BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska State Patrol has identified a person killed in a two-vehicle crash just north of Beatrice late last week.

The crash happened late Friday morning on U.S. Highway 77, about six miles north of Beatrice, KWBE&nbsp;<a href="https://southeast.newschannelnebraska.com/story/41999549/omaha-man-is-victim-of-fatal-friday-accident-north-of-beatrice" target="_blank">reported</a>. Investigators said the crash happened when a car clipped a pickup truck, overcorrected, then went off the highway. The car then rolled into a field, killing the driver, 23-year-old Corey Summers, of Omaha, the patrol said.

Two others involved in the crash were taken to a Lincoln hospital in stable condition, officials said.

BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska State Patrol has identified a person killed in a two-vehicle crash just north of Beatrice late last week.The crash happened late Friday morning on U.S. Highway 77, about six miles north of Beatrice, KWBE&nbsp;<a href="https://southeast.newschannelnebraska.com/story/41999549/omaha-man-is-victim-of-fatal-friday-accident-north-of-beatrice" target="_blank">reported</a>. Investigators said the crash happened when a car clipped a pickup truck, overcorrected, then went off the highway. The car then rolled into a field, killing the driver, 23-year-old Corey Summers, of Omaha, the patrol said.Two others involved in the crash were taken to a Lincoln hospital in stable condition, officials said.

Nebraska State Patrol IDs person killed in crash near Beatrice

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Virginia-based Smithfield Foods is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, until further notice, after dozens of employees tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The announcement came a day after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken wrote to Smithfield and urged the company to suspend operations for 14 days.

 As of Sunday, 293 people who work at the plant have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the company announced an indefinite closure. 

CEO Kenneth Sullivan says closing the facility, and other closures in the industry, could have severe repercussions in the meat supply chain.&nbsp;

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Virginia-based Smithfield Foods is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, until further notice, after dozens of employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The announcement came a day after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken wrote to Smithfield and urged the company to suspend operations for 14 days. As of Sunday, 293 people who work at the plant have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the company announced an indefinite closure. CEO Kenneth Sullivan says closing the facility, and other closures in the industry, could have severe repercussions in the meat supply chain.&nbsp;

Smithfield closes South Dakota pork plant due to coronavirus

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a string of business burglaries and have made an arrest.

On Friday night, police located 36-year-old&nbsp;Travis L. Russell of Topeka in the 2800 block of SE  Topeka Blvd, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.&nbsp;

Officers brought Russell into the Law Enforcement Center for questioning. As a result of the investigation, Russell was arrested for burglarizing 5 businesses over 9 days including&nbsp;Vern’s Liquor in the 3700 block of SW Gage Blvd, 29th St. Quick Stop in the 3100 block of SW 29th St. and Schendel Lawn and Landscape in the 4700 block of SW 6th Ave. on April 2.&nbsp;Great Life Golf in 900 block of SE 29th St. on April 6.&nbsp;&nbsp;Highland Crest Laundromat in the 400 block of SE 29th St. on April 10.

Russell is being held on the requested charges Criminal use of a financial card, Theft, Burglary, Criminal damage to property and Possession of stolen property, according to Christian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586724419726.png" alt="Russell photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Russell photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a string of business burglaries and have made an arrest.On Friday night, police located 36-year-old&nbsp;Travis L. Russell of Topeka in the 2800 block of SE Topeka Blvd, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.&nbsp;Officers brought Russell into the Law Enforcement Center for questioning. As a result of the investigation, Russell was arrested for burglarizing 5 businesses over 9 days including&nbsp;Vern’s Liquor in the 3700 block of SW Gage Blvd, 29th St. Quick Stop in the 3100 block of SW 29th St. and Schendel Lawn and Landscape in the 4700 block of SW 6th Ave. on April 2.&nbsp;Great Life Golf in 900 block of SE 29th St. on April 6.&nbsp;&nbsp;Highland Crest Laundromat in the 400 block of SE 29th St. on April 10.Russell is being held on the requested charges Criminal use of a financial card, Theft, Burglary, Criminal damage to property and Possession of stolen property, according to Christian.

Kan. man jailed for 5 business burglaries in 9 days

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 3,300 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, an alarming rise in just the past two weeks, according to the latest count by The Associated Press.

Because the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own, the AP has kept its own running tally based on media reports and state health departments. The latest count of at least 3,321 deaths is up from about 450 deaths just 10 days ago.

But the true toll among the 1 million mostly frail and elderly people who live in such facilities is likely much higher, experts say, because most state counts don’t include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.

Outbreaks in just the past few weeks have included one at a nursing home in suburban Richmond that has killed 40 and infected more than 100, another at nursing home in central Indiana that has killed 24 and infected 16, and one at a veteran’s home in Holyoke, Mass., that has killed 37, infected 76 and prompted a federal investigation. This comes weeks after an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland that has so far claimed 43 lives.

And those are just the outbreaks we know about. Most states provide only total numbers of nursing home deaths and don’t give details of specific outbreaks. Notable among them is the nation’s leader, New York, which accounts for 1,880 nursing home deaths out of about 96,000 total residents but has so far declined to detail specific outbreaks, citing privacy concerns.

Experts say nursing home deaths may keep climbing because of chronic staffing shortages that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis, a shortage of protective supplies and a continued lack of available testing.

And the deaths have skyrocketed despite steps taken by the federal government in mid-March to bar visitors, cease all group activities, and require that every worker be screened for fever or respiratory symptoms at every shift.

But an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/78e495c299d67e60d45729352f2c0d44">AP report&nbsp;</a>earlier this month found that infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because such screenings didn’t catch people who were infected but asymptomatic. Several large outbreaks were blamed on such spreaders, including infected health workers who worked at several different nursing home facilities.

This past week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that regulates nursing homes issued recommendations urging nursing homes to use separate staffing teams for residents, and to designate separate facilities within nursing homes to keep COVID-19 positive residents away from those who have tested negative.

Dr. Deborah Birx, who leads the White House coronavirus response, suggested this past week that as more COVID-19 tests become available, nursing homes should be a top priority.

“We need to really ensure that nursing homes have sentinel surveillance. And what do I mean by that? That we’re actively testing in nursing homes, both the residents and the workers, at all times,” Birx said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585657534018.png" alt="Life Care Center of Burlington, Kansas is linked to multiple coronavirus cases and deaths, according to the KDHE- Google image" />
 <figcaption>Life Care Center of Burlington, Kansas is linked to multiple coronavirus cases and deaths, according to the KDHE- Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — More than 3,300 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, an alarming rise in just the past two weeks, according to the latest count by The Associated Press.Because the federal government has not been releasing a count of its own, the AP has kept its own running tally based on media reports and state health departments. The latest count of at least 3,321 deaths is up from about 450 deaths just 10 days ago.But the true toll among the 1 million mostly frail and elderly people who live in such facilities is likely much higher, experts say, because most state counts don’t include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.Outbreaks in just the past few weeks have included one at a nursing home in suburban Richmond that has killed 40 and infected more than 100, another at nursing home in central Indiana that has killed 24 and infected 16, and one at a veteran’s home in Holyoke, Mass., that has killed 37, infected 76 and prompted a federal investigation. This comes weeks after an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland that has so far claimed 43 lives.And those are just the outbreaks we know about. Most states provide only total numbers of nursing home deaths and don’t give details of specific outbreaks. Notable among them is the nation’s leader, New York, which accounts for 1,880 nursing home deaths out of about 96,000 total residents but has so far declined to detail specific outbreaks, citing privacy concerns.Experts say nursing home deaths may keep climbing because of chronic staffing shortages that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis, a shortage of protective supplies and a continued lack of available testing.And the deaths have skyrocketed despite steps taken by the federal government in mid-March to bar visitors, cease all group activities, and require that every worker be screened for fever or respiratory symptoms at every shift.But an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/78e495c299d67e60d45729352f2c0d44">AP report&nbsp;</a>earlier this month found that infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because such screenings didn’t catch people who were infected but asymptomatic. Several large outbreaks were blamed on such spreaders, including infected health workers who worked at several different nursing home facilities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586725126011.png" alt="Dr. Deborah Birx leads the White House coronavirus response team-White House image" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Deborah Birx leads the White House coronavirus response team-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>This past week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that regulates nursing homes issued recommendations urging nursing homes to use separate staffing teams for residents, and to designate separate facilities within nursing homes to keep COVID-19 positive residents away from those who have tested negative.Dr. Deborah Birx, who leads the White House coronavirus response, suggested this past week that as more COVID-19 tests become available, nursing homes should be a top priority.“We need to really ensure that nursing homes have sentinel surveillance. And what do I mean by that? That we’re actively testing in nursing homes, both the residents and the workers, at all times,” Birx said.

Nursing home virus deaths soar past 3,300 in alarming surge

Social distancing is currently the most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization and the CDC.

Unacast created an interactive Scoreboard, updated daily, to empower organizations to measure and understand the efficacy of social distancing initiatives at the local level, according to their website.

The most recent report gave Nebraska a D, Missouri an F and dropped Kansas to a grade of D.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.unacast.com/covid19/social-distancing-scoreboard">Click here to see the grade for your county.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586779310247.png" alt="<a href="https://www.unacast.com/covid19/social-distancing-scoreboard">Unacast</a> (Last Updated April 12, 2020)" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.unacast.com/covid19/social-distancing-scoreboard">Unacast</a> (Last Updated April 12, 2020)</figcaption>
 </figure>Social distancing is currently the most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization and the CDC.Unacast created an interactive Scoreboard, updated daily, to empower organizations to measure and understand the efficacy of social distancing initiatives at the local level, according to their website.The most recent report gave Nebraska a D, Missouri an F and dropped Kansas to a grade of D.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.unacast.com/covid19/social-distancing-scoreboard">Click here to see the grade for your county.</a>

UPDATED Compare your community's social distancing activity

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A major California labor union that claimed to have discovered a stockpile of 39 million masks for health care workers fighting the coronavirus was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators, according to a newspaper report Sunday.

Investigators stumbled onto the scheme while looking into whether they could intercept the masks for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Defense Production Act, the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday.

The federal government has been quietly seizing supplies across the country as the outbreak spreads. But in this case, there was no warehouse, and there were no masks to seize, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-11/coronavirus-seiu-masks-fraud-fbi" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>&nbsp;reported.

U.S. Attorney Scott Brady told the Times that investigators tracked the tip back to a Pittsburgh businessman, who said he had been working with the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West to secure millions of masks.

The businessman had been using WhatsApp to connect with a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are both now the target of a federal investigation, Brady said.

The union, known as SEIU, and the Pittsburgh businessman are not under investigation and both appear to be among a string of middlemen who were fooled, Brady said.

“There are opportunists who are looking for any victim,” he said.

The promise of 39 million masks was first made public March 26, when the union announced it had found the stockpile after 48 hours of frantic phone calls pursuing leads on potential suppliers. The announcement by the union was widely covered by major media outlets and listed several hospital systems and government agencies as buyers.

Behind the scenes, the deal quickly unraveled. Buyers said they failed to receive reliable information about where they could inspect the shipments.

At one point, the Australian broker told the middleman in Pittsburgh that 2 million masks were located in a warehouse in Georgia and that the product had been inspected by a particular certification company.

That, Brady said, “was also part of the ruse.”

No money was exchanged in the attempts to finalize a deal, according to Brady.

Experts in the global supply chain say dubious brokers and suppliers have flooded the market with suspect offers, creating an atmosphere of confusion and distrust just as hospitals are trying to stock up on the gear doctors and nurses need to protect themselves from the virus.

Steve Trossman, spokesman for SEIU-UHW, told the Times that union officials had been trying to find equipment for members, and the group had no financial interest in any transactions.

“As far as we knew, he had legitimate masks,” Trossman said of the supplier, “and the people who were going to purchase those masks were going to fully vet it and check it out and do their due diligence.”

Brady said federal investigators had reason to suspect the arrangement. The 39 million masks were advertised as N95 masks from 3M, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer. But 3M told federal investigators it manufactured only 20 million such masks last year, making that large of a stockpile unlikely unless the product was counterfeit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586739551363.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A major California labor union that claimed to have discovered a stockpile of 39 million masks for health care workers fighting the coronavirus was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators, according to a newspaper report Sunday.Investigators stumbled onto the scheme while looking into whether they could intercept the masks for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Defense Production Act, the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday.The federal government has been quietly seizing supplies across the country as the outbreak spreads. But in this case, there was no warehouse, and there were no masks to seize, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-11/coronavirus-seiu-masks-fraud-fbi" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>&nbsp;reported.U.S. Attorney Scott Brady told the Times that investigators tracked the tip back to a Pittsburgh businessman, who said he had been working with the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West to secure millions of masks.The businessman had been using WhatsApp to connect with a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are both now the target of a federal investigation, Brady said.The union, known as SEIU, and the Pittsburgh businessman are not under investigation and both appear to be among a string of middlemen who were fooled, Brady said.“There are opportunists who are looking for any victim,” he said.The promise of 39 million masks was first made public March 26, when the union announced it had found the stockpile after 48 hours of frantic phone calls pursuing leads on potential suppliers. The announcement by the union was widely covered by major media outlets and listed several hospital systems and government agencies as buyers.Behind the scenes, the deal quickly unraveled. Buyers said they failed to receive reliable information about where they could inspect the shipments.At one point, the Australian broker told the middleman in Pittsburgh that 2 million masks were located in a warehouse in Georgia and that the product had been inspected by a particular certification company.That, Brady said, “was also part of the ruse.”No money was exchanged in the attempts to finalize a deal, according to Brady.Experts in the global supply chain say dubious brokers and suppliers have flooded the market with suspect offers, creating an atmosphere of confusion and distrust just as hospitals are trying to stock up on the gear doctors and nurses need to protect themselves from the virus.Steve Trossman, spokesman for SEIU-UHW, told the Times that union officials had been trying to find equipment for members, and the group had no financial interest in any transactions.“As far as we knew, he had legitimate masks,” Trossman said of the supplier, “and the people who were going to purchase those masks were going to fully vet it and check it out and do their due diligence.”Brady said federal investigators had reason to suspect the arrangement. The 39 million masks were advertised as N95 masks from 3M, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer. But 3M told federal investigators it manufactured only 20 million such masks last year, making that large of a stockpile unlikely unless the product was counterfeit.

Scam report: Stockpile of 39 million masks exposed as fake

OMAHA, Neb. (Omaha World-Herald) — First responders have rescued a man who spent the night injured in a ditch after crashing his motorcycle.

 The Omaha World-Herald reports police and paramedics found the man Sunday morning in a ditch near an Interstate 29 on-ramp. 

He told authorities that he’d been there since losing control of his motorcycle and crashing Saturday afternoon. 

First responders took him to an Omaha hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

OMAHA, Neb. (Omaha World-Herald) — First responders have rescued a man who spent the night injured in a ditch after crashing his motorcycle. The Omaha World-Herald reports police and paramedics found the man Sunday morning in a ditch near an Interstate 29 on-ramp. His name has not been released. He told authorities that he’d been there since losing control of his motorcycle and crashing Saturday afternoon. First responders took him to an Omaha hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Nebraska man stuck overnight in ditch after motorcycle crash

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (The Grand Island Independent) — Volunteers estimate about 1,000 cars lined up in Grand Island, Nebraska to pick up 25-pound boxes of food during a mobile food bank distribution Saturday.

 The Grand Island Independent reports that typically only 450 people at most attend the food handouts. 

The Food Bank for the Heartland’s Loaves &amp; Fishes food handout was cancelled in March as the coronavirus pandemic struck. 

During the Saturday event, drivers stayed in the cars as volunteers loaded food into their trunks. 

The Rev. Kelly Karges of Trinity United Methodist Church helped hand out food. He said cars started lining up two hours in advance.&nbsp;

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (The Grand Island Independent) — Volunteers estimate about 1,000 cars lined up in Grand Island, Nebraska to pick up 25-pound boxes of food during a mobile food bank distribution Saturday. The Grand Island Independent reports that typically only 450 people at most attend the food handouts. The Food Bank for the Heartland’s Loaves &amp; Fishes food handout was cancelled in March as the coronavirus pandemic struck. During the Saturday event, drivers stayed in the cars as volunteers loaded food into their trunks. The Rev. Kelly Karges of Trinity United Methodist Church helped hand out food. He said cars started lining up two hours in advance.&nbsp;

1,000 cars line up for Nebraska food handout

BOSTON (AP) — Courthouses shuttered. Thousands of trials on hold. Legal deadlines pushed.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;has crippled the U.S. legal system, creating constitutional dilemmas as the accused miss their days in court. The public health crisis could build a legal backlog that overwhelms courts across the country, leaving some defendants behind bars longer, and forcing prosecutors to decide which cases to pursue and which to let slide.

“Everybody is scrambling. Nobody really knows how to handle this,” said Claudia Lagos, a criminal defense attorney in Boston.

Judges from California to Maine have postponed trials and nearly all in-person hearings to keep crowds from packing courthouses. Trials that were underway — like the high-profile case against multimillionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/467ac61d7ea434c1de2ee387d58a2ec4">real estate heir Robert Durst</a>&nbsp;— have been halted. Some chief judges have suspended grand juries, rendering new indictments impossible. Other have allowed them to sit, though six feet apart.

Prosecutors may have to abandon some low-level cases to keep people from flooding into the legal system.

Many judges are holding hearings by phone or video chat to keep all cases from grinding to a halt. Other courts are stymied by outdated technology. The clerk for the the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Molly Dwyer, likened the logistical challenges to “building the bike as we ride it.”

Judges have asked for emergency powers to delay trials longer than the law generally allows and extend key deadlines, like when a defendant must initially appear in court.

That could keep people locked up longer, exposing them to unsafe jail conditions, and violate their constitutional right to a speedy trial, defense lawyers say.

“We shouldn’t be creating mechanisms in the current crisis to keep people in jail longer. The jails are just tinderboxes waiting for the virus to take off,” said Jeff Chorney, deputy public defender in Alameda County, California. Courts there now have seven days instead of 48 hours to hold arraignments, during which a defendant is often appointed a lawyer and can enter a plea.

The pandemic has shuttered nearly every aspect of everyday life as the death toll mounts and more states impose strict stay-at-home orders.&nbsp;There are nearly 600,000 cases and more than 21,000 deaths in the U.S., according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Still, coast-to-coast disruptions of the courts system are unprecedented.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina forced courts in New Orleans to temporarily close. The suspension of legal deadlines after the natural disaster left thousands languishing behind bars for months without formal charges, attorneys say. Lawyers there fear a repeat.

“On a regular day, without a crisis like Katrina and COVID, you can imagine people getting lost in a system like this,” said Alanah Odoms Hebert, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “There will be a lot folks who fall through the cracks.”

No civil litigation is getting done. U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger in Chicago chafed at a recent request for an emergency order barring the alleged misuse of elf and unicorn drawings. “The world,” he said, “is facing a real emergency. (The) plaintiff is not.”

The COVID-19 disruptions are causing widespread confusion with prosecutors and defense attorneys as they struggle to file documents, get matters heard in courthouses operating on skeleton crews and share information with jailed clients while maintaining social distancing.

Lawyers for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6676f7ebfc7c454baace1eaeca501501">Elizabeth Holmes</a>, head of the blood-testing startup Theranos scheduled to be tried this summer for allegedly defrauding investors, asked a California federal judge to also exempt them from the orders. They said the restrictions made witness preparation and serving subpoenas difficult. The judge refused.

Attorneys are wary of visiting their clients in jails for fear of contracting the virus or spreading it behind bars. They rely on phone calls, which in some places are recorded, limiting what they can say.

“You have to sort of chose between your safety and your client’s safety ... or their constitutional rights. It’s a really impossible situation,” said William Isenberg, a Boston defense attorney.

The haphazard operations could lead defendants to later challenge convictions, even if their lawyers did the best they could during the virus-related tumult.

Courthouse chaos may worsen when the shutdowns end, as judges try to return to old cases while fielding a burst in new cases. A flood of lawsuits linked to COVID-19 will add to the logjam.

“The courts are looking down the barrel of a real serious bottleneck,” said Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “I don’t think anybody has figured out what they’re going to do.”

Crime victims are also forced to wait. In Minnesota, the virus has postponed the federal trial of an Illinois militia leader accused of being the ringleader in the 2017 pipe bombing of a Minnesota mosque.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d15a219d119ea92bad722771e7923722">Michael Hari’s trial</a>&nbsp;was already postponed once. Now it’s scheduled for late July.

Mohamed Omar, executive director of the mosque, said community members want to see quick justice, but that he understands the need for a delay.

“The safety of our community and those that are vulnerable are more important to us now more than any other thing,” he said. “This is bigger than all of us.”

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

BOSTON (AP) — Courthouses shuttered. Thousands of trials on hold. Legal deadlines pushed.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;has crippled the U.S. legal system, creating constitutional dilemmas as the accused miss their days in court. The public health crisis could build a legal backlog that overwhelms courts across the country, leaving some defendants behind bars longer, and forcing prosecutors to decide which cases to pursue and which to let slide.“Everybody is scrambling. Nobody really knows how to handle this,” said Claudia Lagos, a criminal defense attorney in Boston.Judges from California to Maine have postponed trials and nearly all in-person hearings to keep crowds from packing courthouses. Trials that were underway — like the high-profile case against multimillionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/467ac61d7ea434c1de2ee387d58a2ec4">real estate heir Robert Durst</a>&nbsp;— have been halted. Some chief judges have suspended grand juries, rendering new indictments impossible. Other have allowed them to sit, though six feet apart.Prosecutors may have to abandon some low-level cases to keep people from flooding into the legal system.Many judges are holding hearings by phone or video chat to keep all cases from grinding to a halt. Other courts are stymied by outdated technology. The clerk for the the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Molly Dwyer, likened the logistical challenges to “building the bike as we ride it.”Judges have asked for emergency powers to delay trials longer than the law generally allows and extend key deadlines, like when a defendant must initially appear in court.That could keep people locked up longer, exposing them to unsafe jail conditions, and violate their constitutional right to a speedy trial, defense lawyers say.“We shouldn’t be creating mechanisms in the current crisis to keep people in jail longer. The jails are just tinderboxes waiting for the virus to take off,” said Jeff Chorney, deputy public defender in Alameda County, California. Courts there now have seven days instead of 48 hours to hold arraignments, during which a defendant is often appointed a lawyer and can enter a plea.The pandemic has shuttered nearly every aspect of everyday life as the death toll mounts and more states impose strict stay-at-home orders.&nbsp;There are nearly 600,000 cases and more than 21,000 deaths in the U.S., according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.Still, coast-to-coast disruptions of the courts system are unprecedented.In 2005, Hurricane Katrina forced courts in New Orleans to temporarily close. The suspension of legal deadlines after the natural disaster left thousands languishing behind bars for months without formal charges, attorneys say. Lawyers there fear a repeat.“On a regular day, without a crisis like Katrina and COVID, you can imagine people getting lost in a system like this,” said Alanah Odoms Hebert, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “There will be a lot folks who fall through the cracks.”No civil litigation is getting done. U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger in Chicago chafed at a recent request for an emergency order barring the alleged misuse of elf and unicorn drawings. “The world,” he said, “is facing a real emergency. (The) plaintiff is not.”The COVID-19 disruptions are causing widespread confusion with prosecutors and defense attorneys as they struggle to file documents, get matters heard in courthouses operating on skeleton crews and share information with jailed clients while maintaining social distancing.Lawyers for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6676f7ebfc7c454baace1eaeca501501">Elizabeth Holmes</a>, head of the blood-testing startup Theranos scheduled to be tried this summer for allegedly defrauding investors, asked a California federal judge to also exempt them from the orders. They said the restrictions made witness preparation and serving subpoenas difficult. The judge refused.Attorneys are wary of visiting their clients in jails for fear of contracting the virus or spreading it behind bars. They rely on phone calls, which in some places are recorded, limiting what they can say.“You have to sort of chose between your safety and your client’s safety ... or their constitutional rights. It’s a really impossible situation,” said William Isenberg, a Boston defense attorney.The haphazard operations could lead defendants to later challenge convictions, even if their lawyers did the best they could during the virus-related tumult.Courthouse chaos may worsen when the shutdowns end, as judges try to return to old cases while fielding a burst in new cases. A flood of lawsuits linked to COVID-19 will add to the logjam.“The courts are looking down the barrel of a real serious bottleneck,” said Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. “I don’t think anybody has figured out what they’re going to do.”Crime victims are also forced to wait. In Minnesota, the virus has postponed the federal trial of an Illinois militia leader accused of being the ringleader in the 2017 pipe bombing of a Minnesota mosque.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d15a219d119ea92bad722771e7923722">Michael Hari’s trial</a>&nbsp;was already postponed once. Now it’s scheduled for late July.Mohamed Omar, executive director of the mosque, said community members want to see quick justice, but that he understands the need for a delay.“The safety of our community and those that are vulnerable are more important to us now more than any other thing,” he said. “This is bigger than all of us.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.____

Justice delayed: Virus crisis upends courts system across US

LINCOLN, Neb.(DHHS) –&nbsp;A worker at a recent Red Cross event held on April 1 in Atkinson has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The worker is not a resident of the North Central District Health Department District (NCDHD). &nbsp;Upon notification, DHHS' epidemiology team, Central District Health Department (CDHD, and NCDHD worked with the Red Cross and the worker to assess the risk of donors and volunteers who attended the blood drive.&nbsp; NCDHD began receiving contact investigation information on April 9. NCDHD immediately initiated contact with these attendees to notify them of potential exposure and next steps. On April 10, fourteen (14) potential close contacts were identified and immediately contacted by the Red Cross.&nbsp; All of these individuals are asymptomatic, quarantining, and self-monitoring for symptom development; they have been instructed to self-isolate should symptoms develop. On Saturday, April 12, NCDHD also contacted these potential close contacts to assist with any questions or concerns.

Targeted contact tracing as described above is the best public health course of action at this point. With the cooperation of organizers of this event, the health department was able to establish the population at risk and make recommendations for quarantine and self-monitoring as appropriate. Widespread testing is not warranted at this time because most donors and volunteers had very limited, if any, exposure. A single test of an asymptomatic person after a possible exposure in the time period up to 14 days later does not establish if the person was exposed or not. For those donors or volunteers who had no or limited exposure, the probability of a test being positive at this time would be no higher than any other member of the general population. Those who were identified to be at higher risk are already in self-quarantine and thus are not a risk for further transmission to the community. Testing is only necessary for this group if they become symptomatic. Given these appropriate public health response actions, any additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event is limited.

Red Cross workers were provided face masks to wear voluntarily at the blood drive; this individual wore a face mask during interaction with donors at the event.&nbsp; As the window for exposure ends on April 15, additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event remains extremely low.&nbsp;

The public health community in Nebraska takes any potential exposure to COVID-19 extremely seriously and continues to take make informed, decisive and appropriate decisions with respect to reducing the spread of coronavirus in all Nebraska communities.&nbsp; The department strongly urges all Nebraskans to seek out information from credible sources such as the local health department the&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx">DHHS COVID-19 webpage</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)&nbsp;</a>.

Following the issuance of new CDC guidance last week, all Red Cross workers will wear face masks at future events.&nbsp; Nebraskans have helped in the COVID-19 response by giving enough blood to meet current blood needs, practicing social distancing and following other recommendations that continue to help flatten the curve in the State. Residents interested in donating blood should contact the Red Cross to schedule an appointment to ensure a stable supply throughout this pandemic.

DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the&nbsp;Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.&nbsp;

Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those who eventually develop symptoms can pass the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html&nbsp;</a>.

Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.

Here's where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first responders on the DHHS website -&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC's website –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is (402) 552-6645; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 7 days a week.

DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website is also a good resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

LINCOLN, Neb.(DHHS) –&nbsp;A worker at a recent Red Cross event held on April 1 in Atkinson has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The worker is not a resident of the North Central District Health Department District (NCDHD). &nbsp;Upon notification, DHHS' epidemiology team, Central District Health Department (CDHD, and NCDHD worked with the Red Cross and the worker to assess the risk of donors and volunteers who attended the blood drive.&nbsp; NCDHD began receiving contact investigation information on April 9. NCDHD immediately initiated contact with these attendees to notify them of potential exposure and next steps. On April 10, fourteen (14) potential close contacts were identified and immediately contacted by the Red Cross.&nbsp; All of these individuals are asymptomatic, quarantining, and self-monitoring for symptom development; they have been instructed to self-isolate should symptoms develop. On Saturday, April 12, NCDHD also contacted these potential close contacts to assist with any questions or concerns.Targeted contact tracing as described above is the best public health course of action at this point. With the cooperation of organizers of this event, the health department was able to establish the population at risk and make recommendations for quarantine and self-monitoring as appropriate. Widespread testing is not warranted at this time because most donors and volunteers had very limited, if any, exposure. A single test of an asymptomatic person after a possible exposure in the time period up to 14 days later does not establish if the person was exposed or not. For those donors or volunteers who had no or limited exposure, the probability of a test being positive at this time would be no higher than any other member of the general population. Those who were identified to be at higher risk are already in self-quarantine and thus are not a risk for further transmission to the community. Testing is only necessary for this group if they become symptomatic. Given these appropriate public health response actions, any additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event is limited.Red Cross workers were provided face masks to wear voluntarily at the blood drive; this individual wore a face mask during interaction with donors at the event.&nbsp; As the window for exposure ends on April 15, additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event remains extremely low.&nbsp;The public health community in Nebraska takes any potential exposure to COVID-19 extremely seriously and continues to take make informed, decisive and appropriate decisions with respect to reducing the spread of coronavirus in all Nebraska communities.&nbsp; The department strongly urges all Nebraskans to seek out information from credible sources such as the local health department the&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx">DHHS COVID-19 webpage</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)&nbsp;</a>.Following the issuance of new CDC guidance last week, all Red Cross workers will wear face masks at future events.&nbsp; Nebraskans have helped in the COVID-19 response by giving enough blood to meet current blood needs, practicing social distancing and following other recommendations that continue to help flatten the curve in the State. Residents interested in donating blood should contact the Red Cross to schedule an appointment to ensure a stable supply throughout this pandemic.DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the&nbsp;Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Stay home.&nbsp; No non-essential errands and no social gatherings.&nbsp; Respect the ten-person limits.</li><li>Socially distance your work.&nbsp; Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.&nbsp;</li><li>Shop alone.&nbsp; Do this only once a week and do not take your family with you.</li><li>Help kids social distance. Play at home, no group sports and no playgrounds.</li><li>Help seniors stay at home.&nbsp; This can be done by shopping for them.&nbsp; Do not visit long-term facilities.&nbsp;</li><li>Exercise daily.&nbsp; Do your best to stay as healthy and safe as you can.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those who eventually develop symptoms can pass the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html&nbsp;</a>.Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.Here's where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first responders on the DHHS website -&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC's website –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is (402) 552-6645; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 7 days a week.DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website is also a good resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

DHHS issues statement on recent Atkinson contact investigation results

KANSAS CITY (AP) — As each day brings the United States closer to peak severe weather season, Tornado Alley residents are facing a difficult question: Is it better to take on a twister outside a community shelter or to face the possibility of contracting the new coronavirus inside one?

So far, sheltering from deadly weather appears to be taking precedent over staying away from a potentially deadly disease, but not for everyone.

In north Alabama, where powerful tornadoes killed dozens in recent years, a little more than 700 people showed up at three shelters — a turnout that was actually larger than usual, due to especially dire storm predictions — when potentially dangerous weather threatened the Tennessee Valley in late March.

Two of the shelters were located in schools, where workers urged people to stay 6 feet apart in accordance with pandemic rules about social distancing, said Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen. They also asked whether anyone felt ill, and people who said they did were directed to an isolation room near an exterior door.

"They were pretty honest about it," Allen said. One elderly couple who were concerned about both disease and twisters locked themselves in a teachers lounge, he said.

No one was hurt in the storms, and Allen said authorities haven't heard of any health problems linked to the sheltering, which lasted about an hour.

But the need for shelters and people's concerns about going to them during a historic pandemic will surely arise again soon. Forecasters said there was a chance of powerful storms in Texas on Thursday, and severe weather including tornadoes could threaten the South from Louisiana to Georgia on Easter Sunday.

April through June is peak tornado season in the United States, which averaged about 1,250 tornadoes annually in the decade ending in 2010, according to statistics from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

The Plains, the Midwest and the Southeast are particularly vulnerable, with a six-state region including Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas most likely to get hit by strong twisters, the records show.

Emergency planners, health officials and forecasters are generally advising people to take their chances with the virus when a tornado is headed their way.

"We should not let fear of the coronavirus blind us to the danger of an imminent tornado," Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement. “If you have to seek refuge in a community shelter, try to practice social distancing and other precautions as much as possible to minimize your risk.”

The National Weather Service and the Alabama Department of Public Health put it more bluntly in a joint statement as severe weather approached last month while virus worries were growing.

“If a warning is issued for your area, you are more likely to be affected by the tornado than the virus,” it said.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Home health worker Flora Thomas would rather take her chances with a twister than the new coronavirus, even though a monster tornado in 2011 killed more than 50 people, badly damaged her home and shattered her Tuscaloosa neighborhood, where there are still more empty lots than rebuilt homes.

“I'm more worried about the virus. I would stay home,” Thomas said. Christopher Hood, who lives nearby, agrees.

“Packed in with a bunch of other people in a shelter? I wouldn't want to be in that position right now,” said Hood.

In southeastern Mississippi last week, residents didn't have a choice about what to do. Within moments of the first warning, a tornado tore an 8-mile-long (13-kilometer-long) path of destruction through the area, with homes ripped apart and sheds flying through the air, said George County Emergency Management Director Nancy Smith.

“There was no time to think about opening shelters,” Smith said.

Tornado season eventually gives way to hurricane season, which begins June 1, and officials along the coast already are considering what to do should a tropical storm system draw near while the region is still under lockdown because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

In Panama City, Florida, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, emergency services director Frankie Lumm said he plans to open more shelters than usual and have more rooms in each than he typically does, to allow for social distancing.

But even that won't be simple: The area is still low on shelters because schools are still being rebuilt after Michael, he said, and providing staffing for additional shelters could be a challenge during a pandemic.

“The rock meets a hard place if I begin to have a hurricane while this is still in full mode,” Lumm said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580157520345.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — As each day brings the United States closer to peak severe weather season, Tornado Alley residents are facing a difficult question: Is it better to take on a twister outside a community shelter or to face the possibility of contracting the new coronavirus inside one?So far, sheltering from deadly weather appears to be taking precedent over staying away from a potentially deadly disease, but not for everyone.In north Alabama, where powerful tornadoes killed dozens in recent years, a little more than 700 people showed up at three shelters — a turnout that was actually larger than usual, due to especially dire storm predictions — when potentially dangerous weather threatened the Tennessee Valley in late March.Two of the shelters were located in schools, where workers urged people to stay 6 feet apart in accordance with pandemic rules about social distancing, said Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen. They also asked whether anyone felt ill, and people who said they did were directed to an isolation room near an exterior door."They were pretty honest about it," Allen said. One elderly couple who were concerned about both disease and twisters locked themselves in a teachers lounge, he said.No one was hurt in the storms, and Allen said authorities haven't heard of any health problems linked to the sheltering, which lasted about an hour.But the need for shelters and people's concerns about going to them during a historic pandemic will surely arise again soon. Forecasters said there was a chance of powerful storms in Texas on Thursday, and severe weather including tornadoes could threaten the South from Louisiana to Georgia on Easter Sunday.April through June is peak tornado season in the United States, which averaged about 1,250 tornadoes annually in the decade ending in 2010, according to statistics from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.The Plains, the Midwest and the Southeast are particularly vulnerable, with a six-state region including Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas most likely to get hit by strong twisters, the records show.Emergency planners, health officials and forecasters are generally advising people to take their chances with the virus when a tornado is headed their way.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586199723314.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly during a press conference Wednesday in Topeka" />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly during a press conference Wednesday in Topeka</figcaption>
 </figure>"We should not let fear of the coronavirus blind us to the danger of an imminent tornado," Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement. “If you have to seek refuge in a community shelter, try to practice social distancing and other precautions as much as possible to minimize your risk.”The National Weather Service and the Alabama Department of Public Health put it more bluntly in a joint statement as severe weather approached last month while virus worries were growing.“If a warning is issued for your area, you are more likely to be affected by the tornado than the virus,” it said.For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.Home health worker Flora Thomas would rather take her chances with a twister than the new coronavirus, even though a monster tornado in 2011 killed more than 50 people, badly damaged her home and shattered her Tuscaloosa neighborhood, where there are still more empty lots than rebuilt homes.“I'm more worried about the virus. I would stay home,” Thomas said. Christopher Hood, who lives nearby, agrees.“Packed in with a bunch of other people in a shelter? I wouldn't want to be in that position right now,” said Hood.In southeastern Mississippi last week, residents didn't have a choice about what to do. Within moments of the first warning, a tornado tore an 8-mile-long (13-kilometer-long) path of destruction through the area, with homes ripped apart and sheds flying through the air, said George County Emergency Management Director Nancy Smith.“There was no time to think about opening shelters,” Smith said.Tornado season eventually gives way to hurricane season, which begins June 1, and officials along the coast already are considering what to do should a tropical storm system draw near while the region is still under lockdown because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.In Panama City, Florida, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, emergency services director Frankie Lumm said he plans to open more shelters than usual and have more rooms in each than he typically does, to allow for social distancing.But even that won't be simple: The area is still low on shelters because schools are still being rebuilt after Michael, he said, and providing staffing for additional shelters could be a challenge during a pandemic.“The rock meets a hard place if I begin to have a hurricane while this is still in full mode,” Lumm said.___

Tornado or virus? Pandemic means tough sheltering decisions

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated Press

Apple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.

The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.

Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.

Privacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.

The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”

Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.

Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.

“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”

Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”

Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.

In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.

The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.

Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.

On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated PressApple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.ADVERTISEMENTPrivacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”___

Apple, Google to harness phones for virus infection tracking

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced progress in repairing a levee system of the Platte River in eastern Nebraska damaged last year during devastating spring floods.

The Corps said in a written statement that it has awarded a $1.68 million construction contract to KEU Inc. of Vancouver, Washington, to repair a levee system between Valley and Fremont. Officials estimated that there are more than 1,300 structures and property worth $1 billion behind the system.

The Corps did not give an estimated completion date for the repairs, but said that "due to the magnitude of damage along those levees, repair efforts will take an extended period of time to complete."

More than 350 miles of levees on the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers and tributaries that experienced significant flood damage since March 2019, the Corps said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced progress in repairing a levee system of the Platte River in eastern Nebraska damaged last year during devastating spring floods.The Corps said in a written statement that it has awarded a $1.68 million construction contract to KEU Inc. of Vancouver, Washington, to repair a levee system between Valley and Fremont. Officials estimated that there are more than 1,300 structures and property worth $1 billion behind the system.The Corps did not give an estimated completion date for the repairs, but said that "due to the magnitude of damage along those levees, repair efforts will take an extended period of time to complete."More than 350 miles of levees on the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers and tributaries that experienced significant flood damage since March 2019, the Corps said.

Contract awarded to repair levee system in eastern Nebraska

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.

With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.

Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”

Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.

Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.

“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”

The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>

The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.

About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.

New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”

“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.

With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.

In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.

Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.

Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.

And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.

Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.

“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.

With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.

Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.

“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.

Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.

Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”

India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.

Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.

Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586635290743.png" alt="<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696207171.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696236815.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.___

20,000: US death toll overtakes Italy's as Midwest braces

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a city ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak, members of one of New Orleans' most famous Mardi Gras groups _ the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club _ have paid a heavy price. 

Zulu President Elroy A. James said four of the fraternal organization’s members have died from coronavirus-related complications. Two others have died since the pandemic began though it’s not known if their deaths were virus-related. An additional 20 have tested positive. 

Fifty-one-year-old Cornell Charles is one Zulu member who died. His wife, Nicole, said her husband was a longtime coach with kids and was drawn to Zulu's philanthropic mission.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586612640697.png" alt="Photo by&nbsp;&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26011645@N00">Paul Schultz</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo by&nbsp;&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26011645@N00">Paul Schultz</a></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a city ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak, members of one of New Orleans' most famous Mardi Gras groups _ the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club _ have paid a heavy price. Zulu President Elroy A. James said four of the fraternal organization’s members have died from coronavirus-related complications. Two others have died since the pandemic began though it’s not known if their deaths were virus-related. An additional 20 have tested positive. Fifty-one-year-old Cornell Charles is one Zulu member who died. His wife, Nicole, said her husband was a longtime coach with kids and was drawn to Zulu's philanthropic mission.

Coronavirus ravages storied New Orleans Mardi Gras group

WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.

At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.

“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”

With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.

But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”

While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”

Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.

More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.

While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”

“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.

Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586553667558.png" alt="President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, told CNN that the timeline for reopening the country would be informed by a team that has been reviewing data day-by-day and presenting that information to the president.“The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open it,” he said. “The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”Still, he cautioned that there will most certainly be cases when that day comes.“When we decide, at a proper time, when we’re going to be relaxing some of the restrictions, there’s no doubt you’re going to see cases,” he said. “The question is how you respond to them.”As a clearer picture of the virus begins to emerge, data has begun to show that it is having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/71d952faad4a2a5d14441534f7230c7c">a particularly devastating impact</a>&nbsp;on an already vulnerable population — black Americans.Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis. African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in those places. Black adults suffer from higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes and asthma, which put them at higher risk for severe complications.To that end, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday made a plea to minority communities to follow social distancing guidelines — if not for themselves, then for their family members.“Do it for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop,” he said, adding that they should also avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.“We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so that we can protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.Asked whether his comments could be deemed offensive for viewers, Adams, who is black, said that was not his intention.“That’s the language that we use and that I use,” he said.___