have a great day. right now on "america this morning," great mask debate. one state pulls back on order requiring people to wear masks as vice president mike pence responds to fierce criticism for violating policy, not wearing a mask during his visit to a hospital. scientists reporting new progress in fighting the coronavirus but some states d this morning,rowi outrage after this crowd gathers in new york city ignoring the social distancing guidelines. also this morning, new action to prevent a shortage of beef, pork and chicken. what president trump's executive order will do and the changes you could see at the supermarket. showtime showdown.

the new battle over the future of the nation's movie theaters. why one theater chain may refuse to show movies from a top hollywood studio. plus, failing grade. the new concern about online learning. are the challenges worth it? the decision more schools are making. no graduation? no problem. a bittersweet celebration for the class of 2020. and batter up. the major new plans for major league baseball's new season. the changes on the way for the teams. and the fans. good wednesday morning, everyone. more americans have now died from the coronavirus than were killed in the year's long vietnam war. while making great progress in the fight, many areas of the country are still in crisis. both illinois and florida have reported their highest single day death tolls of the pandemic so far, and in massachusetts, 80 residents have now died at a veterans home. in new york city this video causing outrage.

hundreds of people ignoring social distancing guidelines during a rabbi's funeral last night. the mayor calling it absolutely unacceptable, but no arrests were reported. meanwhile, new york's governor share aid picture of this highway sign saying, quote, outside with no mask, fuhgeddaboutit it comes amid a growing debate over when and where americans should be wearing a mask. this morning an about-face adding fuel to the debate over how america should be re-opened. ohio's governor is now reversing his state's policy declaring a face mask is now strongly recommended in the workplace and in stores just one day after he said a mask would be mandatory. >> vice president pence, nice to meet you. >> great to meet you too. >> reporter: and now vice president mike pence is responding to criticism after defying the mask policy at the mayo clinic speaking with employees and patients during his visit tuesday. all of them wearing a mask. in a tweet that has since been deleted, the mayo clinic said it

had informed the vice president of the masking policy prior to his arrival. >> and since i don't have the coronavirus, i thought it would be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you. >> reporter: critics, of course, pointing out a mask doesn't cover the eyes. pence says he's tested for the virus on a, quote, regular basis even though questions remain about testing accuracy. meanwhile, as the number of confirmed cases in the u.s. soars past the 1 million mark, dr. anthony fauci says it will likely be another month before anyone who needs a coronavirus test can get one. >> needing is important. everyone who needs a test according to the way we're approaching the identification, isolation, contact tracing, keeping the country safe and healthy, that hopefully we should see that as we get towards the end of may, the beginning of june. >> reporter: dr. fauci is also warning of a second wave of the virus after summer if effective treatments are not discovered. >> we could be in for a bad fall and a bad winter.

>> reporter: nearly a dozen states have now re-opened some businesses. others are deciding if it's not worth the risk like massachusetts where the stay-at-home order has been extended until may 18th. in california, the governor says the state is still weeks away from making changes. >> politics will not drive our decision-making. protests won't drive our decision-making. political pressure will not drive our decision-making. the science, the data, public health will drive our decision-making. >> reporter: and this morning our first glimpse at what larger businesses could soon look like. the nation's largest shopping mall owner is opening 49 malls friday with temperature testing available to customers and hand sanitizer and a mask available for each shopper, and on the las vegas strip, the venetian hotel has announced its protocol for re-opening including thermal scanners at every entry point, hundreds of hand sanitizing stations, sprayers releasing disinfectant in high-risk areas and an emt staff on the property at all times.

when it comes to testing, for $119 quest diagnostics is now selling an antibody test online that does not require a doctor's visit. and we're seeing historic demand for food across the country. volunteers gave out food at chicago's wrigley field on tuesday. the local food pantry says demand has skyrocketed by 300% just in recent weeks, and in arkansas this was the line outside one food distribution center. hundreds of cars lining up, and they ran out of food in less than one hour. president trump is taking action to prevent a meat shortage. his new order will force processing plants to stay open as part of the industry struggles to fight the coronavirus. abc's ines de la cuetara has more. >> reporter: president trump overnight signing an executive order that will keep meatpacking facilities open as a potential shortage looms. >> it's temporary. i would strongly recommend don't panic, and i'm promising our customers i'm going to find the beef. >> reporter: at least 21 plants across the country have closed

after thousands of workers got sick from coronavirus. millions of pounds of meat will 5 million hogs that may have to be killed as farmers run out animals. >> it has really turned our world upside down and right next to inside out. >> reporter: critics say forcing the plants to stay open threatens the safety of workers vulnerable to the virus. president trump responding saying it's up to the agriculture secretary to work with each plant to keep workers safe. >> there's plenty of supply. there's plenty of -- as you know, there's plenty of supply. it's distribution, and we will probably have that today solved. it was a very unique circumstance because of liability. >> reporter: south dakota senator mike rounds is thanking the president saying the country will face food shortages unless the administration takes swift action. >> if you talk about a good which is absolutely critical, it's food, and so for those individuals involved in the

production of food, there is a risk, but we want to absolutely minimize that risk. >> reporter: still the pandemic could make some types of beef harder to find and could lead to higher prices at the supermarket. >> so we do anticipate that there may be some increased pricing in the retail store. >> reporter: the major meat processors say they've put measures in place like temperature checks and plexiglas to protect workers from each other, but some workers insist more protections are needed. kenneth and mona. >> ines, thank you. small businesses are running into more problems applying for government loans. more than $52 billion have been handed out in a 24-hour period. but last night several banks said the application process is still being plagued by technical problems holding up the money. we spoke to the owners of an autobody shop in miami. they say they've been trying to apply for a government loan for the past month trying various banks with no luck. >> we're looking around to see

how we continue paying our employees because we need to keep paying our employees. >> yeah. >> it's the most important thing right now. we won't stay open for business much longer if this continues the way that it is and without some type of government help. >> meanwhile, to make sure the money is reaching small businesses, the treasury secretary says any loan over $2 million will face an audit. time now for a look at your wednesday morning weather. a severe thunderstorm brought hail and heavy rain to tulsa, oklahoma. firefighters had to rescue two men who got stranded in floodwaters, and take a look at this. the storm's heavy clouds created this beautiful effect in the tulsa sky last night. looking at the radar, you can see those storms moving into the eastern gulf coast and southeast. the rain will move up to the northeast. looking at today's high temperatures, 50s in new york and boston, 70s in memphis and dallas. 105 in phoenix. 82, southern california.

coming up, what we're learning about the first dog to test positive for the coronavirus. but first the new challenge for schools across the country. should they open this summer to make up for lost time? and breaking overnight, a new battle over the future of movie theaters in america. is my 2020 census data safe? after sending your census response, your personal information is kept safe. by law, it can't be shared with any other government agency, law enforcement, or landlord. no one. so, take your 2020 census with peace of mind. ♪ shape your future. start here. visit 2020census.gov.

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but blood is needed to save the lives of people who are sick with a range of illnesses. it's easy and safe to give. if you are in good health, please donate. we need heroes now. visit red cross blood dot org to schedule an appointment. back back now with this incredible view from the cockpit as navy and air force jets flew over new york city paying tribute to medical workers. it was called "operation america strong." the planes also performed flyovers above new jersey and philadelphia. >> a sight to see. and we turn now to the debate over schools teaching children online. many teachers are growing more frustrated, and many schools are now closing early.

abc's kimberly brooks reports. >> reporter: this morning schools around the country calling it quits. >> i think it's the best decision. >> it makes sense to me. >> it's been very difficult. >> reporter: the challenges of remote learning taking their toll on students, parents and teachers. >> it's hard to manage the time that your students have, the time that you need if you're on a call and they need to be on a call. it becomes quite the juggling act. >> reporter: districts in washington, d.c. and georgia are among those deciding to close up their academic shop three weeks early. >> it's hard enough to pay attention when the teacher is right in front of you. >> reporter: and now new york city is revising its student grading system. >> we have to recognize that some kids are having a tougher time because of this crisis. >> reporter: for elementary and middle schools, letter grades have been traded for either meeting standards or needs improvement while high schoolers now have the option to be marked on a pass/fail system. schools also plan to offer summer courses to help students who have fallen behind.

meanwhile, in california -- >> we are considering the prospect of an even earlier school year. >> reporter: the governor is already looking to make up for lost time. >> as early as late july, early august. >> reporter: still, whenever school resumes, it will most likely be a very different experience for students. a draft memo from the cdc obtained by the associated press recommends schools keep desks at least six feet apart, do away with field trips and have students eat lunch in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria. and this morning, wabc learned that one of the largest bus companies near new york city officially closed and laid off hundreds of its workers meaning no one knows how the kids who actually ride the bus will even get to school when they do open. kenneth, mona. >> all right, kimberly, thank you. the coronavirus pandemic is sparking a new battle between a top movie studio and the amc theater chain.

it comes after universal instead of waiting for theaters to re-open released the movie "trolls world tour" straight to streaming. universal said it may consider similar releases in the future. in response, amc is now threatening to ban universal films from its theaters in the future. overnight universal tried to reassure theaters saying, it, quote, absolutely believes in the theatrical experience. meanwhile, a big decision concerning the academy awards. for the first time ever, films that went straight to streaming will be eligible for an oscar this year. and coming up, play ball. new details about how major league baseball may start its season. also ahead, new hope that a coronavirus vaccine may be available this fall. our medical expert has a reality check. trumental music] ♪ ♪

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high school senior, which allowed officials and people around town to drive by honking their horns and spreading cheerful messages. one principal said, we want to show that we're here for them. turning now to the race to develop a vaccine for coronavirus, doctors at the walter reed army institute say there's already one promising option in the works. human testing could begin by the end of summer, but doctors warn the final vaccine may not be one size fits all. >> there are probably going to be several different vaccines that are needed for different populations. some vaccines may be more appropriate for health care professionals and firstline responders. some may be more appropriate for elderly populations.me mht be b term, some for long term. >> and while there is a race to develop a vaccine, labs are still working together. overseas researchers at oxford university say a vaccine could be ready by september. earlier i spoke with dr. alok patel about a number of issues

including the pet dog that tested positive and vice president mike pence not wearing a mask during a hospital visit, but we begin with those hopeful signs about a vaccine. dr. patel, researchers are expressing new hope about a vaccine possibly by september. those university of oxford scientists say they've tested results. your thoughts? >> the results with the monkeys are positive. the researchers announce that they're going to start human testing on a grander scale, about 6,000 people by the end of the month. here's the thing, september does seem optimistic. vaccines have to go through three phases of trial. you got to really look to make sure there is a good immune response, they're safe, they're stable and you can manufacture on a large scale, and usually vaccines take years to develop so we'll see. i'm skeptical on this one but hopeful. >> we saw long lines at clinics here in new york on tuesday. people waiting a couple hours for antibody tests. there's new research on these kind of tests.

what are you learning? >> well, what we're learning is there are now about 175 tests out there that have not been properly fda approved. there's only about seven that have gotten that emergency use authorization. here's the thing, many tests out there may have high false positive or false negative rates, so people have to be very careful when they're going out to get a test independently. one survey from the covid tracking project showed that some tests could have as high as a 15% false positive rate, so imagine getting a test saying that you're positive and you're potentially protected when really that's not true. >> let's move to our pets. we first reported yesterday about the first known dog in this country testing positive for the coronavirus. we've previously heard of house cats and zoo animals with the virus. with dogs being the top choice of pet for millions of americans, is there bigger concern here about infected dogs? >> this specific pet had some breathing issues, maybe sneezing and feeling a little bit sluggish, but every veterinarian

who's spoken out is telling people to go ahead and calm down. you know, maintain safe distance from your pets and treat them with the same precautions you would treat another human because as of right now we still don't know. but given the fact that so many people have been exposed and so many pets out there and there isn't this big epidemic of sick dogs, i do feel optimistic about pets will fare in all this. >> vice president mike pence is taking some heat for not wearing a mask after defying the mayo clinic's policy. he says he's tested on a regular basis and people around him are getting tested. what are your thoughts? >> vice president pence did mention that he's getting coronavirus testing weekly and people around him are getting tested, but we know that you can get a negative test and still be infected, and the test could show up later as a positive test. >> our thanks to dr. patel, who also said we need more consistent recommendations when it comes to masks. major league baseball is reportedly looking to start its season in late june. "usa today" reports teams would play in their own empty

ballparks and teams would be split into three divisions. meanwhile, the teams have reportedly been given the green light to draw up ticket refund plans. coming up, we introduce you to quarantine unicorns. also ahead, the danger of doing live tv, yikes, with no . will. if new financial obstacles stand between you and your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. myabbvie assist has been providing free abbvie medicines to qualifying patients for nearly 30 years. and in today's difficult times, making sure patients have access to our medicines matters more than ever. find out if you're eligible at abbvie.com/myabbvieassist why accept it frompt an incompyour allergy pills?e else. find out if you're eligible flonase sensimist. nothing stronger. nothing gentler. nothing lasts longer. flonase sensimist. 24 hour non-drowsy allergy relief

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such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within. and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. i mean, come on. what little girl doesn't like unicorns? these dancers are known as the quarantine unicorns. they've been traveling across san francisco bringing joy to people who are forced to, of course, stay at home, even helping kids celebrate their birthdays. >> cute. >> very cute. and we turn now to kentucky where tupac shakur is getting an apology. >> a man sharing the name of the late rapper filed for unemployment benefits. the governor thought it was a hoax and called out shakur at a news conference, but when he

found out that a man with the same name really does exist, he called to say, sorry. >> and yet we see no changes. our friend abc news correspondent will reeve is explaining a very revealing moment on live tv yesterday. >> he was reporting from home on "gma," and the camera gave us a glimpse of, yep, his bare legs. that arrow does the trick for us. some viewers were worried he had nothing on, but he was wearing shorts. he was dressed for his post-"gma" workout, he says. >> so he says. later he tweeted, when work from home goes wrong or your self-framed live shot goes too wide. hope everyone got a much needed laugh. >> we did, will, thank you. health care workers around the world got a beautiful tribute from holland. that stay strong message was displayed in a field of more than 4 million tulips. the flowers will be sold for charity. and finally, an emotional moment at a hospital in alabama. little tucker edwards was being held by a nurse. >> she's showing him to his grandparents outside. they were not allowed inside because of the strict visitor

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♪nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea.♪ get powerful relief with pepto bismol liquicaps. now, your health, your safety. this is abc7 news. making news right now at 4:27, governor newsom lays out a road map for reopening restaurants, gyms, stores and even hair salons but the bottom line, it will be a while. widespread testing is the key to get the nation back on track. the doctor leading the fight against coronavirus says hold on a little bit longer. the owners of a napa art gallery announce plans to reopen on monday in order of defiance to stay closed. they will risk fines, arrest or even jail. good morning, everyone. it is wednesday, april 29th. we'll get to all those stories in a moment but first checking in with mike nicco with a look at the day ahead. i felt a little drizzle this morning, mike.

>> that's the marine layer coming back and that a signal that things will be significantly cooler today than yesterday, kumasi. thanks for that observation. the closer you are to the koerx more likely you'll hit some drizzle. socked in with clouds and mainly low clouds this morning because the sea breeze is back. look at the wind in fairfield, 21 miles per hour and when the low clouds go away, high clouds will come in this afternoon. that will dim the sunshine and if we're lucky some mid 70s inland to a few upper 70s in the north bay and east bay and that's as warm as it gets. in the bay stuck in the 50s and 60s along the coast where the clouds don't break at all today. sounds like we already have an issue out on the roads and i want to toss it to over to jobina. >> good morning, mike. thauk very much. the chp is investigating a freeway shooting. i'll get right to that video. westbound 80 right as you are coming off of the bay bridge

into san francisco. so you can see what is going on there. i just want to let you know the westbound traffic is being diverted off at fremont street. all lanes on westbound 80 past that point are blocked right now. so, you are not going to be able to get through. the shooting happened just before midnight. officials hope to reopen the freeway in time for the morning commute and i did talk with traffic management center this morning about this. they don't have any further details right now on the shooting itself. so, i hope to get that for you as we continue throughout the morning, kumasi. >> thanks, jobina. governor newsom is laying out a urta plan for reopening california. still no exact timeline but we're already in stage one. julian glover is live with details on this. good morning, julian. >> hi, kumasi. good morning. this is really the first time we got any form of a timeline from the governor as far as when the state of california could reopen. he said we are weeks, not months away from meaningful changes to

the current stay-at-home order and that was welcome news to all of us. lays out four phases and we're currently in phase one of it with everyone staying at home and only essential workers are allowed to work. amy hollyfield will have much more on schools coming up. phase three will lift restrictions at high-risk, close contact businesses. think of hair and nail salons and gyms that so many people want to get back to and movie theaters, weddings and sports could return without live audiences. now, phase four is what we're all waiting for. the end of the stay-at-home order. that is when we