Previous coronavirus briefings April 15-18

Current daily briefings on the coronavirus can be found here. Scroll below to read precious reports, listed in eastern time.

April 18, 6:50 p.m.

While healthcare workers are risking their lives on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic, teachers are working harder than ever to create a new kind of normal for students. “We are keeping children in a routine, in consistency and helping them to understand that their teachers and friends didn’t just disappear one day,” kindergarten teacher Julie Thaler told AccuWeather. “I think I work much much harder from home than any day that I spend seven hours in a classroom.” More than half of the states and Washington, D.C., have closed schools for the remainder of the school year.

April 18, 5:50 p.m.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a press conference Saturday afternoon that K-12 schools will continue distance learning for the remainder of the school year, CNN reported. Florida currently has 25,277 confirmed cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

April 18, 4:45 p.m.

Nearly one third of 200 residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts, who gave blood to researchers over the week tested positive for antibodies linked to COVID-19, indicating how widespread infections have been across the city, The Boston Globe reported. The residents had not previously tested positive for the virus in the standard nasal swab test, but the Massachusetts General researchers found 32 percent of the participants have had COVID-19, some who didn’t even know it.

“We’ve long thought that the reported numbers are vastly under-counting what the actual infection is,” Chelsea’s city manager, Thomas Ambrosino, told The Boston Globe, acknowledging that the reported numbers are based on those who have access to a test and test positive. “Still, it’s kind of sobering that 30% of a random group of 200 people that are showing no symptoms are, in fact, infected. It’s all the more reason for everyone to be practicing physical distancing.” According to one of the doctors from the research, it’s possible that some of the people who had the antibodies were still contagious. 

April 18, 3:50 p.m.

A new study found if there are no measures taken other than using intermittent social distancing to stop the spread of the illness, social distancing could last into 2022. Intermittent social distancing would consist of an “on-again-off-again,” approach to distancing. While a handful of states have had protestors demanding an end to social distancing, the study has warned it’s possible for there to be an outbreak even in the warmer months to come. "Even if SARS-CoV-2 is less transmissible in the summer, though, there are enough susceptible people in the population that a major outbreak will still likely occur," coauthor Stephen Kissler told AccuWeather via email.

April 18, 2:50 p.m.

After a boom in new coronavirus patients, doctors in Japan have warned that the nation’s medical system could collapse, BBC reported. Reuters confirmed that Japan had hit 10,000 cases on Saturday, days after a state of emergency was extended across the country.Groups of doctors at general practitioner surgeries are lending a hand with testing efforts to ease pressure on the health system. “This is to prevent the medical system from crumbling,” deputy head of an association of GPs, Konoshin Tamura, told Reuters. “Everyone needs to extend a helping hand. Otherwise, hospitals would break down.”

April 18, 1:58 p.m.

After being admitted for less than a week, 102-year-old Vera Beeley was discharged from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals after recovering from COVID-19.In doing so, she became the oldest patient to be discharged from the hospital after recovering from the disease. Video shows nurses lining the hallway as she is escorted through in a wheelchair, applauding as many around the world have done for others who have overcome the virus.

April 18, 12:55 p.m.

COVID-19 hospitalization rates continue to decline in the U.K., the national medical director of NHS England Stephen Powis said Saturday. “It is now becoming clear that we are beginning to see reductions in the number of people with COVID-19 in hospitals,” Powis said. "We are seeing a stabilization in the number of tests that are coming back positive.”

April 18, 11:45 a.m.

New York Gov. Cuomo said the state received 1.5 million cloth masks from the federal government a few days after Cuomo signed an executive order requiring everyone in the state to wear a mask or covering in public. "I'm going to thank them for that. These are cloth masks that we can distribute to people to help implement our policy where, if you are in public, you have to wear a mask. It's not a surgical mask. It's a cloth mask," Cuomo said. 

April 18, 10:10 a.m.

Italian sports car maker Ferrari announced the company will produce respirator valves and fittings for protective face masks as one of its initiatives in support of health workers treating coronavirus patients, according to CNN. “In the next few days, Ferrari plans to manufacture several hundred items of equipment that are already being distributed by some of the companies involved, with the coordination of the Italian Civil Protection Agency,” the company said in a statement, according to CNN. The newly developed equipment will be distributed to various Italian hospitals, Ferrari reported. 

April 18, 8:50 a.m.

Hundreds of protestors gathered in front of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s house calling for him to reopen the economy by lifting the stay-at-home order. Organizers say the order has gone on long enough and people should be allowed to go back to work.

April 18, 7:35 a.m.

Could opening mail give you coronavirus?

The World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is no evidence that the virus is spreading through mail or packages. Experts say the risks are very low that COVID-19 can remain on envelopes or packages, according to The Associated Press. However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly after handling deliveries.

April 17, 10:10 p.m.

The global coronavirus death toll surpassed 150,000 on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. “The first death came in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Jan. 9. It took 83 days for the first 50,000 deaths to be recorded and just eight more for the toll to climb to 100,000. It took another eight days to go from 100,000 to 150,000,” Reuters reported. There have been over 36,000 reported deaths in the U.S., over 13,000 of them in New York. The U.S. has the highest number of confirmed cases than any other nation at 701,131. Spain trails behind in the order at 190,839 cases.

April 17, 9:50 p.m.

The National Institute of Health and University of Pennsylvania show in a demonstration with laser light-scattering how a mask can help someone prevent the spread the new coronavirus. Droplets that can harbor infectious particles are released when someone speaks. The laser light-scattering helped to visualize these particles as someone spoke, with and without a mask. Scientists involved in the study noted that the amount of droplets produced while coughing were similar to the amount produced while speaking.

April 17, 8:45 p.m.

On Friday, governors began announcing outlines of plans to start reopening their states, despite inadequate testing, the New York Times reported. The different approaches to reopening the states include allowing “retail-to-go shopping,” reopening golf courses and driving ranges, loosening stay-at-home orders and allowing non-essential businesses to reopen so long as employees wear masks and other measures. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he is waiting on expanded testing, increased hospital capacity, more personal protective equipment and a contact tracing operation before reopening the state. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a bipartisan economic advisory committee, which includes all four of the state’s living former governors and corporate executives such as Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, Disney Chairman Robert A. Iger and former head of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, the NYT reported.

The states involved in looking to roll forward early on include:

• Texas

• Michigan

• Wisconsin

• Idaho

• Vermont

• Ohio

• Florida

April 17, 7:40 p.m.

One of San Diego’s biggest events of the year has been canceled, joining a long list of events across the country that have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. “For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020,” Comic-Con announced on Friday. The 2021 event is already booked at the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25. People that have already purchased badges for SDCC 2020 are eligible for a refund, or they can be transferred to the 2021 event.

April 17, 6:54 p.m.

President Trump announced a $19 billion relief program for farmers and ranches during the coronavirus pandemic during the White House Briefing on Friday. “The program will will include direct payments to farmers as well as mass purchases of dairy, meat and agricultural produce to get that food to the people in need. The USDA will receive another $14 billion in July,” Trump said.

April 17, 5:42 p.m.

A new study conducted in Santa Clara County, California, suggests the actual number of people infected by COVID-19 could be 50-80 times higher than the reported count. At the time the samples were taken, there were around 1,100 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Clara County, however the results showed there could actually be somewhere between 48,000 and 80,640 cases of the virus in the county, ABC News reported.

April 17, 4:56 p.m.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday the state’s schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year due to COVID-19, The Chicago Tribune reported. “Folks, I’ve said time and time again my decisions are hard ones, but they will follow the science and the science says our students can’t go back to their normal routine," Pritzker said during his daily news conference on Friday. "Therefore I am suspending in-person learning in schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year." This decision came after the state reported 1,842 new cases over 24 hours bringing the cases in Illinois to 27,575, The Chicago Tribune reported.

April 17, 2:43 p.m.

The well-known origin story of COVID-19 may be a little off, scientists from the University of Cambridge say. The South China Morning Post reported that scientists believe the first human case of COVID-19 could have been located farther south than Wuhan, where it is generally believed the virus originated. After analyzing many virus strains around the world, scientists calculated an origin date for COVID-19 to be sometime between Sep. 13 and Dec. 7. “This kind of research project would help us understand how the transmission happened, and help us prevent similar instances in the future,” said Peter Forster, a geneticist from the University of Cambridge.

April 17, 1:03 p.m.

The PGA Tour has announced plans to resume play in mid-June. PGA Tour officials announced Thursday that the season is expected to resume on June 11 with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.This event and others following are to be played without any fans in attendance until at least early July. “I’m confident that we’ll be able to resume play; that’s different than being certain,” Andy Pazder, the PGA Tour’s chief tournament and competitions officer, said in a conference call, according to The New York Times.  

All the details aren't immediately known yet, including how and if players will be tested before traveling. If play does resume in June, the new schedule shows nearly weekly events through the year. The PGA tour has been suspended since March 13. In the middle of June, daytime high temperatures average into the low 90s in Fort Worth and increase as the month goes on.

April 17, 12:04 p.m.

Cars lined up as far as the eye could see along a street in Dallas as hundreds of people waited for their turn to visit a local food bank. The drive-thru food bank is staged in a parking lot at a local park where people can drive up and have members from the National Guard put a box of food in their vehicle. The procession of cars goes on “for miles” with some people showing up to wait in line early in the morning before the food bank even opens its gates, according to CBS DFW.  

Thunderstorms are in the forecast for the Dallas area on Saturday, which could disrupt the outdoor food bank, as well as drive-thru testing sites, across the city.

April 17, 11:22 a.m.

New York City under quarantine. Aerial footage shows how life in the Big Apple has changed under the new normal, with a field hospital set up in Central Park, fewer cars on the roads and pedestrians walking around with masks. The city is the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S. with over 11,400 deaths attributed to COVID-19 and over 123,000 confirmed cases. On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all non-essential permitted events in the city such as parades, concerts, rallies and large gatherings have all been canceled through May.

April 17, 10:49 a.m.

COVID-19 cases in Italy are on the rise again after lockdown orders are eased. The tide was beginning to turn in Italy, one of the countries hit the hardest by the coronavirus, with four straight days where the number of new COVID-19 cases was lower than the last. The curve was beginning to flatten, so officials began to roll back some of the lockdown measures on Tuesday. This included the re-opening of some shops with plans to open more businesses next week.

However, Italy saw a spike in new cases on Thursday, breaking the trend and having some worried that the lockdown was lifted prematurely. “The first reaction I had when I understood we were going to reopen the store was uncertainty," Sergio Ricci, a resident of Rome, told NBC News. “Economically it is a relief, but honestly I am worried because the main risk is that the managing costs of reopening will exceed the earnings.” There were 3,786 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, a 30% increase when compared to the 2,667 new cases reported on Wednesday. Even with some of the lockdown measures being lifted, people are still being told to wear masks and maintain social distancing to limit exposure and transmission of the coronavirus.

April 17, 10 a.m.

Clinical trial of Ebola drug showing tremendous promise for COVID-19 patients. Stat News, the health industry website, reported that experimental use of Gilead Science's drug Remdesivir, which was originally developed to treat Ebola victims, is yielding very positive results with patients suffering from severe COVID-19 cases. The trial, conducted by doctors at the University of Chicago Medicine, involved 113 patients with severe cases. Most of those people, after receiving daily dosages of Remdesivir, have been discharged, Kathleen Mullane, the doctor overseeing the trial, said, according to Stat News. "We’ve only had two patients perish.”   

News of the trial's results thus far caused Gilead Science's stock price to spike and U.S. markets responded favorably to the news, but Gilead officials emphasized that it's still early and its scientists are waiting to analyze more data from other ongoing trials. One patient who recovered and was not involved in the study told Good Morning America Remdesivir saved his life after it looked like no other treatments would work. "Within 48 hours, I was feeling a lot better," he said. Watch for more from his interview below.

April 17, 9:36 a.m.

Where will the next COVID-19 hotspot be? New modeling from Imperial College London suggests that it could be Africa. Under a best-case scenario, Africa could see 300,000 deaths this year alone, while the worst-case scenario could lead to 3.3 million deaths and 1.2 billion infections. This would overwhelm Africa’s health systems and could cost over $400 billion, according to The Associated Press. Earlier this week, the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that more than 1 million coronavirus tests would begin in Africa to understand the scope of the the spread of the virus so far, AP said.

April 17, 7:14 a.m.

At the original epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, another 1,290 fatalities have been added to the city death’s toll. The city’s total has now been raised to 3,869 and China’s national total to over 4,600.

According to a statement from Wuhan officials, the updated statistics came after new data was received from sources like funeral homes and prisons. Previously, only deaths at hospitals were recorded.

April 17, 6:40 a.m.

Here are the latest updated totals from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:

• Total confirmed cases: 2,167,955

• Total deaths: 146,055

• Total recoveries: 550,987

April 16, 9:05 p.m.

Cell phone data shows that the U.S. has practiced social distancing methods more than expected, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington Dr. Chris Murray told CNN on Thursday. Additionally, the outbreaks in southern states could be smaller than experts initially anticipated."There's been more social distancing across the country than I think we expected, even in some of the states that haven't had as strong mandates. So that's going to factor into our new estimates," Murray said.

April 16, 8:07 p.m.

Nearly two weeks after giving birth while being in a COVID-19 related coma, a New York mom finally got to meet her newborn son. 36-year-old Yanira Soriano was diagnosed with COVID-19 when she was 34 weeks pregnant and was put in a medically induced coma, as she was suffering from low oxygen levels and was having difficulty breathing. She had her son through an emergency C-section while still in a coma. On Wednesday, she woke up and got to hold him for the first time. Soriano and her newborn have since been released from the hospital, after he tested negative for COVID-19. Doctors will continue to monitor the baby’s health through virtual visits.

April 16, 7:06 p.m.

The U.S. has passed its peak in new COVID-19 cases, President Donald Trump said during the White House daily coronavirus press briefing on Thursday. As a result and based on the recommendation of a team of experts, Trump announced states will begin opening the country, “one careful step at a time.” Trump also announced he is adjusting federal guidelines to allow state governors the ability to take a "phased and deliberate approach" to re-opening their states on a case-by-case basis, depending on their own circumstances.  

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the re-opening in states will take place in phases to make sure it is implemented in the safest way possible. Fauci said some states have already reached a point where they will be able to begin implementing phase one, and Trump said states like Montana will be able to enter phase one "literally tomorrow."

April 16, 5:57 p.m.

The U.K.’s coronavirus lockdown has been extended as new cases of the virus rose by 861 over the past 24 hours. British Foreign Secretary of State Dominic Raab made the announcement Thursday, after receiving advice from the scientific emergency group for emergencies (SAGE). “Based on this advice, which we have very carefully considered, the government has decided that current measures must remain in place for at least three weeks,” Raab said. 

April 16, 4:55 p.m.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Thursday to increase sanitary measures in the food industry and give workers two weeks in paid sick time off. “Our grocery lines have become our frontlines and must be treated as such,” Newsom said.

April 16, 4 p.m.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) released a statement regarding the use of alternative medicine to treat COVID-19, such as herbal remedies or tea. “There is no scientific evidence that any of these alternative remedies can prevent or cure the illness caused by COVID-19. In fact, some of them may not be safe to consume,” the NIH warns. There is still no treatment or cure for COVID-19, and the organization says avoiding exposure is the best way to protect oneself from the virus.

April 16, 2:56 p.m.

Washington state has recorded a steep decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities. On Tuesday, only 45 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Washington, the state’s lowest daily total since Feb. 29, according to the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH). This daily infection rate is down significantly from three weeks ago when WADOH reported more than 400 cases in a single day. The number of coronavirus-related deaths has also seen a substantial drop with no fatalities being reported since Easter weekend.

However, Gov. Jay Inslee does not want to jump the gun on relaxing social distancing recommendations, according to GeekWire. “We’ve been making decisions based on science and data in our state and it has served us very well. We are a very technologically-oriented state,” Inslee said. “I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve had considerable success bending the curve down now.”

April 16, 2 p.m.

Gov. Cuomo has extended New York’s coronavirus lockdown by two weeks. In a tweet he shared on Tuesday, Cuomo announced that “non-essential workers must continue to stay at home” until May 15 in efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state. As the second most-affected state by the pandemic, only after New York, New Jersey has also implemented further restrictions, as Gov. Murphy announced Thursday that all public schools in the state will remain closed until at least May 15.  

April 16, 1:21 p.m.

What will air travel look like down the road in a world engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic? Emirates may have just given us a look. On Wednesday, the Dubai-based airline conducted rapid COVID-19 tests before passengers were allowed to board their flight. “Passengers on today’s flight to Tunisia were all tested for COVID-19 before departing from Dubai,” Emirates said in a statement. “Emirates is the first airline to conduct on-site rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers.”

In a matter of minutes, travelers were informed whether or not they had tested positive for COVID-19. “The quick blood test was conducted by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and results were available within 10 minutes,” Emirates said. Even if passengers test negative, they are required to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines.

April 16, 12:32 p.m.

The start of the NFL season is still more than four months away, but league officials are currently hammering out contingency plans, according to The Washington Post. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league is considering holding games in empty or partially-filled stadiums, and moving or rescheduling games if necessary, the Post reports. The league's schedule could also be shortened.   

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with Snapchat that he thought it was possible sports could come back this summer provided games were played without fans in attendance.

April 16, 11:57 a.m.

Californians left in the dark while they shelter in place. In preparation for the upcoming wildfire season, PG&E has cut power to hundreds of residents in the Bay Area while they replace old power poles. This is a move to increase wildfire safety, but it has left hundreds of people in Marin County frustrated. The loss of electricity could cause some food to spoil in refrigerators or freezers that have been filled to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store. "This is the right time to prevent fires, it is the right time to do this, but they could have done it all winter really, instead of right now when we are locked down," Marian County resident Kitt Weagant told ABC7. This is one of more than a dozen outages planned across the county through the end of April, impacting over 600 families.

April 16, 11:10 a.m.

Sporting events and concerts may not return to normal in the nation’s second-largest city until 2021 due to the lasting effects of the coronavirus pandemic. “It's difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN. “Until there's either a vaccine, some sort of pharmaceutical intervention, or herd immunity, the science is the science. And public health officials have made very clear we have miles and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments." This does not rule out teams such as the Rams, Lakers or Kings hosting games in Los Angeles, but it could have major implications on the fan attendance.

April 16, 10:21 a.m.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Russia is surging with more than 3,400 people testing positive for the virus on Wednesday. This was the largest single-day increase in the country, and is more than double the number of cases reported on April 11, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 28,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Russia, leading to 232 fatalities.

April 16, 9:55 a.m.

The sun was shining and it was a great day for pro baseball -- even if the Opening Day game was played a month late because of the coronavirus pandemic. The first regular-season baseball game of 2020 was played this week by the Chinese Professional Baseball League when the Chinatrust Brothers visited the Uni-Lions in Tainan City, Taiwan. A highlight of the first home run of the season, hit by Uni-Lions outfielder Kai-Wen Cheng off of former major league hurler Ariel Miranda, that emerged on social media gave a glimpse of what baseball in the U.S. might look like if and when the MLB starts the 2020 season. The stadium was empty -- apart from a few robot fans who were seen cheering in the stands. The conditions were sunny in Tainan City with a high of 79 degrees -- but it's unclear whether the robots enjoyed the perfect baseball weather.

April 16, 9:09 a.m.

Over 5 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's weekly report. The number is a decrease of over 1.3 million from the previous week's filings, when there were over 6.6 million claims. In total, nearly 22 million Americans have now filed for unemployment in the last month as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on the U.S. economy.

April 16, 8:27 a.m.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanded his state of emergency order on Thursday to cover the entire nation, The Japan Times reported. The country has seen a rise in coronavirus infections over the past several weeks, particularly in the capital of Tokyo. Over 9,000 cases have been reported in Japan, the Times reported. The emergency order was expanded in part due to the Golden Week holiday season which begins late this month and continues into early May. The state of emergency order initially covered Tokyo and six other prefectures. The AccuWeather five-day forecast shows a period of unsettled weather for Tokyo into the weekend, before warmer and drier weather unfolds next week.  

April 16, 8:06 a.m.

With so many Americans working from home these days, traffic is much lighter across the highways and byways of the country. This has helped reduce air pollution, but also allowed truckers get to their destinations faster. Truck drivers across the country still have to navigate challenging weather and are seen as essential to maintaining the country's supply chain as they haul vital goods and supplies from one destination to the next. But truck drivers are also putting themselves in harm's way as they drive from one COVID-19 hotspot to another. AccuWeather's Bill Wadell spoke to several about what it's like to make deliveries in this uncertain time.

April 16, 6:42 a.m.

Here are the latest updated totals from around the globe, compiled by researchers from Johns Hopkins University:

• Total confirmed cases: 2,072,228

• Total deaths: 137,666

• Total recoveries: 518,600

For the second straight day, the United States broke its daily high for most new deaths. At least 2,371 fatalities were confirmed on Wednesday, pushing the country’s world-leading total to over 30,000.

Correction: An earlier version of this entry misstated the U.S. death toll. Fatalities in the U.S. have eclipsed 30,000, not 600,000. Confirmed cases in the U.S. have exceeded 600,000.

April 15, 10:15 p.m.

More than 100 countries have requested emergency funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in response to the global pandemic. “IMF is working around the clock—it’s all-hands-on-deck as we support our 189 member countries with policy advice, technical assistance, and financial resources,” the IMF said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday. “We have $1 trillion in lending capacity, which we are placing at the service of our membership.“   The IMF has highlighted its top three priorities in its Global Policy Agenda:  

• Protect lives

• Protect livelihoods

• Plan for recovery

April 15, 9:30 p.m.

What can weather reveal about COVID-19's future areas of highest risk? That’s what researchers are trying to figure out with the help of a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mohammad Sajadi is an associate professor of medicine at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and spoke with AccuWeather’s John Roach about the new approach. “We are going to be [collecting data] state by state – even county by county,” Sajadi said. Roach reports on how this new weather-themed research will be conducted.

April 15, 8:40 p.m.

Gloves and masks are littering New York neighborhoods, affecting the environment and raising health concerns. “What’s the point of having so much protection if we’re not even protecting our streets,” NYC resident Erika Fernandez said in an interview with AccuWeather. Dexter Henry has more as he talks with the NYC Department of Sanitation.

April 15, 7:27 p.m.

Hundreds of protesters clogged the streets in Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday to show their displeasure toward the stay-at-home order in effect across the state. The protest was called “Operation Gridlock” as people from all around drove into Lansing to fill the streets and gain the attention of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Some protesters even took to the Capitol building, waving flags and holding signs, according to The Associated Press. It was a chilly day in Michigan's capitol with temperatures and on-and-off snow flurries throughout the day.

Schools and non-essential businesses across the state have been shut down for weeks with the current stay-at-home order in effect through April 30. Michigan has the fourth-most number of COVID-19 cases in the country with 28,059 cases and 1,921 deaths.

April 15, 6:24 p.m.

Washington, D.C. has extended the state of emergency and public health emergency in the District. “Today, I signed a new Mayor’s Order. It puts in place a number of protocols to protect vulnerable residents from the coronavirus and extends the Public Health Emergency to May 15,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a tweet. “On Friday, we’re going to share more information about schools and government operations, but we know that we will need until at least May 15 to continue flattening the curve.”

In addition to extending the emergencies, the order states that face masks are required for hotel workers, people using taxis, workers and customers of food sellers and workers and individuals using public transit.

April 15, 5:17 p.m.

The House of Representatives is looking “very closely” at being able to have members vote from outside of the Capitol. This is a shift from the line of thinking in recent weeks when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed the idea of voting remotely. “In an emergency situation ... we ought to have an alternative,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, according to Reuters. While the option is being explored, it is unclear if, when and how remote voting would be implemented. The Supreme Court has already taken steps to continue functioning while working remotely. Next month, the nine justices on the country’s highest court will convene via teleconference for the first time, rather than in person.

April 15, 4:19 p.m.

In today’s "Daily Dose of Sunshine," Dr. Erik Fisher, also known as “Dr. E” explains what’s going on beneath the anger connected to the coronavirus pandemic. “With what we’ve been seeing on the news … it’s important to understand the purpose of anger,” Dr. E said. Watch AccuWeather’s "Daily Dose of Sunshine" for the full interview with Dr. E.

April 15, 3:28 p.m.

Deadline to upgrade diver’s license to a REAL ID extended. “Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the national emergency declaration, the Department of Homeland Security is extending the REAL ID enforcement deadline by a year,” the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. After Oct. 1 2021, Americans will need a REAL ID if they want to use their driver’s license as a form of identification to fly domestically. A passport can also be used as a valid form of ID. “REAL ID-compliant cards are marked with a star at the top of the card,” the TSA said. “If you’re not sure, contact your state driver’s license agency on how to obtain a REAL ID compliant card.”

April 15, 2:25 p.m.

With many Americans now being required to wear face masks or some type of covering for their mouth and nose when they're out in public, the CDC has instituted some dos and don'ts for proper usage when it comes to wearing a face covering.

Do:

• Make sure you can breath through it

• Wear it whenever going out in public 

• Make sure it covers your nose and mouth

• Wash after using

Don't:

• Use if under two years old 

• Use surgical masks or other PPE intended for healthcare workers

April 15, 2:10 p.m.

Germany to ease lockdown restrictions in the coming weeks. Small shops will open their doors and students will soon be heading back to school as Germany takes the first steps back toward normalcy. Nonessential stores have been closed for nearly a month, but even after they reopen, people will need to continue adhering to social distancing rules, according to The Associated Press. Meanwhile, those in school may be heading back to the classroom on Monday, May 4. "We need to understand that we will need to live with the virus as long as there is no medication or vaccine," Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

April 15, 1:25 p.m.

All people in New York ordered to wear face masks in public. During his daily press briefing on Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order that requires people to wear a face mask or face covering while in public, according to CNBC. “If you are going to be in a situation, in public, where you come into contact with other people in a situation that is not socially distanced you must have a mask or a cloth covering nose and mouth,” Cuomo said.  

Earlier this month, experts at Yale University warned that Americans may need to wear masks for up to 18 months. "I think people are going to have to wear masks until there's a vaccine. I mean that to be completely blunt," Shan, a Yale University lecturer and an immunologist by training, said in an interview with AccuWeather.

April 15 1:17 p.m.

In what could be a sign of things to come this November in the U.S., millions of South Korea residents wore masks and disposable gloves as they voted in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. So far the only in-person voting to occur in the U.S. amid widespread stay-at-home orders happened last week in Wisconsin as voters cast ballots in the state's primary.  

Chung Eun-young, a resident of Seoul, told the AP she arrived at the polls just after it opened at 6 a.m. to avoid crowds. “They checked my temperature and handed me gloves, but it wasn’t as bothersome as I thought it would be,” she said. South Korea has made significant progress flattening the curve after being one of the hardest-hit countries in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has over 10,500 confirmed cases, which is fewer than 20 other countries worldwide. 

April 15, 12:14 p.m.

Two world wars and now a deadly global pandemic. What can't 106-year-old Connie Titchen overcome? Titchen, a resident of Birmingham, England, is believed to be the oldest patient in the U.K. to beat the virus, according to the country's National Health Service. Titchen, born in September 1913, said she felt “very lucky” to survive the illness and couldn't wait to see her family. Titchen was discharged on April 15 to a rousing round of applause from hospital staff members. Titchen was also alive for the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which spread worldwide into 1919 and claimed at least 50 million lives. She would've been four during the first wave and five during the second. According to the CDC, mortality was high for people younger than five for that pandemic.  

April 15, 11:51 a.m.

There is a path for professional sports to return this summer, but with one big condition, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the White House's coronavirus task force said in a Snapchat interview. "There's a way of doing that," Fauci said. "Nobody comes to the stadium." Put them in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled, but have them tested every week. And make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out." Fauci added that despite the empty stadiums, there could be enough of a "buy-in" from fans that are "dying" to watch a baseball game. Fauci added that as a resident of Washington D.C., he's looking forward to seeing the World Series champion Washington Nationals play again.

April 15, 11:03 a.m.

You might not be able to attend a concert or sporting event until fall 2021 at the earliest. A recent New York Times roundtable discussion of six panelists weighed the challenges the U.S. faces in restarting its economy. One of the panelists, Zeke Emanuel, the director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, said the economy will need to be opened in stages.

Emanuel said "certain types of construction" or other types of manufacturing or office work that can be done with safe social distancing can be brought back sooner, and he pointed to restaurants as another possibility if tables are spaced out enough. But Emanuel was more pessimistic when it came to holding events with larger gatherings of people. "Larger gatherings — conferences, concerts, sporting events — when people say they’re going to reschedule this conference or graduation event for October 2020, I have no idea how they think that’s a plausible possibility. I think those things will be the last to return. Realistically we’re talking fall 2021 at the earliest."

April 15, 10:55 a.m.

Global confirmed cases of COVID-19 topped 2 million on Wednesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The life-changing pandemic's last numerical milestone comes less than two weeks after the worldwide count hit 1 million on April 2. The United States has far and away the most reported cases with over 609,000. Spain is the country with the second highest total with nearly 178,000.

April 15, 9:54 a.m.

California and Oregon release tentative outlines to reopen their states. According to UPI, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown are looking to implement gradual openings "based on science and data." However, neither governor would give a specific date for when the openings could begin and stay-at-home orders could be lifted. "There is no light switch here, it's more like a dimmer," Newsom said. "I know you want the timeline, but we can't get ahead of ourselves and dream of regretting. Let's not make the mistake of pulling the plug too early, as much as we want to."

April 15, 9:40 a.m.

The world will need more than one COVID-19 vaccine, British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline CEO Emma Walmsey said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. She estimates the need for more than one vaccine will come from the demand in “this hugely challenged global health crisis.” The company, partnered with Sanofi SA, is working on developing a vaccine and said they expect to start clinical trials during the second half of 2020. Should the vaccine be successful, it would be available during the latter half of 2021. “It normally takes a decade, sometimes even more, to develop a vaccine but obviously we are in an unprecedented situation, the need is incredibly urgent. We are partnering with regulators to try and go as fast as we safely can,” Walmsey told BBC Radio.

April 15, 8:25 a.m.

People in India are able to see the Himalayas for the first time in decades due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country's coronavirus lockdown. The clear skies now allow the tallest mountain range in the world to be visible to those in northern India, up to 125 miles away. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday that the country's lockdown is extended until May 3. Meanwhile, breathtaking photos of the iconic mountain range have been surfacing on social media.

April 15, 7:27 a.m.

The Tour de France has officially been rescheduled. One day after it was reported that the event wouldn't happen in late June and July due to France's extended restrictions on large public gatherings, Tour officials announced new dates for the famed bicycling race.

"The Tour de France will take place on the planned route, without change, from Nice to Paris, from Saturday Aug. 29 to Sunday Sept. 20, 2020," race officials said. The decision was made in unison with cycling's world governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale. "Over the last few weeks, there has been constant communication between riders, teams, the organisers as well as other relevant third parties all with the support of the UCI, who are responsible for arranging a new global cycling schedule, in which the Tour de France takes pride of place," a statement on the Tour's website read.

April 15, 6:53 a.m.

The U.S. saw its single-day record high for fatalities with 2,228 new deaths on Tuesday, according to Reuters. The previous record was 2,069, set last Friday.

Here are the latest updated numbers from around the world, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins University:

• Total confirmed cases: 1,996,681

• Total deaths: 127,590

• Total recoveries: 500,717

Previous coverage:

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from April 12-14

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from April 8-11

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from April 5-7

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from April 1-4

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from March 29-31.

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak from March 26-28.

Click here for previous daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak.

Reporting by Lauren Fox, John Murphy, Brian Lada, Mark Puleo, Maria Antonieta Valery Gil, Kevin Byrne, Chaffin Mitchell, Adriana Navarro, Dexter Henry, Bill Wadell, Jonathan Petramala, and Monica Danielle

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