WASHINGTON (AP) — Bracing the nation for a death toll that could exceed 100,000 people, President Donald Trump on Sunday extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public-health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic.

It was a stark shift in tone by the president, who only days ago mused about the country reopening in a few weeks. From the Rose Garden, he said his Easter revival hopes had only been “aspirational.”

The initial 15-day period of social distancing urged by the federal government expires Monday and Trump had expressed interest in relaxing the national guidelines at least in parts of the country less afflicted by the pandemic. He instead decided to extend them through April 30, a tacit acknowledgment he’d been too optimistic. Many states and local governments have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings.

Trump’s impulse to reopen the country met a sober reality check Sunday from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, who said the U.S. could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the pandemic. That warning hardened a recognition in Washington that the struggle against the coronavirus will not be resolved quickly even as Trump expressed a longing for normalcy.

“I want our life back again,” the president told reporters.

Trump, who has largely avoided talk of potential death and infection rates, cited projection models that said potentially 2.2 million people or more could have died had social distancing measures not been put in place. And he said the country would be doing well if it “can hold” the number of deaths “down to 100,000.” He said the best case for the country would be for the death rate to peak in about two weeks.

“It’s a horrible number,” Trump said, but added, “We all together have done a very good job.”

Brought forward by Trump at the outdoor briefing, Fauci said his projection of a potential 100,000 to 200,000 deaths is “entirely conceivable” if not enough is done to mitigate the crisis. He said that helped shape the extension of the guidelines, which he called “a wise and prudent decision.”

Americans are now being called on to prepare for another 30 days of severe economic and social disruption, as schools and businesses are closed and public life is upended. One in 3 Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus.

Trump acknowledged that he may be forced to extend the guidelines again at the end of April, but expressed hope that by June 1, “we should be well on our way to recovery.”

The federal guidelines recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 and urge older people and anyone with existing health problems to stay home. People are urged to work at home when possible and avoid restaurants, bars, non-essential travel and shopping trips.

For more than a week, Trump had been bombarded by calls from outside business leaders who urged him to begin re-opening the nation’s economy and warned of catastrophic consequences that could damage his re-election chances if it remained shuttered for much longer.

“The president is right. The cure can’t be worse than the disease, and we’re going to have to make some difficult trade-offs,” Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow had said last Monday, reflecting the thinking of his economic team.

That talk alarmed health experts, who urged Trump to keep encouraging people to stay home. The virus was still spreading, with the peak still weeks away, the experts warned.

In the end, Trump, in the face of dire projections and increasingly alarming images out of New York, sided with his health experts and backed off the idea of loosening recommended restrictions on less impacted parts of the country.

“They’re the best in the profession and they didn’t like that idea,” he said of Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force.

Trump was clearly moved by the scenes from New York, particularly hard-hit Elmhurst Hospital in his native Queens.

“I’ve been watching that for the last week on television,” he said. ”Body bags all over, in hallways. I’ve been watching them bring in trailer trucks — freezer trucks, they’re freezer trucks, because they can’t handle the bodies, there are so many of them. This is essentially in my community, in Queens, Queens, New York,” he continued. “I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen before.”

Phasing out the recommendations would have been a symbolic nod to business and an affront to public health experts, but may have had little practical impact. States across the country already have their own restrictions in place that, in many cases, are far stricter than the administration’s, and those would have remained in place.

Birx and Fauci said even those areas yet to face a significant outbreak must prepare for the eventuality that they will.

“This can happen anywhere,” Fauci said. “And that’s really one of the issues that we’re concerned about and why we were so reluctant to pull back at a time when we need to put our foot on the gas as opposed to on the brake.”

The U.S. had more than 139,000 COVID-19 cases reported by Sunday evening, with more than 2,400 deaths. During the course of the Rose Garden briefing, reported deaths grew by several dozen and the number of cases by several thousand.

Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems. Hospitals in the most afflicted areas are straining to handle patients and some are short of critical supplies.

Fauci’s prediction would take the death toll well past that of the average seasonal flu. Trump repeatedly cited the flu’s comparatively much higher cost in lives in playing down the severity of this pandemic.

Trump’s change in tone was previewed Saturday, when the president suggested then backed away from instituting an “enforceable” quarantine of hard-hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Instead, the White House task force recommended a travel advisory for residents of those states to limit non-essential travel to slow the spread of the virus to other parts of the U.S.

The quarantine notion was strongly opposed by the governors of those states, who argued it would cause panic.

Even as he opted against the quarantine, Trump on Sunday suggested without evidence that hospitals and hospital systems were “hoarding” ventilators and other medical supplies that were needed in other areas of the state. He also encouraged the Food and Drug Administration to streamline approvals for companies seeking to sanitize badly needed respirators so they can be reused.

For weeks, Trump minimized the gravity of the pandemic, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday accused Trump of “denial” in the crisis and called it “deadly.”

Asked whether she believes that attitude cost American lives, Pelosi told CNN: “Yes, I am. I’m saying that.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, said he wouldn’t go so far as to lay the blame for deaths on the president. “I think that’s a little too harsh,” he told NBC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585564615489.png" alt="President Trump listens to Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D., Assistant Sec. for Health and Human Services during Sunday's outdoor Coronavirus Task Force briefing- image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump listens to Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D., Assistant Sec. for Health and Human Services during Sunday's outdoor Coronavirus Task Force briefing- image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Bracing the nation for a death toll that could exceed 100,000 people, President Donald Trump on Sunday extended restrictive social distancing guidelines through April, bowing to public-health experts who presented him with even more dire projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic.It was a stark shift in tone by the president, who only days ago mused about the country reopening in a few weeks. From the Rose Garden, he said his Easter revival hopes had only been “aspirational.”The initial 15-day period of social distancing urged by the federal government expires Monday and Trump had expressed interest in relaxing the national guidelines at least in parts of the country less afflicted by the pandemic. He instead decided to extend them through April 30, a tacit acknowledgment he’d been too optimistic. Many states and local governments have stiffer controls in place on mobility and gatherings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585521942640.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci during Sunday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci during Sunday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump’s impulse to reopen the country met a sober reality check Sunday from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, who said the U.S. could experience more than 100,000 deaths and millions of infections from the pandemic. That warning hardened a recognition in Washington that the struggle against the coronavirus will not be resolved quickly even as Trump expressed a longing for normalcy.“I want our life back again,” the president told reporters.Trump, who has largely avoided talk of potential death and infection rates, cited projection models that said potentially 2.2 million people or more could have died had social distancing measures not been put in place. And he said the country would be doing well if it “can hold” the number of deaths “down to 100,000.” He said the best case for the country would be for the death rate to peak in about two weeks.“It’s a horrible number,” Trump said, but added, “We all together have done a very good job.”Brought forward by Trump at the outdoor briefing, Fauci said his projection of a potential 100,000 to 200,000 deaths is “entirely conceivable” if not enough is done to mitigate the crisis. He said that helped shape the extension of the guidelines, which he called “a wise and prudent decision.”Americans are now being called on to prepare for another 30 days of severe economic and social disruption, as schools and businesses are closed and public life is upended. One in 3 Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus.Trump acknowledged that he may be forced to extend the guidelines again at the end of April, but expressed hope that by June 1, “we should be well on our way to recovery.”The federal guidelines recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 and urge older people and anyone with existing health problems to stay home. People are urged to work at home when possible and avoid restaurants, bars, non-essential travel and shopping trips.For more than a week, Trump had been bombarded by calls from outside business leaders who urged him to begin re-opening the nation’s economy and warned of catastrophic consequences that could damage his re-election chances if it remained shuttered for much longer.“The president is right. The cure can’t be worse than the disease, and we’re going to have to make some difficult trade-offs,” Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow had said last Monday, reflecting the thinking of his economic team.That talk alarmed health experts, who urged Trump to keep encouraging people to stay home. The virus was still spreading, with the peak still weeks away, the experts warned.In the end, Trump, in the face of dire projections and increasingly alarming images out of New York, sided with his health experts and backed off the idea of loosening recommended restrictions on less impacted parts of the country.“They’re the best in the profession and they didn’t like that idea,” he said of Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force.Trump was clearly moved by the scenes from New York, particularly hard-hit Elmhurst Hospital in his native Queens.“I’ve been watching that for the last week on television,” he said. ”Body bags all over, in hallways. I’ve been watching them bring in trailer trucks — freezer trucks, they’re freezer trucks, because they can’t handle the bodies, there are so many of them. This is essentially in my community, in Queens, Queens, New York,” he continued. “I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen before.”Phasing out the recommendations would have been a symbolic nod to business and an affront to public health experts, but may have had little practical impact. States across the country already have their own restrictions in place that, in many cases, are far stricter than the administration’s, and those would have remained in place.Birx and Fauci said even those areas yet to face a significant outbreak must prepare for the eventuality that they will.“This can happen anywhere,” Fauci said. “And that’s really one of the issues that we’re concerned about and why we were so reluctant to pull back at a time when we need to put our foot on the gas as opposed to on the brake.”The U.S. had more than 139,000 COVID-19 cases reported by Sunday evening, with more than 2,400 deaths. During the course of the Rose Garden briefing, reported deaths grew by several dozen and the number of cases by several thousand.Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems. Hospitals in the most afflicted areas are straining to handle patients and some are short of critical supplies.Fauci’s prediction would take the death toll well past that of the average seasonal flu. Trump repeatedly cited the flu’s comparatively much higher cost in lives in playing down the severity of this pandemic.Trump’s change in tone was previewed Saturday, when the president suggested then backed away from instituting an “enforceable” quarantine of hard-hit New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Instead, the White House task force recommended a travel advisory for residents of those states to limit non-essential travel to slow the spread of the virus to other parts of the U.S.The quarantine notion was strongly opposed by the governors of those states, who argued it would cause panic.Even as he opted against the quarantine, Trump on Sunday suggested without evidence that hospitals and hospital systems were “hoarding” ventilators and other medical supplies that were needed in other areas of the state. He also encouraged the Food and Drug Administration to streamline approvals for companies seeking to sanitize badly needed respirators so they can be reused.For weeks, Trump minimized the gravity of the pandemic, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday accused Trump of “denial” in the crisis and called it “deadly.”Asked whether she believes that attitude cost American lives, Pelosi told CNN: “Yes, I am. I’m saying that.”Former Vice President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, said he wouldn’t go so far as to lay the blame for deaths on the president. “I think that’s a little too harsh,” he told NBC.

Trump extends virus guidelines, braces US for big death toll

Following a dramatic expansion in testing, ten new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Douglas County. This preliminary data from the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) brings the total of cases in the county to 57.

“We have been anticipating this as testing has greatly expanded. Both Nebraska Medicine and the Nebraska Public Health Lab have increased testing,” Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour said. “For the first time we received more than 100 test results from CHI and private labs outside the health systems are now providing test results. This knowledge will allow us to better respond to the outbreak.”

These latest cases involve two women and a man in their 30s, two women and two men in their 40s, two women in their 50s and a woman in her 70s. Four of the cases had direct contact with previously known COVID-19 cases, two are related to travel and the Health Department’s Epidemiology Team continues to investigate the other cases. No one is hospitalized.

The Health Department reminds everyone to take precautions throughout the community to avoid a COVID-19 infection. You also should consider that many people who are sick have mild symptoms. According to the CDC, four out of five people who have become ill acquired the disease from someone who didn’t know they had it, so there likely are many more people in the community who are infected with COVID-19 than have been reported.

Please increase your awareness of the symptoms, which include a fever, cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or develop symptoms, contact your health care provider and tell them how you are feeling and any possible history of exposure, then call ahead before you go to the doctor’s office or an emergency room.

DCHD’s information line remains open to anyone with general questions about COVID-19. That number, (402) 444-3400, is answered seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Nebraska DHHS has a COVID-19 information line open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at (402) 552-6645. Any person who has questions outside those hours is asked to call the United Way’s 2-1-1 Resource Hotline.

News ReleaseFollowing a dramatic expansion in testing, ten new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Douglas County. This preliminary data from the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) brings the total of cases in the county to 57.“We have been anticipating this as testing has greatly expanded. Both Nebraska Medicine and the Nebraska Public Health Lab have increased testing,” Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour said. “For the first time we received more than 100 test results from CHI and private labs outside the health systems are now providing test results. This knowledge will allow us to better respond to the outbreak.”These latest cases involve two women and a man in their 30s, two women and two men in their 40s, two women in their 50s and a woman in her 70s. Four of the cases had direct contact with previously known COVID-19 cases, two are related to travel and the Health Department’s Epidemiology Team continues to investigate the other cases. No one is hospitalized.The Health Department reminds everyone to take precautions throughout the community to avoid a COVID-19 infection. You also should consider that many people who are sick have mild symptoms. According to the CDC, four out of five people who have become ill acquired the disease from someone who didn’t know they had it, so there likely are many more people in the community who are infected with COVID-19 than have been reported.Please increase your awareness of the symptoms, which include a fever, cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or develop symptoms, contact your health care provider and tell them how you are feeling and any possible history of exposure, then call ahead before you go to the doctor’s office or an emergency room.DCHD’s information line remains open to anyone with general questions about COVID-19. That number, (402) 444-3400, is answered seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Nebraska DHHS has a COVID-19 information line open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at (402) 552-6645. Any person who has questions outside those hours is asked to call the United Way’s 2-1-1 Resource Hotline.

More testing leads to 10 new confirmed cases in Douglas County

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature agreed Sunday that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;is necessary to help check the spread of the new coronavirus, allowing it to take effect Monday as planned.

The top seven legislative leaders, five of them Republicans, had the power to revoke Kelly’s order but made no move to do so during a half-hour teleconference meeting. They convened a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents, and it will remain in force at least until April 19.

State health officials said Sunday that Kansas has 319 cases in 35 of the state’s 105 counties and six COVID-19-related deaths. The number of confirmed cases grew by 58 from Saturday.

Nearly two dozen other states have stay-at-home orders in place, and Kelly waited until at least 25 counties issued their own orders, including the state’s most populous ones. Those orders cover more than 2.1 million people, or 73% of the state’s residents. Hers would be in force until April 19.

Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared on March 12 until at least May 1 instead of allowing it to expire Thursday.

Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach. But none of the leaders criticized the stay-at-home order during Sunday’s meeting.

And afterward, Wagle said in a statement: “We are in this fight together.”

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

As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state’s emergency management director, told the legislative leaders that the stay-at-home order is “the best thing we can do.”

State law gives the governor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0025_section/048_009_0025_k/" target="_blank">broad authority</a>&nbsp;to deal with emergencies but allows the Legislature&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0024_section/048_009_0024_k/" target="_blank">to revoke</a>&nbsp;emergency declarations, though there’s not been a case in recent memory of them seeking to do so. Some GOP conservatives were upset with Kelly’s order on March 17 that closed the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the semester.

President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses.

They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks. Some Americans have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.

And University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.

Democrats have claimed that Kelly’s Republican predecessors didn’t face the same pushback when confronting disasters.

“I’m glad they didn’t do anything crazy, but I was certainly concerned about it,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. “We shouldn’t have to go through that.”

But House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Republican from Olathe, the Johnson County seat, said lawmakers requiring a review of Kelly’s orders wasn’t about partisan politics. Instead, he said, it’s about keeping in place the normal checks and balances in state government.

“You always want to balance your safety with rights,” Ryckman said. “We’re continually trying to thread a needle.”

In response to questions, Clay Britton, the governor’s chief counsel, said the stay-at-home order contains exceptions for both religious worship services and guns sales. It also makes exceptions for “essential” tasks, such as buying food and getting medical care.

Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas, said the state needed to prevent mixed messages about the new virus. She’s been urging fellow residents of Rooks County to stay at home, and the county issued a shelter-in-place order for its 5,000 residents that took effect Saturday, without a confirmed coronavirus case.

Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing.

“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature were considering whether to revoke Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;that was set to take effect Monday as she tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Legislature’s top seven leaders, five of them Republicans, planned to convene by teleconference Sunday afternoon to review Kelly’s order. They set the meeting a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents.

Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared March 12 until at least May 1. Had lawmakers not passed the resolution, the state of emergency would have expired Thursday, potentially jeopardizing federal aid.

Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach.

“Our state has varying economic concerns and differing population bases,” Wagle said in a statement. “We are not like coastal states.”

President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses. They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks, just as some in the U.S. have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.

University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.

“If you have someone in your life that you have a strained relationship with, you don’t all of a sudden do a 180 and that relationship changes overnight,” Miller said.

Top Republicans’ willingness to push back on Kelly’s actions frustrated Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas. Her home county, Rooks County, issued a stay-at-home order for its 5,000 residents, effective Saturday, before having a confirmed case of the virus.

Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing. She called pushing back on Kelly’s actions “exceptionally short-sighted” because, “We haven’t come close to seeing the peak.”

“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said. “Do they not understand? Look at Kansas City. Yes, it’s a denser population. Yes it’s already there, but all they have to do over the last three days is watch how it has marched west.”

As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. The coronavirus has spread geographically since being confirmed in the Kansas City area on March 13.

Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week. She said steps she and local officials have taken have slowed its spread but, “they’re not enough.”

“Positive cases are appearing everywhere at this point,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585567462894.png" alt="Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state's emergency management director met with Kansas legislative leaders Sunday who were considering Governor Kelly's stay-at-home order -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state's emergency management director met with Kansas legislative leaders Sunday who were considering Governor Kelly's stay-at-home order -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature agreed Sunday that Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;is necessary to help check the spread of the new coronavirus, allowing it to take effect Monday as planned.The top seven legislative leaders, five of them Republicans, had the power to revoke Kelly’s order but made no move to do so during a half-hour teleconference meeting. They convened a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents, and it will remain in force at least until April 19.State health officials said Sunday that Kansas has 319 cases in 35 of the state’s 105 counties and six COVID-19-related deaths. The number of confirmed cases grew by 58 from Saturday.Nearly two dozen other states have stay-at-home orders in place, and Kelly waited until at least 25 counties issued their own orders, including the state’s most populous ones. Those orders cover more than 2.1 million people, or 73% of the state’s residents. Hers would be in force until April 19.Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared on March 12 until at least May 1 instead of allowing it to expire Thursday.Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach. But none of the leaders criticized the stay-at-home order during Sunday’s meeting.And afterward, Wagle said in a statement: “We are in this fight together.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week.Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the state’s emergency management director, told the legislative leaders that the stay-at-home order is “the best thing we can do.”State law gives the governor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0025_section/048_009_0025_k/" target="_blank">broad authority</a>&nbsp;to deal with emergencies but allows the Legislature&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0024_section/048_009_0024_k/" target="_blank">to revoke</a>&nbsp;emergency declarations, though there’s not been a case in recent memory of them seeking to do so. Some GOP conservatives were upset with Kelly’s order on March 17 that closed the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the semester.President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses.They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks. Some Americans have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.And University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.Democrats have claimed that Kelly’s Republican predecessors didn’t face the same pushback when confronting disasters.“I’m glad they didn’t do anything crazy, but I was certainly concerned about it,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. “We shouldn’t have to go through that.”But House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Republican from Olathe, the Johnson County seat, said lawmakers requiring a review of Kelly’s orders wasn’t about partisan politics. Instead, he said, it’s about keeping in place the normal checks and balances in state government.“You always want to balance your safety with rights,” Ryckman said. “We’re continually trying to thread a needle.”In response to questions, Clay Britton, the governor’s chief counsel, said the stay-at-home order contains exceptions for both religious worship services and guns sales. It also makes exceptions for “essential” tasks, such as buying food and getting medical care.Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas, said the state needed to prevent mixed messages about the new virus. She’s been urging fellow residents of Rooks County to stay at home, and the county issued a shelter-in-place order for its 5,000 residents that took effect Saturday, without a confirmed coronavirus case.Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing.“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said.___TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Leaders of the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature were considering whether to revoke Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO20-16.pdf" target="_blank">stay-at-home order</a>&nbsp;that was set to take effect Monday as she tries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F2622869617979550%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Legislature’s top seven leaders, five of them Republicans, planned to convene by teleconference Sunday afternoon to review Kelly’s order. They set the meeting a day after the governor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/425a488fcf8f16dfb0d7e06a9293b1ff">issued her order</a>&nbsp;for the state’s 2.9 million residents.State health officials said Sunday that Kansas has 319 cases in 35 of the state’s 105 counties and six COVID-19-related deaths. The number of confirmed cases grew by 58 from Saturday.Nearly two dozen other states have stay-at-home orders in place, and Kelly waited until at least 25 counties issued their own orders, including the state’s most populous ones. Those orders cover more than 2.1 million people, or 73% of the state’s residents. Hers would be in force until April 19.Lawmakers gave their leaders the power to overturn Kelly’s coronavirus orders in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/measures/documents/hcr5025_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a resolution</a>&nbsp;extending a state of emergency Kelly declared March 12 until at least May 1. Had lawmakers not passed the resolution, the state of emergency would have expired Thursday, potentially jeopardizing federal aid.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSenatorSusanWagle%2Fposts%2F1627577420723035&width=500" width="500" height="230" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and U.S. Senate candidate who frequently criticizes Kelly, said Saturday that she was worried about a “one size fits all” approach.“Our state has varying economic concerns and differing population bases,” Wagle said in a statement. “We are not like coastal states.”State law gives the governor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0025_section/048_009_0025_k/" target="_blank">broad authority</a>&nbsp;to deal with emergencies but allows the Legislature&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/048_000_0000_chapter/048_009_0000_article/048_009_0024_section/048_009_0024_k/" target="_blank">to revoke</a>&nbsp;emergency declarations, though there’s not been a case in recent memory of them seeking to do so. Some GOP conservatives were upset with Kelly’s order on March 17 that closed the state’s K-12 schools for the rest of the semester.President Donald Trump has said he wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02d2fdbfd1ddad86b4a9f67643371f0b">to reopen the U.S. economy</a>&nbsp;by Easter, and in Kansas, some GOP lawmakers worry about destroying small businesses. They’ve also said they want to prevent abuses of power in an emergency that could last weeks, just as some in the U.S. have said state and federal governments are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/75e84a13c654bac94befc7a36651ced6">trampling on freedoms</a>&nbsp;central to American life in the name of protecting public health.University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said GOP lawmakers’ relationship with Kelly is “uniquely dysfunctional.” It has often been strained since she took office in January 2019.“If you have someone in your life that you have a strained relationship with, you don’t all of a sudden do a 180 and that relationship changes overnight,” Miller said.Top Republicans’ willingness to push back on Kelly’s actions frustrated Dr. Beth Oller, a family-practice physician in Stockton in northwest Kansas. Her home county, Rooks County, issued a stay-at-home order for its 5,000 residents, effective Saturday, before having a confirmed case of the virus.Oller said it’s almost certain that more people have the coronavirus than the state has reported because of limited testing. She called pushing back on Kelly’s actions “exceptionally short-sighted” because, “We haven’t come close to seeing the peak.”“The only way that you flatten the curve effectively is by doing something before it gets bad,” she said. “Do they not understand? Look at Kansas City. Yes, it’s a denser population. Yes it’s already there, but all they have to do over the last three days is watch how it has marched west.”For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.As it has elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases in Kansas has doubled roughly every three days. The coronavirus has spread geographically since being confirmed in the Kansas City area on March 13.Kelly said Saturday that Kansas could have as many as 900 coronavirus cases by the end of this week. She said steps she and local officials have taken have slowed its spread but, “they’re not enough.”“Positive cases are appearing everywhere at this point,” she said.

Update: Top Kan. lawmakers let governor's stay-at-home order stand

NEW YORK (AP) — Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like “Home” and “Pickup Man,” has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61. He was to headline a performance at the Kansas State Fair with Logan Mize September 15.

Diffie on Friday announced he had contracted the coronavirus, becoming the first country star to go public with such a diagnosis. Diffie's publicist Scott Adkins said the singer died Sunday due to complications from the virus.

Diffie, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 25 years. His hits included “Honky Tonk Attitude," “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die," “Bigger Than the Beatles" and “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets).”

His mid-90s albums “Honkey Tonk Attitude” and “Third Rock From the Sun” went platinum. Eighteen of Diffie's singles landed in the top 10, with five going No. 1. In his 2013 single “1994,” Jason Aldean name-checked the '90s country mainstay.

Diffie is survived by his wife, Theresa Crump, and five children from his four marriages.

NEW YORK (AP) — Country singer Joe Diffie, who had a string of hits in the 1990s with chart-topping ballads and honky-tonk singles like “Home” and “Pickup Man,” has died after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 61. He was to headline a performance at the Kansas State Fair with Logan Mize September 15.Diffie on Friday announced he had contracted the coronavirus, becoming the first country star to go public with such a diagnosis. Diffie's publicist Scott Adkins said the singer died Sunday due to complications from the virus.Diffie, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 25 years. His hits included “Honky Tonk Attitude," “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die," “Bigger Than the Beatles" and “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets).”His mid-90s albums “Honkey Tonk Attitude” and “Third Rock From the Sun” went platinum. Eighteen of Diffie's singles landed in the top 10, with five going No. 1. In his 2013 single “1994,” Jason Aldean name-checked the '90s country mainstay.Diffie is survived by his wife, Theresa Crump, and five children from his four marriages.

Country singer Joe Diffie dies of coronavirus complications

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert warned on Sunday as smoldering hot spots in nursing homes and a growing list of stricken cities heightened the sense of dread across the country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the dire prediction of fatalities on CNN, adding that millions in the U.S. could become infected.

By evening, the U.S. had over 135,000 infections and 2,400 deaths, according to the running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases is thought to be considerably higher because of testing shortages and mild illnesses that have gone unreported.

Worldwide, more than 710,000 infections were reported, and deaths topped 33,000, half of them in Italy and Spain, where hospitals are swamped and the health system is at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ec91dc45d8d7c2ea86b0a97446a303a">breaking point</a>.

New York state — where the death toll closed in on 1,000, up by more than 200 from the day before — remained the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with the vast majority of the deaths in New York City. But spikes in infections were recorded around the country, not only in metropolitan areas but in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.

“This is not going to get better soon,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

The virus is moving fast through nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places that house elderly or otherwise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4310cabee8397f9af442660b37f430e4">vulnerable people</a>, spreading “like fire through dry grass,” Cuomo said.

Since the U.S. saw its first major outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this month — centered at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington — a stream of facilities have battled infections among residents and staff.

A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 147 nursing homes in 27 states had patients with COVID-19. The problem has only worsened since.

In Woodbridge, New Jersey, an entire nursing home relocated its residents after two dozen were confirmed infected and the rest were presumed to be. In Louisiana, at least 11 nursing homes, largely in the New Orleans area, have reported cases. In Mount Airy, Maryland, a death linked to the virus was recorded in a home where 66 people were confirmed infected.

Residents’ loved ones are being kept away to try to slow the spread of the virus.

“I have a feeling that I very likely may never see my mother again,” said James Preller, whose 94-year-old mother, Ann Preller, is a resident at Peconic Landing, a retirement community near Greenport on New York’s Long Island where seven have died in the past two weeks.

Brian Lee of Families for Better Care, an advocacy group for those living in long-term care facilities, said in a nursing home, “when we see an outbreak that’s uncontrolled, it’s practically a death sentence.” But he also said the way residents are being walled off from the outside world is as much of a concern as the virus itself.

In New York, the virus is overwhelming some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, with data showing high rates of infection in densely packed areas with big non-English-speaking populations.

Dr. Craig Smith, who heads the surgery department at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, said the hospital will probably be forced into “apocalyptic scenarios” in the coming weeks in which ventilators and intensive care unit beds will need to be rationed.

“Yesterday tried my soul,” he wrote in an online posting.

Worry for the poorest was being echoed around the world.

In India, a lockdown covering the country’s 1.3 billion people has put untold numbers out of work and left many families struggling to feed themselves. Tens of thousands in New Delhi were forced to flee their homes, with no way to pay the rent, journeying back to their native villages. Women in saris held babies on their hips. Others toted their belongings in bags normally used for cement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized for the hardships that the lockdown brought but said, “These tough measures were needed to win this battle.”

Though the U.S. leads the world in reported cases, five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France.

Italy reported more than 750 new fatalities Sunday, bringing the country’s total to nearly 10,800. But the number of new infections showed signs of easing, with officials expressing cautious optimism that the most severe shutdown in the industrialized West is showing results.

Italy’s civil protection agency said more than 5,200 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest number in four days, for a total of almost 98,000 infections.

Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work as it hit another daily record of almost 840 dead. The country’s overall official toll was more than 6,500.

Spain’s health emergencies chief, Fernando Simón, said the number of people in intensive care units keeps rising and hospitals are at their limits in several regions.

“That is why we have to strictly apply the control measures,” he said.

Egypt shut its beaches as cases in the Mideast surpassed 50,000. Police in the Philippines stepped up arrests of quarantine violators, and more tourists were evacuated from Mount Everest and the Indonesian island of Bali.

Poland is considering delaying its May 10 presidential election. Russia ordered borders to close on Monday, Moscow all but confined its 12 million residents to their homes, and the head of the Russian Orthodox called on believers to stay away from churches and pray at home instead.

A prominent French politician with the virus died, the country’s first death of a senior official.

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

About 150,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins.

President Donald Trump on Saturday backtracked on a proposal to quarantine New York and neighboring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move. But the CDC issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.

Shocking as that is, it stopped short of the restrictions imposed in Europe or elsewhere. Parisians are fined if they try to leave the city, South Africans can’t buy liquor, and Serbians are upset over a ban on walking their dogs. In Italy, burials are being held with only one family member.

Some U.S. states began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas. Rhode Island National Guard troops went door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers. Florida is setting up checkpoints to screen visitors from Louisiana.

As others tightened controls, China continued to ease its restrictions, following the ruling Communist Party’s declaration of victory over the coronavirus. Flights from Hubei province at the epicenter of the country’s outbreak resumed Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585496965542.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci visits with Vice President Mike Pence prior to Wednesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci visits with Vice President Mike Pence prior to Wednesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak could kill 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert warned on Sunday as smoldering hot spots in nursing homes and a growing list of stricken cities heightened the sense of dread across the country.Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the dire prediction of fatalities on CNN, adding that millions in the U.S. could become infected.By evening, the U.S. had over 135,000 infections and 2,400 deaths, according to the running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases is thought to be considerably higher because of testing shortages and mild illnesses that have gone unreported.Worldwide, more than 710,000 infections were reported, and deaths topped 33,000, half of them in Italy and Spain, where hospitals are swamped and the health system is at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7ec91dc45d8d7c2ea86b0a97446a303a">breaking point</a>.New York state — where the death toll closed in on 1,000, up by more than 200 from the day before — remained the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with the vast majority of the deaths in New York City. But spikes in infections were recorded around the country, not only in metropolitan areas but in Midwestern towns and Rocky Mountain ski havens.“This is not going to get better soon,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.The virus is moving fast through nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places that house elderly or otherwise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4310cabee8397f9af442660b37f430e4">vulnerable people</a>, spreading “like fire through dry grass,” Cuomo said.Since the U.S. saw its first major outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this month — centered at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington — a stream of facilities have battled infections among residents and staff.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585521942640.png" alt="Dr. Fauci during Sunday Coronavirus Task Force briefing -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Fauci during Sunday Coronavirus Task Force briefing -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 147 nursing homes in 27 states had patients with COVID-19. The problem has only worsened since.In Woodbridge, New Jersey, an entire nursing home relocated its residents after two dozen were confirmed infected and the rest were presumed to be. In Louisiana, at least 11 nursing homes, largely in the New Orleans area, have reported cases. In Mount Airy, Maryland, a death linked to the virus was recorded in a home where 66 people were confirmed infected.Residents’ loved ones are being kept away to try to slow the spread of the virus.“I have a feeling that I very likely may never see my mother again,” said James Preller, whose 94-year-old mother, Ann Preller, is a resident at Peconic Landing, a retirement community near Greenport on New York’s Long Island where seven have died in the past two weeks.Brian Lee of Families for Better Care, an advocacy group for those living in long-term care facilities, said in a nursing home, “when we see an outbreak that’s uncontrolled, it’s practically a death sentence.” But he also said the way residents are being walled off from the outside world is as much of a concern as the virus itself.In New York, the virus is overwhelming some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, with data showing high rates of infection in densely packed areas with big non-English-speaking populations.Dr. Craig Smith, who heads the surgery department at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, said the hospital will probably be forced into “apocalyptic scenarios” in the coming weeks in which ventilators and intensive care unit beds will need to be rationed.“Yesterday tried my soul,” he wrote in an online posting.Worry for the poorest was being echoed around the world.In India, a lockdown covering the country’s 1.3 billion people has put untold numbers out of work and left many families struggling to feed themselves. Tens of thousands in New Delhi were forced to flee their homes, with no way to pay the rent, journeying back to their native villages. Women in saris held babies on their hips. Others toted their belongings in bags normally used for cement.Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized for the hardships that the lockdown brought but said, “These tough measures were needed to win this battle.”Though the U.S. leads the world in reported cases, five other countries have higher death tolls: Italy, Spain, China, Iran and France.Italy reported more than 750 new fatalities Sunday, bringing the country’s total to nearly 10,800. But the number of new infections showed signs of easing, with officials expressing cautious optimism that the most severe shutdown in the industrialized West is showing results.Italy’s civil protection agency said more than 5,200 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest number in four days, for a total of almost 98,000 infections.Spain moved to tighten its lockdown and ban all nonessential work as it hit another daily record of almost 840 dead. The country’s overall official toll was more than 6,500.Spain’s health emergencies chief, Fernando Simón, said the number of people in intensive care units keeps rising and hospitals are at their limits in several regions.“That is why we have to strictly apply the control measures,” he said.Egypt shut its beaches as cases in the Mideast surpassed 50,000. Police in the Philippines stepped up arrests of quarantine violators, and more tourists were evacuated from Mount Everest and the Indonesian island of Bali.Poland is considering delaying its May 10 presidential election. Russia ordered borders to close on Monday, Moscow all but confined its 12 million residents to their homes, and the head of the Russian Orthodox called on believers to stay away from churches and pray at home instead.A prominent French politician with the virus died, the country’s first death of a senior official.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and lead to death.About 150,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins.President Donald Trump on Saturday backtracked on a proposal to quarantine New York and neighboring states amid criticism and questions about the legality of such a move. But the CDC issued a travel advisory urging all residents of New York City and others in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.Shocking as that is, it stopped short of the restrictions imposed in Europe or elsewhere. Parisians are fined if they try to leave the city, South Africans can’t buy liquor, and Serbians are upset over a ban on walking their dogs. In Italy, burials are being held with only one family member.Some U.S. states began to try to limit exposure from visitors from harder-hit areas. Rhode Island National Guard troops went door to door in coastal communities to find New Yorkers. Florida is setting up checkpoints to screen visitors from Louisiana.As others tightened controls, China continued to ease its restrictions, following the ruling Communist Party’s declaration of victory over the coronavirus. Flights from Hubei province at the epicenter of the country’s outbreak resumed Sunday.___

Up to 200K US deaths foreseen as more cities stricken with virus

TOPEKA —Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman is a grandfather and said Friday he enjoyed visiting with and answering the questions kids have on the virus.&nbsp;

TOPEKA —Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman is a grandfather and said Friday he enjoyed visiting with and answering the questions kids have on the virus.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This was fun! Let&#39;s do it again soon. Share your questions with me, kids. <a href="https://t.co/hd7OngyVBR">pic.twitter.com/hd7OngyVBR</a>&mdash; Lee Norman (@SecNorman) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecNorman/status/1243646784917909504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Kan. health secretary answers kids' questions about coronavirus

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and searching for suspects.

Just after 4:45 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting at the apartments in the 900 block of West 29th&nbsp;Street South in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man inside of a white Ford Focus.&nbsp; The vehicle had damage from multiple gunshots.&nbsp; The 17-year-old had sustained minor injuries, was taken to an area hospital for treatment and released.&nbsp; The 18-year-old man was not injured.&nbsp; There was a third individual inside the vehicle that fled before police arrived.

The investigation revealed, the 17-year-old, 18-year-old, and third individual were at a party at a home in the 1200 block of west 30th&nbsp;Street South.&nbsp; At the party, a disturbance ensued.&nbsp; The 17-year-old, 18-year-old and the third individual fled in the Ford Focus, and an unknown suspect fired multiple shots that struck the vehicle and caused minor injuries to the girl.&nbsp;

Investigators are working to determine the circumstances of what occurred.&nbsp; A lack of all cooperation in this investigation has affected investigators from learning all the details of this case, according to Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and searching for suspects.Just after 4:45 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a shooting at the apartments in the 900 block of West 29th&nbsp;Street South in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man inside of a white Ford Focus.&nbsp; The vehicle had damage from multiple gunshots.&nbsp; The 17-year-old had sustained minor injuries, was taken to an area hospital for treatment and released.&nbsp; The 18-year-old man was not injured.&nbsp; There was a third individual inside the vehicle that fled before police arrived.The investigation revealed, the 17-year-old, 18-year-old, and third individual were at a party at a home in the 1200 block of west 30th&nbsp;Street South.&nbsp; At the party, a disturbance ensued.&nbsp; The 17-year-old, 18-year-old and the third individual fled in the Ford Focus, and an unknown suspect fired multiple shots that struck the vehicle and caused minor injuries to the girl.&nbsp;Investigators are working to determine the circumstances of what occurred.&nbsp; A lack of all cooperation in this investigation has affected investigators from learning all the details of this case, according to Davidson.

Police: Party ends with 17-year-old Kansas girl wounded 

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Madison County reported a new case of COVID-19, which has been identified as community transmitted. It’s a man in his 70s who currently resides at a long-term care facility in Norfolk. He is self-isolating. Community transmission is when people have COVID-19 but public health officials are unable to identify how or where they became infected -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2VsdnBoZC5vcmcvIn0.WkxPKlg0UpkblyJCjWB0Dk2Y53-XtX75oQ1Syg1pG4E%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976425989&amp;sdata=0oQEox9QHtA7i%2B5sUIebvTkViu5hZ8idGelya99NLqY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://elvphd.org/</a>.

A state Directed Health Measure (DHM) will be issued and go into effect Sunday, March 29 at 9:00 a.m. for Burt, Cuming, Madison and Stanton Counties.

The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Gosper and Platte Counties -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50cnBoZC5vcmcvIn0.vejb9k_fv27LO1on2JBtzDDQLpmmUavRWfJ5p3uhS1s%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976435941&amp;sdata=OgWPGuCixyC2KTAlIBbwj7ofFDc%2FQwnAqqN8AVUJ4RE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.trphd.org/</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2VjZGhkLm5lLmdvdi8ifQ.er41TwOLBP_fHeptN0X1c_1_F1eezdOzbsDYfV7z7dY%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976435941&amp;sdata=9TEyZCXyhBJOLJVbIT2db1eFUg5wkT38i6tbksjZr7k%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://ecdhd.ne.gov/</a>.

Tonight’s state case total is 109. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) launched a new data dashboard that provides daily updates to the state’s COVID-19 case totals. You can find it at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.G6WL0Qkk4fidiAqBhrnB4s0nHyJ0uUiVMSxeHSFZMPs%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976445904&amp;sdata=5qg7W58TruDfspWYUxfkED1v8n9jp2jZvui2R%2Fxc56o%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.

Certain people are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 including older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, according to the CDC. People in these higher-risk groups should:&nbsp;

Recent data shows that the virus is also affecting younger people. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said 20% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. were 20-44 years old.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. People who are concerned they may have COVID-19 should self-isolate and call ahead to their primary care provider to be screened over the phone.

Everyone can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections by:&nbsp;

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="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDksInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ._KOP6eVOv7bt8VNQDu-LZUZPQil-rbc7LeQUdcerVNM%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976465817&amp;sdata=yrvtFdK%2F0274YEYAw1A8rRqGVIV5NmcOHK2vtyUcBBI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC’s website –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.JwfE2WY5DhGGh8BoXiR-gNkRKVk9D5TRSyGApMJl34w%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976475770&amp;sdata=Sw6AmSb1%2FtrnP0vSoBRzyojhfnUjq95bvywV24vGAbY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19</a>.&nbsp;

DHHS opened a statewide coronavirus (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://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.hQhGq2NJ3BhocIykRXMQV2mtl9FJoL9i5l4pq-lExuU%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976475770&amp;sdata=ceuIMppbX7a9XnA6nHmDaCe2rH7Fbxi2IjbW3I3bVtg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19</a>.

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Madison County reported a new case of COVID-19, which has been identified as community transmitted. It’s a man in his 70s who currently resides at a long-term care facility in Norfolk. He is self-isolating. Community transmission is when people have COVID-19 but public health officials are unable to identify how or where they became infected -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2VsdnBoZC5vcmcvIn0.WkxPKlg0UpkblyJCjWB0Dk2Y53-XtX75oQ1Syg1pG4E%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976425989&amp;sdata=0oQEox9QHtA7i%2B5sUIebvTkViu5hZ8idGelya99NLqY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://elvphd.org/</a>.A state Directed Health Measure (DHM) will be issued and go into effect Sunday, March 29 at 9:00 a.m. for Burt, Cuming, Madison and Stanton Counties.The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Gosper and Platte Counties -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50cnBoZC5vcmcvIn0.vejb9k_fv27LO1on2JBtzDDQLpmmUavRWfJ5p3uhS1s%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976435941&amp;sdata=OgWPGuCixyC2KTAlIBbwj7ofFDc%2FQwnAqqN8AVUJ4RE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.trphd.org/</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2VjZGhkLm5lLmdvdi8ifQ.er41TwOLBP_fHeptN0X1c_1_F1eezdOzbsDYfV7z7dY%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976435941&amp;sdata=9TEyZCXyhBJOLJVbIT2db1eFUg5wkT38i6tbksjZr7k%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://ecdhd.ne.gov/</a>.Tonight’s state case total is 109. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) launched a new data dashboard that provides daily updates to the state’s COVID-19 case totals. You can find it at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.G6WL0Qkk4fidiAqBhrnB4s0nHyJ0uUiVMSxeHSFZMPs%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976445904&amp;sdata=5qg7W58TruDfspWYUxfkED1v8n9jp2jZvui2R%2Fxc56o%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.Certain people are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 including older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, according to the CDC. People in these higher-risk groups should:&nbsp;<ol>
 <li><a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLzIwMTktbmNvdi9zcGVjaWZpYy1ncm91cHMvaGlnaC1yaXNrLWNvbXBsaWNhdGlvbnMuaHRtbCNIYXZlLXN1cHBsaWVzLW9uLWhhbmQifQ.O78jQYGCnUVKgqVj1GqKVLOVeal5jvmdXgD6PiWeiIo%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976445904&amp;sdata=G2abFkvBEDf2C0CHA9jZCeBhef6JbWjSs%2BJY6C6k5R4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Stock up on supplies</a>, including extra necessary medications.</li><li>Take&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLzIwMTktbmNvdi9zcGVjaWZpYy1ncm91cHMvaGlnaC1yaXNrLWNvbXBsaWNhdGlvbnMuaHRtbCN0YWtlLWV2ZXJ5ZGF5LXByZWNhdXRpb25zIn0.cm1ozR4jPSfZzaaB-UUtcpJBC4VUlQZgy5G0I277tTA%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976455857&amp;sdata=%2Bv3CY%2BTThhavn6fAVWCFavrwTJ2B6Kem4ZzZ4Ttry4Q%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">everyday precautions</a>&nbsp;to keep space between yourself and others.</li><li>When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.</li><li><a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLzIwMTktbmNvdi9zcGVjaWZpYy1ncm91cHMvaGlnaC1yaXNrLWNvbXBsaWNhdGlvbnMuaHRtbCNhdm9pZC1jcm93ZHMifQ.09QPClId4SiMAUodwdRNuh5ws-1gUGg8pn3MpvERQY4%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976455857&amp;sdata=nIw%2FUdSh6151hvQPLjd2qoXnmtpXOb2JMZ%2FoO1eD%2BKs%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Avoid crowds</a>&nbsp;as much as possible.</li><li>Avoid&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDcsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3d25jLmNkYy5nb3YvdHJhdmVsL25vdGljZXMvd2FybmluZy9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1jcnVpc2Utc2hpcCJ9.5oBFo-r9ce-4ZwckR-BU0oeADeW_uloitk6rQjyHxZc%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976465817&amp;sdata=Gu86fBFpu5OQSN9ZJ4%2B6sZRwnzG5HY9X5FhAvKiYZQ8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">cruise travel</a>&nbsp;and non-essential air travel.</li><li>If there is a COVID-19 outbreak in your community,&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDgsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLzIwMTktbmNvdi9zcGVjaWZpYy1ncm91cHMvaGlnaC1yaXNrLWNvbXBsaWNhdGlvbnMuaHRtbCNzdGF5LWhvbWUifQ.YavaKdovIoKexgpFpFp5yqWDYJJOvCACWJ8EwhhvEu0%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976465817&amp;sdata=M3K6ZRupFMd1FqogDou15Pk8Js73v5WlAWeSCa05E%2Bg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">stay home</a>&nbsp;as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.</li>
 </ol>Recent data shows that the virus is also affecting younger people. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said 20% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. were 20-44 years old.The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. People who are concerned they may have COVID-19 should self-isolate and call ahead to their primary care provider to be screened over the phone.Everyone can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections by:&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Avoiding close contact with sick people and stay home if you are sick.</li><li>Washing hands often with soap and water&nbsp;for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.</li><li>Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth&nbsp;with unwashed hands.</li><li>Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or&nbsp;sneeze then throw the tissue in the trash.</li><li>Cleaning and disinfecting frequently&nbsp;touched objects and surfaces.</li>
 </ol>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="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDksInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ._KOP6eVOv7bt8VNQDu-LZUZPQil-rbc7LeQUdcerVNM%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976465817&amp;sdata=yrvtFdK%2F0274YEYAw1A8rRqGVIV5NmcOHK2vtyUcBBI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC’s website –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.JwfE2WY5DhGGh8BoXiR-gNkRKVk9D5TRSyGApMJl34w%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976475770&amp;sdata=Sw6AmSb1%2FtrnP0vSoBRzyojhfnUjq95bvywV24vGAbY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19</a>.&nbsp;DHHS opened a statewide coronavirus (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://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDAzMjkuMTk0NTA4NDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.hQhGq2NJ3BhocIykRXMQV2mtl9FJoL9i5l4pq-lExuU%2Fbr%2F76766502384-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C2615ccafa0254ad9e13d08d7d38ccb1e%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637210473976475770&amp;sdata=ceuIMppbX7a9XnA6nHmDaCe2rH7Fbxi2IjbW3I3bVtg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19</a>.

Community-spread case of COVID-19 identified in Madison County

Attorney General William Barr says the Justice Department has already launched investigations into people who are hoarding supplies and price gouging.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barr says, “If you are sitting on a warehouse with surgical masks, you will be hearing a knock on your door."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thieves steal surgical masks. A clinic sells fake COVID-19 tests. Hate groups encourage sick members to infect law enforcement officers. Imposters pose as public health officials. Con artists peddle fake cures and financial scams.

As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;</a>spreads, so too do the crimes related to it — transgressions that capitalize on fear, panic and the urge to lay blame, and add to the burden on law enforcement agencies trying to protect vulnerable citizens.

“It is really disheartening in a time like this that someone would take advantage of the community and take them in a time of need,” Tucson, Arizona, Police Sgt. Pete Dugan said.

Everyday life has essentially stopped in many countries in a bid to slow the virus, and some crimes have been declining. But reports of virus-related fraud are on the rise, along with concerns about hate crimes.

U.S. President Donald Trump and others have taken to calling the virus the “Chinese coronavirus,” even as scientists say the disease has nothing to do with Asian ethnicity. But the president dismissed the idea that his comments could fuel hate crimes.

<a href="https://apnews.com/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">“It’s not racist at all,”</a>&nbsp;Trump has said.

In Los Angeles, a 16-year-old boy of Asian descent said other students bullied him and accused him of carrying the virus. In New York, a man on the subway sprayed an Asian passenger with Febreze and verbally abused him. State Attorney General Letitia James set up a hotline for New Yorkers to report hate crimes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/86ca5e1f6032314115176190c380818d">country’s outbreak epicenter</a>.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate groups, blames the virus for elevating racist and anti-Semitic messages, including suggesting that Jews are somehow responsible for the pandemic. Some hate groups have suggested tainting doorknobs or other surfaces with the virus so FBI and police officers fall ill.

“If any of you get this, I expect you to spend as much time as possible with our enemies,” one wrote.

Hundreds of masks have been stolen in Portland, Oregon, amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6d9382c1e8ee36f9ed1a4dfe7815ceb1">shortages for health care workers</a>. A Missouri man who was coughing told two store clerks he had a high fever. He was arrested after police said he threatened to give the employees coronavirus. People in Pennsylvania and Illinois were accused of similar crimes. Texas prosecutors brought charges against someone who falsely claimed on social media to have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a memo issued Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told prosecutors they could charge people who threaten to spread the new coronavirus under U.S. terrorism statutes because the Justice Department considers it a “biological agent” under the law. In such cases, suspects could be charged with a number of offenses, including possessing or developing a biological agent as a weapon, he said.

“Threats or attempt to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated,” Rosen wrote in the memo to U.S. attorneys across the country and the heads of all Justice Department agencies, including the FBI.

Meanwhile, police in Bowie, Maryland, are investigating reports of a man wearing an orange vest and blue surgical mask who approached people at two homes claiming to be inspecting for coronavirus. He actually entered one home before a resident confronted him. A similar scam was sweeping through Germany.

The World Health Organization and other authorities are also working to debunk spurious claims about possible cures. They include false assertions that silver, bleach, and garlic could protect against the coronavirus, or that bananas prevent it.

In Uganda, the parliament speaker endorsed a businessman who said he had discovered a chemical that “instantly kills” the virus. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga announced that the businessman had offered to produce the “treatment” in Uganda and it would go on the market shortly.

Kadaga’s comments were widely mocked because the product is actually a disinfectant, according to the Ugandan firm that will produce the chemical, not to be ingested.

New York officials recently ordered the Jim Bakker television show to stop marketing colloidal silver products. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1428c4f6bbc336f446bdb89af51bdad1">himself falsely suggested&nbsp;</a>a drug typically used to treat malaria patients had been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the coronavirus.

Fraudsters purport to collect contaminated banknotes in South Africa. And police busted a clinic selling false testing kits in Kenya.

The United Kingdom’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has received more than 100 reports of virus-related scams, with losses totaling more than $1.1 million (970,000 pounds).

“We have already seen fraudsters using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam people looking to buy medical supplies online ... and targeting people who may be vulnerable or increasingly isolated at home,” Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Center in the U.K., said in a statement.

In the U.S., the Justice Department created a central fraud hotline (1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov) and has ordered U.S. attorneys to appoint special coronavirus fraud coordinators.

Meanwhile, marketing schemers have quickly pivoted to offering “senior care packages” that include hand sanitizer or even a purported vaccine, which doesn’t exist. Some falsely claim that Trump has ordered that seniors get tested.

It’s all a trick to get personal information that can be used to bill federal and state health programs, health officials said.

“It’s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you,” Christian Schrank, assistant inspector general for investigations at Health and Human Services.

The worldwide outbreak has sickened more than 350,000 people and left more than 15,000 people dead. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The World Health Organization says criminals are increasingly posing as WHO officials in calls and phishing emails to swipe information or money. The United Nations also set up a website to help prevent fraud.

But the warning came too late for an 83-year-old woman in Mannheim, Germany, who was convinced by scammers to hand over a five-figure sum, claiming it was for a relative who had fallen ill. Police, who would not give an exact figure on the stolen euros, said the woman was told that a driver would pick up the money from outside her front door, to avoid possible infection.

By the time she got suspicious, the money was gone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585143176510.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Attorney General William Barr says the Justice Department has already launched investigations into people who are hoarding supplies and price gouging.&nbsp;&nbsp;Barr says, “If you are sitting on a warehouse with surgical masks, you will be hearing a knock on your door."WASHINGTON (AP) — Thieves steal surgical masks. A clinic sells fake COVID-19 tests. Hate groups encourage sick members to infect law enforcement officers. Imposters pose as public health officials. Con artists peddle fake cures and financial scams.As the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;</a>spreads, so too do the crimes related to it — transgressions that capitalize on fear, panic and the urge to lay blame, and add to the burden on law enforcement agencies trying to protect vulnerable citizens.“It is really disheartening in a time like this that someone would take advantage of the community and take them in a time of need,” Tucson, Arizona, Police Sgt. Pete Dugan said.Everyday life has essentially stopped in many countries in a bid to slow the virus, and some crimes have been declining. But reports of virus-related fraud are on the rise, along with concerns about hate crimes.U.S. President Donald Trump and others have taken to calling the virus the “Chinese coronavirus,” even as scientists say the disease has nothing to do with Asian ethnicity. But the president dismissed the idea that his comments could fuel hate crimes.<a href="https://apnews.com/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">“It’s not racist at all,”</a>&nbsp;Trump has said.In Los Angeles, a 16-year-old boy of Asian descent said other students bullied him and accused him of carrying the virus. In New York, a man on the subway sprayed an Asian passenger with Febreze and verbally abused him. State Attorney General Letitia James set up a hotline for New Yorkers to report hate crimes in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/86ca5e1f6032314115176190c380818d">country’s outbreak epicenter</a>.The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks hate groups, blames the virus for elevating racist and anti-Semitic messages, including suggesting that Jews are somehow responsible for the pandemic. Some hate groups have suggested tainting doorknobs or other surfaces with the virus so FBI and police officers fall ill.“If any of you get this, I expect you to spend as much time as possible with our enemies,” one wrote.Hundreds of masks have been stolen in Portland, Oregon, amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6d9382c1e8ee36f9ed1a4dfe7815ceb1">shortages for health care workers</a>. A Missouri man who was coughing told two store clerks he had a high fever. He was arrested after police said he threatened to give the employees coronavirus. People in Pennsylvania and Illinois were accused of similar crimes. Texas prosecutors brought charges against someone who falsely claimed on social media to have tested positive for COVID-19.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585145128626.png" alt="Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits intercepted at Los Angeles International airport -photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection" />
 <figcaption>Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits intercepted at Los Angeles International airport -photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection</figcaption>
 </figure>In a memo issued Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen told prosecutors they could charge people who threaten to spread the new coronavirus under U.S. terrorism statutes because the Justice Department considers it a “biological agent” under the law. In such cases, suspects could be charged with a number of offenses, including possessing or developing a biological agent as a weapon, he said.“Threats or attempt to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated,” Rosen wrote in the memo to U.S. attorneys across the country and the heads of all Justice Department agencies, including the FBI.Meanwhile, police in Bowie, Maryland, are investigating reports of a man wearing an orange vest and blue surgical mask who approached people at two homes claiming to be inspecting for coronavirus. He actually entered one home before a resident confronted him. A similar scam was sweeping through Germany.The World Health Organization and other authorities are also working to debunk spurious claims about possible cures. They include false assertions that silver, bleach, and garlic could protect against the coronavirus, or that bananas prevent it.In Uganda, the parliament speaker endorsed a businessman who said he had discovered a chemical that “instantly kills” the virus. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga announced that the businessman had offered to produce the “treatment” in Uganda and it would go on the market shortly.Kadaga’s comments were widely mocked because the product is actually a disinfectant, according to the Ugandan firm that will produce the chemical, not to be ingested.New York officials recently ordered the Jim Bakker television show to stop marketing colloidal silver products. Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1428c4f6bbc336f446bdb89af51bdad1">himself falsely suggested&nbsp;</a>a drug typically used to treat malaria patients had been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the coronavirus.Fraudsters purport to collect contaminated banknotes in South Africa. And police busted a clinic selling false testing kits in Kenya.The United Kingdom’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has received more than 100 reports of virus-related scams, with losses totaling more than $1.1 million (970,000 pounds).“We have already seen fraudsters using the COVID-19 pandemic to scam people looking to buy medical supplies online ... and targeting people who may be vulnerable or increasingly isolated at home,” Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Center in the U.K., said in a statement.In the U.S., the Justice Department created a central fraud hotline (1-866-720-5721 or disaster@leo.gov) and has ordered U.S. attorneys to appoint special coronavirus fraud coordinators.Meanwhile, marketing schemers have quickly pivoted to offering “senior care packages” that include hand sanitizer or even a purported vaccine, which doesn’t exist. Some falsely claim that Trump has ordered that seniors get tested.It’s all a trick to get personal information that can be used to bill federal and state health programs, health officials said.“It’s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you,” Christian Schrank, assistant inspector general for investigations at Health and Human Services.The worldwide outbreak has sickened more than 350,000 people and left more than 15,000 people dead. For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.The World Health Organization says criminals are increasingly posing as WHO officials in calls and phishing emails to swipe information or money. The United Nations also set up a website to help prevent fraud.But the warning came too late for an 83-year-old woman in Mannheim, Germany, who was convinced by scammers to hand over a five-figure sum, claiming it was for a relative who had fallen ill. Police, who would not give an exact figure on the stolen euros, said the woman was told that a driver would pick up the money from outside her front door, to avoid possible infection.By the time she got suspicious, the money was gone.___

Coronavirus-related crimes capitalize on global fear, panic

DENVER (Colorado Public Radio) — Academic science in Colorado looks different under the news restrictions in place due to the coronavirus. 

Labs are shut down. Grants are on hold. Many academic research expeditions have been downsized or canceled.  However, some jobs just can’t be done remotely. 

  In Colorado’s academic world, there’s a class of workers deemed essential and required to continue work on college campuses.

 At Colorado State University in Fort Collins, there’s a group of virologists work on the Foothills campus on a COVID-19 vaccine. 

 There's also the Colorado Climate Center researcher who records in-person temperature and cloud cover measurements.&nbsp;&nbsp;

DENVER (Colorado Public Radio) — Academic science in Colorado looks different under the news restrictions in place due to the coronavirus. Labs are shut down. Grants are on hold. Many academic research expeditions have been downsized or canceled. However, some jobs just can’t be done remotely. In Colorado’s academic world, there’s a class of workers deemed essential and required to continue work on college campuses. At Colorado State University in Fort Collins, there’s a group of virologists work on the Foothills campus on a COVID-19 vaccine. There's also the Colorado Climate Center researcher who records in-person temperature and cloud cover measurements.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Colorado scientists adjust to new pace under the coronavirus

Apple Inc. – in partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – released an app and website that guides Americans through a series of questions about their health and exposure to determine if they should seek care for COVID-19 symptoms. &nbsp;The tool provides CDC recommendations on the next steps including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to closely monitor symptoms, recommendations on testing, and when to contact a medical provider.

This launch is a direct response to President Trump’s call for an all-of-America approach and will help Americans heed CDC guidelines and self-isolate to limit COVID-19 transmission.

Users can download the free app from Apple’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/app-store/">App Storeexternal icon</a>&nbsp;or access the tool online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.apple.com/covid19">www.apple.com/covid19external icon</a>.&nbsp; Everyone has a role to play as we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp; The latest recommendations can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.coronavirus.gov/">www.coronavirus.govexternal icon</a>.

Apple Inc. – in partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – released an app and website that guides Americans through a series of questions about their health and exposure to determine if they should seek care for COVID-19 symptoms. &nbsp;The tool provides CDC recommendations on the next steps including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to closely monitor symptoms, recommendations on testing, and when to contact a medical provider.This launch is a direct response to President Trump’s call for an all-of-America approach and will help Americans heed CDC guidelines and self-isolate to limit COVID-19 transmission.Users can download the free app from Apple’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/app-store/">App Storeexternal icon</a>&nbsp;or access the tool online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.apple.com/covid19">www.apple.com/covid19external icon</a>.&nbsp; Everyone has a role to play as we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp; The latest recommendations can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.coronavirus.gov/">www.coronavirus.govexternal icon</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://www.cdc.gov/media/images/releases/2020/COVID-19-screening-tool-500px.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Coronavirus Task Force, Dept. of Health and Human Services launch COVID-19 app

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An Omaha drive-thru clinic that had been sidelined is now ready to test people for the new coronavirus.

The city of Omaha's planning department on Friday issued a new permit to allow the clinic through April 3, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/city-of-omaha-grants-seven-day-permit-to-drive-thru/article_5979a1c2-bbdf-5dff-a5fc-d50b741b23bb.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. The clinic was initially postponed when the city revoked its first temporary use permit, citing public safety concerns. Mayor Jean Stothert had said at the time that the clinic would overburden Omaha police who would have to provide traffic control.

The clinic's organizers, private health care companies Pivot Concierge Health and BANYAN Medical Systems, said patients seeking COVID-19 testing must first visit the clinic's website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covidomaha.com/" target="_blank">covidomaha.com</a>&nbsp;to fill out a questionnaire. Patients then must have a doctor's note or referral from the organizers and make an appointment to be tested.

The organizers also said priority will be given to first responders.

The drive-thru can be used by patients who completed a virtual visit through video conference with a certified medical professional who will decide if drive-thru care is needed, the organizers said.

All major insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, will be accepted.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An Omaha drive-thru clinic that had been sidelined is now ready to test people for the new coronavirus.The city of Omaha's planning department on Friday issued a new permit to allow the clinic through April 3, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/city-of-omaha-grants-seven-day-permit-to-drive-thru/article_5979a1c2-bbdf-5dff-a5fc-d50b741b23bb.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. The clinic was initially postponed when the city revoked its first temporary use permit, citing public safety concerns. Mayor Jean Stothert had said at the time that the clinic would overburden Omaha police who would have to provide traffic control.The clinic's organizers, private health care companies Pivot Concierge Health and BANYAN Medical Systems, said patients seeking COVID-19 testing must first visit the clinic's website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covidomaha.com/" target="_blank">covidomaha.com</a>&nbsp;to fill out a questionnaire. Patients then must have a doctor's note or referral from the organizers and make an appointment to be tested.The organizers also said priority will be given to first responders.The drive-thru can be used by patients who completed a virtual visit through video conference with a certified medical professional who will decide if drive-thru care is needed, the organizers said.All major insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, will be accepted.

COVID-19 drive-thru testing clinic opens in Omaha

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem has signed 15 bills that allocate millions of dollars to South Dakota programs, including industrial hemp. But the governor offered no guarantee on whether the funding for the programs would remain after the state reworks its budget in light of the global coronavirus pandemic. 

Noem says the allocations will likely depend on how much money the state gets from the federal government in a stimulus bill. 

The bills she signed give millions of dollars to an industrial hemp program, a veteran's cemetery, a School of Health Sciences building at the University of South Dakota and expanding broadband to rural communities.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem has signed 15 bills that allocate millions of dollars to South Dakota programs, including industrial hemp. But the governor offered no guarantee on whether the funding for the programs would remain after the state reworks its budget in light of the global coronavirus pandemic. Noem says the allocations will likely depend on how much money the state gets from the federal government in a stimulus bill. The bills she signed give millions of dollars to an industrial hemp program, a veteran's cemetery, a School of Health Sciences building at the University of South Dakota and expanding broadband to rural communities.

SD Gov. Noem signs hemp and other bills, but says budget in doubt

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $2.2 trillion economic rescue package, calling the bill much-needed relief for American workers reeling from the economic tumult caused by the coronavirus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585342982232.png" alt="President Trump signed the bill Friday afternoon -photo White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump signed the bill Friday afternoon -photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $2.2 trillion economic rescue package, calling the bill much-needed relief for American workers reeling from the economic tumult caused by the coronavirus.Trump signed the bill in Oval Office ceremony surrounded by Republican lawmakers and members of his administration shortly after the Democratic-controlled House approved the massive spending package. Under the plan, many single Americans would receive $1,200, married couples would get $2,400 and parents would see $500 for each child.The signing came the after the U.S. government on Thursday reported nearly 3.3 million new weekly jobless claims. The U.S. death toll has surpassed 1,200 from the virus.___