making news in america this morning, new signs of hope in the coronavirus emergency. what doctors are seeing for the first time since the crisis began and this morning, the new hot spot. plus, the fight against the virus in nursing homes across this country. we hear from the nurses who have turned their offices into bedrooms and haven't left work in nearly 30 days. also this morning, the potentially game-changing research. the type of light that could kill the virus in the why peope from california may be specially suited to fight the virus. plus, the legal battle over the right to hold church

services on easter. new details on unemployment benefits. what's to blame for the delays. >> all this on "america this morning." we do say good morning on this good friday and as we head into the easter holiday weekend hopeful new signs are emerging in the fight against the coronavirus. >> new york city is reporting its lowest daily number of hospitalizations so far. amid the cautious optimism is a stunning death toll. more than 16,000 americans have now died. 7,000 of them here in new york. more than 1,000 both new jersey and michigan and states with over 2 dprurr t otchagories ergh one victim's family is now suing. amid the grim news, more stories of survival. nurses gave a sendoff to this couple who entered together back

on march 25th and left the hospital together just yesterday. >> cases like this are raising spirits across the country. this morning, president trump is assuring americans the curve could be flattening. >> we're at the top of the hill. pretty sure we're at the top of the hill, and now we're going downward. in some cases we've already started that process. >> reporter: the message comes as new york state reports a record 799 coronavirus deaths in one day. >> that is so shocking and painful and breathtaking. i can't -- i don't even have the words for it. >> reporter: new york's governor says the hospitalization rate is dropping, but more people in the hospital since earlier in the outbreak are dying. to the east of new york city on long island, growing concern this morning with some hospitals described as a war zones. officials say they're a week or two behind new york city's curve and now new questions are being raised about how and when we can ease social distancing.

president trump says widespread nationwide testing for the virus will not be necessary. something health officials have said is key to re-opening the country. >> do you need it, no. is it a nice thing to do, yes. we're talking about 325 million people. and that's not going to happen as you can imagine and it would never happen with anyone else either. >> reporter: many americans are eager to plan summer vacations. dr. anthony fauci is cautiously optimistic. >> we have to be prepared that when the infection starts to rear their heads again, that we have in place a very aggressive and effective way to identify, isolate, contact, trace and make sure we don't have spikes we've seen now, so the answer to your question is, yes, if we do the things that we need to do to prevent the resurgence. >> reporter: experts say life in america won't return to normal until a vaccine is developed which could be 18 months away. but now pfizer says it's working

on a promising vaccine that could stop the virus from replicating and could be ready by the end of this year. >> making considerably more progress. >> reporter: inside the icu at this brooklyn hospital, there is a hopeful sign for doctors and nurses saving lives by any means necessary. dr. paul saunders is using a rare treatment for younger patients and it temporarily draws blood out of the body to oxygenate red blood cells in patients whose lungs aren't functioning. >> with such limits resources, we have to be careful as to who we'll offer it to and make sure they have a good chance of a good benefit. [ applause ] >> reporter: just before deploying that treatment, dr. sade thcoronavirus himself. >> thank you very much. totally unexpected and undeserved. >> that is the one thing he's wrong about. well deserved there. and, meanwhile, researchers at columbia university say they've discovered an ultraviolet light

that may kill the coronavirus and could be used in places like airports and schools and waiting for fda approval. the virus has been devastating for nursing homes.is statidsihave nowies say mor and in ohio, workers at two assisted living centers are going to new lengths to protect their residents. the nurse, cooks and housekeepers have been living at the facility for 28 consecutive days all to make sure they don't bring the virus into the building. >> everyone here has just committed that we're here until we know it's safe to unlock our doors and the residents can feel safe when we're able to do that. so somedays i think i give them a date, and then the next day it looks like it's going to change. so we're hoping to open the doors.

that's our goal. >> reporter: the managers say they had detailed lockdown plans in place to prevent the virus weeks before the country started to shut down. a new plan to help people who have lost their jobs in this crisis hit a roadblock. a second bailout package has been blocked by the senate. abc's ines de la cuetara >>ep iis sneeded this many people did show up. >> reporter: becoming the new normal for towns and cities across the country. >> i have never seen this. >> reporter: from california to texas. >> it really helps a lot. >> i am so thankful. >> reporter: to new york. >> i'm worried about food, putting food in my mouth. >> reporter: so many americans struggling to buy food and pay bills as applications for unemployment benefits jump by another 6.6 million bringing the three-week total to nearly 17 million. that's about 11% of the u.s. workforce.

>> we need more funding and we need it fast. >> reporter: president trump now requesting another $250 billion to help small businesses, but democrats blocking that measure. they're insisting on another $250 billion for hospitals and states. >> this was, in fact, designed to fail, designed as a political stunt. >> reporter: meanwhile, new trouble at the first relief plan as americans face delays getting their extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits. >> how long it takes will vary by states. some systems, some states' systems will take longer. >> reporter: many state websites crashing because of overwhelming demand. overnight president trump promising more help for farmers saying the government will use all the funds and authorities at its disposal to make sure food supply is stable. and college students will also be getting some help. the department of education is releasing $6 billion in

emergency grants to help students with their debt. and as for those direct relief payments, officials say the first checks are on track to be paid starting next week. kenneth and mona. >> ines, thank you. time now for a look at your weather for this friday morning. many trees across the new york city metro area were no match for a powerful line d through the area thursday. some power lines were down, but no widespread power outages reported, and this was the scene in cleveland, ohio, some april snow showers, but it was only a dusting so no big deal. checking today's high temperatures, mid-40s to low 50s across the midwest today. it will be just as cool in the northeast and only into the 60s today along the west coast. 53 in the nation's capital. coming up, a dazzling light

show across the country for doctors and nurses. also ahead, the new legal bat many over closing churches on easter sunday. and we'll hear from the mother of five who fought the coronavirus for 15 long days in we saw the earthquake grace in bold was offering a grant program. i signed up and i was actually selected it leaves the house in tack. you now know that in the next earthquake

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by businesses to create jobs, and even by students for school projects. understanding how the population changes helps us shape communities across the country for the better. shape your future. start here. visit 2020census.gov. we are back with a tribute in light playing out across the country. landmarks in los angeles were lit up in blue last night. the same scene played out in chicago. the blue lights were shining to thank essential workers helping us get through this crisis. and here's a look at the show of gratitude in dallas for millions on the front lines. just incredible sight there. and tomorrow in las vegas the thunder birds will honor essential workers with a special flyover. we do turn now to easter

sunday which will be very different this year. >> yeah, despite stay-at-home orders, some churches are planning traditional services setting up a new legal battle. this morning, here's abc's kimberly brooks. >> reporter: this weekend congregations ready to celebrate easter will have to do the unthinkable, stay home. but to keep serving god and the parishioners, churches are resorting to unauthority dock methods from drive-through confessionals to pastors across the country moving services online. >> you just have to imagine the people are out there so we do our best to just put forth the same service we always do. >> reporter: it's all to prevent the spread of covid-19 but not every church is on board. >> they're trying to take down our great nation by shutting the doors to the church. but we will not let them. >> reporter: in louisiana, a covid-19 hot spot, pastor tony spells says the right to assemble is god given and even though he's faced charges for defyinging orders, he

continues to hold gatherings. >> i'm more concerned with not having faith rather than fear. >> reporter: and this morning, a new legal battle in kansas pitting church versus state. >> i am not trying to suppress religion. i'm just trying to save kansans lives. >> reporter: this week governor lori kelly restricted the size of religious services. three of the state's largest virus outbreaks have been linked to church gatherings but republican lawmakers overturned that executive order claiming it impedes on religious rights. >> they just do not want the government to tell them that they can't participate in a religious function. >> a shockingly irresponsible decision that will put every kansas life at risk. >> reporter: the governor now suing to uphold her executive order taking the issue to the state supreme court. yes, so, governor kelly went on to say that she has widespread from faith leaders across the country and

blames this dispute on politics, not faith. kenneth, mona. >> kimberly, thank you. a father in bakersfield, california, says staying at home had his little girl missing their favorite stores. target made a special name tag for myla and donated some aprons. >> look at that setup they have there. >> pretty cool. coming up, the message from a mother of five who beat the coronavirus after two weeks in the hospital. also ahead, wuhan, china, re-opens for police with police scanning crowds to see if anyone has a fever. could this be coming to the u.s.? our medical experts weighs in. must take extra precautions. g you are at higher risk if you are over 65, or if you have any serious underlying medical conditions, like heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or if your immune system is compromised for any reason. if you're at higher risk, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for twenty seconds.

avoid touching your face. disinfect frequently touched objects. and wash up after being in public spaces. and when it comes to social situations...less is better. stay six feet or two arm lengths away from other people. better still, stay home if you can. if you're sick, please stay home and away from others. and if you think you've been exposed to the virus, call your health care provider before going to their office. in challenging times, the choices you make are critical. please visit coronavirus.gov for more information. i am totally blind. and non-24 can make me show up too early... or too late. or make me feel like i'm not really "there." and call 844-234-2424.

and 24 hour relief from symptoms caused byn. over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens. like those from buddy. because nothing should come between two best friends. feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. back now with the new social distancing effort in massachusetts. the city of beverly is setting up one-way sidewalks. the goal is to keep people from crossing paths. we'll see if it catches on. a mother of five from new york is speaking out about her her finding battle with the coronavirus which almost took herhr

getting etional sendoff fr week. she was welcomed into her husband's arms after 15 days in the hospital. the 47-year-old mother of five says she had never gone more than a few hours without seeing her kids and told "gma" her children were her inspiration. >> couldn't speak. i would sometimes dial just to hear their voices and that's what i was fighting for, not to lay there and gave up. i kept saying i have to get better to go home. i have a lot to go home to. >> paz, a mother of five, says no words can express her gratitude to her hospital staff. we will have her story later on "gma." and a 103-year-old woman who survived the spanish flu in 1918 is up and walking after a nasty fight with tavus back watching tv and reading courage and her faith for her recovery. a new study suggests the virus may have been in

california since last fall, which could explain the relatively low number of cases in the state right now. experts call it herd immunity. earlier i asked dr. david eisenman what it could tell us about the coronavirus. >> herd immunity is the protection that a population of people get, it's the indirect protection that they get when enough people are immune to the disease. they can get immune to it from either having the disease and recovering or from vaccination so i kind of think of it this way, if the -- if i get infected and i recover and everyone around me is immune from it already, it's harder for the virus to find someone new to infect. so the studies are very interesting. we'll look forward to the results. whether we can use them for our policies here, probably not. we can't allow people to become immune from getting infected. that's just not a policy we

would tolerate in the united states. we can get to immunity once we have vaccines. >> this week we saw in wuhan, china, the city partially re-opened, but schools there are still closed and police are still taking people's temperatures before they get onto the subway. people's health is getting tracked on apps. what do you see the re-opening of american society looking like and do you think that we'll have enough testing capacity to inspire confidence in people to return to work without fear of infection? >> once we've sort of had the capacity and we've gotten the number of hospital cases down so we're safe in our hospitals, then we need testing, testing and more testing. and we need to be able to get testing to anyone who is sick, whether they're mild or severe, and we even need to do some testing on people who don't have symptoms, and then we need a third thing, which is we need to have the ability for public health to follow all those cases who get positive to make sure that they're being treated correctly and to trace their

contacts to see that all of their contacts are then tested. >> and on thursday the president seemed really hopeful about the race to develop breakthrough treatments and therapies adding that the fda is currently testing 19 therapies and treatments with 26 more in active planning or clinical trials, so can you explain how that process works and what the time line of these kind of processes are? some medicines are being used and tested to reduce death. that would be, of course, very, very important. but other outcomes that they're trying to achieve are can they reduce the length of the icu stay? so if we can reduce length of icu stay, we can increase our hospital capacity. can they reduce the amount of virus that people shed when they talk or when they cough, so viral shedding. if we can reduce that, then we can reduce infectiousness. all those are really important outcomes that these trials are looking for.

>> and dr. eisenman says these treatments in clinical trial will only buy time until we have a vaccine. >> all right. thank you, mona. coming up, one celebrity's very personal donation to nurses. plus, the search for beer and chicken wings. we'll be right back. and the st. mom! look! take something that can wipe you out? or don't, and fight through every second. new quick-dissolve nurtec™ can bring you back when migraines attack. just one dose can work fast and last so you can keep going. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effect was nausea. nurtec one migraine. one dose. onederful™

she spends too much time on the internet. according to the census, you can complete the census online in no time at all. shape your future. start here. complete the census at 2020census.gov. sensitivity it's very common shape your future. start here. to have a gum health concern as well. but if you have sensitive teeth, you probably aren't going to brush your teeth as effectivity because it causes pain. and if you see blood you should do something about it. you know, i talk to dentists every day and they're able to recommend one product, new sensodyne sensitivity & gum, to address both conditions at the same time. if we only treat one versus the other, the patient's mouth is never going to be where it needs to be. it's really good dentistry to be able to recommend one product for patients that can address two conditions. i am totally blind. and non-24 can throw my days and nights out of sync,

keeping me from the things i love to do. talk to your doctor, and call 844-214-2424. ♪ it doesn't matter which you heard, it's a broken hallelujah ♪ >> that's an ohio doctor who is spreading a message of comfort and hope to his patients singing "hallelujah" over the speaker at his hospital in cincinnati. the caribbean, a different kind of message. >> the prime minister of

st. maarten is trying to get people to stay home winning pay for her blunt style. >> simply, stop moving. if you do not have the type of bread you like in your house, eat crackers. if you do not have bread, eat cereal. eat oats, sardines. >> you heard her. the prime minister there told people to treat the crisis seriously or she'll order a full lockdown, and you better believe her. a special donation from basketball legend kareem abdul-jabbar. he's giving 1,800 pairs of the goggles that he wore during his time in the nba to health care workers in california. i better not see any of them on ebay. here's some good news during this challenging time. you won't be having any trouble finding chicken wings. e the marcma surplus of wings us tournament was canceled so no basketball fans were buying them. >> and it's friday so here's a

simple message from 93-year-old olive from pennsylvania. she needs more beer. a friend says olive is staying home and having a grand old time. old time. >> somebody get olive some beer. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated... ...with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you.

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now, his world explodes with flavor. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day all-night protection. now your health, your safety. this is abc 7 news. making news right now at 4:27. the devastating impact covid-19 is having on nursing homes. families demand answers after a surge of cases in one bay area facility. a new twist on social distancing. oakland is about to ban cars from dozens of streets to make sure people have a safe space to get fresh air. bracing for crowds during shgood morning, everyone. it is friday april 10th. happy friday to you and happy friday to my friend mike nicco. how are you, mike? >> i'm so happy it is friday

because today is the day we turn the corner, kumasi. how are you? we are going to turn the corner to sunshine and warmer weather, but it wasn't without -- oh, i'm sorry. it wasn't without a few drawbacks this morning. you can seenive doppler 7 that we had a little bit of rain roll through the south bay. we'll put it into motion and you can see it is starting to dry up rather quickly and that area of low pressure down to our south and pulling away and going to let go of its grip on our weather. if you're heading out now some of our essential workers, we're in the low to upper 50s. this afternoon we'll see more breaks in the cloud cover and temperatures still kind of cool along the coast. upper 50s into low 60s in san francisco and mid to upper 60s for the rest of us. even warmer weekend weather coming up. let's get back to kumasi for the news of the day. good friday might be tough for people living at one east

bay senior care center. 65 people there diagnosed with covid-19 in hayward. seven people have died. and many residents will have to spend the easter holiday without visitors. abc7 news reporter hollyfield joins us live from hayward with more on this. >> fami members say they want to get their loved the death toll continues to rise. yesterday officials announced a seventh death here at the gateway care facility in hayward and the number of people here who have tested positive for the coronavirus is now up to 65. some relatives told us they can't move their loved ones because they can't afford in-home 24/7 care. others tell us they can't get gateway to take their calls. meanwhile, employees here are doing what they can to stay healthy. >> we're drinking hot water every 30 minutes just to kind of keep, you know, fight it off just in case we are contracting

it. constantly having vitamins and stuff, taking vitamins and eating oranges. so, we're trying our best. i mean, as best we can. >> the facility has been cited in the past for lack of nurses. experts we have consulted say care facilities with low staffing are more vulnerable during this pandemic. the county health department has sent specialized teams here to gateway to help with this crisis. reporting live in hayward, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. in the east bay, a second covid-19 positive patient has died at the orinda care center. the facility said the patient was already on hospice care and never ros re tn t dozen cases at thatcent. officials believe it start would three infected staff members and two residents. this morning the number of

confirmed covid-19 cases in the bay area now tops 4,500. three more people died yesterday,