this is "nightline." >> tonight, keep your distance. new government guidelines. >> avoid gathering in groups of more than ten people. >> the president saying the outbreak could now last until august. >> how are you talking to your family about this? how are you talking to your youngest son? >> i've spoken actually with my son. he says how bad is this? it's bad. it's bad. >> the state of testing. >> something is very, very wrong. people that are in critical condition need those test results quickly. they don't have time to wait. >> health care strained already. >> what are you runningutofstor. >> thousands of people are rushing to try to get into the costco here. >> plus, a vaccine trial getting fast-tracked with a shot in the arm. >> everybody's feeling so helpless right now, and i realized that there was

something i could do to help. >> this special edition of "nightline," "covid-19 outbreak," will be right back.

♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ all we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ all we need is someone to lean on ♪ good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, the fight against covid-19 is steadily intensifying around the globe and here at home. from sweeping new curfews to doctors racing to create a vaccine, there is now a new

normal for all of us. >> are you considering instituting a nationwide lockdown, a nationwide quarantine? >> at this point not nationwide. we may look at certain areas, certain -- certain hot spots, as they call them. we'll be looking at that. >> reporter: the nation grinding to a halt. schools close. businesses shut down. in some places curfews in place. >> kids are not pleased, but that's okay. >> sad. because i'm going to miss all my friends. >> reporter: the effects of the covid-19 outbreak sweeping through all aspects of american life. >> creates a lot of hardship for people. but this is the right choice. >> we're going to just stay open because this might be the last resort people have, and that's the reality of what we're dealing with right now. >> reporter: extreme times and extreme measures. the president issuing new national guidelines for the next 15 days. >> we'd much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it, and that's what we are. therefore, my administration is recommending that all americans including the young and healthy work to engage in schooling from

home when possible, avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, avoid discretionary travel, and avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and public food courts. >> reporter: in some places restrictions are more severe. 7 million people in san francisco ordered to shelter in place for the next three weeks. >> if i thought last friday's announcement was hard, this one is exponentially harder. >> why is this necessary? >> you know, we want to look back on this are and say we overreacted, we did too much. so the clock is ticking for us. >> reporter: the global numbers soaring to at least 181,000 cases. deaths more than 7,000. for the first time the majority of those deaths outside china. in the u.s. there were at least 85 deaths. cases were topping 4,600. in every state except west virginia. compare that to just two weeks ago when it was only 80 cases in

10 states. >> is this the new normal? >> we'll see what happens. but they think august. could be july. could be longer than that. >> even though we will still continue to see an acceleration of cases, we have the opportunity to blunt that peak and essentially make it more of a mound, which would mean less sick people and less death. >> reporter: across the country at least 35 states have shut down some public schools, affecting almost 36 million students. in boston volunteers boxing up homework to deliver to students at home. with so many american children without access to school meals, communities from pennsylvania to texas stepping up to make sure families have the supplies they need. >> trying to stay positive in a bad situation. so that's it. >> reporter: as the number of cases grows, so does the threat to the u.s. health care system. drive-thru testing locations are

now popping up all around the country. but the head of the world health organization says there is still not nearly enough testing being done. >> you cannot fight a fire blindfolded, and we cannot stop this pandemic if we don't know who is infected. >> reporter: a number of states say they've received test kits but lack the appropriate personal protection equipment for health care workers. >> it's mainly masks, eye shields, n95 respirators, gown gloves, respirate rz, everything you need to take care of these folks. >> keeping our vulnerable patients and health care workers safe and healthy as possible is the most important thing we can do right now so we can take care of the sick people when they get to us. >> reporter: new york governor andrew cuomo calling on president trump to mobilize the army corps of engineers to help. >> i only have 50,000 hospital beds. i only have 3,000 intensive care unit beds. take my college dorms.

take my surplus property and retrofit it for more hospital beds. let them come in today, today, because time is short. >> reporter: what's worse, the spread of the virus now beginning to sideline those front-line medical professionals, including an e.r. doctor in new jersey, another doctor in washington, and multiple workers at a hospital in boston. >> we're seeing doctors and nurses come down with covid-19. what does that tell you? and was it expected? >> we can't emphasize this enough. i've worked in hospitals for the last 20 years. it's not just doctors and nurses. it's lab techs. it's transporters. it's janitorial staff. it's food services. it's administrative staff. all in hospitals. they are all at risk. if that population has to self-quarantine -- >> reporter: and the economy continuing to get pummeled. huge losses on wall street. the dow closing down nearly 3,000 points. already some of the hardest-hit

industries are looking for help. u.s. airlines are asking for a bailout. >> the travel industry was already feeling it, and today the airline industry, which employs 750,000 americans, came out and said that without a $50 billion bailout that they will run out of money by the end of this year. >> reporter: the service industry also taking a direct blow after states have implemented bans on restaurants and bars. some forced to close completely while others have been limited to takeout and delivery. >> the whole economy has come to a screeching halt, and restaurants, bars, cafes, all the people who work in those companies are now out of work for the foreseeable future. >> reporter: other businesses with heavily congested spaces like movie theaters and gyms shutting down as well. >> you know, i'm not an alarmist when i say this is more of like we're in the middle of a pearl harbor attack every day. and we're trying to adapt to the situation in front of us. >> reporter: quiet streets in the town of teaneck, new jersey

after the mayor asked his nearly 40,000 residents to self-quarantine. but acknowledging that brings a slew of financial difficulties. >> if they don't go to work, they don't get paid. if they don't get paid, they don't have food. we need a massive effort right now from local philanthropy to houses of worship to local municipalities to state government, county government, and the federal government. >> reporter: pharmacies, gas stations and grocery stores le main open. some businesses trying to protect vulnerable customers. today the stop & shop chain announcing special hours for people 60 and older. >> thousands of people are rushing to try to get into the costco here in the city of commerce -- >> reporter: but long lines remain at costcos from illinois to los angeles. >> more chaos at airports across the country. americans crammed shoulder to shoulder for hours, caught in the rush to leave europe. >> i definitely felt unsafe. if the government's telling me to keep social distancing, that

was the opposite. >> what's up, everybody, from catania airport? >> reporter: american jason rupp, who travels the world making youtube videos, spent the last week in quarantine with his mother in italy. >> mama, say hi to everybody. >> hello, everybody. >> reporter: they've spent the last few days trying to get a ticket home. >> we got a last-minute plane ticket. we were shocked that we were able to even book a ticket. >> we pretty much have the plane to ourself. i'm thankful for that because i was worried about sitting next to a lot of people. >> reporter: now they're finally back in new york. >> mama and i, we cleared the health they checked our temperature. we're all good. >> reporter: they've self-quarantined. >> i was worried about the stigma of coming from italy and how new yorkers would react to me. but anyway, i'm staying home so, i'm not interacting with anyone anyway. >> reporter: the mass exodus of americans from europe comes as leaders there are cracking down.

the european commission now seeking a ban on non-essential travel. >> the less travel the more we can contain the virus. >> reporter: today germany closed its borders. france plans to do the same. the president saying the country is "at war" with covid-19. in italy the grim situation going grimmer. almost 350 deaths in the last 24 hours. the death toll passing 2,000. >> i'm always trying to be as cold and honest -- i don't want to scare anybody. there's no guarantee of anything. but i can tell you, we are going to try our very best with all of the resources, all of the force, all of our might to make sure that doesn't happen. >> reporter: there is good news in the race for a vaccine. >> i'm also pleased to report today that a vaccine candidate has begun the phase 1 clinical trial. >> reporter: researchers in seattle gave the first shot of that vaccine to volunteer

jennifer hallen. >> everybody's feeling so helpless right now and i realized there was something i could do to help. >> reporter: the milestone marking just the beginning. even if it goes well, a vaccine still will not be available for 12 to 18 months. there are dozens more companies and groups around the world working on a vaccine. in china a glimmer of hope. after months under extreme lockdown officials have lifted some restrictions in the hardest-hit area, allowing thousands of people to go back to work. >> you and i have covered disasters together around the world in haiti, 9/11. and part of what courage looked like in those cases was the public stepping out and attempting to live a normal life. what does courage look like now in this space? >> i think at this point courage really looks like people taking these aggressive steps not just because it can benefit their health but because it can benefit those around them and benefit us as a society and as a

country. up next, trying to solve the trouble with the test. and the people who can't wait for the answers. >> craziest thing about this is that i don't know if i even have is it yet. ♪ oh, oh, (announcer)®! ♪ once-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like james lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh!

♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. once-weekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) you may pay as little as $25 per prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®.

♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ all we needed somebody to lean on ♪

♪ ♪ lease the volvo xc40 for $329 per month. at your local volvo retailer. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ wherever we want to go, we just have to start. autosave your way there with chase. chase. make more of what's yours.

doctors working on what could be a medical game changer.

here's abc's matt gutman. >> hi. my name is sam light. >> my name is kevin sorrels. >> my name is rich. >> elizabeth schneider. >> reporter: these people have been either diagnosed with covid-19, suspect they have it, or are in social isolation. >> i'm from the san francisco bay area. >> cress butte, california. >> seattle, washington. >> i live in manhattan, new york. >> for some like famously diagnosed nba player donovan mitchell the symptoms are mild. >> i'm fine. you know, things are going well. just in isolation. got a unique setup. but yeah, no fever, no symptoms as of right now. >> reporter: but that wasn't the case for lisa murk. >> i went to hawaii on february 2nd and -- with my husband. >> reporter: then life abruptly changed. >> on february 20th my back started hurting on the left side. my muscles started hurting. it felt like somebody was stabbing me with an ice pick.

>> i took a week-long trip to paris, france on saturday march 7th i came down with a sore throat, headache, fever, cough. >> i was doing my dishes and putting them in the dishwasher and i became winded doing that. and that's something not normal. >> i was coughing. i had a really bad headache. >> i had body aches. i had headache. i was tired. i was starting to feel a little bit congested in my sciences ina nasal passages. >> i called up the cdc and they said i didn't meet criteria. so i just went on with my, you know, normal activities. >> i got the covid-19 test and they said that my results were going to be back within four to ten days. which seems a little bonkers. >> i asked my husband to take me to the emergency room because i felt horrible. then they did the covid-19 test. i didn't get that back until march 11th. i was positive. >> to be home is rough, but i try to think of creative ways

with friends where, you know, we face-time each other, we skype. we play games online. and yeah, just remember we've got to look out for each other. >> reporter: four of the five are in various stages of testing. kevin hasn't been tested at all. and sam is still awaiting his results. >> the craziest thing about this is i don't know if i even have it yet. i won't know for another couple days probably. >> reporter: it's an issue that has seemingly come to epitomize the nation's chaotic late response to covid 19. >> so the current test that's been available up to this point has been very manual, or labor intensive. so that has hindered how quickly we can turn results around and the volume of test that's can be done. >> reporter: but this weekend we may have turned a corner. >> the fda approved a new test for the virus. we did this within hours after receiving the application from roche. >> reporter: roche is roche molecular solutions, a private health care firm which the fda says is the first commercially

distributed test to receive emergency authorization. it's a breakthrough because it speeds up the testing. >> what we can now expect is we're going to provide 400,000 tests in the coming days. so that will mean that we will make available about 1.5 million tests every month. >> reporter: how did roche pull it off? this footage was shared only with abc news of their teams working round the clock across the world. the test developed in just seven weeks. >> the challenge was the timeline. could we do it in six to seven weeks as we were being asked to do? >> we did something that usually takes 12 to 18 months. >> so we had to reinvent how we did things. it's really breathtaking. >> reporter: with the potential to have a significant yes, ma'am pact impact on covid-19 testing the roche factory went into overdrive. the thumbs up from the fda about midnight on friday, the tests rolled out over the weekend. this new jersey shipping team

loading trucks, heading out to over 30 labs around the country. and today in chicago we were able to see some of the first tests run. >> so they're literally dropping in as we speak. you're getting specimens as we speak. >> yes, we are. >> the results -- >> five positives out of 43. >> again, this all goes to helping us track where the existing cases are and where we might have higher pockets of illness in the chicago area. >> reporter: like everyone else in this war against an invisible enemy, the stakes couldn't be higher. some of them have skin in the game too. dr. valsamackis's husband is already suffering from heart trouble. >> he's in the highest-risk category group of people to die from this infection. this is personal. i want to protect him. and next -- a birthday serenade breaking the barriers of quarantine. ♪ happy birthday, great gram

♪ ♪

(whistling) that's a zzzquil pure zzzs sleep. our gummies contain a unique botanical blend, while an optimal melatonin level means no next-day grogginess. zzzquil pure zzzs. naturally superior sleep. shouldn't you pay less when now you can. data? because xfinity mobile gives you more flexible data. you can choose to share data between lines, mix with unlimited, or switch it up at any time.

all on the most reliable wireless network. which means you can save money without compromising on coverage. get more flexible data, the most reliable network, and more savings. plus, get $300 off when you buy a new samsung galaxy s20 ultra. that's simple. easy. awesome. call, click or visit a store today.

and finally tonight, a love that lasts a century. in these uncertain times. ♪ happy birthday, dear granny ♪ happy birthday to you

>> reporter: get a look at millie erickson of sterling, massachusetts. turning 100, taking in the view. and what a view. picture window perfect. her family could not go into the nursing home because of covid-19 concerns. but divided by virus, united in love, to mark millie's amazing milestone. love and courage. we will all need plenty of both. it was dr. king who said we must bring dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. a reminder, we will see you one hour earlier starting tomorrow at 11:35, 10:35 central right here after your local news. that's "nightline" for this evening. thanks for the company, america. good night. >> we all have so many questions, and that's why starting tomorrow night "nightline" moves to 11:35, helping you and your family through this crisis. the good information you need to know at the end of the day. "nightline" at 11:35 on abc.

>> covid-19. what can you do to protect yourself? where can you get your questions answered? the new daily podcast from abc news with dr. jennifer ashton and a team of experts. listen free on apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

a former army medic, made of the we maflexibility to handle members like kate. whatever monday has in store and tackle four things at once. got hit, she didn't worry. she simply filed a claim on her usaa app and said... i got this. usaa insurance is made the way kate needs it - easy. she can even pick her payment plan so it's easy on her budget and her life. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa