Previous coronavirus daily briefing updates, April 12-14

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

April 14, 10 p.m.

Health experts are researching ways to treat coronavirus from blood plasma therapy to hydroxychloroquine and now a drug called ivermectin, which can be used to treat head lice. Research on ivermectin is in the early stages of testing, but experts are optimistic. “Finding a safe, affordable, readily available therapy like ivermectin if it proves effective with rigorous evaluation has the potential to save countless lives,” Dr. Nirav Shah, an infectious disease expert with the NorthShore University HealthSystem told ABC News.

April 14, 9:30 p.m.

President Trump announced that the U.S. is placing a hold on funding to the World Health Organization due to how the organization handled the coronavirus pandemic. Trump said during a briefing that American taxpayers give between $400 million and $500 million per year to the WHO. Whereas China provides roughly $40 million a year, or less. "With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said during a briefing. "If we cannot trust them, if this is what we will receive from the WHO, our country will be forced to find other ways to work with other nations to achieve public health goals." 

April 14, 8:45 p.m.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has developed six key indicators that will be considered in helping guide how and when the economy should be re-opened since the virus’s impact on the economy is hard to sustain.

The 6 indicators according to Newsom:

1. Ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating, and supporting those who are positive or exposed

2. Ability to prevent infection in people who are at high risk

3. Ability of hospitals and health systems to handle surges

4. Ability to develop therapeutics to meet the demand

5. Ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing

6. Ability to determine when to reinstitute certain measures, such as the stay-at-home orders, if necessary.

April 14, 8:15 p.m.

World leaders to virtually convene on Thursday to discuss the global pandemic. On Thursday, President Trump will hold a teleconference with G7 leaders to talk about the coronavirus and to coordinate responses, according to Reuters. “Working together, the G7 is taking a whole-of-society approach to tackle the crisis across multiple areas, including health, finance, humanitarian assistance, and science and technology,” Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said. The seven countries that will be on the video call are the U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Germany. This is only the second video conference of its kind, the first being held on March 16.

April 14, 7:30 p.m.

On April 13, a video was posted to the Yosemite National Park’s Twitter account with a black bear climbing a tree next to ranger housing. Although there hasn’t been an increase in population since park closure, the post notes that bears have been seen more frequently at the park than usual. Another bear was spotted on April 10 taking a stroll through a clearing. The park is home to about 300 to 500 black bears across its 1,169 acres of land. Although Yosemite is closed due to COVID-19 precautions, the National Park Service is offering the opportunity to visit parks from the comfort of your own home, including virtual tours and activities for kids.

April 14, 5:23 p.m.

The Louisiana Department of Health reported 129 additional deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours — the highest surge in deaths the state has seen to date. “Today’s death count is the largest we have reported in a single day since this COVID-19 outbreak started and it brings the number of Louisianans we have lost to more than 1,000,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced in a statement. “That’s 1,013 people who are someone’s mother, father, sister or brother or child or aunt or uncle. They’re our neighbors, friends and coworkers. They are more than just a number on a report or graph, and as our fellow Louisianans, we all grieve alongside their families.” According to Edwards, ananalysis showed that most of the deaths came 11.2 days after the onset of symptoms.

April 14, 4:15 p.m.

ICU doctors found that oxygen levels improved when coronavirus patients were positioned on their stomachs. Laying on the stomach helps open up parts of the lung that weren’t open before. "We're saving lives with this, one hundred percent," Mangala Narasimhan, the regional director for critical care at Northwell Health, told CNN. "It's such a simple thing to do, and we've seen remarkable improvement. We can see it for every single patient."

April 14, 3:03 p.m.

Italy saw a decrease in new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since March 13, according to Reuters. New infections in the country went from 3,153 on Monday to 2,972 on Tuesday. Despite the decrease of new cases, deaths caused by the virus increased by 602 on Tuesday, up from 566 on Monday. With over 21,000 deaths, Italy has the second-highest COVID-19 death toll worldwide behind only the United States.

April 14, 2:46 p.m.

The Louisiana Department of Health reported 129 additional deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours — the highest surge in deaths the state has seen to date. “Today’s death count is the largest we have reported in a single day since this COVID-19 outbreak started and it brings the number of Louisianans we have lost to more than 1,000,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced in a statement. “That’s 1,013 people who are someone’s mother, father, sister or brother or child or aunt or uncle. They’re our neighbors, friends and coworkers. They are more than just a number on a report or graph, and as our fellow Louisianans, we all grieve alongside their families.” According to Edwards, ananalysis showed that most of the deaths came 11.2 days after the onset of symptoms.

April 14, 2:24 p.m.

Hawaii begins to explore how to lift stay-at-home orders. With just five new cases of COVID-19 being reported in Hawaii on Monday, state officials are looking into the possibilities of lifting the stay-at-home orders on April 30. “We will begin to think about which businesses we can allow to reopen because their activity does not promote social gathering and the possibility of infecting others,” Gov. David Ige said, according to Hawaii News Now. Even after the orders are lifted, people will still be encouraged to continue practicing social distancing. Of the nearly 19,000 tests conducted in Hawaii, there have been 504 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 9 fatalities.

April 14, 1:30 p.m.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new saliva test for the coronavirus. The test, developed by researchers at Rutgers University's RUCDR Infinite Biologics, will allow health care professionals to utilize a new method to test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Current screening methods include using nose and throat swabs.  

“The impact of this approval is significant,” said Andrew Brooks, chief operating officer and director of technology development at RUCDR. "We can preserve precious personal protective equipment for use in patient care instead of testing. We can significantly increase the number of people tested each and every day as self-collection of saliva is more quick and scalable than swab collections. All of this combined will have a tremendous impact on testing in New Jersey and across the United States.”  

April 14, 1:06 p.m.

The NHL extends its self-quarantine recommendations. Hockey fans will need to wait a bit longer to see their favorite team take to the ice after the NHL extended its self-quarantine recommendations to all players, coaches and staff through April 30. Previously, the recommendation was in place through April 15.

The NHL is still hoping to resume the current season before starting the playoffs, but the league is exploring all of its options before making any decisions. "When we'll have an opportunity to return depends on things that we have absolutely no control over, because it all starts with everybody's health and well-being," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told CNN on Monday. "We're exploring and want to be prepared for every option whenever the circumstances present themselves," Bettman said. "So we haven't ruled anything in, we haven't ruled anything out, and we'll be prepared to go in whatever direction makes sense at the time."

April 14, 11:44 a.m.

WHO officials say the possibility of second infections for those who have recovered from COVID-19 is an "unknown." Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert, told reporters on Monday that a new study on COVID-19 antibodies is inconclusive, NPR reported. She said the study, conducted by researchers in Shanghai and yet to be peer-reviewed, "found some patients who had no detectable antibody response. And they found some individuals who had a very high response." Van Kerkhove added, "Right now, we don't have a full picture of what immunity looks like." "And until we do, we can't give a complete answer." Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies programs, put it more bluntly, saying right now the possibility of immunity for those who have recovered is "an unknown."

April 14, 11:30 a.m.

Lockdown measures easing in parts of Europe. According to a report from ITV, Spain has begun to lift some lockdown measures as heavy industry and construction workers returned to job sites on Monday following a two-week stoppage. Spain has second-highest total of confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 172,541 and the third-highest number of deaths, with over 18,000 according to Johns Hopkins University.

April 14, 10:58 a.m.

The Great Lockdown. That's how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is referring to the global financial crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic in a stark report issued Tuesday. The organization says the bleak outlook for the global economy indicates that this year will result in the worst recession since the Great Depression. The IMF said that the global economy is projected to contract by 3 percent in 2020, a level much worse than the 2008-2009 financial crisis.   

One significant difference in the ongoing crisis compared to the 1930s Depression is that "we have a stronger global financial safety net — with the IMF at its center — that is already actively helping vulnerable countries," according to Gita Gopinath, economic counselor for the IMF.

 "Because the economic fallout is acute in specific sectors, policymakers will need to implement substantial targeted fiscal, monetary, and financial market measures to support affected households and businesses domestically," the IMF said. "And internationally, strong multilateral cooperation is essential to overcome the effects of the pandemic, including to help financially constrained countries facing twin health and funding shocks, and for channeling aid to countries with weak health care systems."

April 14, 10:27 a.m.

Add the Tour de France to the long list of sporting events that won't happen as scheduled or at all on 2020. The Tour, which was scheduled to start June 27, has not been officially postponed yet, but as The Associated Press reports, it is a foregone conclusion after French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that all public events with large crowds have been canceled in the country until at least mid-July. No new dates for the race have been set. The last time the Tour didn't take place was in 1946 as France emerged from World War II, the AP reports. 

April 14, 9:24 a.m.

The hunt for COVID-19 antibodies is on. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health are looking for participants to take part in a new study that will help quantify the number of undetected COVID-19 cases in the U.S. The NIH said its goal is to determine how many adults in the U.S, that don't have a confirmed history of infection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have antibodies to the virus, which could indicate a prior infection.

According to the NIH, "In this 'serosurvey,' researchers will collect and analyze blood samples from as many as 10,000 volunteers to provide critical data for epidemiological models. The results will help illuminate the extent to which the novel coronavirus has spread undetected in the United States and provide insights into which communities and populations are most affected." 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 the study will help researchers gain a "clearer picture of the true magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic" in the U.S. “These crucial data will help us measure the impact of our public health efforts now and guide our COVID-19 response moving forward,” he said. Anyone interested in taking part in the study can email the NIH at clinicalstudiesunit@nih.gov.

April 14, 8:09 a.m.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday that the nationwide lockdown ordered in late March for the country's 1.3 billion residents will remain in effect until May 3. More than 10,500 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in India along with 358 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. According to Reuters, health experts are worried that the country's numbers are higher than reported because of India's low levels of testing.

Parts of northern and central India have been dealing with a stifling heat wave since late last week with temperatures reaching into the triple digits. Several parts of the country including Hoshangabad, New Candle and Surendranagar all reported high temperatures of 111 F (44 C) on Sunday. High temperatures near 100 F (38 C) 100 F or above can be expected in much of the country as the week goes on and the blistering conditions also mean the country's air quality will worsen.

April 14, 7:52 a.m.

‘Ghosts’ have been deployed to patrol the streets in a village in Indonesia with hopes of scaring people indoors and away from socializing during the coronavirus lockdown. In Indonesian folklore, the ghosts, known as pocong, represent the trapped souls of the dead. However, according to Reuters, the tactic had the opposite effect and made people curious to see the spectacle. “We wanted to be different and create a deterrent effect because ‘pocong’ are spooky and scary,” Anjar Pancaningtyas, head of a village youth group that coordinated with the police on the initiative to promote social distancing, told Reuters.

April 14, 6:49 a.m.

Here are the latest updated global totals from Johns Hopkins University:

• Total confirmed cases: 1,929,922

• Total deaths: 120,449

• Total recoveries: 461,819

In the United States, Americans saw fewer than 25,000 new cases in a day for the first time this month.

• Total U.S. confirmed cases: 582,594

• Total U.S. deaths: 23,649

• Total U.S. recoveries: 44,308

April 13, 10 p.m.

Two astronauts who have spent months in outer space said they will find it hard to adjust to life on earth, as the coronavirus pandemic has changed life as they knew it. Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir, who have been at NASA’s Space Station since July and August, respectively, are set to land in Kazakhstan next week. The two astronauts have been informed about the pandemic by their crew but are still apprehensive about the situation, they told The Associated Press. “It is quite surreal for us to see this whole situation unfolding on the planet below,” Meir said. Their return will occur exactly 50 years after the Apollo 13 mission, in which a failed oxygen tank created an explosion, forcing the shuttle to sink into the Pacific. “Once again, now there’s a crisis and the crisis is on Earth,” Morgan said.

April 13, 9 p.m.

Over the weekend, we polled readers on whether they had adopted face mask-wearing when venturing into public. After all, it's something Americans may need to get used to for a while -- one expert said Americans may need to wear masks for another 18 months. Overall, 61% of respondents indicated that they were wearing a mask in public. Some 37.1% responded that they are wearing a mask, while 24% responded that they are wearing a mask and gloves. A significant 33.9% said they are not wearing a mask or gloves, and 5% indicated they are wearing gloves only. The poll, which is not scientific, also sparked some conversation. Here are five quotes from readers that caught our eye:

• 'I wear a mask when I go to the store. Only go out to store about once a week.'

• 'Wearing gloves at work and washing my hands in the gloves like 50 times a day, without the gloves I think my hands would just be bones now lol.'

• 'Not going out so not wearing unless an outing comes up. Have mask for Dr. visits or groceries in rural community.'

• 'No I don't have one. I can't get one around here in rural Alabama.'

• 'Not going to do it. Not living like that.'

April 13, 7:00 p.m.

A Michigan nurse demonstrated the dangers of cross-contamination and just how easy viruses can spread through touch, even while wearing gloves. In the video shared by Storyful, the nurse that is identified as Molly Lixey, showed that a simple visit to the grocery store can be risky if the proper sanitary measures aren’t taken. To demonstrate her point, she touched a plate full of paint, meant to signify the bacteria that collects in grocery items like toilet paper or chicken. She then received a call and grabbed her phone with her infected hands, bringing it up to her face.  “There’s no point in wearing gloves if you’re not going to wash your hands every time you touch something,” Lixey said. “Don’t touch your face, don’t touch your dirty phone.”

April 13, 5:55 p.m.

States join forces to help people affected by coronavirus. A regional advisory council consisting of six states was announced on Monday by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The new council's primary goal will be to help people get back to work once the emergency has passed and to restore the economy that has been rocked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. "We cannot act on our own," Murphy said. "We must be smart and tactical in how our region comes out of this, or else we’ll be right back to square one."

These are the six states taking part:  

• New Jersey

• New York

• Pennsylvania

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Rhode Island

April 13, 4:45 p.m.

New York City is asking medical providers to only test patients for coronavirus who are gravely ill because health care workers are running low on swabs for COVID-19 tests, the city health department said, according to The Associated Press. “As the swab supply continues to decline, there is a real possibility hospitals will completely run out,” the April 11 health alert said, according to The Associated Press. “At this time, providers are reminded to only test hospitalized patients in order to preserve resources that are needed to diagnose and appropriately manage patients with more severe illness.” On Tuesday, South Korea plans to send the U.S. kits able to perform up to 600,000 coronavirus tests, a Seoul official said, Reuters reported.

April 13, 4:04 p.m.

France extends coronavirus lockdown another month. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the extension of confinement measures aimed at curtailing the spread of COVID-19 on Monday. The measures will now stay in place until May 11 and that also includes keeping the country's border closed to all non-European countries. France has been one of the nation's hardest-hit by the pandemic, with close to 138,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 15,000 fatalities.

April 13, 3:20 p.m.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem reported 190 cases of COVID-19 at one of the country’s largest pork-processing plants, according to The Associated Press, according to The Associated Press.The Smithfield Foods processing plant is now the largest coronavirus hotspot in the state, which has caused the state Health Department to declare a public health emergency in Minnehaha County, where the plant is located. Following the announcement given by Gov. Noem, Smithfield Foods announced on Sunday that it would be closing the plant indefinitely. With the processing plant closed, there is concern for shortages of meat supplies, as the Sioux Falls pork-processing facility is responsible for 4% to 5% of U.S. pork meat production, according to a statement released by Smithfield Foods. “The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of meat and supply,” Smithfield’s CEO Ken Sullivan said in the statement. “It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running.”

April 13, 2:14 p.m.

A 97-year-old great-grandmother who served in Britain's Women’s Royal Air Force during the Second World War has beaten the coronavirus. In a report by BBC Breakfast, the woman, identified only as Joyce, shared that she “coughed a bit, but that’s all.” A widow of 21 years, Joyce has two children who kept close contact with the National Health Service to monitor her health while she had the virus. After recovering from the coronavirus, Joyce is finally back at home, safe and well, and her two children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren are so proud of Joyce’s strength, that they have already started planning her 100th birthday. “She pulls herself together and gets on with it, that’s her philosophy,” her son said. Watch the full report below.  

April 13, 1:25 p.m.

Central Park's field hospital being tested as severe weather blitzes the Northeast. The field hospital that was constructed two weeks ago in New York City's Central Park and is made of more than 60 tents will be among many in the Northeast facing the threat of high winds as storms race across the region. "The threat with the tents is with anything that is not tethered down could get blown away," AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Edwards said, adding that powerful wind gusts, which could hit 60-mph to 70 mph, could bring down trees in the park putting lives and makeshift hospital facilities in danger. AccuWeather radar showed an ominous line of storms moving toward the city just after 1 p.m. The weather will come down after Monday, but most of the rest of the week, temperatures will be below normal in the New York City area and some rain is in the forecast.

April 13, 12:30 p.m.

New York state eclipses 10,000 COVID-19 fatalities. Andrew Cuomo, the state's governor, made the grim announcement about the milestone on Monday. He said on Twitter that 671 New Yorkers died on Easter Sunday, but tempered the bad news by saying that "we are flattening the curve" and urged citizens to "stay the course."  Nearly 7,000 of the fatalities have occurred in New York City, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University.

April 13, 11:29 a.m.

The famous 'Christ the Redeemer' statue that towers over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was illuminated to honor those working in medical fields on Easter Sunday. Many images were projected onto the statue such as a doctor's coat and thank you messages in various different languages. Images of nurses and doctors smiling in their protective gear were also featured on the statue along with the words "hope" and "Fique Em Casa" which is the Portuguese phrase for "stay at home." Brazil has more than 22,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and in excess of 1,000 deaths.

April 13, 11:11 a.m.

A sailor who was assigned to the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt died of COVID-19-related complications, the U.S. Navy announced Monday. The sailor was admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on April 9 at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Guam. The sailor tested positive on March 30 and was put into an isolation house on the Naval Base Guam with four other sailors from the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt and had been receiving one of his twice-daily medical checks when he was found unresponsive. The Navy said identity of the sailor will not be revealed until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.

April 13, 10:59 a.m.

Apple and Google have announced that they are teaming up to develop a tool that will alert people over Bluetooth technology if they have come into contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19. The partnership between the two tech giants would allow iOS and Android devices to communicate to each other about the spread with the new tool that the two companies are calling Contact Tracing. The tool will communicate by using apps from public-health authorities. Apple and Google both stressed that the tool is being developed with privacy in mind and that all of it would be opt-in only. Apple also mentioned location tracking would not be required and that user consent would be prompted before the tool would work.

April 13, 10:41 a.m.

The MLB is considering taking drastic steps in order to salvage the 2020 season by realigning divisions similar to spring training. A high-ranking MLB official told USA TODAY that the plan would eliminate the American and National leagues and replace them with the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues. Divisions would also be realigned for the 2020 season creating unique division rivalries between teams like the New York Yankees of the American League East and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League East. The proposal also would move all games to Arizona and Florida at each teams respective spring training facilities. According to the USA Today report, the high-ranking official said that this proposal was one of several being discussed by the league. No official announcement has been made by MLB on the status of the 2020 season.

April 13, 10:25 a.m.

Disney is set to furlough 43,000 employees at Orlando resort. The company announced Sunday that it will begin furloughing employees at its Walt Disney World Resort, which has remained shut down for weeks due to social distancing measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. A deal was reached between Disney and the Services Trade Council Union that will require Disney to pay 100% of health insurance costs for furloughed employees for a full year and provides a path for employees to return to work after normal business operations resume. About 200 employees will remain on the job after the furloughs to perform "essential" duties. Furloughs will begin on April 19.

April 13, 9:33 a.m.

The outburst of extreme weather that ravaged the Deep South over the weekend and is charging up the Eastern Seaboard on Monday is disrupting COVID-19 testing in several places. According to Massachusetts state Senator Walter F. Timilty, the extreme weather heading for New New England has caused the drive-thru testing sight at Gillette Stadium, where the New England Patriots play home games, to be closed for the day.   

A similar situation is playing out in the Washington, D.C., area. According to WJLA, a number of drive-through testing sites were closed Monday ahead of the arrival of inclement weather, including the one at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. That testing facility was set to open today, but now won't because of weather, which could include severe thunderstorms and a chance of a tornado.

April 13, 9:12 a.m.

The CDC released a statement addressing concerns about the use of ibuprofen for patients suffering from COVID-19, as rumors about the over-the-counter drug continue to swirl on social media. “At this time, there’s no compelling evidence that ibuprofen and other drugs like it can make you sicker if you have COVID-19,” Dr. John Brooks, the CDC’s chief medical officer for the COVID-19 emergency response, said. He added that the CDC is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates if there is any change in information. Watch his full statement below.

April 13, 8:08 a.m.

Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in mainland China. According to Reuters, health officials in China reported 108 new cases on Sunday, the highest total of new cases in six weeks there. The day before, 99 new COVID-19 cases were reported, which was more than double the previous day. Prior to Sunday, China hadn't seen as many new cases since March 5, when 143 emerged. Last week, officials lifted the lockdown of Wuhan, the metropolis where the outbreak originated, after more than two months.

April 13, 6:38 a.m.

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

• Total confirmed cases: 1,859,011

• Total deaths: 114,979

• Total recoveries: 435,074

The U.S. remains the worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic, as all 50 states have seen at least 250 cases and each state except Montana has seen multiple deaths.

• Total U.S. cases: 557,590

• Total U.S. deaths: 22,109

• Total U.S. recoveries: 41,831

April 12, 9:20 p.m.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement that 92% of the crew members on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt have been tested for COVID-19. A total of 588 sailors have tested positive while 3,724 have tested negative. Nearly 4,000 sailors have moved ashore. The San Diego-based aircraft is currently stationed at Naval Base Guam.  

The Navy issued new COVID-19 procedures on Friday, according to NBC San Diego. This includes placing individuals with confirmed or probable COVID-19 under isolation and then evacuating them from the ship as soon as is practical if they develop more severe symptoms.

April 12, 8:17 p.m.

Reopening states will be a “rolling reentry” rather than a “light switch” situation that we can “click” on come May or June, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on Sunday. “It’s going to be depending where you are in the country, the nature of the outbreak that you’ve already experienced and the threat of an outbreak that you may not have experienced,”Fauci said. To emphasize this, Fauci compared New York’s outbreak, which has more than 189,000 cases, to Arkansas’s outbreak of just over 1,000. “I think it’s going to have to be something that is not one size fits all,” Fauci said. He estimates that at the earliest, some form of reopening may be possible come May.

April 12, 7:20 p.m.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged North Carolinians to prepare for power outages and severe weather overnight in a press release he sent on Sunday afternoon. "North Carolinians are already following Stay At Home orders for the coronavirus, and now it’s also important to prepare for strong storms and possible power outages,” said Governor Cooper. “Be sure to follow weather conditions closely on Sunday and Monday, and have a way to receive severe weather warnings.”

April 12, 6:23 p.m.

Severe weather jolted the South on Easter Sunday, leaving many people at risk of damaging storms. This severe weather season has coincided with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory social distancing orders across the country. Residents in Starkville, Mississippi, who couldn't shelter at home from the volatile weather had to use community storm shelters. However, they still managed to do a pretty good job of maintaining a safe distance as this video shows.

April 12, 5:48 p.m.

The number of imported cases of COVID-19 in China hit a record high on April 11, according to Reuters. The 99 new cases were almost double the 46 from Friday. Many of the new cases involved Chinese nationals returning from Russia, Reuters reported. As a result, Chinese cities near the Russian border are tightening border controls and enhancing quarantine procedures. 

April 12, 4:45 p.m.

Major damage is being reported in Monroe, Louisiana, after a tornado slammed the area earlier Sunday. All flights at Monroe Regional Airport have been canceled until further notice, city officials said. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, there are 367 COVID-19 cases in Ouachita Parish, the second-highest number of cases in northern Louisiana.

April 12, 4:16 p.m.

What would normally have been a busy day for St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City was replaced with one person to a pew and police barricades preventing people from entering on Easter Sunday. Pope Francis stayed indoors, but still gave an Easter address where he called COVID-19 an “epochal challenge,” and asked that people pray for the sick, elderly and the dead, The Associated Press reported. “This is not a time for self-centeredness because the challenge we are facing is shared by all, without distinguishing between persons,” Francis said.

April 12, 3:20 p.m.

Here’s the latest global COVID-19 numbers, provided by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:

• Confirmed cases: 1,827,284

• Confirmed deaths: 113,031

• Confirmed recoveries: 420,917

The U.S. currently has more confirmed cases and deaths than any other nation, with 546,874 confirmed cases of the virus and 21,489 confirmed deaths.

April 12, 2:40 p.m.

A supercomputer used for climate science has a new task at hand to help in the fight against COVID-19. The 5.34-petaflop machine is one of the 50 fastest computers in the world, being housed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Cheyenne, Wyoming. "Cheyenne and other NSF-funded high-end computing resources will enable the nation's research community to pursue advanced modeling using artificial intelligence techniques and other approaches to gain vital insights into COVID-19 and potential strategies for protecting society,” said Anjuli Bamzai, director of the NSF Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences. AccuWeather's John Roach reports on how the supercomputer is aiding scientists during the global pandemic.

April 12, 1:45 p.m.

75% of Americans say they are now either mostly or completely isolating, according to a probability-based Gallop Panel survey. The online poll, which was conducted between April 3-5, found that 47% of Americans were mostly isolating from people outside their homes while 28% were completely isolating. Only 3% said they have not done anything to isolate themselves from others. The poll found Americans are social distancing 24% more than when the poll was first conducted on March 16-19. It also found that 84% of residents in urban areas were isolating while only 67% of rural residents were isolating.

April 12, 12:30 p.m.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from a hospital in London after recovering from the coronavirus. He will not immediately be returning to work, a statement from his office said Sunday. “It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life,” Johnson said. “The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past.”

April 12, 11:10 a.m.

Two newlyweds in South Africa were arrested during their wedding on Sunday after breaking the country's strict public events ban. Police say they received a tip that the wedding was taking place and arrested all 50 guests, the pastor, and the couple. South Africa has one of the most strict social distancing orders with nothing but essential movement being allowed and a complete ban on purchasing alcohol and cigarettes.

April 12, 10:00 a.m.

The use of shelters and other resources during severe weather takes precedent over social distancing orders, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced. "Our state stands prepared and ready to face whatever Mother Nature brings, even amidst a health pandemic," Ivey said. "The safety and protection of Alabama lives is paramount." 

April 12, 8:55 a.m.

One hundred seventy-eight probationary Emergency Medical Technicians are graduating early in order to join their fellow EMS members on the front lines in the city's response against COVID-19. 

"This has been a great learning experience and I feel like we've been given a unique opportunity to get in the streets early to help the city,” FDNY Probationary EMT and class Valedictorian Kevin Gordon said. “They prepared us for the field, and trained us to be reinforcements for the city. It has to be somebody out here helping to counter COVID-19 and I'm glad it's me, and that I have this opportunity to be on the FDNY's team and part of the FDNY family." 

April 12, 7:45 a.m.

Cornelia Ras, a 107-year old Dutch woman has recovered from COVID-19. Ras, the latest centenarian to beat the brutal respiratory illness, was part of a group of 41 who contracted the disease after attending a church service back in March. Ras became sick a day after her 107th birthday on March 17, according to the Dutch newspaper AD. Since then, 12 of those who attended the service have died, but Ras was cleared of the disease on Monday, making her the oldest known person to have recovered from COVID-19.

Previous coverage:

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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