - Chile: 4,895 - Peru: 4,020 - Mexico: 2,764 - SA: 2,235   26 May 2020:  The United States has 15 691 new cases and 1,027 new deaths. 26 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 15,691 - Russia: 8,915 - India: 5,843 - Peru: 5,772 - Chile: 3,964 - Mexico: 2,485 - UK: 2,004   27 May 2020:  The United States has 20,546 new cases and 1,535 new deaths. 27 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 22,301 - Russia: 8,338 - India: 7,293 - Peru: 6,154 - Chile: 4,328 - Mexico: 3,455 - Iran: 2,080   28 May 2020:  The United States has 22,658 new cases and 1,223 new deaths. 28 May 2020: New World Cases - Brazil: 24,151 - Russia: 8,371 - India: 7,300 - Peru: 5,874 - Chile: 4,654 - Mexico: 3,463 - France: 3,325     08 Jun 2020:   The United States has 19,044 new cases and 586 new deaths. 08 Jun 2020:  New World Cases - Brazil: 18,925 - Russia: 8,985 - India: 8,442 - Chile: 4,696 - Pakistan: 4,728 - Mexico: 3,484 - Peru: 3,181         June 2020, Coronavirus Updates   01. 08 Jun 2020: There have been a total of 36,484 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-10 in North Carolina. The state reports that there have been 1,006 virus-related deaths and a current number of 739 individuals remain hospitalized in NC.   02. 08 Jun 2020: Catawba County, NC, reported eight new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, putting the county total to 310 cases. Of the county's confirmed cases in Catawba County, 13 people have died.   03. 23 Jun 2020: America had absolutely gone crazy! A police officer in Minneapolis killed a black man, George Floyd, on 25 May 2020. As a result of the killing, the officer and the other three officers with him were charged with murder. After everyone had been confined to "stay-at-home" for months, "all hell broke loose". Floyd's death set off a series of protests in major cities around the country by Black Lives Matter demonstrators. The protests quickly turned to riots. Stores were robbed and burned. During all of this, police were ordered to "stand down" and not instigate any type of conflict. Mayors and other civil leaders even abandoned police stations to the rioters.      A cry went out in the US to "de-fund" the police. How absolutely STUPID is that? Some cities are even talking about doing away with the police force completely.      A group of militants took control of a 6-block section of Seattle. Two weeks after protesters cordoned off and occupied those parts of Capitol Hill, which became known as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) protestors named the area "The Independent Nation of CHOP". The mayor of Seattle "finally" announced yesterday, that it would be disbanded. Officials didn't share a specific timeline for clearing the area.      But that's not all. With the recent outrage over Floyd's death, the protestors and rioters took things into their own hands tearing down statues around the country. At first it was statues of Civil War Confederate leaders. A statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis was toppled in Richmond, Virginia. The Robert E. Lee statue at the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, MD, and Old Slave Block" in the town were vandalized on 02 June. On June 8th, the city of Indianapolis began removing a monument that memorialized Confederate prisoners of war. On 03 June, the Mount Pleasant, SC police found a monument in a historic Confederate Cemetery vandalized. Protestors in Raleigh, NC, vandalized a Confederat statue at the state Capitol on 10 June.      Some state officials have taken official steps to order the removal of Confederate statues. The city countil in Rocky Mounty, NC, voted to remove a Confederate monument on 08 June. The city plans to remove more Confederate monuments. State lawmakers in Sacramento, CA, announced on 17 June that statues of Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella would be removed from the Capital rotunda. Some cities have ordered statues removed, yielding to the demands of protestors while other cities have ordered statues removed and stored in "secure locations.      But that wasn't enough. In San Francisco, rioters toppled a statue of Union General and former President Ulysses S. Grant. Statues of Christopher Columbus in Bodton, Miami and Virginia have been vandalised. Richmond saw a statue of Italian explorer Columbus pulled down, set on fire, and then thrown into a lake earlier last week. The statue of Columbus in Boston, was beheaded. A "school teacher" and two others were arrested after "allegedly" vandalizing a statue of Columbus on 13 Jun in Providence, RI. (This is the only arrest I've heard of thus far.) A statue of Juan Ponce de Leon was vandailized in Miami. The George Washington statue in Washington Park was vandalized. A statue depicting Don Juan de Onate was vandalized in El Paso. An attempt was made to tear down a statue of President Thodore Roosevelt. There was even an attempt to tear down a statue to Francis Scott Key, the author of the US National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner".      Black Lives Matter demonstrators demanded that the US change the names of US military bases with Confederate-based names. President Trump refuses.      And it doesn't end there. During a Black Lives Matter protest in LONDON last weekend, a statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was sprayed with grafitti.      As of 08 June, Elmer Fudd  will still be hunting "Wabbits", but both he and Yosemite Sam will no longer have guns in the new "Looney Tunes Cartoons". I did see a cute comic on Facebook of Elmer Fudd. He's saying, "They took my gun, but who only has ONE gun. LOL!"      Personally, I'm ashamed at what I'm seeing in our country right now. Riots, tearing down historica staues, destorying the American flag, vandalizing cemeteries, attempting to defund our police and so much more. There are many countries in the world who would like to see the USA fall. It's never happoned from outside our borders. How shameful that it's happening by certain American citizens within our own borders.   04. 25 Jun 2020: We've learned that a couple who attends our church, and also part of our home group, has COVID-19. NC Governor Roy Cooper had mandated that everyone wear masks when they're out in public starting tomorrow at 5 p.m. I'm not sure how they are going to enforce that.         August 2020, Coronavirus Updates   01. 01 Aug 2020: My 20-year-old granddaughter Savanna Seese had COVID-19 and recovered.   02. 11 Aug 2020: There have been a total of 5,305,957 cases of COVID-19 in the US with 167,749 deaths.   03. 11 Aug 2020: There are 138,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina with 2,238 deaths.   04. 16 Aug 2020: For the first time in more than a month, less than 1,000 North Carolinians are hospitalized from the coronavirus. The state reported 934 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Sunday, the first time since July 8 that figure has been under 1,000. North Carolina did report 1,246 new cases, a day before students are set to resume classes. Public schools are set to begin instruction on Monday, August 17. Some will have full in-person instruction, others will have full remote learning. There are other districts planning a gybirid combination of instructions that includes remote and in-person learning. That's what's happening in Catawba County, NC. This brings the total number of cases statewide since the pandemic began to 144, 952. It is not known how many of these cases are still active. Statewide, 2,347 people have died due to complications from the virus. By Sunday, 1,924,646 tests had been completed in the state.         OCTOBER 2020, Coronavirus Updates   01. Oct 2020: President & Mrs. Trump had COVID-19. The President was moved to the Hospital but because of the regiment of drugs he received was out ot the hospital in five day.   02. Oct 2020: Pre-Election emotions become stronger and stronger everyday. The Democrats continue to blame President Donald Trump for EVERYTHING under the sun. Personally, I believe he's been one of the best presidents we've ever had. I've never seen so many blatant lies in my life as are currently being told by the Democratic party. I can't believe that some of my "Christian" friends are for the Democrat party, Joe Biden, defunding the police and are pro-choice concerning abortion. At this time, however, it looks like former Vice-President Joe Biden has a lead over President Donald Trump. For the most part, Christians are standing together and speaking up like I've never seen in my lifetime concerning polital & moral issues, but it still seems that unless GOD intervenes, we will end up with a Democrat President who has socialist agendas and is Pro-Choice rather than Pro-Life. By GOD's garce, may He give us the President who will protect our Christian standards, who is Pro-Life, pro-2nd Amendment (right to bear arms), pro-freedom of speech and who will protect our country. B'Shem Yeshua (In the Name of Yeshua/Jesus.)         NOVEMBER 2020, Coronavirus Updates   01. Nov 2020: The number of COVID-19 cases in the US has exceeded 12,000,000 cases with over 285,000 deaths. The virus seems to move closer and closer to home. Our church has had 2 deaths (John Mervine and Mickey Smith)associated with COVID-19 and numerous friends (John & Debbie Nielson, Lynda Williams, Gardner & Amanda Seese and Jennifer Ly) and relatives (Savanna Seese, Frank & Katrina Setzer Stewart) have had the disease. Carolyn & I continue to live our "isolated" life - connecting only with our children and grandchildren - and have avoided the virus. We continue to order online and do pick-ups afterward at Walmart, Sams and our pharmacy. Other things we've needed, we've ordered from Amazon.   02. Nov 2020: According to recent information, Catawba County, NC, has the third highest COVID-19 infecton reate in NC. Alexander County is second. On Saturday, 21 Nov, Catawba County had 53 new cases, 56 in the hospital, 82 deaths thus far and 6,265 total cases thus far.   03. Nov 2020: The number of cases in the state of North Carolina continues to rise. As of Saturday, 21 Nov, 4,860, 430 residents of the state have been tested for COVID-19. I, personally, have been tested twice before I could have two sleep-apnea studies. Both came back negative. 332,261 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 3,415 newly reported cases, 1,590 currently hospitalized and 5, 005 deaths.   04. Nov 2020: As of 22 November, there have been 58,772,203 cases of COVID-19 worldwide with 1,390, 957 deaths. The USA, Brazil and India are the countries with the most cases and the most deaths.                                         When considering the number of infected and the number of deaths in various countries, you need to remember that the population of some countries is much larger than others. The top three countries in terms of population are CHINA, INDIA and the UNITED STATES. China and India have over 1 billion citizen where the US has only 331 million.     Countries in the World by Largest to Smallest Population - 22 Mar 2020                           CHINA   INDONESIA   NIGERIA   MEXICO   PHILIPPINES   TURKEY   THAILAND 1,439,323,776   273,523,615   206,139,589   128,932,462   109,581,078   84,339,067   69,799,978                           INDIA PAKISTAN BANGLADESH JAPAN EGYPT IRAN UK 1,380,004,385   220,892,340   164,689,383   125,476,461   102,334,404   83,992,949   67,886,011                           US   BRAZIL   RUSSIA   ETHIOPIA   VIETNAM   GERMANY   FRANCE 331,002,651   212,559,417   145,934,462   114,963,588   97,228,579   83,783,942   65,273,511                           Additional Countries in the World by Population - 22 March 2020                           ITALY   S. KOREA   ARGENTINA   CANADA   PERU   CHILE   GREECE 60,461,826   51,269,185   45,195,774   37,742,154   32,971,854   19,116,201   10,423,054                           S. AFRICA   SPAIN   IRAQ   S. ARABIA   VENEZUELA   ECUADOR   ISRAEL 59,308,690   46,754,778   40,222,496   34,813,871   28,435,940   17,643,054   8,655,535       The number of deaths from the Coronavirus/COVID-19 changes daily. South Korea was one of the first countries with cases of the coronavirus, but have managed to keep their total number of confirmed cases and deaths lower than most other countries. You would expect countries with the largest populationa (China, India & USA) to have the largest number of confirmed cases and the largest number of deaths. Some have speculated that some countries (like China and Iran) have not accurately reported their number of cases and deaths.       Twenty Countries with the Largest Number of Coronavirus Deaths - 22 Nov 2020                                       United States Brazil India Mexico United Kingdom Italy France   Iran Spain Russia 261,939   169,016   133,589 101,373 55,024   49,823   48,518   44,802   42,619 36,179                                       Argentina   Peru Colombia South Africa Belgium Chile Germany Poland Ecuador Turkey 36,902   35,549   35,104   20,845   15,522   15,069   14,260   13,618   13,139   12,358 * Its been suspected that China has been repeadly reporting less cases of the Coronavirus then they actually have. *China supposedly had NO additional deaths from June to August - the number staying at 4,634. 17 Apr 2020 China only reporting 50% of its coronavirus number of deaths in Whuhan. 24 Apr 2020 The number of coronavirus cases in China is expected to be four times higher than what they've reported.                                                   Coronavirus is an evil genious. This is how it works in the body. The deadly virus is little more than a packet of genetic material surrounded by a spiky protien shell one-thousandth the width of an eyelash and it leads such a zombie-like existence that it's barely consider a living organism. But as soon as it gets into a human airway, the virus hijacks our cells to create millions more versions of itself. This is how the "evil genius" pathogen works: It finds easy access in humans with them knowing. Before its first host even develops symptoms, it is already spreading its replicas everywhere, moving onto its next victim. It is powerfully deadly in some but mild enough in others to escape containment.       Coronavirus Updates for the USA & World - 22 November 2020               USA   ECUADOR   JAPAN   RUSSIA Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths 12,475,647 261,939   184,876 13,139   130,179 1,974   2,089,329 36,179                       AFGHANISTAN   EGYPT   JORDAN   SAUDI ARABIA Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths 44,706 1,687   112,676 6,535   183,429 2,236   355,258 5,780                       ALGERIA   ETHIAOPIA   KENYA   SINGAPORE Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths 74,862 2,272   105,352 1,636   77,372 1,380   58,160 28                       ARGENTINA   FINLAND   LEBANON   SOUTH AFRICA Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths 1,366,182 36,902 21,639 375 116,476 900 765,409 20,845                       AUSTRALIA   FRANCE   MALAYSIA   SOUTH KOREA Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 27,821 907   2,127,051 48,518   54,775 335   30,733 505                       AUSTRIA   GERMANY   MEXICO   SPAIN Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 247,188 2,388 922,829 14,260 1,032,688 101,373 1,589,219 42,619                       BELGIUM   GREECE   MOROCCO   SWEDEN Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths 556,904 15,522   91,619 1,630   320,962 5,256   208,295 6,406                       BOLOVIA   HONG KONG   NETHERLANDS   SWITZERLAND Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 143,922 8,904 5,629 108 484,648 8,891 290,601 4,031 BRAZIL HUNGARY NEW ZEALAND SYRIA Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 6,052,786 169,016   174,618 3,800   2,028 25   7,154 372                       CANADA   ICELAND   NORWAY   TAIWAN Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 328,399 11,443   5,277 26   32,630 306   617 7                       CHILE   INDIA   PAKISTAN   THAILAND Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 540,640 15,069   9,129,003 133,589   374,173 7,662   3,913 60                       CHINA   IRAN   PERU   TURKEY Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths Total Cases Deaths *86,431 *4,634   854,361 44,803   948,081 35,549   446,822 12,358                       COLOMBIA   IRAQ   PHILIPPINES   UNITED KINGDOM Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 1,240,493 35,104   535,321 11,958   418,818 8,123   1,512,045 55,024                       CUBA   IRELAND   POLAND   URUGUAY Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 7,846 132 70,143 2,022 861,331 13,618 4,564 69                       CZECHIA   ISRAEL   PORTUGAL   VENEZUELA Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 491,647 7,164   328,613 2,757   260,758 3,897   99,435 869                       DENMARK   ITALY   ROMANIA   VIETNAM Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths   Total Cases Deaths 70,485 784   1,408,868     418,645 10,047   1,307 35               SOURCES   World Coronavirus Data https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus   Diarrhea & Dysentery https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/disease-in-the-civil-war.html   Typhoid Fever https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoid_fever   Spanish Flu of 1918 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu Flu Deaths By Year https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html   The Black Death of 1347 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death   World Population By Country https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country   Pandemics https://www.history.com/news/pandemics-end-plague-cholera-black-death-smallpox   Polio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio