Italy is reporting 627 new coronavirus deaths _ its biggest day-to-day rise since the outbreak began _ and says new cases also shot up. 

Italy now has seen over 4,000 deaths and 47,000 infections. 

The soaring numbers came despite a nationwide lockdown. 

Elsewhere around the world, New York state is joining California in ordering nearly all residents to stay home, as governors watch Europe with growing alarm.

Italy is reporting 627 new coronavirus deaths _ its biggest day-to-day rise since the outbreak began _ and says new cases also shot up. Italy now has seen over 4,000 deaths and 47,000 infections. The soaring numbers came despite a nationwide lockdown. Elsewhere around the world, New York state is joining California in ordering nearly all residents to stay home, as governors watch Europe with growing alarm.

New York joins California in locking down against the virus

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests they expect the economy to slow down over the next few months as the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak. 

The overall index for the region fell to 35.5 in March from February's healthy 51.6 reading. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy. 

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said 61 percent of the bankers surveyed expect the measures being taken to fight the coronavirus to lead to a recession. 

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests they expect the economy to slow down over the next few months as the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak. The overall index for the region fell to 35.5 in March from February's healthy 51.6 reading. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said 61 percent of the bankers surveyed expect the measures being taken to fight the coronavirus to lead to a recession. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Survey suggests virus outbreak to slow the economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has announced that the deadline for filing U.S. income taxes has been moved from April 15 to July 15.

Mnuchin tweeted Thursday morning that at President Donald Trump' direction, “we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.” 

The administration had announced earlier in the week that it would delay the payments, a move that Mnuchin said would leave $300 billion in the economy at a critical time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has announced that the deadline for filing U.S. income taxes has been moved from April 15 to July 15.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">At <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s direction, we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.&mdash; Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevenmnuchin1/status/1241002750483324930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Mnuchin tweeted Thursday morning that at President Donald Trump' direction, “we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.” The administration had announced earlier in the week that it would delay the payments, a move that Mnuchin said would leave $300 billion in the economy at a critical time.

Income tax filing deadline moved to July 15 from April 15

NEW YORK (AP) — Most Americans who rent their home, many of whom have lost their jobs in the sudden economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak, will not be eligible for eviction protections, despite what President Donald Trump said this week.

Under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s plan released Wednesday, foreclosures and evictions would stop for 60 days on single-family homes with loans through the Federal Housing Administration. That would apply to roughly 8 million units, according to HUD. Only FHA homes lived in for at least a year can be rented out.

That’s compared with the roughly 43 million households who rented in 2019, according to the U.S. Census. Roughly half of renters rent their home from an individual investor, while the other half rent from a business or multi-unit property owner. The ones renting from a business will not receive any protections according to HUD’s proposal.

“That’s the problem with (HUD’s proposal). It only impacts a very small amount of people. We need big-scale solutions,” said Andrea Shapiro of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, a New York-based housing advocacy organization.

Furthermore, HUD has no power to protect renters in public housing authorities located across the country. HUD Secretary Ben Carson said this week on Twitter that the agency is working with Congress to get that authority to protect renters in public housing authorities.

“HUD has been in contact with every Public Housing Agency in the country to ensure the millions of low-income Americans we serve continue to have a roof over their head,” Carson said.

The rules are in contrast to comments made by Trump this week, who said renters would get “immediate relief” as part of his administration’s plan.

Housing advocates called the White House’s proposal an “important first step” but said there are limitations to the policy that need to be addressed.

“America’s lowest-income renters were already struggling to pay rent and make ends meet before this latest disaster, and people were experiencing homelessness. Congress must implement a national moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Renters tend to be more economically vulnerable than their homeowner counterparts. They have generally lower incomes and cannot tap into the equity in their homes as a line of credit in case of an emergency. A disproportionate number of renters are black, Hispanic and other minorities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584212056629.png" alt="President Trump during the March 14th Coronavirus Task force media briefing -White House courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during the March 14th Coronavirus Task force media briefing -White House courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Most Americans who rent their home, many of whom have lost their jobs in the sudden economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak, will not be eligible for eviction protections, despite what President Donald Trump said this week.Under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s plan released Wednesday, foreclosures and evictions would stop for 60 days on single-family homes with loans through the Federal Housing Administration. That would apply to roughly 8 million units, according to HUD. Only FHA homes lived in for at least a year can be rented out.That’s compared with the roughly 43 million households who rented in 2019, according to the U.S. Census. Roughly half of renters rent their home from an individual investor, while the other half rent from a business or multi-unit property owner. The ones renting from a business will not receive any protections according to HUD’s proposal.“That’s the problem with (HUD’s proposal). It only impacts a very small amount of people. We need big-scale solutions,” said Andrea Shapiro of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, a New York-based housing advocacy organization.Furthermore, HUD has no power to protect renters in public housing authorities located across the country. HUD Secretary Ben Carson said this week on Twitter that the agency is working with Congress to get that authority to protect renters in public housing authorities.“HUD has been in contact with every Public Housing Agency in the country to ensure the millions of low-income Americans we serve continue to have a roof over their head,” Carson said.The rules are in contrast to comments made by Trump this week, who said renters would get “immediate relief” as part of his administration’s plan.Housing advocates called the White House’s proposal an “important first step” but said there are limitations to the policy that need to be addressed.“America’s lowest-income renters were already struggling to pay rent and make ends meet before this latest disaster, and people were experiencing homelessness. Congress must implement a national moratorium on all evictions and foreclosures,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.Renters tend to be more economically vulnerable than their homeowner counterparts. They have generally lower incomes and cannot tap into the equity in their homes as a line of credit in case of an emergency. A disproportionate number of renters are black, Hispanic and other minorities.

Most renters will not receive protections under virus relief proposal

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has issued an enforceable order that effectively shuts down restaurants, bars, theaters, churches, gyms and social gatherings of more than 10 in four eastern Nebraska counties. 

The measure issued Thursday comes a day after the Douglas County Public Health Department confirmed its second “community spread” case of COVID-19. Ricketts' measure, in effect through April 30, requires restaurants and bars in Cass, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties to close down dining areas immediately and move to take-out, delivery or curbside service. 

Weddings and funerals are also subject to the 10-person limit. 

Ricketts had called for the limit statewide on Monday.

 His directed health measure issued Thursday allows law enforcement to carry out compliance of the limit.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has issued an enforceable order that effectively shuts down restaurants, bars, theaters, churches, gyms and social gatherings of more than 10 in four eastern Nebraska counties. The measure issued Thursday comes a day after the Douglas County Public Health Department confirmed its second “community spread” case of COVID-19. Ricketts' measure, in effect through April 30, requires restaurants and bars in Cass, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties to close down dining areas immediately and move to take-out, delivery or curbside service. Weddings and funerals are also subject to the 10-person limit. Ricketts had called for the limit statewide on Monday. His directed health measure issued Thursday allows law enforcement to carry out compliance of the limit.

Governor's order shuts down businesses in eastern Nebraska

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the State’s first Directed Health Measure (DHM) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). &nbsp;The DHM imposes an enforceable limit on public gatherings. &nbsp;The measure comes after the Douglas County Public Health Department confirmed its second case of community transmission of COVID-19.

The DHM applies to all communities in Educational Service Units (ESU) #3 and #19 (Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties).&nbsp; It will be in effect until April 30, 2020.&nbsp; Full text of the DHM can be found by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/sk95elfp6bnefsv/DHM%203.19.2020.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Among other steps, the DHM requires restaurants and bars in these areas to close their dining areas immediately and move to takeout service, delivery, and/or curbside service only until further notice.&nbsp; Additionally, schools in these areas are directed to operate without students in their buildings.&nbsp; This restriction does not apply to school staff working in school buildings.

Regions of Nebraska outside of ESUs #3 and #19 remain under the guidance issued on Monday by the Governor’s Office.&nbsp; You can find it by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fxydt3l8je28fzox%2FDHHS%2520Guidance%25203.16.2020%25207.40pm.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C8ff8b1f0cdee4d14653708d7cb8959c2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201663082236111&amp;sdata=IKUH%2F5Q%2Blat%2BZY%2BBKzcfP66Z6dwHkHF6kkCIUOhaZNs%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.&nbsp; If a community transmission case of COVID-19 occurs in other regions of the state, the Governor will announce DHMs covering the additional regions.

In addition to the DHM issued by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Public Health Director Dr. Adi M. Pour has also issued an order covering Douglas County from March 18, 2020 through April 30, 2020.&nbsp; Full details of the order can be found on the Douglas County Health Department website&nbsp;(<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.douglascountyhealth.com%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C8ff8b1f0cdee4d14653708d7cb8959c2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201663082246063&amp;sdata=8O%2FXhYWl4UWRpQQnqLxHZFGbgMd2D4KkSBSjwlj8iF4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">douglascountyhealth.com</a>)&nbsp;or by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2F6bueazzdo5rpcn9%2FHealth%2520Directors%2520Order%25203.18.2020.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C8ff8b1f0cdee4d14653708d7cb8959c2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201663082246063&amp;sdata=%2ByfIDHFPvjONORmKSScOzi3lUbXfM2OMA7Rt7ruBO2o%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

UNDERSTANDING THE STATE’S DIRECTED HEALTH MEASURE

Who does the Directed Health Measure apply to?

It applies to places such as theaters, churches, houses of worship, gyms, social clubs, salons, and social gatherings, including weddings, funerals, concerts, and athletic events.&nbsp; This is not an exhaustive list, but illustrates the types of locations the DHM applies to.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Do I need to shut down my bar or restaurant?

At bars and restaurants, it applies to patrons, not to your workforce. &nbsp;Restaurants and bars are encouraged to ask their patrons if they can prepare their order for takeout upon arrival. &nbsp;Restaurants will play a key part in feeding people throughout the pandemic.

Do I need to shut down my daycare?

No. &nbsp;DHHS has issued new guidance that daycares need to follow. &nbsp;You can find it by&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/COVID-19%20Schools%20and%20Childcare.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

No. &nbsp;The Directed Health Measure does not apply to places such as office buildings, grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, court houses, court rooms, banks, car dealerships, auto repair shops, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, small shops, golf courses, big box stores, gas stations, convenience stores, shopping malls, manufacturing facilities, packing facilities, construction jobs, and other traditional office settings.&nbsp; This is not an exhaustive list, but illustrates the types of locations the DHM does not apply to.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Furthermore, we do not expect these facilities to be impacted by additional limits at this time.

Do I need to cancel a wedding or a funeral?

Weddings and funerals are also subject to the 10-person limit. &nbsp;Event planners and facilities are encouraged to be flexible with people who are rearranging their plans.

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced the State’s first Directed Health Measure (DHM) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). &nbsp;The DHM imposes an enforceable limit on public gatherings. &nbsp;The measure comes after the Douglas County Public Health Department confirmed its second case of community transmission of COVID-19.The DHM applies to all communities in Educational Service Units (ESU) #3 and #19 (Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties).&nbsp; It will be in effect until April 30, 2020.&nbsp; Full text of the DHM can be found by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/sk95elfp6bnefsv/DHM%203.19.2020.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.Among other steps, the DHM requires restaurants and bars in these areas to close their dining areas immediately and move to takeout service, delivery, and/or curbside service only until further notice.&nbsp; Additionally, schools in these areas are directed to operate without students in their buildings.&nbsp; This restriction does not apply to school staff working in school buildings.Regions of Nebraska outside of ESUs #3 and #19 remain under the guidance issued on Monday by the Governor’s Office.&nbsp; You can find it by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fxydt3l8je28fzox%2FDHHS%2520Guidance%25203.16.2020%25207.40pm.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C8ff8b1f0cdee4d14653708d7cb8959c2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201663082236111&amp;sdata=IKUH%2F5Q%2Blat%2BZY%2BBKzcfP66Z6dwHkHF6kkCIUOhaZNs%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.&nbsp; If a community transmission case of COVID-19 occurs in other regions of the state, the Governor will announce DHMs covering the additional regions.In addition to the DHM issued by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Public Health Director Dr. Adi M. Pour has also issued an order covering Douglas County from March 18, 2020 through April 30, 2020.&nbsp; Full details of the order can be found on the Douglas County Health Department website&nbsp;(<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.douglascountyhealth.com%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C8ff8b1f0cdee4d14653708d7cb8959c2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201663082246063&amp;sdata=8O%2FXhYWl4UWRpQQnqLxHZFGbgMd2D4KkSBSjwlj8iF4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">douglascountyhealth.com</a>)&nbsp;or by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2F6bueazzdo5rpcn9%2FHealth%2520Directors%2520Order%25203.18.2020.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C8ff8b1f0cdee4d14653708d7cb8959c2%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201663082246063&amp;sdata=%2ByfIDHFPvjONORmKSScOzi3lUbXfM2OMA7Rt7ruBO2o%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.UNDERSTANDING THE STATE’S DIRECTED HEALTH MEASUREWho does the Directed Health Measure apply to?It applies to places such as theaters, churches, houses of worship, gyms, social clubs, salons, and social gatherings, including weddings, funerals, concerts, and athletic events.&nbsp; This is not an exhaustive list, but illustrates the types of locations the DHM applies to.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Do I need to shut down my bar or restaurant?At bars and restaurants, it applies to patrons, not to your workforce. &nbsp;Restaurants and bars are encouraged to ask their patrons if they can prepare their order for takeout upon arrival. &nbsp;Restaurants will play a key part in feeding people throughout the pandemic.Do I need to shut down my daycare?No. &nbsp;DHHS has issued new guidance that daycares need to follow. &nbsp;You can find it by&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/COVID-19%20Schools%20and%20Childcare.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.Do I need to shut down my office?No. &nbsp;The Directed Health Measure does not apply to places such as office buildings, grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, court houses, court rooms, banks, car dealerships, auto repair shops, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, small shops, golf courses, big box stores, gas stations, convenience stores, shopping malls, manufacturing facilities, packing facilities, construction jobs, and other traditional office settings.&nbsp; This is not an exhaustive list, but illustrates the types of locations the DHM does not apply to.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Furthermore, we do not expect these facilities to be impacted by additional limits at this time.Do I need to cancel a wedding or a funeral?Weddings and funerals are also subject to the 10-person limit. &nbsp;Event planners and facilities are encouraged to be flexible with people who are rearranging their plans.

Gov. Ricketts announces directed health measure for Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, & Washington counties

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits surged last week by 70,000 to the highest level in more than two years, indicating the effect of the coronavirus was starting to be felt in rising layoffs. 

The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for benefits, a good proxy for layoffs, rose by 70,000 to a seasonally adjusted 281,000 benefit applications last week. 

That was the highest weekly total since Sept. 2, 2017, following Hurricane Harvey.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits surged last week by 70,000 to the highest level in more than two years, indicating the effect of the coronavirus was starting to be felt in rising layoffs. The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for benefits, a good proxy for layoffs, rose by 70,000 to a seasonally adjusted 281,000 benefit applications last week. That was the highest weekly total since Sept. 2, 2017, following Hurricane Harvey.

Jobless claims jump by 70,000 as virus starts to take hold

KANSAS CITY, KAN.
 – U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced that more than $163 million in Department of Justice grants is available to help communities address America’s addiction crisis.

“Our nation is facing the difficult challenge of curbing substance addiction, which threatens public safety and is among the administration’s top domestic priorities,”
 said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs.


The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support
 a wide array of activities and services, including programs designed to prevent overdose deaths and break the cycle of addiction and crime.&nbsp;


A number of funding opportunities that address the addiction crisis are currently open:&nbsp;


Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program

<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17098" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17098</a>

Total Available $1.75 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 5/14/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program

<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/COSSAP20" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/COSSAP20</a>

Total Available $27 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 5/21/2020

Enhancing Community Responses to America's Addiction Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims

<a href="https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-enhancing-community-responses-to-drug-crisis.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-enhancing-community-responses-to-drug-crisis.pdf</a>

Total Available: $19 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline: 5/4/2020

<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17090" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17090</a>

Total Available $18.2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/8/2020 (Extended)

Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17754" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17754</a>

Total Available $28.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Deadline 5/5/2020

Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program

<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17051" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17051</a>

Total Available $7.2 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/13/2020 (Extended)

Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative

<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-16930" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-16930</a>

Total Available $48 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/13/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;


<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17352" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17352</a>

Total Available $9 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/20/2020

Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17275" target="_blank">
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17275</a>

Total Available $1 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/20/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners

<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/RSAT20" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/RSAT20</a>

Total Available $4.5 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/6/2020

For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit
<a href="https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities" target="_blank">https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571676884480.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OFFICE OF U.S. ATTORNEYKANSAS CITY, KAN.
 – U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced that more than $163 million in Department of Justice grants is available to help communities address America’s addiction crisis.“Our nation is facing the difficult challenge of curbing substance addiction, which threatens public safety and is among the administration’s top domestic priorities,”
 said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs.
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support
 a wide array of activities and services, including programs designed to prevent overdose deaths and break the cycle of addiction and crime.&nbsp;
A number of funding opportunities that address the addiction crisis are currently open:&nbsp;
Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17098" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17098</a>Total Available $1.75 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 5/14/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/COSSAP20" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/COSSAP20</a>Total Available $27 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 5/21/2020Enhancing Community Responses to America's Addiction Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims<a href="https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-enhancing-community-responses-to-drug-crisis.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-enhancing-community-responses-to-drug-crisis.pdf</a>Total Available: $19 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline: 5/4/2020Family Drug Court Program<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17090" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17090</a>Total Available $18.2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/8/2020 (Extended)Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17754" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17754</a>Total Available $28.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Deadline 5/5/2020 Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program
<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17051" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17051</a>Total Available $7.2 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/13/2020 (Extended)Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative
<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-16930" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-16930</a>Total Available $48 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/13/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;
Opioid Affected Youth Initiative
<a href="https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17352" target="_blank">https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17352</a>Total Available $9 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/20/2020Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17275" target="_blank">
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17275</a>Total Available $1 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/20/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners
<a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/RSAT20" target="_blank">https://bja.ojp.gov/RSAT20</a>Total Available $4.5 million&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deadline 4/6/2020For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit
<a href="https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities" target="_blank">https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities</a>

U.S. Attorney: More than $163M available to fight addiction crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) — Describing himself as a “wartime president” fighting an invisible enemy, President Donald Trump invoked rarely used emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>. Trump also signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0373a78b0aacc49d1f6bd8901c8ccc67">an aid package</a>&nbsp;— which the Senate approved earlier Wednesday — that will guarantee sick leave to workers who fall ill.

Trump tapped his authority under the 70-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/16bf293467703f6b4fceae5a7f272ab5">Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to give the government more power to steer production by private companies and try to overcome shortages in masks, ventilators and other supplies.

Yet he seemed to minimize the urgency of the decision, later tweeting that he “only signed the Defense Production Act to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">the Chinese Virus</a>&nbsp;should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future.”

“Hopefully there will be no need,” he added, “but we are all in this TOGETHER!”

The mixed messaging came as Trump took a series of other extraordinary steps to steady the nation, its day-to-day life suddenly and fundamentally altered.

The Canada-U.S. border, the world’s longest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47f7d6b0de23ad98a6742aa725b30435">was effectively closed</a>, save for commerce and essential travel, while the administration pushed its plan to send relief checks to millions of Americans.

Trump said he will expand the nation’s diagnostic testing capacity and deploy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/379cf72b9fe2c0774d873a57afe44a94">a Navy hospital ship</a>&nbsp;to New York City, which is rapidly becoming an epicenter of the pandemic, and another such ship to the West Coast. And the Housing and Urban Development Department will suspend foreclosures and evictions through April to help the growing number of Americans who face losing jobs and missing rent and mortgage payments.

But as Trump laid out efforts to help the economy, markets plummeted. Gone were nearly all the gains that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had made since Trump took office.

The administration announcements came on a fast-moving day of developments across the capital, its empty streets standing in contrast to the whirlwind of activity inside the grand spaces of the White House and the Capitol.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed a second coronavirus response bill, which Trump signed Wednesday night. The vote was a lopsided 90-8 despite worries by many Republicans about a temporary new employer mandate to provide sick leave to workers who get COVID-19. The measure is also aimed at making tests for the virus free.

Meanwhile the administration pushed forward its broad economic rescue plan, which proposes $500 billion in checks to millions of Americans, with the first checks to come April 6 if Congress approves.

The White House urged hospitals to cancel all elective surgeries to reduce the risk of being overwhelmed by cases. The president was pressed on why a number of celebrities, like professional basketball players, seemed to have easier access to diagnostic tests than ordinary citizens.

“Perhaps that’s the story of life,” Trump said. “I’ve heard that happens on occasion.”

Trump dismissed a suggestion from his own treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, that the nation could face 20% unemployment at least in the short term.

That’s an “absolute total worst case scenario,” Trump said. “We’re no way near it.”

The government has told Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people and the elderly to stay home while a pointed reminder was given to millennials to follow the guidelines and avoid social gatherings. Trump likened the effort to the measures taken during World War II and said it would require national “sacrifice.”

“It’s a war,” he said. “I view it as a, in a sense, a wartime president. It’s a very tough situation.”

No longer able to run for reelection on a healthy economy, he was taking on the mantle of a wartime leader after played down the severity of the crisis for weeks.

The president also employed more nativist, us-vs-them rhetoric at the briefing, continuing his recent habit of referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” which has been sharply criticized as racist. “It’s not racist at all,” Trump said. “It comes from China, that’s all.”

He was asked about a report that a White House aide had referred to the virus as the “Kung flu” when talking to an Asian-American reporter and Trump did not signal disapproval of the offensive term.

Trump later met nursing leaders and expressed “gratitude for those on the front lines in our war against the global pandemic” as he held out hope that the pandemic would be over soon.

“It’s been something, but we’re winning and we will win,” he said. “It’s a question of when and I think it’s going to go quickly. We hope it’s going to go quickly.”

A limited number of people gathered around a large table, their chairs spread apart in a display of social distancing.

The Defense Production Act gives the president broad authority to shape the domestic industrial base so that it is capable of providing essential materials and goods needed in a national security crisis. The law allows the president to require businesses and corporations to give priority to and accept contracts for required materials and services.

The executive order issued by Trump gives Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar the authority to determine “the proper nationwide priorities and allocation of all health and medical resources, including controlling the distribution of such materials ... in the civilian market, for responding to the spread of COVID-19 within the United States.” It also applies to certain health services.

Azar released a statement Wednesday night, saying, “we are coordinating closely with private suppliers, healthcare purchasers, and our federal partners like the Commerce Department to ensure that resources are going where they’re needed.”

Trump also said he would soon invoke a rarely used federal statute that would enable the U.S. to tighten controls along the southwest border because of the new coronavirus, based on a recommendation of the U.S. surgeon general.

The president said the law, intended to halt the spread of communicable diseases, would give authorities “great latitude” to help control the outbreak. Earlier, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the administration would invoke the law to immediately turn back all people who cross the border illegally from Mexico and to refuse people the right to claim asylum there.

More than eight weeks after the first U.S. case of the virus was detected, the federal government is still struggling to conduct widescale testing for the virus. Compounding the problem, laboratories are reporting shortages of supplies needed to run the tests, which officials urged to be given to those most likely to have COVID-19.

Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the White House response, cautioned that there has been a backlog of swabs waiting in labs to be tested, and as that backlog clears “we will see the number of people diagnosed dramatically increased” in the next few days.

Asked about the administration’s mixed messages when it comes to the threat posed by the virus, Birx said new studies about how long the virus can be transmissible on hard surfaces helped prompt the administration’s tightening of recommendations on social distancing. “None of us really understood” that, she said. “We’re still working out how much is by human transmission and how much is it by surface.” She added, “Don’t exposure yourself to surfaces outside the home.”

For most people, the new coronavirus 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 vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

As it tries to get its message to the public, the White House said a series of ads, digital and on television, will feature the president and first lady Melania Trump urging Americans to follow the guidelines. Birx also renewed her call for younger people to follow federal guidelines and stop meeting in groups.

She said there have been “concerning reports” from France and Italy about young people becoming seriously ill. The task force last week urged young generations to avoid going out to bars and restaurants and to avoid groups of more than 10 people.

“We cannot have these large gatherings that continue throughout the country for people who are off work,” Birx said. She added that the federal pandemic task force so far has not seen any “significant mortality” in children.

The White House has had several coronavirus-related health scares, with the president himself exposed to at least three people who later tested positive. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Wednesday that she had tested negative for the virus. McDaniel, who met last week with the president and Senate Republicans, had previously been exposed to someone who tested positive.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Senate has overwhelming passed a second coronavirus response bill, and is sending it to President Donald Trump to enact with his signature. The vote was a lopsided 90-8 despite misgivings among many Republicans over a temporary new employer mandate to provide sick leave to workers who contract COVID-19. The measure is also aimed at making diagnostic tests for the virus free.  

Confronting twin health and economic crises, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will invoke emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against a coronavirus pandemic threatening to overwhelm hospitals and other treatment centers.

Trump described himself as a “wartime president” as virus cases surged and the markets fell, and he took a series of extraordinary steps to steady a battered nation, its day-to-day life fundamentally altered.

Most immediately, Trump said he would employ the Defense Production Act as needed, giving the government more power to steer production by private companies and try to overcome shortages in masks, ventilators and other supplies.

Trump also said he will expand the nation’s testing capacity and deploy a Navy hospital ship to New York City, which is rapidly becoming an epicenter of the pandemic, and another such ship to the West Coast.

The Housing and Urban Development Department will suspend foreclosures and evictions through April. A growing number of Americans face losing jobs and missing rent and mortgage payments.

But as Trump laid out efforts to steady the economy, the markets plummeted. Gone were the last of the gains that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had made since Trump took office.

Administration announcements came on a fast-moving day of developments across the nation’s capitol, its empty streets standing in contrast to the whirlwind of activity inside the grand spaces of the White House and the Capitol.

The Senate approved financial aid package, economic relief plan provides $500 billion in checks to millions of Americans, with the first checks to come April 6. 

Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly announced that the U.S.-Canada border would be closed, except for essential personnel and for trade. The virus is afflicting people in both countries.

The White House urged hospitals to cancel all elective surgeries to reduce the risk of being overwhelmed by rising cases. The president was pressed on why a number of celebrities, like professional basketball players, seemed to have easier access to diagnostic tests than ordinary citizens.

Trump dismissed talk from his own treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who suggested that the nation could face 20% unemployment at least in the short term.

The administration has told Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people and the elderly to stay home while a pointed reminder was given to millennials to follow the guidelines and avoid social gatherings. Trump likened the effort to the measures taken during World War II and said it would require national “sacrifice.”

No long able to run for reelection on a healthy economy, he was taking on the mantle of a wartime leader after played down the severity of the crisis for weeks.

The Defense Production Act gives the president a broad set of authorities to shape the domestic industrial base so that it is capable of providing essential materials and goods needed in a national security crisis.

The law allows the president to require businesses and corporations to prioritize and accept contracts for required materials and services. It also allows the president to provide incentives for the domestic industrial base to expand the production and supply of critical materials and goods, according to a March 2 report by the Congressional Research Service.

More than eight weeks after the first U.S. case of the virus was detected, the federal government is still struggling to conduct widescale testing for the virus. Compounding the problem, laboratories are reporting shortages of key supplies needed to run tests.

Vice President Mike Pence reiterated Wednesday that testing should give priority to those most likely to have COVID-19.

“It’s important to remember that people without symptoms should not get tested,” Pence said. “We want to make sure the supply of testing is there for those who need it most.”

Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the White House response, cautioned there has been a backlog of swabs waiting in labs to be tested, and as that backlog clears “we will see the number of people diagnosed dramatically increased” in the next few days.

Birx said the science discovering how long the virus can be transmissible on hard surfaces helped prompt the administration’s tightening of recommendations on social distancing. “None of us really understood the level of surface piece,” she said. “We’re still working out how much is it by human-human transmission and how much is it by surface.” She said: “Don’t exposure yourself to surfaces outside the home.”

Birx also renewed her call for younger people to follow federal guideline and stop meeting in groups.

She said there have been “concerning reports” from France and Italy about young people becoming seriously ill. The task force last week urged young generations to avoid going out to bars and restaurants and to not meet in groups of more than 10 people.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584547845573.png" alt="President Trump made the announcement Wednesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump made the announcement Wednesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Describing himself as a “wartime president” fighting an invisible enemy, President Donald Trump invoked rarely used emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>. Trump also signed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0373a78b0aacc49d1f6bd8901c8ccc67">an aid package</a>&nbsp;— which the Senate approved earlier Wednesday — that will guarantee sick leave to workers who fall ill.Trump tapped his authority under the 70-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/16bf293467703f6b4fceae5a7f272ab5">Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to give the government more power to steer production by private companies and try to overcome shortages in masks, ventilators and other supplies.Yet he seemed to minimize the urgency of the decision, later tweeting that he “only signed the Defense Production Act to combat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a7c233f0b3bcdb72c06cca6271ba6713">the Chinese Virus</a>&nbsp;should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future.”“Hopefully there will be no need,” he added, “but we are all in this TOGETHER!”The mixed messaging came as Trump took a series of other extraordinary steps to steady the nation, its day-to-day life suddenly and fundamentally altered.The Canada-U.S. border, the world’s longest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/47f7d6b0de23ad98a6742aa725b30435">was effectively closed</a>, save for commerce and essential travel, while the administration pushed its plan to send relief checks to millions of Americans.Trump said he will expand the nation’s diagnostic testing capacity and deploy&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/379cf72b9fe2c0774d873a57afe44a94">a Navy hospital ship</a>&nbsp;to New York City, which is rapidly becoming an epicenter of the pandemic, and another such ship to the West Coast. And the Housing and Urban Development Department will suspend foreclosures and evictions through April to help the growing number of Americans who face losing jobs and missing rent and mortgage payments.But as Trump laid out efforts to help the economy, markets plummeted. Gone were nearly all the gains that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had made since Trump took office.The administration announcements came on a fast-moving day of developments across the capital, its empty streets standing in contrast to the whirlwind of activity inside the grand spaces of the White House and the Capitol.The Senate overwhelmingly passed a second coronavirus response bill, which Trump signed Wednesday night. The vote was a lopsided 90-8 despite worries by many Republicans about a temporary new employer mandate to provide sick leave to workers who get COVID-19. The measure is also aimed at making tests for the virus free.Meanwhile the administration pushed forward its broad economic rescue plan, which proposes $500 billion in checks to millions of Americans, with the first checks to come April 6 if Congress approves.The White House urged hospitals to cancel all elective surgeries to reduce the risk of being overwhelmed by cases. The president was pressed on why a number of celebrities, like professional basketball players, seemed to have easier access to diagnostic tests than ordinary citizens.“Perhaps that’s the story of life,” Trump said. “I’ve heard that happens on occasion.”Trump dismissed a suggestion from his own treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, that the nation could face 20% unemployment at least in the short term.That’s an “absolute total worst case scenario,” Trump said. “We’re no way near it.”The government has told Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people and the elderly to stay home while a pointed reminder was given to millennials to follow the guidelines and avoid social gatherings. Trump likened the effort to the measures taken during World War II and said it would require national “sacrifice.”“It’s a war,” he said. “I view it as a, in a sense, a wartime president. It’s a very tough situation.”No longer able to run for reelection on a healthy economy, he was taking on the mantle of a wartime leader after played down the severity of the crisis for weeks.The president also employed more nativist, us-vs-them rhetoric at the briefing, continuing his recent habit of referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” which has been sharply criticized as racist. “It’s not racist at all,” Trump said. “It comes from China, that’s all.”He was asked about a report that a White House aide had referred to the virus as the “Kung flu” when talking to an Asian-American reporter and Trump did not signal disapproval of the offensive term.Trump later met nursing leaders and expressed “gratitude for those on the front lines in our war against the global pandemic” as he held out hope that the pandemic would be over soon.“It’s been something, but we’re winning and we will win,” he said. “It’s a question of when and I think it’s going to go quickly. We hope it’s going to go quickly.”A limited number of people gathered around a large table, their chairs spread apart in a display of social distancing.The Defense Production Act gives the president broad authority to shape the domestic industrial base so that it is capable of providing essential materials and goods needed in a national security crisis. The law allows the president to require businesses and corporations to give priority to and accept contracts for required materials and services.The executive order issued by Trump gives Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar the authority to determine “the proper nationwide priorities and allocation of all health and medical resources, including controlling the distribution of such materials ... in the civilian market, for responding to the spread of COVID-19 within the United States.” It also applies to certain health services.Azar released a statement Wednesday night, saying, “we are coordinating closely with private suppliers, healthcare purchasers, and our federal partners like the Commerce Department to ensure that resources are going where they’re needed.”Trump also said he would soon invoke a rarely used federal statute that would enable the U.S. to tighten controls along the southwest border because of the new coronavirus, based on a recommendation of the U.S. surgeon general.The president said the law, intended to halt the spread of communicable diseases, would give authorities “great latitude” to help control the outbreak. Earlier, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the administration would invoke the law to immediately turn back all people who cross the border illegally from Mexico and to refuse people the right to claim asylum there.More than eight weeks after the first U.S. case of the virus was detected, the federal government is still struggling to conduct widescale testing for the virus. Compounding the problem, laboratories are reporting shortages of supplies needed to run the tests, which officials urged to be given to those most likely to have COVID-19.Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the White House response, cautioned that there has been a backlog of swabs waiting in labs to be tested, and as that backlog clears “we will see the number of people diagnosed dramatically increased” in the next few days.Asked about the administration’s mixed messages when it comes to the threat posed by the virus, Birx said new studies about how long the virus can be transmissible on hard surfaces helped prompt the administration’s tightening of recommendations on social distancing. “None of us really understood” that, she said. “We’re still working out how much is by human transmission and how much is it by surface.” She added, “Don’t exposure yourself to surfaces outside the home.”For most people, the new coronavirus 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 vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.As it tries to get its message to the public, the White House said a series of ads, digital and on television, will feature the president and first lady Melania Trump urging Americans to follow the guidelines. Birx also renewed her call for younger people to follow federal guidelines and stop meeting in groups.She said there have been “concerning reports” from France and Italy about young people becoming seriously ill. The task force last week urged young generations to avoid going out to bars and restaurants and to avoid groups of more than 10 people.“We cannot have these large gatherings that continue throughout the country for people who are off work,” Birx said. She added that the federal pandemic task force so far has not seen any “significant mortality” in children.The White House has had several coronavirus-related health scares, with the president himself exposed to at least three people who later tested positive. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Wednesday that she had tested negative for the virus. McDaniel, who met last week with the president and Senate Republicans, had previously been exposed to someone who tested positive.___-----------WASHINGTON (AP) —The Senate has overwhelming passed a second coronavirus response bill, and is sending it to President Donald Trump to enact with his signature. The vote was a lopsided 90-8 despite misgivings among many Republicans over a temporary new employer mandate to provide sick leave to workers who contract COVID-19. The measure is also aimed at making diagnostic tests for the virus free. Confronting twin health and economic crises, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will invoke emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against a coronavirus pandemic threatening to overwhelm hospitals and other treatment centers.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1240391871026864130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump described himself as a “wartime president” as virus cases surged and the markets fell, and he took a series of extraordinary steps to steady a battered nation, its day-to-day life fundamentally altered.Most immediately, Trump said he would employ the Defense Production Act as needed, giving the government more power to steer production by private companies and try to overcome shortages in masks, ventilators and other supplies.Trump also said he will expand the nation’s testing capacity and deploy a Navy hospital ship to New York City, which is rapidly becoming an epicenter of the pandemic, and another such ship to the West Coast.The Housing and Urban Development Department will suspend foreclosures and evictions through April. A growing number of Americans face losing jobs and missing rent and mortgage payments.But as Trump laid out efforts to steady the economy, the markets plummeted. Gone were the last of the gains that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had made since Trump took office.Administration announcements came on a fast-moving day of developments across the nation’s capitol, its empty streets standing in contrast to the whirlwind of activity inside the grand spaces of the White House and the Capitol.The Senate approved financial aid package, economic relief plan provides $500 billion in checks to millions of Americans, with the first checks to come April 6. Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly announced that the U.S.-Canada border would be closed, except for essential personnel and for trade. The virus is afflicting people in both countries.The White House urged hospitals to cancel all elective surgeries to reduce the risk of being overwhelmed by rising cases. The president was pressed on why a number of celebrities, like professional basketball players, seemed to have easier access to diagnostic tests than ordinary citizens.“Perhaps that’s the story of life,” Trump said. “I’ve heard that happens on occasion.”Trump dismissed talk from his own treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who suggested that the nation could face 20% unemployment at least in the short term.That’s an “absolute total worst case scenario,” Trump said. “We’re no way near it.”The administration has told Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people and the elderly to stay home while a pointed reminder was given to millennials to follow the guidelines and avoid social gatherings. Trump likened the effort to the measures taken during World War II and said it would require national “sacrifice.”“It’s a war,” he said. “I view it as a, in a sense, a wartime president. It’s a very tough situation.”No long able to run for reelection on a healthy economy, he was taking on the mantle of a wartime leader after played down the severity of the crisis for weeks.The president also employed more nativist, us-vs-them rhetoric at the briefing, continuing his recent habit of referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” which has been sharply criticized as racist. “It’s not racist at all,” Trump said. “It comes from China, that’s all.”He was asked about a report that a White House aide had referred to the virus as the “Kung flu” when talking to an Asian-American reporter and Trump did not signal disapproval of the offensive term.The Defense Production Act gives the president a broad set of authorities to shape the domestic industrial base so that it is capable of providing essential materials and goods needed in a national security crisis.The law allows the president to require businesses and corporations to prioritize and accept contracts for required materials and services. It also allows the president to provide incentives for the domestic industrial base to expand the production and supply of critical materials and goods, according to a March 2 report by the Congressional Research Service.Trump also said he would soon invoke a rarely used federal statute that would enable the U.S. to tighten controls along the southwest border because of the new coronavirus, based on a recommendation of the U.S. surgeon general.The president said the law, intended to halt the spread of communicable diseases, would give authorities “great latitude” to help control the outbreak. Earlier, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the administration would invoke the law to immediately turn back all people who cross the border illegally from Mexico and to refuse people the right to claim asylum there.More than eight weeks after the first U.S. case of the virus was detected, the federal government is still struggling to conduct widescale testing for the virus. Compounding the problem, laboratories are reporting shortages of key supplies needed to run tests.Vice President Mike Pence reiterated Wednesday that testing should give priority to those most likely to have COVID-19.“It’s important to remember that people without symptoms should not get tested,” Pence said. “We want to make sure the supply of testing is there for those who need it most.”Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the White House response, cautioned there has been a backlog of swabs waiting in labs to be tested, and as that backlog clears “we will see the number of people diagnosed dramatically increased” in the next few days.Birx said the science discovering how long the virus can be transmissible on hard surfaces helped prompt the administration’s tightening of recommendations on social distancing. “None of us really understood the level of surface piece,” she said. “We’re still working out how much is it by human-human transmission and how much is it by surface.” She said: “Don’t exposure yourself to surfaces outside the home.”For most people, the new coronavirus 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 vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.Birx also renewed her call for younger people to follow federal guideline and stop meeting in groups.She said there have been “concerning reports” from France and Italy about young people becoming seriously ill. The task force last week urged young generations to avoid going out to bars and restaurants and to not meet in groups of more than 10 people.“We cannot have these large gatherings that continue throughout the country for people who are off work,” Birx said. She added that the federal pandemic task force so far has not seen any “significant mortality” in children.___

The Latest: Trump taps emergency powers as virus relief plan proceeds

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Public health officials in Omaha have confirmed a second coronavirus case whose origins can't be traced. In addition to that “community spread” case discovered in a 46-year-old man, Douglas County health officials said three other travel-related cases have been confirmed in the Omaha area.

 The news comes as Nebraska officials scramble to increase the number of tests they can conduct each day. 

Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday that roughly 500 people have been tested so far. 

The state now has 28 confirmed cases including 23 in the Omaha area. 

Ricketts says he expects more tests to become available soon.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Public health officials in Omaha have confirmed a second coronavirus case whose origins can't be traced. In addition to that “community spread” case discovered in a 46-year-old man, Douglas County health officials said three other travel-related cases have been confirmed in the Omaha area. The news comes as Nebraska officials scramble to increase the number of tests they can conduct each day. Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday that roughly 500 people have been tested so far. The state now has 28 confirmed cases including 23 in the Omaha area. Ricketts says he expects more tests to become available soon.

Ricketts: Omaha sees 2nd virus case of unknown origin

Hastings, Neb&nbsp;– South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) is announcing the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the four-county health district.

The individual is an Adams County female in her 40s who traveled to Europe. She is currently self-isolating at home.&nbsp;

SHDHD is leading this response at the community level with support from DHHS. Local public health officials have initiated a contact investigation to identify people who may have been exposed so that they can take next steps and prevent further spread.

All identified close contacts will be notified, asked to self-quarantine (stay home) and be actively monitored twice daily by SHDHD for fever and respiratory symptoms.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you feel you are ill, please call your provider prior to visiting their facility and follow their next steps.

People can help protect themselves from COVID-19 and other respiratory infections by:

SHDHD encourages residents to stay informed by checking&nbsp;SHDHD’s website&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southheartlandhealth.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C155cedf5fa594360a81308d7cb944318%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201709950293587&amp;sdata=hGLZzd74NPOv7pAptQuMH0BHsavyzHKEUFmD082m0FI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.southheartlandhealth.org</a>&nbsp;for local information and updates, as well as links to the state and national websites.

There is 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: (402) 552-6645; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 7 days a week.

News ReleaseHastings, Neb&nbsp;– South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) is announcing the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the four-county health district.The individual is an Adams County female in her 40s who traveled to Europe. She is currently self-isolating at home.&nbsp;SHDHD is leading this response at the community level with support from DHHS. Local public health officials have initiated a contact investigation to identify people who may have been exposed so that they can take next steps and prevent further spread.All identified close contacts will be notified, asked to self-quarantine (stay home) and be actively monitored twice daily by SHDHD for fever and respiratory symptoms.Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you feel you are ill, please call your provider prior to visiting their facility and follow their next steps.People can help protect themselves from COVID-19 and other respiratory infections by:<ol>
 <li>Avoiding close contact with sick people and staying home if you are sick.</li><li>Washing hands often with soap and water 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 with unwashed hands.</li><li>Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze then throw the tissue in the trash, or cough in your sleeve.</li><li>Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.</li>
 </ol>SHDHD encourages residents to stay informed by checking&nbsp;SHDHD’s website&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southheartlandhealth.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C155cedf5fa594360a81308d7cb944318%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637201709950293587&amp;sdata=hGLZzd74NPOv7pAptQuMH0BHsavyzHKEUFmD082m0FI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.southheartlandhealth.org</a>&nbsp;for local information and updates, as well as links to the state and national websites.There is 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: (402) 552-6645; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 7 days a week.

1st COVID-19 case confirmed in South Heartland District

CASPER, Wyo. (Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune) — A highway patrol report says a collision between two semi-trucks led one to jack-knife across westbound lanes of a Wyoming highway and cause a pileup that killed three people. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reports the crash involving about 30 vehicles including additional semi-trucks occurred March 1 on Interstate 80. 

The Wyoming Highway Patrol says in a preliminary report published this week that there was a second large accident nearby minutes later that did not result in any deaths. 

Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeremy Beck says the two accident scenes involved about 80 vehicles in separate collisions.

CASPER, Wyo. (Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune) — A highway patrol report says a collision between two semi-trucks led one to jack-knife across westbound lanes of a Wyoming highway and cause a pileup that killed three people. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the crash involving about 30 vehicles including additional semi-trucks occurred March 1 on Interstate 80. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says in a preliminary report published this week that there was a second large accident nearby minutes later that did not result in any deaths. Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeremy Beck says the two accident scenes involved about 80 vehicles in separate collisions.

Jack-knifed truck led to fatal pileup on Wyoming highway

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune) — Testing has revealed the new coronavirus in eight more people in Wyoming including seven linked to an assisted-living center resident who tested positive earlier. 

Health officials said Tuesday an older man in southeast Wyoming's Laramie County also has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. 

The number of Wyomingites known to be infected rose to 11 with the eight new cases. 

Health officials say people in recent, close contact with those testing positive will be monitored for fever, coughing and other symptoms of the illness. 

Testing revealed Wyoming's first case of the COVID-19 virus in Sheridan County on Wednesday.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune) — Testing has revealed the new coronavirus in eight more people in Wyoming including seven linked to an assisted-living center resident who tested positive earlier. Health officials said Tuesday an older man in southeast Wyoming's Laramie County also has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The number of Wyomingites known to be infected rose to 11 with the eight new cases. Health officials say people in recent, close contact with those testing positive will be monitored for fever, coughing and other symptoms of the illness. Testing revealed Wyoming's first case of the COVID-19 virus in Sheridan County on Wednesday.

Wyoming COVID-19 jumps with new Lander, Laramie County cases

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Officials have announced South Dakota's public health lab has halted COVID-19 testing due to a shortage of supplies. 

The lab had to stop this week after running out of supplies both from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and private suppliers.

 It ran tests for medium and high risk patients on Monday. 

The Department of Health said there is “no timeframe” for when tests will be available due to a nationwide shortage of testing supplies. 

Two of the largest healthcare providers in South Dakota have indicated they are working to develop testing.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Officials have announced South Dakota's public health lab has halted COVID-19 testing due to a shortage of supplies. The lab had to stop this week after running out of supplies both from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and private suppliers. It ran tests for medium and high risk patients on Monday. The Department of Health said there is “no timeframe” for when tests will be available due to a nationwide shortage of testing supplies. Two of the largest healthcare providers in South Dakota have indicated they are working to develop testing.

South Dakota halts COVID-19 testing

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Food banks and pantries across the U.S. are scrambling to meet an expected surge in demand as the coronavirus causes many people to at least temporarily lose their jobs. 

This is happening even as older volunteers have been told to stay home. 

Also, calls for social distancing are complicating efforts to package and distribute food. 

Pantries are shifting from letting people select items to giving them a sack filled with food to limit interaction and lessen the chance of passing along the virus. 

Officials say it makes them less efficient, but they don't have better options.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Food banks and pantries across the U.S. are scrambling to meet an expected surge in demand as the coronavirus causes many people to at least temporarily lose their jobs. This is happening even as older volunteers have been told to stay home. Also, calls for social distancing are complicating efforts to package and distribute food. Pantries are shifting from letting people select items to giving them a sack filled with food to limit interaction and lessen the chance of passing along the virus. Officials say it makes them less efficient, but they don't have better options.

Food banks face virus dilemma: More demand, fewer volunteers

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say shots were fired inside an Omaha grocery store, but there were no shooting victims and a suspect was in custody. 

Police and medics were called to the Hy-Vee store on the city's southwest side just after 6:30 p.m. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say shots were fired inside an Omaha grocery store, but there were no shooting victims and a suspect was in custody. Police and medics were called to the Hy-Vee store on the city's southwest side just after 6:30 p.m. Officials say an off-duty officer and a customer grabbed him and subdued him after a short scuffle for the gun. The suspect was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. A woman also suffered minor injuries while fleeing the scene, he said. An off-duty officer and a customer grabbed him and subdued him after a short scuffle for the gun.