this is "nightline." >> tonight, the new epicenter. a city fights for its life. gotham under siege from covid-19. >> this is going to get much worse before it gets better. >> hospitals on the brink. >> the issue is is the amount of people that are needing assistance is grossly outmatched by the ability that we have to provide. >> trying to halt the crisis with reinforcements coming on line. and doctors relearning old skills to prep for a new battle. >> we are soldiers very much in the bunker, fighting this invisible virus. >> but the president warning of much greater suffering if the economy doesn't get help soon. >> we can't have the cure be worse than the problem. and samaritan mom.

with more than 600 deaths just today in italy, a michigan nurse leaving her family to face the front lines. with a warning. >> i'm hoping that the world will pay closer attention. we have compassion. let's all fight this thing together. we're all in this together literally. >> "nightline" will be right back. we are t-mobile the first to go unlimited. first with no annual service contracts. first with taxes and fees included. now t-mobile has the first and only nationwide 5g network.

reaching over 5,000 cities and towns and over 200 million americans. and t-mobile is not charging extra for 5g access. because this isn't our network... it's yours.

good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm byron pitts. frankly put, the war against covid-19 is deepening here at home and much of the world. the number of confirmed cases like the number of deaths in the u.s. is increasing. tonight new york has replaced washington state as the epicenter in our country. also it's worth noting the army to confront this viral enemy is also growing. soldiers of all stripes with both courage and creativity. >> this is a crisis. we have to hold the fronts. >> reporter: dr. john bookvar has been a doctor for 20 years. he's a brain surgeon at one of new york city's most well-known hospitals. but now he's not working in the o.r. he's headed to the e.r. the front line in the war against covid-19. >> i'm a neurosurgeon, and frankly i haven't intubated a patient in many years. >> reporter: and that means relearning emergency medical care.

>> we are soldiers fighting this invisible virus. and we enter the trenches every day when we go into the hospital, whether it's in our emergency rooms, whether it's in our intensive care units. >> reporter: the sheer magnitude of the virus outbreak is like a wave about to overtake the u.s. health care system. more than 43,000 sick, at least 550 dead. to help relieve that burden tens of millions of americans have been told to stay at home. so far at least 20 states have already implemented or announced closures of non-essential businesses. >> we are the epicenter of this crisis. >> reporter: with more than 12,000 positive test results, new york city has more cases than any one single location in the country. >> to all hospitals, mandatory directive from the state. find more beds. use more rooms. >> it feels like i'm fighting a fire with blindfolds on. >> reporter: emergency room doctor darian sutton is among those sounding the alarm. >> because patients are coming in with respiratory symptoms, we normally can put them in

isolation rooms, but we only have a numbered amount of those. so once those run out then we have patients who have to sit in the hallway or in places where they may expose other people to the infection. >> reporter: he says the shortages of resources will lead to bigger issues. >> the reality is that there's a very high chance that my colleagues can get sick and one of the main reasons why is because we have such a limited amount of protective equipment. we're not superheroes, as many people paint us. >> reporter: new york has tested more people than any other state. so far the people who test positive, 13% require hospitalization. of those nearly a quarter are in intensive care. testing in the city and its suburbs is going up. this weekend cars started lining up at a drive-thru facility in neighboring new jersey. the site hit capacity just a half hour after opening. with a massive influx of patients, new york is calling on the federal government to help. while also trying to buy more supplies. >> masks that we paid 85 cents

for we're now paying $7. why? because california's bidding and illinois is bidding and texas is bidding and florida is bidding. it makes no sense. the federal government must nationalize the equipment production and supply issue. >> reporter: internal memos written by columbia university's chief surgeon, dr. greg smith, say that his hospitals have seen a 50% increase in corona virus patients. the chief of surgery at columbia university warning in a memo to staff the hospital normally uses 4,000 non-n95 masks a day. currently they are consuming 40,000 such masks per day. dr. cornelia griggs is a surgery fellow at columbia university. >> having to make the split-second decision am i going to run into this room to save this patient or am i going to take the time to try and

scramble and find a mask? >> reporter: and it's not just in the hospitals. the commissioner of the fdny is worried about his emts and fire crews. >> basically, what they're protected with for these types of assignments are gloves, eye protection, masks, and disposable robes. the burn rate for these ppe equipment is very high. >> reporter: like in hospitals his teams are losing numbers. as first responders test positive for covid-19. >> it's very personal. each and every day i get a report, and the numbers climb. >> city and state officials here are sending out the s.o.s. for help. >> this is phase 2. >> reporter: today new york governor andrew cuomo toured the javits center in midtown manhattan, a facility that usually hopes some of the country's biggest industry conventions. now home to a temporary fema hospital. he's also putting out the call for any reserve medical personnel to step forward. >> i'm contacting all the

retired nurses, all retired doctors. i'm asking medical schools to make their staff available, nursing schools to make their staff available. >> reporter: the federal government is sending the u.s.n.s. comfort" to new york. it will also handle overflow from facilities but not any covid-19 patients. >> it is not necessarily so easy to transport patients to a floating hospital in new york harbor. it would be much easier to do so at something like the javits vengs center. however, we're still going to run into a staff shortage. so just because there are beds doesn't mean there are staff and doesn't mean there's ventilators. >> reporter: in fact, the city only had a week's worth of ventilators left. but this afternoon the federal government sent a lifeline. 400 more. >> that 400 tremendously helpful, and it's going to help us get through this week into next week. again, our request is for 15,000 to get us through april and may.

>> reporter: new york fire commissioner nigro helped lead the fdny through the aftermath of 9/11 and says this city can show the country how to persevere through crisis again. >> the world was divided between your life before and your life after what happened on 9/11. i think right now in this pandemic most of us have a life before and we have today's life, which is the pandemic, 24/7. and once again, we will be strong. as we were then. >> reporter: and strength we are learning just like the virus knows no boundaries. strength witnessed in hospitals across the country. >> i have tremendous amounts of hope because every day i get to work and i see the people that are working tirelessly to solve this problem and to fight this problem. >> every single day 24 hours a day, seven days a week, men and women are leaving their loved ones behind and going into the face of danger. and i can't tell you how proud i

am to be amongst some of the most courageous and caring human beings i've ever seen. >> earlier today i spoke with new jersey governor phil murphy about how he's fighting the pandemic there. >> governor, thank you so much for joining us. your state in new jersey has the second highest number of confirmed cases in the country. you've compared this medical crisis to a war. so in this war do you and your medical workers in new jersey have the weapons that you need? >> byron, good to be with you, first of all. but the answer is no. we do not have the equipment that we need. i'm grateful that we've gotten a second installment on its way from the strategic stockpile nationally of personal protective equipment. but we need more. >> late last night, as you know, the president tweeted that "we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself." some were speculating whether the economy cost of strict social distancing outweighs the public health benefit of it. what do you think?

>> well, i think i'm pretty well self-declared in the category of let's take the pain now. and the pain is enormous, by the way. workers who are out of work. but i have to tell you, our numbers in terms of the virus are going up and not down, at least in the near term, and we've got to be vigilant about that. >> governor, what do you make of what the governor of florida has said, saying anyone traveling from new jersey or new york to self-isolate for 14 days. >> that's the first time i'm hearing it. i would just say this. any amount of social distancing, any amount of self-help that folks can give to themselves and their families, their neighbors, their friends, and the key is to flatten the curve. >> governor, one of your state-run drive-thru testing centers exceeded capacity even before it opened. how do you meet that need moving forward? >> listen, there's an enormous pent-up demand. again, i want to thank our fema partners that have helped us

open two drive-thru testing sites in the past week. they're both working. but the problem of course is there's a lot more people who want to get tested than we have the equipment or manpower to test. we'll do everything we can. at a certain point we'll have a fork in the road between testing and putting a lot of that manpower and equipment into care. >> fork in the road. >> in a perfect world we want to test everybody. absent a lot more raw material and absent another wave of health care workers we're going to have choices coming up in the next number of weeks between diverting those resources both human and equipment to testing or toward care of those who are sick. now, i'm an optimist and i'm pounding away every single day on getting that equipment to allow us to do both. and that's my hope.

although we're hoping for the best, we're preparing for the worst. >> governor phil murphy of new jersey, thank you, sir. godspeed to you and your citizens. >> same to you, byron. thanks for having me. next -- a closer look at the toll the pandemic is taking in europe. and the american mom and murs leaving her family to race to italy's rescue. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (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, multiple endocrine 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®. that's why lincoln offers complimentary pickup and delivery servicing. we'll pick up your vehicle

and leave you with a lincoln loaner. that's the power of sanctuary. for bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. for 45 days.

we find a way through it. it's about taking care of each other. it's the small parts that make a big difference. at chevy, we promise to do ours. we're offering chevy owners complimentary onstar crisis assist services and wifi data. if you need a new chevy, interest-free financing for 84 months - with deferred payments for 120 days on many of our most popular models. you may even shop online and take delivery at home. it's just our way of doing our part...

it was another deadly day in italy, with more than 600 deaths. around the world there are now more than 378,000 cases and

mul multiplying exponentially. here's abc's ian pannell. >> reporter: tonight the world health organization warning the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly accelerating. with more than 375,000 cases around the world. the first 100,000 recorded in 67 days. the second 100,000 took only 11 days. and it's been just 4 days for the third 100,000 infections. disturbing new images posted across social media in spain showing patients on the floor of an overwhelmed hospital. [ coughing ] victims heard coughing, some gasping for air. others apparently hooked up to oxygen tanks. doctors unable to keep up. spain suffering over 460 deaths in the past 24 hours. and here in britain p.m. boris johnson ordering people to stay home. banning all gatherings of two or

more people outside after the uk death toll soared by almost 50 in the last day. that rate of increase is now mirroring exactly what happened in italy two weeks ago. countries are scrambling to avoid that nightmare scenario unfolding there. italy's death toll now nearly doubling that of china's. >> our thanks to ian. nurses and doctors on the front lines in italy seeing images they'll likely carry a lifetime. earlier today i spoke with american nurse kelly sites. she works with christian aid organization samaritan's purse on disaster relief. last week she left her family in michigan to help treat overflow patients at a field hospital in northern italy. >> describe the situation for me right now where you are. >> the hospital is a 600-bed hospital, and currently they have 500 positive corona patients. we're set up in the parking lot with our emergency field hospital respiratory care unit, which is a 68-bed hospital.

>> in this moment what concerns you most as a professional, as a nurse? >> i've gone to ebola and cholera and diphtheria in a refugee camp. i've been doing this for ten years. and i usually leave home to go to a disaster. this is my 19th deployment. so it's ironic that it's covid-19. but in 19 deployments i've never left a disaster to go to a disaster. >> compare this to other hot spots. >> i feel very similar right now to how i felt in liberia when there was no treatment and there wasn't anything much we could do but offer supportive care. and that's not a great feeling. so it's a scary thought. what can we do for these patients to help them? >> you're at one of the worst places on planet earth for this disease. what would you say to americans who even at this point seem reluctant to social distance, don't seem to fully embrace how serious this is? >> i feel like the united states are just a few weeks behind

where italy is today. it didn't take long to get here, where we're at today. and it rapidly escalates. so social distancing is not a hype, and it's not a panic thing. it's a strategy. a public health strategy to help avoid the virus. what we do radically helps others. especially the vulnerable population. >> mindful of your limited resources, have circumstances forced you yet to make calls as to who lives, who dies? >> no. not yet. >> the yet's a big word. >> yeah. it's hard to know what's coming down the -- you know, in the future. but we're doing everything we can to help and support patients. >> based on what you're seeing there in italy, any advice to your colleagues back in the states? >> it's easy when you see so many patients day after day after day to forget that they're not covid patients, they're human beings, and not forget that. there's no known treatment for covid. we're trial and erroring things. but we're here to do it.

and i believe that we're going to be able to really save some lives here. >> our thanks to kelly sites. and next, love and marriage in the time of social distancing. it's time to step up. prep up. step up. prep up. to help keep you free from the risk of hiv. from the makers of truvada, a new prep option: descovy for prep. a once-daily prescription medicine that helps lower the chances of getting hiv through sex. it's not for everyone. descovy for prep has not been studied in people assigned female at birth. talk to your doctor to find out if it's right for you. step up. for health and body. prep up for your one and only love or many loves. for kings, this queen, and you royals in between. for my now. our now. and my future. our future. step up. prep up. descovy is the newest way to prep. descovy does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections, so it's important to use safer sex practices and get tested regularly. you must be hiv-negative to take descovy for prep.

so you need to get tested for hiv immediately before and at least every 3 months while taking it. if you think you were exposed to hiv or have flu-like symptoms, tell your doctor right away. they may check to confirm you are still hiv-negative. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a build-up of lactic acid and liver problems. the most common side effect was diarrhea. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking descovy without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about your risk of hiv and if descovy for prep is right for you. words are loud but actions are louder. step up. prep up. with descovy for prep. get help paying for descovy for prep. learn more at stepupprepup.com ♪ what? oooh... ahhh. no.

yeah? yes! oh yeah! sí. yes. that's the sound of saving 20 to 60 percent off department store prices. at ross. yes for less. wean air force veteran made of doing what's right,. not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it - with hassle-free claims, he got paid before

his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa my money should work as hard as i do. so i use my freedom unlimited card to buy all the latest tech stuff. today, i'm earning on a charger. so, just the charger then? ummm... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ yeah! (sarcastically) fantastic. earn 1.5% cash back on everything you buy with freedom unlimited. chase. make more of what's yours. just like covered california helps you find health insurance you can afford. they're the only place you can get financial assistance to help pay for health coverage. plus, this year, the state is providing more help than ever before. and because a new law requires californians to have health coverage or pay a penalty,

covered california has made it easier to get financial help, but you gotta sign up by april 30th. visit coveredca.com or call to enroll today. and the prices make all the you knodresses yeses?at ross yeah! save 20 to 60 percent off department store prices on the season's freshest spring dresses... ross in san mateo just got a makeover! come in and check it out!

and finally tonight, a wedding thanks to friends in high places. >> do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and keep her for as long as you both shall live? >> amanda wheeler and riley jennings tying the knot in public. with new york city's marriage bureau closed for the pandemic, their friend officiated an open air wedding from a fourth-story window. >> so say i do. >> i do! >> with onlookers watching from a safe distance the couple breaking just one rule for a wedding kiss. good for them. congratulations to the newlyweds. it was legendary college basketball coach john wooden who

said, "do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." that's "nightline" for this evening. thanks for the company, america. good night. >> dicky: from hollywood it's "jimmy kimmel live." tonight -- emily blunt, from "stumptown" jake johnson, and music from christina aguilera. and now, pardon me, jimmy kimmel! [ cheers and applause ] ♪

>> jimmy: hi, everyone. welcome, i'm jimmy. i'm the host of the show. thank you for watching. thank you for coming. that's very nice. [ cheers and applause ] you are joining us tonight for the after the after the final rose special. tonight, if you don't know, it was the second and final part of a two-part "bachelor" season finale. "the bachelor" of course harkens back to a simpler time when watching people pass viruss to one another was fun. it was entertainment. [ laughter ] pilot pete's amazing journey came to an end tonight. or did it? we don't know. what we do know is that last night madison, the virgin who decide td was a good idea to go on this show, sent herself home. she eliminated herself, which made it easier for peter to decide who to pros to because there was only woman left, hannah ann. that plan for hannah ann took a dramatic turn to seemed to surprise even chris harrison. >> i hate to darken the mood at all. it's a big day.