hi, i'm brianna keilar, this is cnn's special coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. with urge sis and desperation. andrew cuomo is taking aim at the federal government's lack of response. cuomo also dlifrlg what he called troubling and astonishing news. that is that the rate of infection is kleiman in new york. it is steeper, climbing higher than they had even anticipated. >> the inescapable conclusion is that the rate of infection is going up. it is spiking. the apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought. that is a bad combination of facts. so slow the spread, we'll still keep doing everything we can, but it is clear we must

dramatically increase the hospital capacity to meet that highest apex. now, at least 16 states have issued state at-home orders to force social distancing, while other states in major cities have it moved to close nonessential businesses. in the united kingdom, three threatening fines for anyone who ignores the new strict order. $35 on the spot if you are where you are not supposed to be. there will be no olympics this year. the tokyo summer games are officially being postponed for up to a year. governor cuomo delivering dire news from his state, and for the country as well. we have our erica hill with more on the governor's message. erica? >> reporter: the governor, forceful and quite clear today, he does not see this as a choice between public health and the health of the economy. he is calling on the federal government to not only step in, but to prioritize the way they handle this crucial equipment.

a plea from the epicenter of this crisis -- to focus. >> we are just the test case. that's how the nation should look at it. look at us today. where we are today, you will be in three weeks or four weeks or five weeks, or six weeks. we are your future. let's learn how to act as one nation. >> reporter: andrew cuomo announcing cases in his state are doubling about every three days. the need for hospital supplies escalating as hospitals and health care workers are stretched to the brink. governor cuomo says on4 hundred dollars ventilators are here. >> when you need a ventilator, you need it immediately -- ford,

3m and ge announcing a partnership. but regular production is still weeks ago. >> by the middle of may, we could be making hundreds of thousands of these ventilators. >> we're basically being asked to jump off a cliff, you know, without the appropriate protective equipment. so that's really hard. i think that's probably what's more stressful than the actual hard work. as negotiations continue over the stimulus package on capitol hill, millions of americans are facing their own deadlines for rent at mortgage payments. morgan stanley is now estimating job leads claims could top 3.4 million. by wednesday, 16 states, more than 40% of americans will be under orders to stay home. more students learning they won't return to a classroom this school year. business leaders pushing for younger, healthy workers to returns to the office, as the president pushes to restart the

economy. >> i keep thinking to myself, when the ceo is ready to take the subway to work or a bus to work and operate an elevator in their country, i'm going to get some sense they think it's safe enough to end social distancing. i don't think we're there yet. >> do we let people die or kill all the businesses and jobs? it's a twin ballots. we have to help both at the same time. >> reporter: with no deadline in sight. brianna, we did a short time ago got an update on ventilators coming to new york city. vice president pence said 2,000 were sent out and another 2,000 should be arriving tomorrow. that would bring it up to 4400, but again the governor saying the need here in new york state is 30,000, brianna. >> that's a far cry from 4400, erica hill, as you note. thank you so much, erica is in

new york city for us. the world health organization said the united states and europe are the epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic. with more than 49,000 cases, only china and italy have more, and yet this is what the president said just a short time ago. >> i would love to have it open by easter, okay? >> oh, wow, okay. >> i would love to have it open by easter. i will tell that you now. it's such an important day for other reasons, but i'll make it an important day for this, too. i would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by easter. >> dr. jorge rodriguez is an internist and gastroenterologist, and gloria borger is here, a cnn chief political analyst. gloria, i'm stunned by the president saying this as the timeline. what do you think about this? especially when -- especiwhy ise

focusing on ventilators, masks, p ppe. they are facing a tsunami in new york, and he doesn't seem to care enough to tackle that first. >> well, in fact he decided to get into a fight with andrew cuomo, the governor there, about whether he could have ordered the ventilators on his own years ago or not. look, this is a president who is clearly worried about the economy, as everybody else is, and seems to be driven by his own instinct, as we all know, because he's told us, more than the science. and in this town hall with fox news today, when he kept on talking about, which was sort of stunning to me, was comparing this to the flu, saying this is like the flu. thousands and thousands of people die of the flu every we're. people die in car accidents, he says, but that doesn't mean that you can't drive cars. these are both analogies that

the scientists have said don't apply in this particular case. and so perhaps it's an effort to try to give americans some kind of hope, but i think what it does is it scares people, because they're confused. they're not sure who to listen to. they're not sure who's driving these decisions. and are the people with the knowledge driving these decisions and why isn't the president talking about a way to sort of walk and chew gum at the same time? and figure out a way to try and do that rather than saying, you know, this is all going to be raring to go by easter. >> doctor, what do you think? >> i think she's absolutely right. this is not about a slogan. this is not about trying to convince people to buy into this. this is about life or death. you can't make a livelihood if aren't alive.

the first is the health of our american people. that's our greatest resource. that means that they have to be healthy. so whether you like to hear it or not, this is a way that is here and is escalating. we need to stop it. once everybody is healthy, then we can have a much more robust economy. first, we have to stop the ill at this point. i don't care how many slogans you have at it. that won't change the facts. >> when you look, doctor, we've heard it on ventilators in certain places. we nose there's hiccups. it's not just anyone who can do that, but knowing that those are out there, is there any excuse to you that those are not being mobilized toward the hardest-hit area right snow. >> this is where the feds need to come in and be the sole dispenser not just of

ventilators, but masks and protective gears. they need to talk to the governors and ask them where does your state need it? the county needs to tell the governors, the governors needs to tell the feds. and actually private industry needs to get out of it. the federal government in my opinion should buy what is necessary and then give it to the states, perhaps at bare minimus, perhaps for free. at the end of the day, this is all going to be paid for by the taxpayer. that's how it should be coming. there's no reason that this should not be dispensed immediately and as soon as possible, and as soon as available. >> anyone looking at this, gloria, goes where in the hell are the ventilators? where are the masks? where is the federal government? where is the president in getting those to the right -- it's a simple math equation. they're here, they needs to get there and they need them now. why is that not happening? >> well, you know, this is the question about the role of government in our lives. we heard peter navarro, one of

the president's chief economic advisers the other day talking about the heavy hand of government when questions were being raised about the defense production act and when you could start uses the defense production act. what the governor are saying is use it now. that's disthis is what government is about. if it's not rescues its own people from death, really then what is it about? this is what congress is working on now, what government can do. hopefully congress will get its act together and get it passed today. this is when government intervention, no matter whether you're a conservative or liberal, this is when government intervention makes an awful lot of sense. you know, you can argue the finer points about it at other times, but now is when it's

needed. >> we're turning philosophy of certain lawmakers on its head. they're just way past that. doctor, i wonder for you, you've someone who has dedicated your life to taking care of the vulnerable. the sick are more vulnerable than the healthy. so i wonder what you think, when you hear officials including the president, including state officials in certain places, basically saying, well, they're essential saying that those who are vulnerable may need to be the sacrificial lambs. i just wonder how that strikes you when you're dedicated to making sure that they survive. >> it's both frightening and disgusting, to be quite honest. the source of this is that most people who say that think it does not apply to them, and this is where, you know, i used to joke and say that people didn't want health care for everybody until the day they realize that the waiter's cough could kill them. well, we're at that point.

no life is worth less than any other life. today we really do need to be pro-life and pro-life for everybody. as gloria was saying, this is tantamount to being at war. if something was attacking the united states and would kill 3 million people, and this might, we would enforce these acts and move swiftly. we are really at the beginning of that point. this is antithehical, and that's the value of life. >> we are all linked. gloria, real quick. >> okay. brianna, this is not to say that people should not be working on a way to try and reopen business

piece by piece. >> absolutely. >> of course. >> at the same time, right? but -- >> that's right. >> you can't say it's an either/or situation. >> it isn't. number one, lives, and then can you do the other jobs as well. walk and chew gum at the same time. gloria borger, dr. rodriguez, thank you so much. vice president pence says he's hopeful the senate can pass a stimulus package today. this is expected to be about $2 trillion. we'll have details on how this could help. plus i'm going to speak to an emergency room doctor who has tested positive for coronavirus, what she has to say about the massive shortage of medical supplies. later thousands of nonviolent offenders being released as the first cases pop up in u.s. jails. we'll have the details for the calls to release even more inmates.

yes! okay good. when it comes to response times, just okay is not okay. that's why at&t is building it's 5g on america's best network. doprevagen is the number oneild mempharmacist-recommendeding? memory support brand. you can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

non-drowsy claritin cool mint chewables. feel the clarity of new the only allergy product with relief of your worst symptoms, including itchy throat. plus an immediate blast of cooling sensation. feel the clarity and live claritin clear.

right now the senate is inching closer to a deal on a stimulus package that would be worth more than $2 trillion. this is all to help americans and businesses deal with the financial fallout from the coronavirus. this could include about $500 billion in relief for distressed companies, and what some are calling unemployment on steroids for u.s. workers who lose their jobs. i want to bring in steve lamar, the president and ceo of the american apparel and footwear association, which represents more than 1,000 of the country's best-known brands. i just wonder, what is your reaction, the reaction of your members to this stimulus package that's on its way? >> well, thanks for having me on. first and foremost, this is a health crisis and our numbers have been doing everything they can to assure of safety and

health of their work associates and the consume earl. they have closed doors throughout the country both on their own and in response to the numerous requests from the it governors and the president. you know, one of the things we are asking for is the stimulus package. liquidity is the name of the game. as you have closed your stores, you're not having revenue come in, but you want to keep your workers employed, on the payroll. you want to look out for them, for their families and make sure their benefits continue. the only way to do that is make sure there's liquidity that's coming from the government. without that revenue, our cash dries up very quickly. >> are you getting anything? what exactly do you need? are you confident the stimulus will fill that gap? >> i'm confident the stimulus will fill the gap or be a big step towards it. congress is working on the final

deal. we are hopeful. we have no other choice. it's got to happen. our economy is facing some real tough times, and we need that stimulus to make sure that we can get out of the this as fast as we can. job number one is to make sure that everybody is safe and health request but coming after that, we want to make sure the economy can roar back as fast as it can. >> one of the things we've been watching that's been pretty extraordinary, the governor of new york comb from, among others says this needs to be a coalition this is aren't the n did the 95s, but ones in a other folks can use. they've been in touch with the state of new york about this. has the government contracted them to really seize the fact that they have people working out of their homes with sewing

machines who have fabric who can do some of these things. >> this is a rosie the riveter moment. companies are coming together in small and large groups, working with the government. we are hoping for a single point of contact to coordinate all these efforts to make sure that these face maskses, the gowns other materials, and in many cases we're retrofitting factories to make these products and get them to the people who need them the most. this is a -- probably one of top things we are working on right now. we appreciate your insight. >> thank you for having me. doctors around the world have been forced to make gut-wrenching decisions about

who gets the life-saving care they need. one emergency physician has already tested post office for coronavirus. i will be speaking to her, next. alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. say hello to your fairy godmother alice. and long-lasting gain scent beads. part of the irresistible scent collection from gain!

i appreciate what makes each person unique. that's why i like liberty mutual. they get that no two people are alike and customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. almost done. what do you think?

i don't see it. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

it's more than just fast. it keeps all your devices running smoothly. with built-in security that protects your kids... ...no matter what they're up to. it protects your info... ...and gives you 24/7 peace of mind... ...that if it's connected, it's protected. even that that pet-camera thingy. [ whines ] can your internet do that? xfinity xfi can because it's...

...simple, easy, awesome. [ barking ] doctors and nurses are risking their lives every day.

in italy 9% of all cases have been health care workers. here i'm joined by dr. derrick hash. she tested positive for the coronavirus doctor, tell us how long your first symptoms began and how you're feeling now? >> first and foremost, i feel lucky. i started having symptoms nine days ago, which is about the expected time course of resolution, so i think that about today i can say i think we're okay. i started having symptoms two days after i took care of the first patient that i knew was coronavirus confident. i started with muscle aches, fatigue and a bit of a cough. i also was able to take care of myself at home with motrin.

two days later i found out i was positive, and i wore a mask in my house just to make sure that nobody else got it from me. >> you know, one of the interesting things now, we have spoken with you and other people who have gotten coronavirus, and the different levels have been stunning. just from the people that we have talked to. they're young, like you, right? we talked to some people who had hacking coughs on the show. one woman basically described it as like a flu. we talked to another guy, who definitely still had chest tightness and was complaining of more pulmonary issues than some of our other folks who had it. what is the takeaway for that from you? >> the takeaway is one of the things that makes it so concerning. there's a really unpredictable nature to how this will affect people. we know a lot of patients who are older for a lot of reasons, but we're also seeing young people 20s, 30s, 40s, who have never thought about their own mortality come to the e.r., short of breath with a cough and

fever. that's petrifying. we're seeing the health care workforce, my peers -- i'm 42-year-old -- who just had kids start thinking about writing our own wills, and what would we do if we had to tell on you kids we're sick. we have this complicated situation of seeing an unpredictable virus, it's very contagious, and trying to manage those expectations and those fears while taking care of other people. >> i want to ask you something we've been asking a lot of our health experts. the president is calling essentially to reopen the economy by easter. so that's two weeks ago, right? what do you think about that as a health care provider? >> it scares me, a lot. not just as a health care provider. it scares me as a daughter, as a parent and scares me as an american. there's no magic fix to this. there's no correction of the economy if we don't address this

as an issue. the reason we are suppressing social distancing, the reason we are staying apart is not because we want to punish people, but if you don't touch the virus, you can't get the virus. that means that our health care system can stay open. it means that the patients that come to us. the 40-year-olds, 50-year-olds, 70-year-olds, who you can't breathe, who need a ventilator can get one. the only way to do that is if we keep down the number of cases. that's why we're doing social distancing. it's definitely not time to let up. no matter how long it feels like it's already been, we haven't even started to address this issue. >> if it's let up by easter, is that going to put the health and lives of you and your colleagues, health care providers at risk? >> it's going to put us all at risk. it's not just about us. i want to be clear. the health care work force will

take care of every patient that comes in our doors, in the tents, in the military hospitals, wherever they are. this is not just about the advisories. it virus. it's about if you go from new york to california and stop in oklahoma, you may catch it. >> thank you, doctor. we are so glad you are feeling better. >> thank you so much for having me. next, italian officials literally walking the streets and yelling at people to go home. i'll speak to an american living at italy about how severe the restrictions have become and what the payoffs of that are. 100 years ago, our grandmothers did not have an equal right to vote.

we do. find their stories. make them count. at ancestry.

stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some... rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal,

have occurred as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. tell your doctor about any infections and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. ready to take on ra? talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. for the same medications as the vet, but up to 30 percent less with fast free shipping. visit petmeds.com today. moments ago, president trump attacked governor andrew cuomo, who has criticized the federal government for not getting him critical medical supplies convictly enough.

brian stelter joins us now. i wonder what you think about this, brian. he cancels the task force briefing, it's scrapped. we don't get to hear from dr. fauci. we don't get to hear from a larger sense from his other experts, and instead he appears on fox news. >> yes, for a two-our virtual town hall that had quite a bit of misinformation and wishful thinking that's not based in reality. i understand the president wants to give a positive message to the country and wants people to know this will end someday, but he's talking about returning to normal by easter, on april 12th this year, and public health experts say that would be incredibly dangerous, to suddenly go back to normal and would be devastating, because so many more people would die. the president is out there on fox saying this, and not getting challenged much, not getting pushback, and would get on any other network. this is an example of the fox

news presidency at its very worst. he can go on a channel, lets him say whatever he wants, goes so easy on him, he ends up missing the public, and it's a feedback loop, because he's hearing these ideas on fox, and then repeating them on fox, and around and around it goes, brianna. >> he's been blameling governor cuomo, who seems to be having -- look, politics aside, he's having a very informed -- you know where everything is in new york, you know where they don't have what they don't have. he's making it so clear every day. it's a touchpoint to understand what's going on. he's blaming cuomo and also seems to just be minimizing human life. he's been talking about how many people the flu kills and how many people car crashes kill. >> which is pathetic. >> personally i don't think it's -- >> it's pathetic to be talking

about car accidents. if car accidents were doubling and tripling every day, we would take action as a country. >> we would take the care off the road. for the hosts on fox news, the anchors like bill hemmer and harris faulkner, to challenge that b.s., that's a failure of journalism, but let's hope the public health leaders are challenging trump behind the scenes. that kind of rhetoric will lead to more people getting sick. we all have these stories now, many, many americans know someone who's been affected. i now have two friends on icus, three other friends who are tested positive and confirmed. that just happening to be bulk i'm in manhattan. other hot spots like washington state and california, people have the same stories. the president cannot spin his way out of them. neither can fox news. >> for how much mismany information -- misinformation

has come from the task force, is the meetings or briefings are so important, because dr. fauci appears to be providing people of this touch point of truth/reality/science, but we don't get to see him today. we saw the interview he had, certainly the president wasn't going to love. do you worry he's being sidelined? >> it's very worrisome we're not seeing a public -- i notice dr. fauci has been lots of demands on his time, but it's worrisome not to see a daily briefing. however, there are also concerns about these briefings turning into trump rallies. what we need are daily briefings led by scientists and medical professionals. if the president wants to come out and speak, that's hi prerogatives. these should not be trump shows. this is too serious right now. >> i'm not sure if that's going to change. brian stelter, thank you so much.

>> thanks. startling developments just from from the world health organization, with the way cases are accelerating in the u.s. s. the u.s. has the potential to be the epicenter. plus they're looking to italy on how to stop the spread. i'll speak to a woman about the draconian measures in place right now. robinhood believes now is the time to do money.

without the commission fees and account minimums. so, you can start investing wherever you are - even on the bus. download now and get your first stock on us. robinhood. about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50 to 85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 65 and take medications.

what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you, too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed, and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. and with this plan, you can pick your payment date, so you can time your premium due date to work with your budget. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner, and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

- (phone ringing)a phones offers - big button,ecialized phones... and volume-enhanced phones., get details on this state program. call or visit

and accessoriesphones for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program call or visit in italy, strict government restrictions designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, tens of thousands have been reported for breaking the restrictions in a nation that's seen more coronavirus deaths

than anywhere in the world. this is prompting outraged officials to use social media to vent their frustrations. de de deliah gallagher has more. >> reporter: no one is allowed outside, but not everyone is -- >> translator: ping-pong is not allowed. go home. you cannot stay here. the mayor of a center city is not -- >> translator: don't look at me like that. you should be respectful. i'm the mayor of this city, and as the mayor of this city, i will make everyone respect this decree. go home now. the police is coming. >> reporter: he's one of the several officials mainly in southern italy, who have taken to social media to cajole or even threaten citizen to comply with restrictions.

>> translator: this is like a war bulletin. we are in a real war. now i turn to you. you need to stay home, don't you understand that people are dying? >> translator: hundreds of students will be graduating soon. i hear that some want to house a party. we will send the police and we will send them with flame throwers. >> reporter: the majority of italians are taking the lockdown seriously, but over 92,000 were broken for breaking the emergency restrictions. >> translator: how is it going to be okay with people lining up to buy fuel? what is that fuel for if you have to stay at home? how is it okay if people are asking for their hair to be done at home? hairdressers are coming to home. what is a hairstyle for at this moment? >> reporter: there some concessions, for example, to walk a dog, but mayors are cracking down on those who they think are exploiting this.

>> translator: this morning i came along with a person jogging with his dog who is physically -- you are nour will smith in "i am legend" so therefore go home. >> reporter: with the coronavirus outbreak the deadliest in the world, authorities want to leave no doubt about what's at stake. >> translator: and if we go on like this, we will just be counting the dead. we won't have hospitals spaces for your fathers and mothers. is that clear? >> reporter: a direct message they officials hope will hit home. delia gallagher, cnn, rome. all of this as the head of the white house coronavirus response says the u.s. is keeping a close eye on italy's social distancing attempts. >> we're looking closely around the world specifically by italy, because they are reaching their two weeks of clear social distancing and looking at the impact. we are seeing the number of

deaths starting to decline. >> with me now is carlie drinkwater. she moved to italy to become a teacher there. she's now using a blog to chronicle what's been an unprecedented experience. welcome, thank you so much for talking with us. what's it look to be in italy right now? >> thank you for having me. it's really surreal to be here at the moment. it's not normal life by any stretch, where effectively under house arrest. we're like prisoners now. we have to be inside all the time. the only time we can leave is to buy food from the supermarket on you go to the pharmacy, because those are essential needs, but that's not done freely either. you have to take i.d., you have to take a self-declaration form. it has to be signed with all your personal information. you have to specifically write why you are going to the place you are going to. for example, if you want to buy the weekly shop, you have to

write, i am going to buy food, and it could be used as an excuse either. you're not allowed to just go and buy a pint of milk as an excuse to get fresh air. you are checked that you are actually buying food to last a few days. >> that's interesting they're verifying it. i know this is difficult. the idea that people can't get activity, especially if they live in small apartment, but does it make sense? seem appropriate? >> unfortunately it does seem appropriate. we are yet to see the effects of all these containment measures. the cases just keep rising and rising. now that we're almost at 70,000, it's just exponentially. it's so painful and hard to be in this situation, to be trapped like this. even my knfiance's parents are

just five weeks ablocks away, be to this particular state. we're just hoping that we start to see the cases drop and the fruits of our labor reaped. >> carly, what would you say to americans who are couple a few weeks behind you that are getting tired of the measures and not nearly as strict as the ones you're under. what would you say to them? >> i would say do what we are doing now. we didn't know that it could get this bad, this fast. but you know. you can see what is happening in italy. can you see how quickly the cases are rising, how quickly the death toll is climbing. there is no point to keep going out and congregating. the social distancing loose measures of keeping one or two meter apart, it is not working. stay inside.

save people you love. save your grandparents, save people who may be are even younger but they have underlying health conditions. we're at breaking point here. stop and contain now. carly drinkwater, thank you so much. >> thank you. and moments now from joe biden will join cnn for his response to the president reopening the economy against the advice of doctors. he's looking at a couple of weeks from now, in fact. plus growing calls for low level offenders to by released from county jails to stop the spread of the virus in the yales. thousands of inmates have already been let out. so you can trust us to be here for you... ...as we remain committed to supporting our community. because the toyota family is stronger together. this is our pledge.

we are here for you now, and in all the better days ahead. that's ensure max protein, with high protein and 1 gram sugar. it's a sit-up, banana! bend at the waist!

i'm tryin'! keep it up. you'll get there. whoa-hoa-hoa! 30 grams of protein, and one gram of sugar. ensure max protein.

local governments across the country are starting to release inmates to prevent outbreaks of coronavirus at jails. new jersey chief justice is temporarily ordering the release of about 1,000 inmates from county jails. in minnesota hennepin county cut the jail population by a quarter releasing more than 200 low-risk inmates and officials in both states say that no offenders serving time for violent offenses or long-term sentences are going to be released. they say inmates who test positive for coronavirus will not be released until a judge determines a plan to isolate them. i want to bring in van jones, a

cnn political comment atsor and the ceo for the reform alliance organization that pushes for criminal justice reform. and, van, prisons have conditions that make this difficult in terms of spread. we've already seen that happen. what do you think as this plan is being enacted and how much more widely should it be enacted. >> listen, every governor of every state should tell the department of correction to take action to reduce the prison population safely. the reason is simple. all of the stuffs in terms of social distancing, you cannot do in a princip-- in a prison. things like hand sanitizer, that is contraband. that has alcohol in it. you can't have that. sometimes you don't have soap. you have to pay a co-pay sometimes to see a doctor. so these -- all of these conditions can turn the jails and the prisons in the united states into super accelerators

for this virus. so not only do you have people in there spreading around, spreading around, buts also have a big problem which is the guards come in, the staff comes in. all of the people come in and out of a prison and then they go back to their community. so people say why should you care about people behind bars? well they're human beings. nobody was sentenced to die without a respirator in prison for whatever their crime was and more importantly and just as importantly, prisons are part of the community and safer prisons means safer communities. we can't let the prisons and jails become super-accelerators for the virus. >> what do you want to see around the country where inmates have tested positive for covid-19 and how this moves through there like wildfire? >> well, listen, obviously we are in a tough situation. when people are testing positive, you have to make a lot of effort to protect them, to

sequester them and make sure they get the help they need but there are a lot of things to do now to stop people from going nno in. some because of a minor probation violation, they were late for a meeting with a probation officer or didn't pay fines or fees. all of those should be suspended. nobody should go into a jail for a minor technical offense or something like that. so stop pushing people in because they'll come right back out. number two, we need to surge support and medical help into the prisons. you say, we can barely get the medical help and we don't have ma masks and gloves in the hospital, true. but the biggest health care in the country is our prison because we have 2.4 million people locked up in jails now. you have to see them as a site for a surge of medical support. i know you have a lot of things that are going on across the country but if this gets out of hand in the prisons, you could

have a super acceleration out of the prisons that we're going to regret later on. >> so thank you so much. >> can i say one thing. >> i have nine seconds, van. love to you, van. thank you so much. >> also -- catch and release. >> all right. hour special coverage continues now with jake tapper. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. welcome to "the lead." aim jake tapper. in just minutes i'll speak with candidate former vice president joe biden about the coronavirus pandemic and his bid to try to replace president trump. as the world health organization issues a scary warning today. now saying that the united states has the potential to be the next epicenter of the pandemic. the numbers reflect the horrific situation and the deng toll in the united states a 646. meaning in just the last