The coronavirus death toll across the U.S. continues to climb and passed 18,500 by Friday evening, according to an NBC News tally. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York state had reached 170,512.
Globally, the number of cases passed 1.6 million with more than 102,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, as countries deliberate over further lockdown measures or worry about second wave outbreaks. Millions of people around the world are preparing for religious celebrations and a holiday weekend.
Current and former U.S. officials, meanwhile, tell NBC News that American spy agencies collected raw intelligence hinting at a public health crisis in Wuhan, China, in November, but the information was not understood as the first warning signs of an impending global pandemic.
- Here's what to know about the coronavirus, plus a timeline of the most critical moments.
- MAPS: Confirmed cases in the U.S. and worldwide, confirmed deaths in the U.S. and globally.
- Stay-at-home orders across the country: What each state is doing — or not — amid widespread coronavirus lockdowns.
Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak.
This live coverage has ended. Continue reading Apr. 11 Coronavirus news.
Florida pastor arrested for defying stay-at-home orders to host online Easter service
The Florida pastor who wound up in handcuffs after he defied a local stay-at-home coronavirus order by holding a church service for hundreds of worshippers will be celebrating Easter with his flock online this Sunday.
Rodney Howard-Browne, who in previous statements railed at “tyrannical government” and threatened to sue the local sheriff for arresting him, made the announcement on The River at Tampa Bay Church’s Facebook page.
“Join us ONLINE ONLY at 9:30 AM on Sunday, April 12th, for our Resurrection Sunday service as we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ,” the announcement read.
Afternoon roundup of coronavirus coverage
Rationing protective gear means checking on coronavirus patients less often. This can be deadly. [ProPublica]
Did Ohio get it right? Early intervention, preparation for pandemic may pay off. [The Washington Post]
A Colorado ski community planned to test everyone for COVID-19. Here’s what happened. [Kaiser Health News]
NYPD now has 17 dead from COVID-19, but 600 out sick have returned to work
Two more members of the NYPD have died of COVID-19, a police officer and a traffic enforcement agent, bringing the hard-hit department's total number of coronavirus dead to 17.
The total number of uniformed members out sick also hit a new high of 7,155 Thursday night — almost 20 percent of the 37,000-member force.
But Friday morning Police Commissioner Dermot Shea was able to announce to NYPD employees via Twitter that 600 police officers who had been out sick with symptoms of COVID-19 during the course of the outbreak have now returned to work.
In total, 2,204 uniformed members of the force and 408 civilian members have tested positive for COVID-19 to date.
Turkey's death toll tops 1,000
The coronavirus has claimed the lives of 1,006 people in Turkey, according to the country's health ministry.
Coronavirus testing at home: What you need to know
The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a rush for private companies to offer ways for people to test themselves for the virus from their own homes.
But there's a lot of empty claims, hype and scams that consumers need to beware of — as well as crucial information that will help understand them how and why to avoid these fake tests.
The most important thing to know is that the FDA has not yet approved any at-home diagnostic tests or at-home collection kits for the coronavirus. There are also no at-home antibody tests currently approved by the FDA.
Crew member on Zaandam cruise ship dies from the coronavirus
A crew member from the ill-fated Holland America Zaandam cruise ship has died from the coronavirus. A spokesperson for the company said that Wiwit Widarto died on Wednesday.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fellow crewmembers," Holland America said in a statement.
Widarto was hospitalized in Florida on April 2, the same day the Zaandam and its sister ship, the Rotterdam, docked in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The Zaandam spent two weeks at sea with passengers who contracted the virus before Florida gave permission for the ships to dock.
A total of nine passengers and crew were taken to local hospitals while 45 others who were sick remained on the vessel. Four people died on the Zaandam, with at least two of them testing positive for the coronavirus.
We may need to wear masks for 'at least a year,' experts suggest
As the coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S., millions of Americans are asking when they'll see daily life return to normal again.
Public spaces are closed, a majority of the country is under stay-at-home orders, and handshakes seem like a thing of the past.
Last week the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) changed their guidance on face masks. At first, people were advised not to wear masks in public; now, the CDC and other health experts say they can be a vital part of slowing the spread of the virus.
Experts say that even when daily life returns to normal, it's likely Americans and others around the world will still be wearing masks.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says testing will be key to reopening the state
New York's governor said testing for coronavirus infections will be key to reopening the economy and that he has spoken to the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut about working together toward that goal.
"I would like to operate as a coalition with New Jersey and Connecticut because we are the tristate area," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference on Friday.
He said all three states "would partner with the federal government" to get testing quickly up to scale "so that we can start to build that bridge to reopening the economy."
New York "has been very aggressive on testing," with the state health department able to do 300 tests a day, the governor said. By next Friday, he said he expects that number to be 1,000 and the following week 2,000. He added that the state lab is now developing a fast, noninvasive antibody test for the virus.
The governor also announced that the number of deaths reported in New York in the last 24 hours was 777, bringing the total from coronavirus to 7,844.
Feds to probe dozens of deaths at nursing home for veterans
The Justice Department on Friday opened a federal investigation of a Massachusetts nursing home for veterans where 32 patients have died since late March.
Twenty-eight of the victims have tested positive for coronavirus.
Nearly half the residents of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home have tested positive for the virus, and almost 70 members of the staff have been infected, according to the state. The superintendent of the state-run facility was placed on leave, and 46 residents who tested negative were moved to a nearby hospital to keep them safe from the virus that raged through the nursing home. About 90 remain at the home.
Boris Johnson taking short walks as coronavirus recovery continues
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken "short walks, between periods of rest" as he continues his coronavirus recovery, a spokesperson said Friday.
“He has spoken to his doctors and thanks the whole clinical team for the incredible care he has received," the spokesperson added.
Johnson, 55, was moved out of intensive care Thursday after being admitted to St. Thomas' Hospital in London on Sunday.
Man hospitalized with COVID-19 learns he also has diabetes. Here's why that's dangerous.
Rico Ramirez spent 10 days in a San Francisco hospital's COVID-19 unit, hooked up to oxygen to help him breathe, isolated from family and friends.
"I thought I was going to die alone," Ramirez told NBC affiliate KNTV. "I thought every day I was in there that I was going to die in a room by myself."
But coronavirus wasn't the only illness he learned about when he was hospitalized; he also learned he has Type 2 diabetes, putting him at greater risk for complications from the virus.
Amtrak gets $1 billion in federal assistance; ridership down 90 percent
Amtrak is receiving more than $1 billion in federal assistance to help offset ridership declines due to coronavirus, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced.
Ridership is down more than 90 percent in recent weeks. The funding will come through the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into law in late March.
Video shows giant trench getting built on NYC's Hart Island to bury coronavirus victims
New drone video shows a giant trench getting dug at New York City's public cemetery on Hart Island to help handle the increased influx of unclaimed bodies due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The medical examiner's office will now only keep bodies for 14 days before they are sent to be buried on Hart Island in the Bronx.
As the death toll mounts in New York, the city's public cemetery has started receiving about 24 bodies a day, five days a week. It used to only see about 25 bodies a week, mostly of people whose families can't afford a funeral, or who go unclaimed by relatives.
West Virginia reports 536 confirmed coronavirus cases, five deaths
More than 500 people in West Virginia have tested positive for COVID-19, the state Department of Health and Human Resources said.
West Virginia has 536 positive cases, 14,001 negatives and five deaths. Nearly half of the confirmed cases are located in three counties: Berkeley (83 confirmed cases), Monongalia (76), and Kanawha (74).
Photos: Portrait of a California neighborhood under lockdown
The nation’s most populous state is serving as a laboratory for how Americans may be asked to live in the months ahead. See more compelling images from photojournalist Todd Bigelow's look at the confined existence of residents of West Hills, a Los Angeles suburb.
Nurses union calls for help with housing, child care amid coronavirus fight
The helpers need help, too. The country's largest union of registered nurses is calling on governors of 17 states, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and hospital employers to provide housing, child care and workers' compensation in addition to protective equipment to nurses caring for coronavirus patients.
The union, National Nurses United, sent letters to governors of Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia.
“NNU has heard too many reports of nurses sleeping in their cars or garages to protect their families from potential infection, and far too many reports of nurses being told to use their sick or vacation time to cover precautionary leave after being exposed,” NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo said in a statement. “This is outrageous and morally wrong, and we call on the states and hospitals to immediately address our demands for better protections.”
Ohio Dept. of Health offers a stark metaphor for the importance of social distancing
Connecticut senator warns on shortage of tests, protective equipment
Irish sheep farmer uses large pair of shears for lockdown haircut
While many people have resorted to home haircuts due to the closure of barbers and salons during the COVID-19 pandemic, 62-year-old Irish sheep farmer and sheepdog trainer Donie Anderson took things a step further, using a large pair of shears to trim his own hair in a video that has been viewed nearly 2 million times on Facebook.
From his home in the Dublin Mountains where he is lambing 130 ewes, Anderson told NBC News that he normally shears his hair at Christmas, but worries over catching a cold meant that he had been waiting for the first bout of good weather to get a trim.
While the shears look foreboding, Anderson’s experience using them on his sheep means he is able to use them to great effect. “If you clipped your ear with the shears it’d need stitching with needle and thread”, he said, “but I’ve been shearing sheep for 50 years so I’m able to do it properly”.
Pandemic disproportionately affecting women and girls, UN says
The coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately affecting women and girls globally, the United Nations said in a policy brief released Thursday.
While the pandemic reaches everyone, "it affects different groups of people differently, deepening existing inequalities. Early data indicates that the mortality rates from COVID-19 may be higher for men. But the pandemic is having devastating social and economic consequences for women and girls,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a video released along with the brief.
The economic toll will hurt women globally as they tend to earn less, hold less secure jobs and are more likely to be employed in the informal sector. Issues surrounding women’s healthcare, unpaid domestic labor and gender-based violence are also currently exacerbated, it said.
As well as working to contain the outbreak, Guterres urged governments to also focus on the gender divide: “That starts with women as leaders, with equal representation and decision-making power. Measures to protect and stimulate the economy — from cash transfers to credits and loans — must be targeted at women,” he said.
Prisoners in Ecuador set to manufacture coffins amid virus shortage
Hundreds of prisoners in Ecuador will begin making wooden coffins to help cover a shortage emerging due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The health crisis has prompted a shortage of coffins in Guayaquil, one of the worst hit regions, prompting some families to bury their relatives in cardboard boxes donated to cemeteries by private companies.
"The Environment Ministry is donating seized wood, which would have gone toward other purposes for a noble cause: give a wooden coffin to families who have lost a loved one," Environment Minister Juan DeHowitt said in a statement.
Prisoners in Ambato city plan to start delivering the coffins next week.
Walmart sold enough toilet paper in 5 days for every American to have one roll, CEO says
Walmart sold enough toilet paper in five days for every American to have their own roll, a statistic cited by the retail giant's CEO in saying that shoppers should buy only what they need for a week instead of stocking up.
As to what else people are buying, CEO Doug McMillon said on TODAY on Friday that initially food was flying off the shelves during the pandemic. Then entertainment and educational products such as puzzles and games became popular. Now, grooming products like hair color and beard trimmers are in high demand.
Walmart's business has increased during the crisis, leading to the hiring of more than 100,000 new workers since March 19.
All employees have masks and gloves and starting Friday, their temperatures were being taken before they began their shifts.
Obama to U.S. mayors: 'Speak the truth. Speak it clearly.'
Former President Barack Obama addressed a group of mayors on how to best deal with the outbreak in an online meeting on Thursday, saying the “biggest mistake any us can make in these situations is to misinform.”
"Speak the truth. Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through," Obama said to mayors of more than 300 cities across America, according to a press release on the virtual meeting organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Obama also urged the politicians to surround themselves with a strong team of reliable experts and to not be afraid to ask questions. This was the fourth virtual meeting Bloomberg's group has held with mayors. Two of the previous meetings have featured speeches by former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Nigeria reports 14 new cases of coronavirus
Nigeria has reported 14 new cases of coronavirus, the majority in the economic center of Lagos, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The West African nation now has 288 confirmed cases and 7 deaths as of Thursday evening, it said.
Tokyo Olympics may not happen even in 2021
TOKYO — As the coronavirus spreads in Japan, the chief executive of the Tokyo Games said Friday he can’t guarantee the postponed Olympics will be staged next year — even with a 16-month delay.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an emergency declaration this week to battle the virus, putting the country under restrictions after it seemed it had avoided the spread.
“I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,” Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference conducted remotely. ”We’re certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer.”
The Olympics were postponed last month with a new opening set for July 23, 2021, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 24.
U.S. virus economy could burst big-city rent bubble
The gridlocked U.S. coronavirus economy could upend housing from coast to coast, bursting national apartment rents that have risen by 150 percent over the last decade, experts say.
Yet the situation will likely do little to alleviate the housing crisis, as the more than 16 million Americans who filed for unemployment insurance in the last three weeks will still need roofs over their heads, say economists and affordable housing advocates.
More than half of the 600 concerned landlords on a conference call Wednesday with the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles said they have tenants who haven't fully paid their April rent, according to Executive Director Daniel Yukelson.
From Rome to Jerusalem, Christians mark Good Friday in isolation
Christians around the world are commemorating Easter without the solemn church services or emotional processions of past years, marking Good Friday in a world locked down by the coronavirus pandemic.
A small group of clerics held a closed-door service in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem — built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead.
In Rome, the torch-lit Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum is usually a highlight of Holy Week, drawing large crowds of pilgrims and tourists. It’s been cancelled this year, along with all other public gatherings in Italy — which is battling one of the worst outbreaks. Pope Francis will lead a Good Friday ceremony to an empty St. Peter’s Square on Friday evening.
Cats that guard Russia's Hermitage museum doing well in virus lockdown
St. Petersburg’s Hermitage museum is known world over for its rich collection of artwork, but it is also known for its furry, friendly guard cats.
The museum’s YouTube channel featured a 15-minute “hang out” with the cats in their basement hideout on Thursday, assuring viewers that all was well, amid a nation-wide coronavirus home isolation order.
“The Hermitage cats convey their greetings and meow-meow!” the museum wrote in the video description. “Everything is fine with them. They are looked after, petted, fed, and sometimes even given all kinds of treats!”
The cats have a press secretary and assistant who usually cares for them. But, with most employees working from home, the job has been left to the Museum Security Service, who can be seen in the video. It ends with a call to those interested in adopting a feline friend to contact the museum.
Spain extends state of emergency for second time
Spanish lawmakers voted Thursday evening to extend state of emergency measures until April 26, as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak.
The measures prolong the state of emergency for a second time in Spain, which has the world’s second-highest coronavirus death toll, and also included economic and labor decrees to help alleviate the crisis.
The outbreak has led to a near-collapse of Spain's health system as the country reported more than 15,000 deaths as of Friday, according to an NBC News tally. The daily rate of infection, however, has started to slow.
As Spanish citizens will now be under compulsory lockdown for a total of six weeks, the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that he may need to ask for a third extension to prolong measures until May.
Tokyo imposes further social restrictions in face of virus
Tokyo set in place further restrictions on Friday, as part of its battle to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Theaters, sports facilities and places of assembly will be closed, while bars and restaurants will have limited opening times, governor Yuriko Koike told a press conference. The measures are part of the country's ongoing month-long state of emergency announced April 7.
"From our point of view, this is a matter of life and death for Tokyoites," said Koike. "We’ve been receiving reports on a daily basis that the medical capacity of the city is getting stretched thin."
Tokyo's lockdown is not compulsory but rather requests the public to refrain from leaving their homes.
Australia's crackdown on Easter travel amid coronavirus
Australia will deploy helicopters, set up police checkpoints and hand out hefty fines to deter people from breaking travel bans during the Easter weekend, officials warned Friday, even as the spread of coronavirus slows across the country.
With places of worship closed, bans on public gatherings and non-essential travel limited to combat the spread of the virus, Australians have been told to stay home during the Easter public holidays.
"Police will take action," New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys told reporters, adding that police had issued almost 50 new fines for breaches of public health orders in the previous 24 hours. Police have also said they will block roads and use number plate recognition technology to catch those infringing the bans.
Celebrities say 'thank you' to Britain's healthcare workers
U.S. singer Billie Eilish, actor Hugh Grant and author Stephen Fry were among the celebrities who took part in a video thanking Britain's National Health Service and staff, Thursday evening.
The video is part of what is becoming a weekly ritual across Britain that sees people standing on door steps and hanging out of windows to cheer and applaud health care workers, as they continue to manage the coronavirus outbreak.
Yemen confirms first coronavirus case
Yemen has recorded its first confirmed case of coronavirus on Friday, the country's supreme national emergency committee tweeted.
The patient is being treated and is in a stable condition in the Hadhramaut governorate, the national emergency committee for the disease said. The case in the war-torn country has stoked fears that an outbreak could devastate an already crippled health care system.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared a cease-fire this week on humanitarian grounds to prevent the spread of the pandemic — possibly paving the way to a peace agreement.
Trump allies reportedly think briefings hurt more than help
More men than women are testing positive
WASHINGTON — Men are not getting tested as much for the coronavirus as women.
Yet, when men do get tested, a higher percentage test positive for the virus.
Dr. Deborah Birx used the numbers to remind men “about the importance of health care” during a briefing Thursday at the White House.
So far, Birx says, 56 percent of the people tested for COVID-19 are female, and 16 percent of them tested positive for the virus.
But for men, 23 percent tested positive.
Birx made a plea for men experiencing symptoms that could be a result of the virus to get tested, saying “we appreciate you engaging in that.”
Birx serves as the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator.
Oakland, California, to close 74 miles of city streets to cars, inviting walkers, runners and cyclists instead
OAKLAND, Calif.— This Bay Area city will join a growing list of others around the country that are closing streets to cars in favor of increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic during the COVID-19 crisis, an official said Thursday.
“We’ll announce an emergency measure that allows Oakland residents more space to walk, bike and run safely through their neighborhoods, and we’re calling it the Oakland Slow Streets” Alexandria McBride, the city’s chief resilience officer, told a town hall meeting held via Zoom video conference.
McBride said Oakland will open up 74 miles of car-free streets and will begin rolling out the program Saturday.
Other cities, including St. Paul, Minnesota, and Philadelphia, have taken similar measures, and several other U.S. cities are discussing the possibility. By one count, Oakland’s road closure is the largest by far of any American city during the pandemic.
HHS reverses course on funding for local coronavirus testing sites
The Department of Health and Human Services late Thursday reversed its decision to end federal support on Friday for community-based coronavirus testing sites around the country.
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that states will now be able to choose whether they want to transition to managing the testing programs themselves or continue with federal assistance.
"In this instance, we wanted to at least give them the option to take control of that. But, we will continue to resource them with personnel, supplies, and any other support they need going forward,” he said at the daily White House coronavirus briefing.
The availability of widespread testing remains scarce in the U.S., and public health officials have called it a failure of the administration's coronavirus response.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told NBC News in a statement Thursday that the federal government “will continue working closely with states, and their respective FEMA regions, to determine whether sites want to continue as they are now, with direct federal supervision and manpower, or transition to full state control.”