good morning, america. on this thursday morning as america braces for more cases and economic hardship, some encouraging news from where the coronavirus started. president trump declares himself a wartime president as the number of confirmed cases in the united states passes 9,000. the border with canada closed to nonessential travel. the navy hospital ship now heading to new york city as the virus spreads dramatically. hospital workers on the front lines of this pandemic, scrambling for crucial protective equipment, and the controversy over high-profile testing. why some americans are struggling to get diagnosed while nba superstars already have their results. we'll ask the surgeon general about that. he's joining us live. and the new warning for the young. the surprising images from spring break, and why they might be more susceptible to the virus than they previously thought. dr. ashton here with the latest.

italy on the brink. inside one of the hardest hit hospitals there as they face the deadliest day of the outbreak yet. we share a message from a doctor on the front lines, and the medical equipment being air lifted in. our reporter there live in rome. the government hammering out much needed relief for millions of americans now facing financial distress. the new law signed overnight. the big questions about unemployment, and how to get benefits for your family right now. desperate to get home. thousands of americans stranded around the world as new travel restrictions are put in place. flights sold out, hotels shut down and what the state department told us overnight about how they are trying to help. and inspiration and imagination. >> we're all in this together. >> wonder woman herself calling upon her friends for a star-studded performance. plus, the helping hands

stitching new hope for hospitals and a california high school choir making magic. ♪ over the rainbow bringing the world perfect harmony. ♪ way up high thankful thursday, happy friday eve, and we are so thankful that many people, many people are just banding together doing whatever they can to bring hope during this difficult time. ♪ somewhere over the rainbow >> what a lovely image that is right there. here's another great one. look at rio's christ redeemer statue lit up with flags and maps of the countries around the world affected by the coronavirus pandemic. >> that's beautiful as well. and take a look at san francisco's city hall lighting up in the colors of the italian flag. coming up, we have an abc news reporter who has lived in italy with an eye-opening look at life on the front lines of this crisis. >> one of our best reporters,

clark benson right there. this morning, worldwide, crossing 200,000, and over 84,000 have recovered. and a bit of encouraging news out of china. the country reported no new local infections for the first time since this crisis began. back at home, two members of the congress have tested positive. other lawmakers are now self-quarantining which is complicating the effort to pass major legislation to address the economic impact. president trump has signed the bill that includes free testing and paid leave for employees, a massive trillion dollar bill that will help hundreds of businesses is being negotiated. dr. ashton and surgeon general jerome adams will be joining us to help guide us through the headlines, but we begin with whit johnson in new york where cases continue to escalate. good morning, whit. >> reporter: michael, good morning to you. the federal government is now closing the u.s. border with canada to all nonessential traffic, and there could be limitations on the border with mexico as well.

the pentagon meantime is deploying two hospital ships to both coasts including here in new york as health officials warn of a potential overflow in patients. this morning, the white house ratcheting up the war against covid-19. >> i view it as in a sense, a wartime president. that's what we're fighting. >> reporter: adopting increasingly strict measures to limit the spread as the number of confirmed cases in the u.s. passes 9,400. >> we must sacrifice together because we are all in this together, and we'll come through together. >> reporter: president trump also asked why some high-profile people including nba players seem to be getting access to the test more easily than other americans. >> how are nonsymptomatic professiles getting tested while others are waiting in line and can't get them? do the well-connected get to the front of the line? >> you would have to ask them that question. no, i wouldn't say so, but perhaps that's the story of life. that does happen on occasion. >> reporter: overnight the nba commissioner defending the

process saying teams were following instructions from health officials. >> i understand from a public health standpoint why some people reacted the way they did, but i would say from an nba standpoint, we were following directives. >> reporter: on capitol hill, at least two members of congress have now tested positive for coronavirus. representatives ben mcadams of utah and mario diaz-balart of florida. other law makers who have come in contact with them now in self-quarantine, potentially complicating plans to pass another economic stimulus package to combat the virus. this as the toughest restrictions are under way in the san francisco bay area. >> the new normal. >> reporter: mabi ellis among the 7 million people under that three-week shelter in place now learning to homeschool her twins. >> we started online instructions yesterday and we'll be having it for theex rorr: in the number of cases jumping into the thousands as nonessential businesses across the state are instructed to keep 50% of their workers at home.

governor cuomo warning of a major deficit in icu beds saying that president trump has agreed to send mobile field hospitals and a navy hospital ship to free up space for patients. >> the "u.s. comfort," it has about 1,000 rooms on it. it has operating rooms, and the president will dispatch the "comfort" to us. >> reporter: medical workers are becoming increasingly desperate for protective equipment. in washington state, staffers in providence st. joseph health stepping up making surgical masks and face shields by hand. >> we started with that one because it's most critical that we have some facilities that are very close to running out. >> reporter: immigrations and customs enforcement announcing it will scale back apprehensions of immigrants to protect officers and reduce spread. police departments in cities like chicago and philadelphia making sweeping operational changes. no longer jailing for nonviolent offenses as the coronavirus threatens to strain resources.

>> this department is not turning a blind eye to crime. we will continue to enforce all laws. when we are on the other side of this health crisis, we will >> reporter: now there is some encouraging news here in new york. governor cuomo says that 100 patients -- more than a hundred patients who tested positive for coronavirus are now out of the hospital and have recovered. we're also hearing from the wife of that attorney at the center of an outbreak in westchester county. he was in critical condition. she says on facebook that he is now alert and awake and seems to be on the road to a full recovery. george? >> those recovery stories are encouraging. whit, thanks very much. overseas now to italy where the situation continues to deteriorate. nearly 500 new deaths, more than 4,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. hospital officials are warning of catastrophe and even more stringent lockdowns are being proposed. our foreign correspondent james longman is tracking the latest. good morning, james. >> reporter: good morning, george.

still a lot of confusion here in the uk about what the government is planning to do as the shutdown of london now seems imminent, and in italy, things seem to be going from bad to worse. we're seeing this certificate now being given to people heading outside for essentials. it has a declaration that they do not knowironavirus and they under quarantine. italy unable to wake up from its nightmare. 475 more deaths in 24 hours, the deadliest day in the coronavirus outbreak anywhere including china. the country's military moved into one of the hardest hit areas to move the backlog. of at least 60 coffins. this video taken inside a hospital in lombardy, the hardest hit region. it shows an icu unit packed with patients. >> these are very, very tough days. >> reporter: doctors and nurses overwhelmed, and space and equipment running out. >> the problem is the beds, all the intensive care unit are full.

so to find other places has become very difficult. so the patients are sent to other hospital, to other regions. >> reporter: now air lifting a field hospital to help with 68 beds and 20 tons of medical equipment. data shows the u.s. is about two weeks behind italy in the number of cases. now on day ten of their lockdown they're telling americans what they would have done differently. the americans in italy warning friends and family back home to listen to health officials. >> you don't realize who you are going to come in contact with next. you could be a carrier and not even know it. >> reporter: some hopeful news out of china. wuhan where coronavirus originated reporting no new cases. they seem to be through the worst of it and we'll get through it too. >> that's right. thank you so much, james. let's go inside italy now with clark bentson reporting from rome where he is under quarantine. it's good for your friends and colleagues here to see you doing so well, clark.

tell us about life right now in rome. and we saw the certificate that james held up. i know you have it as well. can you just explain a little bit more what it means? >> yeah, robin. this is the latest one. they've updated it as james said. we now have to declare that we don't have -- knowingly have the coronavirus, and we have to specifically say where we are going and why. if a policeman stops us, he confirms it, signs it and so far there have been -- just yesterday or tuesday, 8,000 people have been cited for violations of this which is why i think the authorities are really cracking down. they've now closed all the parks. they think they'll stop jogging. they say that the stores will close even earlier. they really want everyone to stay inside. >> clark, you have been with abc news for 34 years doing remarkable work all around the world. the last 20 years right there in italy. so you know people there. how clark?

>> you know, there's a divide, robin, because i have family and my wife's family is in the north, and of course, we live here and all our friends are here, and our kids go to school here. video today with the army having to ce theyst piling up. we're scared that that's going to come down to the south. we have much fewer beds than they do in the north. we are -- we know that if we got sick, the hospitals probably wouldn't be able to take care of us, and we're staying inside. we really are trying to follow the rules to try to stay healthy. >> we saw the videos that have been put out by italians because there's concern that what happened in italy, what happens -- is happening in spain, these things could happen here, and elsewhere. so what is the main message that italians have for us here at home in america? >> it's coming. it's coming.

it's amazing how fast this happened to us. on february 20th, we were at a ski resort sort of joking about a few cases that had come to lombardy. now there are thousands of people infected and thousands of people dead. for the last two or three weeks, we have been locked into our homes in the north, and now ten days here in rome. we didn't think this was coming. it just happened to quickly. >> personally again like you said, you are married to a lovely italian woman. you have family and friends there. you have twins. how are you personally handling this, clark? >> as every parent, my priority is to make sure my kids are safe. they have been out of school and doing homeschooling now for three weeks. we can't let them outside, but like most italians we live in an apartment and don't have any outside space. we exercise in the stairwells. we watch videos -- exercise videos on the internet.

we don't let them go grocery shopping anymore, but at the beginning the only excuse we could get them out of the house was to take them to the grocery store. now that's stopped. we all know we're going to get through this. we are safe. we're not lacking anything. it's just the inconvenience but today they said they're probably going to extend school closures again for another three or four weeks. that will be two months, no school. it's going to be tough here. >> but like you said, we're all going to get through it together, clark. it is so good -- georg is just staring at the tv right now looking at you. you have been a dear friend for all these years and we're thinking of you and your family. >> thank you. >> thank you, clark. a positive note out of italy. look at this. the venice canal waters, normally cloudy from all the boating activity, clear. residents reporting they can even see fish swimming below. a welcome relief after that disastrous flooding just months ago, george. >> we'll take every bit of good news we can get. let's bring in dr. jen ashton for more on this right now. let's pick up where we left off with clark bentson.

this message from italy, it's coming. the data shows they're two weeks ahead of where we would be. the question is, are these mitigation efforts we're putting in place going to forestall that? >> we don't know, george, but we're watching with concern because as we just heard, italy is known to have more hospital beds and doctors per capita than we do here in the u.s., and they have seen a particularly hard hit. that is why time is of the essence with this and our preparation efforts. >> eye-opening report from the cdc late last night saying a surprising number of young people have actually been hospitalized for the coronavirus. >> exactly, george, and we were waiting for that data. it just came out late last night. take a look at these numbers. these are amongst young people. 29% of u.s. cases in the 20 to 44-year-old age group, 20% of hospitalizations in this age group and 12% of icu admissions in this younger age group. this message has to get out to younger people that they are not immune from this. >> those pictures of spring break are just horrifying. >> yeah, they really are. >> but at the same time, we are

getting this first piece of good news out of china. no new cases out of wuhan which was the epicenter, really where this crisis began. >> exactly, and always important to look for the bright spot in news every single day, but that is because of the aggressive measures they took of containment and isolation. it remains to be seen whether it will be as successful here, and it also remains to be seen when they loosen up those measures if we'll see a second wave. one more thing i want to get to, the american red cross is seeing a critical decline in blood donations. we need to encourage people. look on the red cross website and see if you can make a donation. that is life-saving. >> that is important. jen ashton, thanks very much. michael? we turn now to the impact of this emergency on the economy, and across the nation, widespread layoffs with states reporting a surge in applications for unemployment benefits. their websites crashing from high demand. let's go to rebecca jarvis tracking all the latest.

good morning, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning. the market overnight has stabilized a little bit, but there is an urgent need for help for so many people who have been laid off. overnight the president and senate signed into law a $100 billion stimulus plan for free coronavirus testing including the uninsured and paid emergency leave. plus there's help for families in there who need help with groceries and food. the terms of that trillion dollar stimulus, the one you have been hearing so much about, those are still being hammered out. the trump administration at this point is proposing two rounds of direct payments totaling $500 billion. those would begin april 6th and may 18th. they could be for $1,000 or more, those checks, michael. >> a lot of people feel like maybe they can't wait. what can someone do right now? >> yeah. so michael, if you have been laid off, you want to apply for unemployment immediately, and you can find out whether you qualify by searching your state on the department of labor website.

you might also qualify for disaster unemployment assistance. this is because the president declared this a national emergency. but keep in mind these websites, that department of labor website in various locations in the country has been overwhelmed by the number of applications. so beyond that government assistance right now, if you can't afford a payment because you have been laid off due to coronavirus, now is the time to start making phone calls. your wireless provider, many of them are saying they will keep your service going even if you can't make the payments. your credit card company, many are waiving fees and interests and hud is now suspending all foreclosures and evictions through the end of april, michael. >> thank you, rebecca. i'm sure that's going to help a lot of people out there. robin? >> we sure hope so, michael. now to a moment to really be thankful for on this thursday morning. a california high school choral festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but despite social distancing, they were still able to bring us perfect harmony with

a little help from technology. ♪ there's a land that i've dreamed of once in a lullaby ♪ that performance of "over the rainbow" getting more than 100,000 views and counting on youtube. oh, listen. the students posting it with the #spreadhope. it read, we are in this together, and we will get through this together. >> love to see them spreading hope. >> we couldn't sound like that. >> no. >> that's amazing. coming up, we'll have the stories from some of the thousands of americans around the world who are struggling to get home during this crisis. we'll also speak with the surgeon general, jerome adams. now let's get to ginger. >> i'll talk about tornados in a bit. first the spring cities brought to you by state farm.

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♪ welcome back to "gma." that's country music superstar brad paisley and his wife kimberly lending a helping hand. we're going to tell you how they're taking their free grocery store in nashville to the next level to provide some relief for those in need. we have much more on that coming up in our next hour. >> we're looking forward to that, michael. but right now the top headlines we're following as the number of coronavirus cases in the u.s. passes 9,000. that navy hospital ship now heading to new york city as the virus spreads dramatically here. and the new warning for the young. these disturbing images from spring break and why they might be more susceptible, young people, to the virus than previously thought. we're going to ask the surgeon general about that in just a moment. he's standing by live. also right now, people quarantining in their homes near salt lake as they were rocked by

yesterday. thankfully no one was hurt. and overnight, the storm bringing eight reported twisters to texas causing severe damage wes of dallas. this morning much of the heartland is on the lookout for more tornadoes and flash flooding. >> keeping an eye on that. we're going to talk about the americans around the world struggling to get home during this crisis as countries close borders. airlines drastically cut flights, and gio benitez is talking us to from jfk airport. good morning, gio. >> reporter: good morning, george. the americans we spoke with say this happened very quickly, that by the time they found out about the closing borders, it was too late. the remaining flights had been sold out and they were stuck. this morning an emotional message from one of thousands of americans stranded around the world after foreign countries imposed their own travel restrictions. >> please stop complaining about being stuck at home, please. i would be so grateful to be stuck at home right now. kiss your loved ones.

>> reporter: tessa was on a girls trip to morocco. >> i never felt this before, this pit in my stomach that won't leave. >> reporter: with all flights sold out and their hotel shutting down, the group has nowhere to stay. >> we are desperate for our country as u.s. citizens to get us out of morocco. >> reporter: in south america stephanie goldberger from oregon went to lima, peru for her 30th birthday. in peru international travel in and out is temporarily suspended. >> we had a window of 24 hours. we were told, okay, this is the 16th of march. you need to get out of here by 11:59 p.m. >> reporter: she says she tried buying flights to mexico and canada before the suspension, but all were sold out. >> i have a flight rescheduled for april 1st, but we really don't even know if that's going to happen. that's how uncertain it is right now. things keep escalating. cases are growing. >> reporter: and in honduras, the u.s. women's tackle football team arriving for a tournament s tal unab tre

seborders are os for the next >> being a mom, you want to be with your kids in times of uncertainty. it's very hard for me to know they're going through this, and i'm away from them. >> reporter: the u.s. state department chartered evacuation flights out of asia, but is telling american citizens it can't rely on the u.s. government to fly them home. overnight, a state department spokesperson telling abc news, it is aware of the americans stranded overseas and is looking at ways to assist them. u.s. officials have been warning american citizens that local governments might restrict travel on short notice. now these americans are hoping they can get home soon. and it's just so important to listen to these stories. this is exactly why the state department is urging americans to reconsider overseas travel. we just don't know if or when other countries will close their borders. michael? >> thank you so much for that, gio. joining us live now is the u.s. surgeon general, dr. jerome

adams. and dr. adams, thank you for joining us again this morning. we heard the new report about the young people being more at risk than we thought they were at the beginning of this pandemic. >> absolutely. >> we have seen these images. they're at spring break. they're still having a good time, still doing what young people do. how do we get across the message across to this generation that they need to take this more seriously? >> well, i have a 15 and a 14-year-old, and the more i tell them not to do something, the more they want to do it. what i think we really need to do -- and you and i talked about this earlier this week, is get our influencers out. kevin durant, donavan mitchell, kylie jenner, get our social media influencers out there, and help folks understand, look, this is serious. this is absolutely serious. people are dying. we again are seeing new data emerging from italy that suggests that young people may be at higher risk than we previously thought.abt th think about the fact tt re m. >> it'bigg t

yore saying people are starting to understand the urgency of all of that which is a good thing. but china didn't rely on people to, quote, get it. do you feel like the health officials should be pressing our political leaders to do and take the steps that china or singapore took in order to stop this pandemic? >> well, that's great question and it's important for america to understand. i used to run a state health department. in america, a lot of our authority, most of our authority lies at the state level. you have seen some states be really aggressive. you've seen other states not so much. but it's why the president put out the guidelines for america earlier this week under the rubric of 15 days to stop the spread to say, look, america, everyone needs to pull down nonessential travel. everyone needs to stay home from work if they can. everyone needs to be in gatherings of ten or less, and if we all do that across the country, then we can have our trajectory like china, which last night, good news, reported no new domestic cases. >> we reported that. we wanted people to realize

that. also earlier, doctor, we talked with one of our colleagues in rome and he gave us what's happening there in italy. i know that you and other federal health officials, you are looking to italy. they're about 10, 14 days ahead of us. it's giving you an idea of what possibly we could be facing? >> absolutely. i mean, every model you have has a best case scenario and a worst case scenario, and unfortunately right now italy looks like the worst case scenario, and it's why we are ringing the alarm to tell america to take this seriously. we have a better case scenario, and china is reassuring. china shows us that if we do this, then in six to eight weeks, we will hit our peak and start to come back down again. robin, while i've got you, did you see that i sent out a safe hands challenge on twitter? >> i saw it. i saw it, yes. i will accept your challenge. you are something else. >> we need to make sure people understand right now. >> that's true. >> the two best things you can do right now to protect yourself and your community are good hygiene, hand washing and social distancing. stay off the beaches. >> can you help people

understand that? i know that we keep hearing that about don't touch your face and wash your hands. can you emphasize it may seem small, but they have a significant impact in what's happening? >> well, exactly. we've got 300 million plus people in this country, and little things that you do add up to big changes over time. if you are negligent, if you don't practice good hygiene, if you go out and spread disease to someone else, then it can add up over time, but good behaviors add up over time, and what i tell people is, i want everyone to act as if you have the virus. whenever you're interacting with someone else, just imagine that you have the virus and act as if you want to protect them or that they have the virus and you want to keep yourself from getting it. >> that is good advice. you s we' turned the corner on testing. we're getting so many stories from people who can't get the tests they need. the president was talking about the self-testing yesterday working on that right now. where are we on testing and when are people going to be able to get a test when they need it? >> well, it's important for

folks to understand that again, the cdc was never designed to provide millions of tests. we have never before, to my knowledge, had massive testing of 300 million plus people in a very short amount of time. what we're really focused on now is making sure people who are at highest risk including our health care workers, critically important, and people who have symptoms can get tested, and we're starting to see that. we're starting to feel that in communities. thousands more tests this week, tens of thousands, increasing by the day, and we're not where we want to be, but we feel like we're moving in the right direction. unfortunately people who are asymptomatic or don't really need to be tested based on priorities are getting tests and clogging up the lines, then our older people and sicker people, our health care workers won't be able to get that testing. >> thank you, dr. adams. as always, you have been there for us and our viewers and we appreciate it very much, and yes, i saw the challenge. challenge accepted, dr. adams.

coming up, "shark tank" star barbara corcoran is live answering your questions about making ends meet in these difficult financial times. and next, the difference between cleaning and disinfecting your home. what you need to know to stay healthy and the hot spots around your house you need to pay extra attention to. ok so, magnificent mile for me... i thought i was managing my moderate to severe crohn's disease. until i realized something was missing... me. you ok, sis? my symptoms were keeping me from really being there for my sisters. (announcement) "final boarding for flight 2007 to chicago" so i talked to my doctor and learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections,

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built ford proud we are back now with a reality check on cleaning and disinfecting your home. a new study from the nih says

the coronavirus stays on cardboard for up to 24 hours, two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. becky worley joins us from san francisco with what you need to know to stay healthy. good morning, becky. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it is really -- we're seeing people spraying and scrubbing and wiping like they never have, but what are the actual best practices to disinfect your home per the cdc and the epa? and what do you do if you can't get one of these coveted items? when things get scary, the trick is to control what you can control like getting rid of germs in the house, but what is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting? >> if you are cleaning, you're just using regular soap and water and a detergent. if you are disinfecting, you're using a chemical agent such as bleach to help kill the germs.

>> reporter: experts warn you have to clean before you can disinfect. >> sanitizing and disinfecting won't be effective if the surface is dirty. you need to clean first before you disinfect or sanitize. >> reporter: got it, but one problem. with these running out, our viewers want to know, what else can you use? the epa has a list of more than 200 approved products to fight covid-19, but something important to remember -- >> not all cleaners are the same. they all have different use directions. make sure you read the label and keep them wet for the required time. >> reporter: many of these products have recommendations to let them dry for roughly a minute before you wipe the surface. and an epa spokesperson told abc news they do not review other household products such as vinegar or essential oil mixtures with regard to their effectiveness against viruses and bacteria.so i get to work c what experts say are the hot spots. doorknobs, countertops, light switches, remotes and bathrooms.

another thing you might not think of, towels. >> don't share towels. wash your hand towels and your, you know, dishcloths daily. keep the house clean and rotate it. put fresh ones out. >> reporter: another viewer question, how often should we clean? >> a couple of times a week if someone's not -- if the family is not sick, i would say every few days. >> reporter: if someone's sick, our experts recommend disinfecting every day, controlling what we can as we work our way through this. now we have another question from a viewer which is how do you disinfect and wash your clothes? the cdc says launder items according to the manufacturers' instructions which includes bleach if the manufacturers say that's okay, but generally use the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely. so the good news, it's business as usual with laundry, robin. >> no excuse. what if you can't find epa-recommended products? >> yeah.

it is really tough. so for disinfection, they recommend making a diluted bleach and water mixture. spray that and then wipe down surfaces. it's like a cup to a teaspoon of bleach. they also say alcohol solutions with at least 70% isopropyl alcohol and if you don't have that, experts say just good old soap and water. you can at least wipe the germs away to the best of your ability. >> how is it going in the bay area, becky? >> it's quiet. it's crazy to see how still and quiet it is, and yet people are walking their dogs. they're doing their social distancing. we're getting by. >> all right. good to hear from you. thanks. >> always good to hear from becky. and you know, our "play of the day," we have a song from wonder woman and her friends. you don't want to miss it. >> you're not going to sing? >> getting by with a little help from my friends. >> love how you sing. >> not this morning. so i've spent my life developing technology to help the visually impaired.

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>> it's 7:56. good morning. three residents of an assisted living facility have tested positive for coronavirus. they have been transferred to the hospital. they are investigating how they were infected. to help families who rely on school meals, all 19 food pickup sites will be open. the district is providing free breakfasts, lunch and pantry items to all children under 18. this happens every weekday between 9:00 and 10:00. they are doing breakfast, lunch and dinner. >> that's nice to hear. a look from our roof camera. taking care of yourself, getting rid of cabin fever. rememberut d random showers. upper 50s to low 60s. we have rain and cool weather next week. >> thanks.

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good morning, america. it's 8:00 a.m. president trump declares himself a wartime president as the number of confirmed cases in the united states has now passed 9,000. the border with canada closed to nonessential travel. that navy hospital ship now heading to new york city as the virus spreads dramatically. hospital workers on the front lines of this pandemic scrambling for crucial protective equipment, and the new warning for younger people in this country. they could be more susceptible to the virus than they previously thought. trillion dollar rescue plan. the government hammering out much needed relief for millions of americans now facing financial distress. the new law signed overnight, the big question about unemployment, and those bills, your credit card, cell phone and more. also this morning, the helping hands stitching new hope for hospitals. an army of home tailors coming together making masks for health care wor aiming to make a quarter million to help the doctors and nurses on the front lines.

so many families facing a financial storm. the crisis hitting hard. layoffs, debt, small businesses struggling to stay open. your questions answered by barbara corcoran. and a special "deals & steals." tory johnson reaching out to small businesses with products that can help you de-stress, and american small businesses directly with "gma" viewers. it's all ahead as we say, good morning, america. ♪ sisters are do it for themselves ♪ we do say good morning, america. thank you for starting your thursday morning with us. >> yes, and we've got a special binge this for everyone at home, and here's a favorite. the san diego zoo livestream. yes, they've got multiple cameras to check out the apes, penguins and more. bringing you right to the zoo from your living room. inviting everyone to his family

for dinner, to join his family for dinner each night, and this morning he's joining us live for breakfast. >> always fun. >> always. we have to get to the latest on the coronavirus pandemic. the wide number crossing 200,000, and johns hopkins says 84,000 have now recovered. the president signed an emergency bill that provides free testing and paid leave for employees. a massive trillion dollar bill that will send cheb checks to americans and loans to businesses is being negotiated. back to whit johnson for the latest. good morning, whit. >> reporter: george, good morning to you. the federal government is deploying a variety of sweeping actions to try to slow this pandemic, things like closing the u.s. border with canada to nonessential traffic and expediting a self-swab coronavirus test that can be done from home. this morning, the white house ratcheting up the war against covid-19. >> i view it as in a sense, a wartime president. that's what we're fighting. >> reporter: adopting increasingly strict measures to limit the spread as the number of confirmed cases in the u.s. passes 9,400.

>> we must sacrifice together because we are all in this together. we'll come through together. >> reporter: on capitol hill, at least two members of congress have now tested positive for coronavirus, representatives ben mcadams of utah and mario diaz-balart of florida. other lawmakers who have come in contact with them, now on self-quarantine potentially complicating plans to pass another economic stimulus package to help combat the virus. in new york state, the number of cases jumping into the thousands as nonessential businesses across the state are instructed to keep 50% of their workers at home. governor cuomo warning of a major deficit in icu beds. saying that president trump has agreed to send mobile field hospitals and a navy hospital ship to free up space for patients. >> the "u.s. comfort," it has about 1,000 rooms on it, and the president is going to dispatch

"comfort" to us. >> reporter: across the country, medical workers becoming increasingly desperate for protective equipment. among the tens of thousands of people worldwide who have recovered from the coronavirus, the very first patient who tested positive here in new york city. governor cuomo says that woman has since taken another test which came back negative and he says, that is very important information for health professionals to get a sense of just how long this virus could stay in your body. robin? >> good indication. all right, whit. thank you. turning now to the impact of this emergency on the economy. widespread layoffs as you know, coast to coast. states reporting a surge in unemployment benefits. chief business correspondent rebecca jarvis is back now with more. good morning again, rebecca. >> reporter: good morning, robin. that's right. it is an urgent need right now. the terms of that trillion dollar stimulus are being hammered out, but here's what we know. the plan at this time includes two rounds of direct payments likely in the range of $1,000 each. those checks would begin going out april 6th and may 18th, and if you have been laid off, it is important to apply for

unemployment immediately. you can search the department of labor website. you might also qualify for disaster unemployment assistance, and companies are waiving late fees and keeping services intact right now including utilities, wireless providers, banks and credit card companies, but it's important to be proactive here. if you are struggling, you want to reach out to your providers right now, and you'll still owe these payments in the future. if you can afford to make the payments now, robin, it's best to do that. >> always giving us good advice, rebecca. thank you. coming up, meet the home tailors that are helping doctors and nurses on the front lines get the masks they so desperately need. and "shark tank's" barbara corcoran is joining us live with financial advice in these tough times. and lara is upstairs with tory. hey, lara. >> hi, michael. tory is here as you can see with a very special "deals & steals." all-american small businesses, let's help them out. they're helping us out with some amazing bargains. we have them coming up for you

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♪ 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 ♪ ♪ all right, meghan. right? that's meghan trainor singing our theme song. good morning, sunshine. >> yeah. >> there's no sunshine out there. it is raining. in whit's report, you saw it coming down. good morning, america this thursday morning. you know what that means. tomorrow is friday and we're revealing our pet of the week. that's always a lot of fun. >> yes. right now let's get some "pop news" with lara. >> let's do it. good morning, everybody. i'm trying to work sunshiny colors. >> it's working. >> thank you. thank you.

do you guys remember six degrees of kevin bacon, that game? >> right. >> not only is kevin in on the joke, but he's using it as a public service announcement to encourage people to self-isolate. check out this video he posted on twitter. >> hi, folks. you know me, right? i'm technically only six degrees away from you. right now like people around the world, i'm staying home. every one of us has someone who is worth staying home for, and i am staying home for kyra sedgwick. >> kev? >> speak of the devil. what? i'm doing something. >> the star has been married to actress kyra sedgwick for 32 beautiful years. he goes on to encourage everybody to post a sign, or make a sign and say, i'm staying home for, and post it on your social media and tag six friends, and use the #istayhomefor. we all did it.

i stay home for duff, kate, rick. we're right now. we're going home after keeping our social distance. george? >> my parents. >> rob? >> sweet amber. >> sweet amber. michael? >> i'm staying home for everybody. >> you are the man, michael. >> kevin bacon, thank you for the fun idea. gives us something to do. brad paisley is also in the news and his gorgeous wife, kimberly doing their part as well. take a look. >> hey, guys. i'm here at the store. i want to give you a tour. come on in. welcome inside. >> guys, that's kimberly giving a tour of the free grocery store they built in nashville for anyone who might need a meal. it was supposed to open next month. but given the recent tornados that devastated nashville and now the coronavirus, the

paisleys knew that they had to act fast. they have stocked the shelves, opened it early and taken it to the next level. on brad's instagram, the store as it's called will make home deliveries free of charge. free food to any elderly person who needs it. they of course, the most at risk. listen up. >> the store is open, but in light of how times have changed, we have decided to change the way we do things a bit. we're mobilizing a group of volunteers to deliver groceries, one week's groceries to elderly people that should not be out shopping on their own in these times. >> brad, thank you. brad encouraging users, if you know somebody who might need their service, reach out to him with names for anybody who might need a warm meal and a helping hand in these tough times. >> it's a double whammy for them, with the tornado they went through, and now the coronavirus. >> and thankfully belmont university where brad went to school has teamed up with them to get it going and stock those

shelves. if you know anybody in that area, by all means, let them know. >> it's the volunteer state. >> yes. there you go. finally, there have been some really -- i'm sure you've noticed on social media, creative funny posts addressing this strange new normal that we all now live in. for starters, never before had blossom events in truman, arkansas made a bouquet like this one. it started as a joke on their facebook page, but quickly went viral. now they're actually offering a limited number of these beauties only to local delivery. it made us laugh, and so did this. check out this that we found on social media. >> thank you for coming. >> that's enrico. he figured out how to have a glass of wine with all his favorite people, while abiding by the cdc's suggestions for social distancing. finally look at this one. you guys, really please focus on one of the many creative suggestions on how to deal with your kids when you really, really need a break. >> dada. dada.

>> oh, thank you, social world. keep the creativity coming. >> that was good. >> those moments, the levity on social media being passed around the country giving us a laugh in this otherwise nerve-racking time. >> we needed a good laugh. >> that was great. >> wait until she grows up and sees that video again. not so funny. looking for you. >> lara, thank you so much. now our "gma" cover story. we heard about the shortage of masks crucial to help protect health care workers on the front lines of this pandemic. a group has come up with a possible solution using their sewing machines. matt gutman is in glendale, california with the story. good morning, matt. >> reporter: good morning, michael. some of these masks are in such short supply that some doctors are being asked to keep these masks for a week. so those folks you mentioned with the sewing machines and a small army of volunteer tailors

in one georgia community, they decided to design a pretty ingenious workaround. besieged by the outbreak this past week, this staff at this georgia hospital's coronavirus drive-thru and emergency room were churning through protective gear at a record rate. >> we're working 16-hour days and we've gone through now six months of personal protective equipment in just seven days. >> reporter: scott steiner is the ceo of phoebe health, and his concern, those masks that help protect doctors and nurses from contracting infectious diseases. how many n95 masks do you have left on hand, and how fast are you going through them? >> we've got about 3 1/2 days left on hand. we're constantly looking for more supplies. >> reporter: which are almost impossible to find. >> we're going to go into the open market, to china, to india, to mexico, to other places to find personal protective equipment for our staff because without it, nobody will be caring for the patients.

>> reporter: his staff using and discarding more than 3,000 a day. so burning the midnight oil saturday at the hospital's command center, they came up with an idea. >> we've decided instead of using it one time and throwing it away, we believe our staff can use it even for an entire day if we can cover it. this is a handmade mask that we will put over these n95s that we will be able to take off after every use and then we will be able to launder these and use them again so we can conserve these. >> reporter: that was a prototype, but to mass produce the masks, they would need more than needle, thread and surgical sheeting. they would need a brigade of tailors. folks like belinda wright heeded the call, stitching a double ply exterior mask with elastic bands which can be reused after washing. >> i am a home

i have a couple of machines here in my craft room, but it's something i enjoy doing and it's something i felt like i could do for the community. >> we've got an army of seamstresses making these for us in the community, volunteers, people from out of town. we have more than 50 people making these right now. we think we can make 200,000 of them. >> reporter: today they expect to have over 50 people sewing these masks. >> we have an incredible community. you know, i think americans in general are good people. we band together when the going gets tough, and that's a great example of that. >> reporter: and by the end of today they hope to produce a couple thousand of those mask covers a day, up to 200,000 in the very near future. george? >> that is great. thank you, matt. we'll get some financial advice now. barbara corcoran from "shark tank" is joining us via skype. barbara, thanks for joining us. we know how hard this is hitting the economy. we've seen the layoffs and debt. small business owners especially are getting hit so hard, and i know you've invested in a lot of businesses as a shark. what kind of advice are you

giving the small business owners you have invested in? >> you know, george, small business is not so small, and employs almost half the workers in the united states. and i can tell you they're scared and worried, every one of them. the first, most important thing is to keep your employees engaged online. so many people are working out of home or offices have been closed up. you need to keep them engaged online. facetime and google hang out to keep the morale up and teams tight. that's what gets people through tough times. the next thing, you have to have an open and honest discussion, as tough as it is. it's not fun to be a boss and tell people what's happening, and that you are going to have to lay off people, but you have to make those changes quickly. laying off people is terrible, but reducing everybody's income by 25% across the board is better than losing a third of your people. you have to make those tough decisions. and last, if you have a credit line and so many small businesses have credit lines and don't use them. you've got to draw that credit line down right now when you don't need the money. once you need the money, the banks are not going to give it to you. >> we're going to turn to questions from our viewers, and the first is about pay cuts that

so many people may be facing right now. and anita on facebook asked, if we work for small companies, not guaranteed pay, what happens to our house when the payment is due next month along with water and electricity? >> first off, don't assume you're going to be thrown out. the bank doesn't have any interest in getting you out of your house, and they typically will work with you if you are going to call them immediately and tell them you're having a problem. they will usually adjust the mortgage payments and allow you to make partial payments until you're back on your feet. if you worry about the utilities interesting through this crises, the providers are giving payment forgiveness immediately, the great majority are. so they're not going to turn off your utilities. you need to take that off your worry plate. you won't lose your utilities whatsoever. >> what about people who rent? >> rents are very similar. landlords don't want to lose you as a tenant because no one's moving right now. it's the worst nightmare for every landlord out there. they are willing to help you with part of your rent if you

give them a head's up. in new york city, it was declared no evictions. for right now you're perfectly safe even if you are unable to pay your rent, you cannot be b hrim so many viewers as michael said, and one is a student whose name is brandon. listen to what he has to say. >> good morning, america. my question is, what can students do who don't have a job anymore because their university or college switched to online only instruction? >> well, brandon, this is a time where you are going to have to figure out what skills you have that are extra, something that you can make a side hustle out of, something you can make extra money on. if for example, you have a talent in graphic design, you have to post everything you do and get extra work. there's plenty of people out there that are looking for it. if you are a strong student, you can offer homework help. there's tons of kids at home or online tutoring, whatever your expertise is. you can advertise this on the community board called next door.

everyone sees that you are local and what you have to offer. it's just a matter of joining the economy and finding something else to hustle with. >> a lot of good advice. thank you, barbara. now let's go over to ginger. >> i have to tell you about the tornadoes reported. eight of them in the last 24 hours, and we have another shot at it today. this is texas showing the damage from one of those tornadoes just today the severe storm forecast has two enhanced pockets. much of southern iowa, and northern missouri, north of kansas city, and you get that up through indianapolis, but the yellow area needs to be on the lookout. strong storms by tomorrow afternoon in western pennsylvania and new york, and spring begins. tonight just before midnight, that's the earliest spring equinox in 124 years.

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>> let's do it. >> prices are amazing. these are slashed in half. they start at $3. >> great gift for yourself. i also love skinny & co. it's really good for your skin. we're washing our hands a lot. this is t y ze. >> it's a cold press all natural coconut oil. they make products for people and pets so there's a huge assortment that you will find for your body or your four-legged friend. what i love is that this company, they're based in indianapolis. they said to me, we're being smart. we're being focused because this too shall pass. they're focused on the future. they have awesome products that tart at .40 for $50. this company. >> i love this skin care line. >> this is their number one product, their power glow peel. it's one minute once a day for glowing skin. you get glowing skin. they get to stay in business. normally the -- huge assortment from them. not just this, but this is the hero. $24 to $116. today it is slashed in half and

starts at $12, and free shipping. >> free shipping. >> from m-61. you know if you have gone into ulta, sephora, these products are amazing. >> really soft, silky. >> that's not -- that's not the one. i mixed that up for you. >> oh. >> it's this hair towel. >> my apologies. i'm getting too close to you. >> that hair towel. that's coming next though. that's our favorite hair towel. >> i modeled this for you. >> i know. they're normally $21 to $29. it's a woman-led company. you feel good and they feel good. today they're slashed in half, starting at $10.50. >> these are silky pillow cases that save your hair. >> they do save your hair, and this is one where you'll save their business because 70% of the stores they're in right now have closed. they're silk pillow cases. you can put your initials on them. you get a go night's sleep start at $40 and free shipping from night. >> free shipping. >> and poetically correct, we're in the business of providing comfort and nothing is going to

stop us, is what they said. that's what these nightshirts are all about. $58 to $70. today they're slashed in half, and they start at $29. >> thank you so much. please help these small businesses. we've partnered with all of them to give you these deals. shop for them online, and shop the bonus deals. women-run companies and a lot of beauty products. amazing deals. let's help them out and give yourselves something to do at home. we'll be right back on "good morning america." ica." good morning, north bay. let's get up and get going. >> this is abc 7 mornings. >> good morning. there are 422 confirmed cases of

coronavirus in the bay area. santa clara county has the most with 175. san mateo reports 80 cases, which is 14 more than tuesday. eight new cases reported in san francisco, which now has 51 confirmed infections. thank you. we are coming to you with traffic news because we have two pretty serious incidents on our roads. the first is in san ramon on 680 north of crow canyon. an overturned rig. it does look like injuries have been reported. emergency crews on the way. fremont police want you to know you should avoice mission boulevard due to a deadly crash. a car hit a pedestrian. it's blocked off due to an investigation.

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now your forecast with mike nicco. >> still dealing with fog in the north bay. also on the trivalley. that will lift over the next hour. that's my only concern other than a random shower. especially the farther south you are today. not enough for a storm impact scale. spring starts this health -- >> announcer: this is an abc news special report. now reporting, george stephanopoulos. good morning. coming on the air now because president trump is about to

appear in the white house briefing room in this coronavirus task force. there you see members of the task force right now including the surgeon general, dr. jerome adams, and dr. burks, the white house team right there. the president is prepared to come out today and announce something having to do with the federal food and drug administration, whether or not they're going to approve a significant new testing, and -- on possible treatments for coronavirus. there you see the dow this morning recovering a little bit from yesterday's losses. almost up 1.5% as the congress continues to consider a massive trillion dollar plus stimulus plan that could include at least one, maybe two direct payments to individuals also significant assistance to small businesses in the united states. looks like they're rying tryin move people just a little farther apart there. a little stage direction we don't usually see before white

house briefings. jon karl is there. what exactly is happening? >> reporter: we're seeing a little social distancing here. if you have been watching, george, you notice there's often quite a crowd there behind the podium. standing shoulder to shoulder like the rest of us here in the briefing room, there's a little separation, not quite 6 feet as recommended, but certainly more than we've seen in the past. >> we are expecting to hear from the president and the vice president today also. as new questions are being raised about whether our hospitals can handle what they're about to face here in the united states as the president now enters the briefing room. let's listen in. >> thank you very much. i think this is going to be a very important conference and i'll get to that toward the middle, but i have a few things to report, and i want to thank you all for being here and i have to say, i think with social distancing that the media has

been much nicer. i don't know what it is. all these empty -- these in between chairs. we probably shouldn't have anyone sitting behind you either. it should probably go back, but i love it. it's so much nicer, but i probably shouldn't say that because you'll get me now. thank you all for being here, and we continue our relentless effort to defeat the chinese virus. before i begin, i want to start by announcing that today we are bringing home another american citizen. it's a big thing, very big. he is on his way back to the united states after being imprisoned in lebanon since september of 2019. he's battling late stage cancer, mr. fakari will be able to receive the much needed care and treatment in the united states. we have been working very hard to get him freed, and he's

finally able to have his entire family at his side. so i'm very grateful to the lebanese government that worked with us, and we are very proud of his family. they stood by him so strongly, and they are thrilled. the united states has no higher priority than the safety and well being of our citizens. we've gotten a tremendous number of hostages out as you know. i think we're 42-0, and robert o'brien as you know, was our chief negotiator for a large part of it. he did so well that we now have him in a different position. so i want to thank and congratulate robert and his team, and i want to let everyone know that recovering americans held captive and imprisoned abroad continues to be a top priority for my administration. we have one young gentleman, austin tice, and we're working very hard with syria to get him

out. we hope the syrian government will do that. we are counting on them to do that. we've written a letter just recently. he's been there for a long time, and he was captured long ago. austin tice, his mother is probably watching and she's a great lady, and we're doing the best we can. so syria, please, work with us. and we would appreciate you letting him out. if you think about what we've done, we've gotten rid of the isis caliphate in syria. we've done a lot for syria. we have to see, are they going to do this? it would be very much appreciated if they would let austin tice out immediately. as you know, my administration is working every day to protect the american people, and the american economy from the virus. yesterday i signed into law a critical support for american

workers, families and small businesses. it's a big thing. we're providing sick leave and family medical leave to those affected by the virus, and more help is on the way as we speak to our entire team headed by secretary mnuchin who is on the hill. we're working with democrats and republicans, and there's a lot of good will going on. this was something that happened that was -- some people would say an act of god. i don't view it as an act of d god. i view it as something that just surprised the whole world, and if people would have known about it, it could have stopped in place. it could have been stopped right where it came from, china, if we would have known about it. if they would have known about it, but now the whole world almost is inflicted with this horrible -- this horrible virus,

and it's too bad. it's too bad because we never had an economy as good as the economy we had just a few weeks ago, but we'll be back, and i actually think we'll be back stronger than ever before because we learned a lot during this period of time. i also just invoked the defense production act to help facilitate distribution of essential supplies if necessary. we're working with congress to provide major additional relief to the workers, small businesses and the hardest hit industries. we want to make sure everybody is able to continue on so that when we recover, all of these companies and these great businesses both very, very small and very, very large are not going to be broken up, and you would have to put them back together. that would take a long time because we really believe in -- i believe in the curve. i believe it's going to go -- when this is -

defeated, i think it will go up very rapidly, our economy, and get back to where it was and beyond. today i want to share with you exciting progress that the fda is making with the private sector as we slash red tape like nobody has ever done it before. somebody was on yesterday on one of the networks and said that there's never been a president even close that's been able to do what i have done in slashing all of the red tape and everything to get very important things to the market medical. so we slash red tape to develop vaccines and therapies as fast as it can possibly be done, and long before anyone else was even thinking about doing this. as you know, earlier this week we began the first clinical trial of a vaccine trial for the candidate, and we did it in weeks. that would have taken years to do not so long ago. as we race to develop a vaccine,

we're also pursuing anti-viral therapies and that's what we're really going to be talking to you about today. that's the purpose of being up here today, and to me that's even more important. the vaccine by its nature, you have to have long tasks becaues you have to make sure what is going into somebody's body is not going to do destruction, not going to do bad things. they're doing great with the vaccines, but it's a long process. the therapies are something that can move on much faster potentially, and the treatments that will be able to reduce the severity or duration of the symptoms make people better. essentially looking at things to make people better or at the very earliest stages, they wouldn't even know they had it, and that's where i believe it's going to work even the best. the fda commissioner is with us.

he's fantastic, and he's been working 24 hours a day. he's been -- he's worked, like, probably as hard or harder than anybody in this -- in the group other than maybe mike pence or me, and what the fda is doing is incredible. they've done things in times that were not even thinkable, and i've drekirected the fda to eliminate rules and bureaucracy so this work can proceed rapidly, quickly and i mean, fast. and we have to remove every barrier. there were a lot of barriers that were unnecessary, and they've done that to get the rapid deployment of safe, effective treatments, and we think we have some good answers. we'll find out very, very soon.

clinical trials are already under way for many new therapies and we're working on scaling these to allow many more americans to access different drugs that have shown really good promise really good promise. in a way that lets us continue good data, to let us know which medicines are safe, and which medicines are working the best. we have a couple that we're in really good shape on. that's for immediate delivery. immediate. like, as fast as we can get it. the fda has also approved compassionate use for a significant number of patients. you know what that means. we're also reviewing drugs that are approved abroad or drugs approved here for other uses, and you know, one of the things

that i'm most proud of that i got was right to try. that's where somebody who's ill, somebody who's very sick, terminally ill usually. in past administrations -- we signed this a year and a half ago, you wouldn't even think about getting the drugs that show great promise. now, and they have been trying for many decades to get this approved. it's because there's liability involved and lots of other things, and i was able to get it approved. this is beyond right to try. what we're talking about today is beyond right to try. right to try has had tremendous success. people are living now that had no chance of living where we take treatments that would have -- things that would have to go through years of a process, and if somebody was terminally ill, and i would say why wouldn't they be able to try this? they go to asia, they go to europe, they go all over the world to try and find something.

some people, if they had no money, they would go home to die. they had no hope. right to try has been an incredible success, but this is beyond right to try. if treatments known to be safe in europe, japan or other nations are effective against the virus, we'll use that information to protect the health and safety of american people. nothing will stand in our way as we pursue any avenue to find what best works against this horrible virus. now a drug called cloroquin, and some people would at to it, hyodroxycloroquin. this is a common malaria drug. it's also a drug used for strong arthritis, somebody who has pretty serious arthritis also

uses this in a somewhat different form, but it is known as a malaria drug, and it's been around for a long time, and it's very powerful, but the nice part is it's been around for a long time, so we know that if it -- if things don't go as planned, it's not going to kill anybody. when you go with a brand-new drug, you don't know that that's going to happen. you have to see, and you have to go long tests, but this has been used in different forms. very powerful drug in different forms, and it's shown very encouraging, very, very encouraging early results, and we're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and that's where the fda has been so great. they've gone through the approval process. it's been approved, and they did

it. they took it down from many, many months to immediate. so we're going to be able to make that drug available by prescription or states. i spoke with governor cuomo about it in great length last night, and he wants to be right on the -- he wants to be first on the line, and so i think that's a tremendous -- there's tremendous promise based on the results, and other tests. there's tremendous promise, and normally the fda would take a long time to approve something like that, and it's -- it was approved very, very quickly and it's now approved by prescription. individual states will handle it. they can handle it. doctors will handle it, and i think it's going to be -- i think it's going to be great. then we're quickly studying this drug, and while we're continuing

to study it, but the studying is going to be also done as it's given out to large groups of people. perhaps in new york and other places. they're promising therapies produced by gilead and that's revdesivoir. that's a drug used for other purposes that's been out, and set very good results for other purposes, but it seems to have a good result having to do with this virus, and that drug also has been approved or very close to approved in that case by the fda, and i can't tell you how much we appreciate what the fda -- these people are incredible. patriots, and the job that steven hahn is doing, dr. hahn, one of the most respected doctors in the country by the

way. we took him, and i said, are you sure you want to do this? we didn't know this was knigoino be in the play list, what happened here, but he stepped up to the plate. wherever you are. i would shake his hand, but i'm not supposed to do that. i would get in a lot of trouble if i did that. he's going to speak right after i'm finished. so regeneron is a company that has done well with as i understand ebola, and some other things. great company, and they're looking at promising events. so we have remdesivoir and cloroquinn and hydroxycloroquinn. those are out now for prescribed use, and i think it's going to

be very exciting. i think it could be a game changer and maybe not. and maybe not, but i think it could be based on what i see. it could be a game changer. very powerful. they're very powerful. so i want every american to know that we're doing everything that we can, and these actions are important next steps. for the fda to act the way they acted with this kind of speed is an incredible thing. normally they would say, well, we can have it by next year or we could have it by -- in two years from now. you understand this is the way. normally it's, like, years and years and years and years. they had it immediately. based on the facthat it's been this i think. we believe these therapeutics and others under evaluation right now will be able to provide relief to many americans. we hope that's going to be. this could be a tremendous breakthrou breakthrough, tremendous breakthrough. we will work toward a much needed vaccine in the future as

i said, and what we're doing with the fda is so exciting in so many other fields. so many other things are happening. it's a very exciting time for medicine, and we appreciate that the american public has pulled together. they're really staying home, and i think there's tremendous spirit in this country right now. spirit like a lot of people have not seen. people have not seen anything like it for a long tind that means democrat, republican. they're pulling together. i hope everything's going good on the hill. maybe i shouldn't say this until i check out what's going on because you never know, but i think there's a great spirit where the democrats, the republicans and everybody else are getting together and they're trying to get things done, but most importantly, the american public has been incredible. we took the best economy we've ever had and we said, stop.

you can't work. you have to stay home, you know, there's never been a case like this. normally you pay a lot of money to get things going. here's a case where we're paying a lot of money to stop things because we don't want people to be together so that this virus doesn't continue onward. so there's never been anything like this in history. there's never been. nobody's ever seen anything like t this, but we're doing the right thing, and our big war -- it's not a financial war. it's a medical war. we have to win this war. it's very important. with that, i would like to just introduce dr. steven hahn and he, again, i would like to send back with him, our thanks to all the people working in the fda who are fantastic, talented people. we appreciate it very much, everything you have done, specially the speed that you passed. thank you very much.

>> thank you, mr. president. i want to thank you for your leadership during this coronavirus outbreak, and thank you for the kind words about the fda staff. we have 10,000 scientists, doctors and others and more than that working around the clock to aid the american people in this fight against the cron virorona and those words are very much appreciated, sir. >> thank you. >> so before the president nominated me and i was confirmed as commissioner of food and drugs, i was a cancer doctor and i have sat across from countless number of patients and had to talk to them about their diagnosis and their treatment, and one thing that was really important is to provide hope. i have great hope for how we're going to come out of this situation. what's also important is not to provide false hope, but to provide hope, and as a doctor, that's the way i come to this. i'm speaking now to the american people as the commissioner of food and drugs that that part of me has not left.

just look at the way the american people have responded to our calls for mitigation, for social distancing. the american people have great resiliency, and i am so incredibly proud of how the american people have responded. as the president mentioned, he asked us to be aggressive, to break down barriers to innovation and to accelerate the development of life-saving treatments and we're doing that at the fda. the fda is committed to continuing to provide regulatory flexibility and guidance, but let me make one thing clear. the fda's responsibility to the american people is to ensure that products are safe and effective, and that we are continuing to do that. our folks and their tremendous professionals are working day and night to do this. you just can't even imagine how much they're working to provide the support for the american people, and i thank them. since early january, long before the first domestic case, fda began working in collaboration with cdc, and i also want to

note we stood up an incident command group and have been focused on the coronavirus since the very beginning of this public health emergency. this has been in addition to all government and all american approach. i'll explain that. an important part of that work is expanding the therapeutic options associated with coronavirus, and we've learned from our colleagues across the globe about this, but i want to focus on one thing. i was a cancer researcher before all this, and one thing i know about this great country of ours is that we have unbelievable innovators. we have people who every day, it's their job to develop treatments for all sorts of diseases. we are incredibly blessed as a country to have this, and as is true in any unit, these great innovators, academia, private sector, they have told us about the best treatment options. we are looking at everything that's coming across our desks

as possible treatment options for coronavirus. and we're extremely encouraged by the interest and the promise that we've seen from these great american innovators. now again, we need to look at it. we need the data. we need the information to make the absolute best decisions for the american people, but i want to assure you we have over 17,000 people at fda who are doing this every day. we need to make sure that the sea of new treatments will get the right drug to the right patient at the right dosage at the right time. as an example, we may have the right drug, but it may not be in the appropriate dosage form right now, and that may do more harm than good. those are the things that it's our job to look at, and that's why it's important we have these dedicated professionals to look at the aspect of therapeutic development. at the same time we're also working through different mechanisms to actually get drugs into the hands of providers and patien patients. the president mentioned this, but one of the mechanisms is

called compassionate use. if there's an experimental drug that's potentially available, a doctor could ask for that drug to be used in a patient. we have criteria for that, and very speedy approval for that. the important thing about compassionate use, and that's what the president meant this is even beyond right to try, and we get to collect the information about that because one of the things that we're promising the american people is we will collect the data and make the absolute right decisions based on this data about the safety and efficacy of the treatments. we are working expeditiously and we are working to make sure these products are as safe and effective as they possibly can be. let me tell you about a few things that we're currently working on, and this is a plan that was developed with many of the people at this table, who are infectious disease experts on the task force. we're looking at drugs that are already approved for other indications. they're already approved as the president said, for other diseases. as an example, many americans have heard studies and read

about this anti-malarial drug. it's approved for the treatment of malaria as well as an arthritis condition. that's a drug that the president has directed us to take a closer look at as to whether an expand to that approach could be done to see if that benefits patients, and again, we want to do that in the setting of a clinical trial. a large, pragmatic clinical trial to gather that information and answer the question that needs to be answered, and ask and answered. let me give you another example. there's a cross-agency effort about something called c convalescent plasma, and we have been giving assistance to other countries with as this crisis has developed. fda has been working on this for awhile. if you are exposed to coronavirus and you're better, don't have the virus in your blood, we could collect the blood -- this is a possible treatment, not a proven

treatment. i want to emphasize that. we could collect the blood, concentrate that, and have the ability once it's pathogen-free, virus-free, to be able to give that to other patients and the immune response could potenti potentially provide a benefit to patients. that's another thing we're looking at. over the next couple of weeks, we'll try to push hard to accelerate that. that's in the medium short-term, and that will be a bridge to other therapies that will take us three to six months to develop, and this is a continuous process. there is no beginning and end to each of this. this is, you know, we're pushing this through. the other great thing about the great innovators of america, some of them tell us it's taken us years, years to develop therapies. they're looking at pushing that to the months period of time, and we're trying to provide them the regulatory flexibility, but at the same time, the scientific oversight to make sure that gets done in the best way possible for the american people. the president mentioned that there is a vaccine trial

currently being performed. it's a phase one trial so it's the earliest study that gets done. we expect that to take 12 months to get to completion, actually a time where we could approve a vacci vaccine, but that's -- these are all things to bridge to the prevention part of this with the vaccine. it's exciting work, and the president is right. this is record time for the development of a vaccine, and impressive public private partnership. we are going toed on timely access, while meeting the agency's world respect gold standard. relying on strong data from clinical trials to determine if an experimental or off the shelf drug that's used for something else can safely and effectively treat patients. we want to assure the american people that fda is all hands on deck. as the president mentioned, these efforts continue to work with interested sponsors to help expedite the work. we remain steadfast in helping to foster the development of

safe and effective therapies for covid-19. thank you. >> thank you. mike? >> thank you, mr. president. the white house coronavirus task force met this morning, and on this very first day of spring we continue to make steady progress toward president trump's objective. not only to all the resources of federal government, every state government, every local health official, but also to harness the power of the american private sector and activities over the last day reflect all of those priorities. yesterday the president spoke with america's top physicians and nurses and garnered helpful insights about how we can best serve those who are serving, americans that are dealing with the coronavirus, and we also had a productive call with over 5,000 state and local officials, explaining the federal

government's strong and seamless partnership with all 50 states and the territories. we signed the coronavirus response act, which provides free testing, and free care assistance for the needy, among a broad range of benefits and as the president indicated, we expect that the senate will begin work on an economic relief package. later today, the president and i will meet again in a teleconference with the nation's governors and we will meet at the national response coordination center at fema and outline president trump's decision to have fema take the lead in our national coronavirus response. our nation's response through fema will be locally executed, state managed andpeople to know testing is available in all 50 states and is becoming increasingly available literally every hour of the day.

because of the public/private partnership that the president initiated several weeks ago with major commercial labs, i'm pleased to receive a report today that tens of thousands of tests are being performed every day, and with the passage of last night's legislation, state and private labs are now required by law to report all coronavirus testing directly to the cdc which will give the american public and also give our researchers timely and important information. it's important for every american to remember that if you don't have symptoms, you don't need to get a test. we want to make sure that testing is a