this is a look at what it will look like behind the scenes there at savannah's home. you can expect that in just moments. we're going to be back at 7:25 with a local news update for you. join us for our hour long midday newscast. good morning ghost town, usa. empty streets across much of the nation as we pass a grim milestone. the coronavirus now in all 50 states health experts pleading with the public to stay home. >> we can't do this without the young people cooperating please cooperate with us. >> millions in new york warn the restrictions could get even more severe. >> i think new yorkers should be prepared for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order. >> this morning our live interview with the nation's top doctor.

battered and bruised the entire u.s. economy affectedsttion considering a $1 trillion rescue plan, including possible cash payments to all americans. >> this is not an ordinary situation, so it requires extraordinary measures. >> just ahead how soon could help be on the way. and clean sweep. joe biden takes a nearly insurmountable lead as voters head to the polls in three states as the nation faces a health crisis, the growing pressure to end the democratic primary. today wednesday, march 18th, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today: the coronavirus pandemic" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. >> hi, everybody welcome to "today. thank you for joining us on wednesday morning. things look a little different i feel a little lonely here.

i'm missing my partner in crime. i'm usually 6 feet away here miss guthrie, where are you? >> now we're really socially distancing, aren't we? >> it's unusual. i'm at home. i'm in my basement right now here is what's happening i wasn't feeling my best a sore throat, sniffles, i wouldn't have thought any of it but we're in a different time. to model the vigilance cdc is asking all of us we followed the advice of nbc's medical team here i am, working at home, as we speak we're still together and we're going to get this show on the air and we have a lot of information we want to get to our viewers this morning. >> we certainly do we're going to get caught up with the latest overnight with west virginia reporting its first case of the coronavirus. it has now reached all 50 states in total there are more than 6200 cases and at least 111 deaths from coast-to-coast as you can see, that is a significant increase in recent

weeks. we had some breaking news in chicago overnight, the tower at midway airport temporarily closed, flights grounded, after several faa workers tested positive this morning the white house is pushing a huge stimulus package to the tune of $1 trillion to boost the hard hit economy we do have complete coverage from cities from coast-to-coast as they go to extreme lengths to slow the spread of this virus. we'll start with nbc's gabe gutierrez who joins us with the latest hey, gabe, good morning. >> good morning. many iconic landmarks have shut down including statue of liberty. macy's closed all its retail stores across the country, including flagship behind me now mixed signals from the governor and mayor whether new york city will order its more than 8 million residents to shelter-in-place from the city that never sleeps now on the verge of complete

silence. the casinos closing temporarily along the vegas strip to schools, shopping centers and businesses empty coast-to-coast. much of the u.s. is now staying home new york city's mayor said a decision to shelter-in-place could come within the next 48 hours. >> i think new yorkers should be prepared for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order. >> many pars and restaurants here are devastated, no longer allowed to let customers dine in. >> is it sustainable to just fulfill takeout and delivery orders >> no. >> what's your message to purchase. >> -- to president trump. >> we need help now. now. they are choking us slowly and taking the air out of us. >> parents across the country are stressed out the governor said schools in los angeles could be closed for months. >> it's unlikely that many of these schools -- few, if a, will open before the summer break. >> small businesses in austin,

texas, already reeling from the cancellation of the city's massive south by southwest festival are facing new restrictions. >> the service industry is devalued so much, but we will know in the next couple of months how important we are to quality of life. >> florida's governor refusing to shut down the state's beaches, which are packed with spring break tourists. the most drastic steps so far are in the san francisco bay area a sweeping shelter-in-place order is keeping 7 million people home for the next three weeks. one area of american life still in place tuesday, voting. >> i think it's my duty as an american to come out and do my patriotic duty. >> poll workers cleaning, primary workers mark their ballots in florida, illinois, arizona, a striking scene amid

empty streets. the virus is really reshaping american politics. joe biden swept the primaries in all three states but ohio postponed its voting due to health concerns. back here in new york, the governor expects infections will peak in about 45 days. savannah. >> all right gabe gutierrez leading us off. meanwhile there is great concern this morning about the effects this pandemic is already having on families and businesses the white house not talking about massive government action to shore up the economy, including, perhaps, a check to every american nbc's tom costello also working from home. hi, tom, good morning to you. >> savannah, good morning. hotel chains are now furloughing employees. we've also seen retail outlets closing down for we've seen businesses, small businesses, big and large. we've also seen retail outlets closing down for now gyms and restaurants and bars. all of those people unable to work right now without pay now we're watching the government talking about this

massive financial injection, the potential for a $1,000 check to every americans. >> with many americans temporarily off the job and the stock market on a roller coaster ride, the white house is pitching a massive stimulus plan that will inject a trillion dollars into the economy a quarter of that would go directly to the american public. >> americans need cash now and the president wants to get cash now, and i mean now in the next two weeks. >> so far few details on how it would work but mnuchin said the relief would not be for the wealthy. >> we don't need to send people who make a million dollars a year checks. >> also in the white house stimulus proposal, assistance for small bests and relief for the airline industry. >> we don't want airlines going out of business. we don't want people losing their job. >> at the other end of pennsylvania avenue, the senate has yet to vote on a coronavirus relief bill passed by the house. that measure, which has support from the president, would provide up to 10 days of paid leave for some workers and free

coronavirus testing for anyone whose doctor says it's necessary. speaking from a freshly disinfected podium, mitch mcconnell. >> do it anyway. >> he'll urge republican members, including those who disapprove of certain parts of a bill, to prove they can work in a bipartisan manner. >> this is not an ordinary situation, and so it requires extraordinary measures. >> meanwhile, with tax day fast approaching, the government is trying to ease the burden, pushing back the april 15th deadline by 90 days. even with the recent wild swings on wall street, the head of the new york stock exchange says now is not the time to panic. >> we will get through this. so trying to react to these major market moves right now in their 401 (k)s is probably not the wisest move. >> it all comes as coronavirusgh sites in many statesan be long this back-up in birmingham, alabama, stretching all the way

down the highway with stricter screening guidelines in place for travelers flying into the u.s., the european union is rolling out its own restrictions to stop the spread, implementing a 30 ai day ban for most external travel we've talked a lot about social distancing experts say it's the best way to slow the spread of the virus specifically the american hospital association says we've got to do whatever we can now to hopefully preserve icu beds as well as all of the ventilators that are going to be needed and protective gear. even with these measures johns hopkins says, listen, we may not see any impact on the data for a week to 10 days. then you don't know what you don't know, so you've got to keep trying and keep this virus in check savannah, back to you. >> all right tom costello, thank you. we are joined now by the nation's top doctor, the u.s.

surgeon general, dr. jerome adams. dr. adams, good morning to you, sir. >> good morning, savannah. how are you feeling? >> i'm feeling well enough thank you for your kindness in asking i want to ask you, do you feel like people are getting the message here we still see people out and about. you had three states holding votes yesterday. do you think people are sensing the urgency? >> well, i think we're starting to turn a corner and people really are it's because it's starting to affect people who they see and know i have a 15 and 14-year-old son at home, and they don't care what dad says even if dad is surgeon general of the united states they know kevin durant has it and they are taking it seriously. we want them to know, look, chances are you don't have coronavirus. if you do you'll recover based on korea data, 99.3 people recover. what we don't want to do is have you or other people out there spreading it to people who are

at higher risk. >> absolutely. these new cdc guidelines announced this week advise no gatherings of more than 10 people for the next 15 days. you've said we can do anything for 15 days. but give it to us straight isn't this going to be longer than 15 days how long do you think people should expect to be at home essentially? >> what you're talking about is our 15 days to stop the spread initiative we're telling people that we really want them to avoid gatherings of 10 or more we want them to avoid any unnecessary travel we want them to work from home if at all possible or not go in. the reason why we framed it that way, our numbers from italy are two to three weeks ago we have a choice to make right now as a nation. do we want to go the way of italy and see our numbers increase rapidly or the way of south korea and china who

aggressively leaned into mitigation measures and were able to level off their peak and announcing significantly decreased number of cases. we really feel like if we can get america to all pitch in for the next 15 days, we can flatten the curve, which is a term you've been hearing a lot, not overwhelm our health systems and get through it. >> 15 going to be enough >> 15 days won't be enough to get all the way through but we really need to bend into it now so we can bend the curve in 15 days at that point we'll reassess. >> let me ask you about a new study published yesterday in the new england journal of medicine. it found the virus was somewhat airborne it can stay suspended in the air for a half hour before ascending and settling on surfaces i don't have to tell you this is different than what the world health organization said, that it's not suspended in the air. what's your information on this issue? >> this is a new virus

we learn more about it every day. i talk to tony fauci many times a day. they still believe the primary mode of transmission for coronavirus is by droplet. again, social distancing is going to be the most effective thing you can do when you talk about surfaces, that's why we emphasize washing hands and cleaning surfaces. if we do three things, cleaning surfaces, washing hands and staying 6 feet away from people, that's how we will most protect ourself from this disease. >> doctor, let's talk about testing. i don't think there's much dispute cdc was slow to get testing going. there have been delays even now we see lines of people trying to get the test, even though they are widespread we've only tested 59,000 people in the country when south korea was doing 10,000 per day the question is what is the status now of testing? are there enough tests out there, and are they being processed in a timely manner

>> fair question, savannah i really feel like we've turned the corner on testing this week. it's important for people to know the cdc stood up a test for this in a week but the cdc was never equipped, staffed, or intended to provide testing for hundreds of millions of people. we were always going to rely on the commercial market and private industry now with the fda approval -- emergency use authorization for a high-speed test last week, you're seeing testing increase what american people really care about is can i get a test in my community. you're starting to see that. the small rural community i grew up in offered drive-through testing this week. we're starting to see more and more people get testing. here is my point, change your approach to mitigation measures based on positive or negative test you can test negative and be in the incubation period and spread the virus. if you're sick, stay at home we should be acting as if we have the virus, as tony fauci says, so we can protect one another.

>> real quickly because i'm almost out of time i want to drill down on the reason we're trying to flatten out is so the health care system can manage the sick. are you confident enough we have enough respirators and ventilators to protect patients and protect frontline helpers. >> great question. when you look at modeling, again, you've got curves that look like italy and curves that look like south korea. the best way not to run out of ventilators and ppe is to drive down demand so you don't need them that's why we're leaning into the next 15 days i want americans to know we have a national strategic stockpile working with public and private to increase production that's on the supply side. if our curve goes the way of italy, there's every chance we could run out of devices that's why it's so important to lean into mitigation measures now, flatten the curve.

>> some suggest invoking the defense production act to ramp up ventilators and respirators just to make sure. maybe we'll never get there but wouldn't we rather be prepared now? >> everything is on the table. the president and vice president have been in contact with industry on a daily basis trying to ramp up that production right now as surgeon general, my job is to talk to the american people what the american people can do is drive down demand by staying at home, washing your hands, social distancing. >> dr. adams, i got the message. thank you for being with us. we appreciate it i know it's a busy time. >> another important point you can still go out and give blood. we're worried about potential blood shortage in the future social distancing doesn't have to mean social disengagement. >> i'm glad you mentioned that we definitely want to make sure they have the supplies they need thank you, sir appreciate it. >> thank you. >> hoda, over to you. >> thank you, savannah here to help us dig deeper into developments dr. john torres, senior business correspondent

stephanie ruhle. let's pick up where the surgeon general left off we were talking about masks and ventilators. i can't help on twitter ppe, get me personal protective equipment. anecdotal stories of people having a single mask they are spraying with lysol sounds ridiculous doesn't sound like we have enough masks. >> especially in the united states with big manufacturing capacity most of the country it's not an issue. hot spots it's becoming an issue. getting anecdotal reports. as a nurse or doctor you're making a decision to walk in the room, you're trying to say i walk in there's a potential i can get contaminated, my family could, you walk in, not something we should be doing you should have those masks.

yesterday they said, hey, construction company donate n95s that will help a little bit, a drop in the bucket but help. >> you would think someone would get up and start making them the number of cases was shocking 1,000 cases, we went from 1,000 to 6,000 of 500% increase. is that shocking to you or did you expect that number. >> you remember last week we talked about it. somebody asked me what number would surprise you, if we went to 10,000 over two weeks would that surprise you. no, it wouldn't surprise me because we're testing more what's surprising me is the number of deaths the deaths of going up too it's spreading more and we're testing more we definitely need to get a better handle on it. >> let's talk money. secretary mnuchin went on tv and said a trillion dollars. huge number. people thought, okay, the question is when do you think people are going to get money in >> listen, secretary mnuchin said i want people to get a check in two weeks you're actually seeing widespread support from democrats, from republicans, but also from medical experts, and

here is why. are you living paycheck to paycheck -- let's say you're not super sick let's say you're savannah, you just have a sore throat and your option is should i go to work and feed my family or stay home and be extra cautious, the right thing to do is be extra cautious if it's about feeding your family or not you'll go to work. getting that $1,000 check will matter the question is how many $1,000 checks we don't know how long it will last not a finite number, it's open ended. >> we want to talk to business owners who are scared. you, too, dr. john we have a lot to talk about. we want to remind you, live prime time special from nbc news er 10:00 p.m. eastern on nbc, msnbc and news streaming services. let's pause, let's take a breath and check in with mr. roker who is joining us from his house hey, al, how are you doing

honey. >> doing great, hoda unfortunately our friends in texas not doing as well. for tonight we do have a severe risk of weather. we're looking at anywhere from 10 to 12 million people at risk, damaging winds, hail, tornadoes possible tomorrow that expands out into the central plains 17 million people at risk texas to ohio heavy rains for texas. dallas under flash flood warnings they have had about 2 to 3". heavy rain later today, ohio river valley tomorrow blizzard conditions for the plains, rain and storms upper midwest into the great lakes and friday warm and wet into the northeast with showers from maine all the way down to the gulf coast rainfall amounts we are talking anywhere from 2 to 4" of rain from texas into the ohio river valley look back into the rockies 8 to 6" of snow and up to 2 to 4" as you get to 30 seconds

♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey ♪ ♪ ♪love like yours will surely come my way♪ ♪ good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are seeing much-needed rain continuing across the bay area. it is fairly light and it's just enough to make those roads slick, but we are getting snow on some of our bay area peaks from mt. hamilton to mt. diablo. then we'll see scattered showers continuing throughout the rest of today, and these showers will at times become quite heavy especially for parts of the south bay and east bay with a slight chance of thunderstorms. we'll be watching that in the

forecast continuing into tomorrow. and that is your latest weather. hoda. >> al, thank you coming up, a much needed reminder of an nba player, kevin love stepping up with compassion. we'll talk to him live but first this is "today" on nbc hey, guys, welcome. "today"c

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taking trulicity with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain, and decreased appetite, which lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. i have it within me to lower my a1c. ask your doctor about trulicity. a very good morning to you. a jolt from the coronavirus fallout. the w hotel has suddenly shut its doors. its parent companies marriott international plans to furlough tens of thousands of workers. they hope to bring workers back on the payroll as soon as the pandemic is over and will retain their health benefits from the interim. california's school superintendent will expand more on possible classroom closures through the start of summer break. that's at the earliest. governor newsom hinting at that during his latest update last night. in the bay area now at least 358

confirmed cases of coronavirus along with six deaths. the highest numbers coming out of santa clara county. let's take a look at the forecast for today. meteorologist kari hall. we're seeing some rain, most of it light across the bay area, now moving out of marin county, but areas to the south will see the rain continuing for a little while longer. we'll take a break by midday but then start to see the rain redeveloping. scattered showers may be heavy at times. also watching out for a slight chance they could drop some small hail along with some thunderstorms. tomorrow we'll still have a chance of a few spotty showers, but the trend will be for rain chancing to go down and more sunshine by the weekend. >> the roads are moving well. slick roadways, be careful because you will be at speed almost where. we are looking at south 101, a crash there. we've seen some slowing that is coming off the bay bridge heading down to the 101/280 split. the bay bridge very clear.

we do have the wet roadways and slick conditions. you'll be going at higher speeds at the limit so do be careful because there's a good risk of spinout in many spots. >> that's right. slow down even though the traffic is lighter out there.

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hi there. how are you? do you have any lollipops in there? (laughing) no, sorry. we're helping all kinds of businesses go beyond customer expectations. how can we help you? hey, guys, welcome. it is hey, guys, welcome it is 7:30, now a wednesday morning march 18th, 2020, a little different vibe this morning. i'm in studio 1a savannah guthrie is in her basement at her house. it kind of looks like a television studio, i've got to say, savannah, but we did our best with some bells and whistles out there. >> oh, i have to give my hats off to our entire nbc technical team who created this little home studio just in a matter of hours. we're just trying to be extra, extra cautious because i'm a little under the weather but the cdc tells us when you feel like that, you stay home and that is what we're doing

let's get right to 7:30 headlines this morning of course, it's the latest on the coronavirus. the white house is pitching a massive stimulus plan that would the economy. mnuchin said tuesday the government is looking into the possibility of sending checks to americans in the very near future kansas has ordered all k through 12 schools closed for the rest of the academic year that is the first state to do so schools will transition to a remote continuous learning plan. nevada's governor has ordered all casinos to close for the next 30 days bringing the state's dominant industry to a halt, leaving tens of thousands of employees temporarily out of work hoda. >> all right, savannah, thank you. with the impact being felt by the american workforce, star athletes, they are stepping up to help and they are inspiring others to do the same. one of them is nba's kevin love. he's giving back to workers at his team's arena in cleveland.

overnight we learned about more nba players being diagnosed. we're going to talk to kevin in a moment first, let's take a closer look at how this virus is attacking the paychecks of millions of americans with many bars, restaurants, shut down, the nation forced indoors, the coronavirus is endangering work for americans everywhere almost 80% say they live paycheck to paycheck and now they have to deal with a terrifying new reality a new poll out tuesday found 18% of respondents say they, or someone in their home, have had their hours cut or already lost their jobs due to the coronavirus. one of the most visible cancellations, sports. stadiums, arenas and ballparks sitting empty across the country for the foreseeable future, leaving america without games to enjoy but more importantly leaving tens of thousands of workers without jobs stepping up to do his part, kevin love thursday the all-star announced

in an instagram report his charity, kevin love fund, would provide $100,000 in support of the workers at his team's arena in cleveland the thousands of people who work cavalier games and other major events now out of work indefinitely as the nba season is suspended love, who was one of the league's most prominent awareness says that's what motivated him to act, writing, "i'm concerned about the level of anxiety is feeling. it's important to know those with mental illnesses may be vulnerable to widespread panic and threat he also made a call out for help "i hope that during this crisis others will join me in supporting our communities." this is a voice we need to hear this morning let's bring in kevin love by face time. we asked a professor of psychology and psychiatry in los angeles where kevin attended college. i want to say good morning to both of you. it's one of the famous sayings,

anecdotes to fear and pain makes -- are helping someone you walked the walk. you gave a hundred grand to help the folks affected by this around your arena. tell me about the decision to do that. >> obviously it's been an incredibly stressful time for a number of people as the show just mentioned, a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck i felt this is really time, especially for us nba players, to walk the walk and be more than athletes. we see people in the community, we see people working in our arena at least 41 nights out of the year, us playing home games. it was just a way for me to try and help navigate this incredibly stressful and anxiety ridden time, to just pay it forward and really help them you know, it's been tough, trying to just normalize this conversation around what's going on people are feeling a certain way

about it i think it's more of a time for us to step up and be community leaders and do what's right for the people that are having a very stressful and tough time. >> kevin, in addition to this being a money thing, which you have done, this is also an anxiety thing. it's something you have publicly spoken about there are people at home, who are watching you this moment on television, who are feeling that feeling. they are feeling anxious maybe they are not affected directly by it, but they can feel it. so what would be, going through what you've gone through, your best advice for them >> i would just -- the doctor will talk about this but she had a great saying yesterday, social distancing doesn't mean social or self-isolation. i think during those times you can feel incredibly hopeless and i think that's at the root of all the anxiety and depression

first and foremost i think it's incredibly tough and not good for you to do, just sit at home and be by yourself and not reach out to anybody i think people are looking for that sense of community, the feeling of being integrated into something bigger than themselves so i think this is a great way to do it obviously we're sitting here on face time right now. people can do it virtually i've been reaching out to my friends, my family obviously we've been distanced right now from anybody else. groups smaller than 10 people it's important to be empathetic to that and just tell people what you're going through. i know it's a stressful and anxiety-ridden time, as i mentioned. as i said last night, did a message or psa, nothing unites us like the common enemy i think if we can attack this together, human beings can be extremely, extremely resilient and we will get through it but

we need to stay connected and be together throughout this time. i think that's going to allow people to be a lot healthier in the long run. >> i think you're right, kevin doctor, a lot of families, some people are alone and some shut in with families one thing happening a lot people are getting news alerts when they are home. did you see? nordstrom closed they are adding to the problem can you give simple ways people can lower the temperature and ease anxiety in their homes? >> absolutely. and i would break it down into four simple steps. the first one is to recognize it's completely normal to feel worried in these kind of stressful conditions whenever we think the health or the health of our family members is at risk, we're going to feel anxious. whenever we're faced with the uncertainties at the level we're facing right now, it's normal to feel anxious

so recognizing that shared experience that we're all feeling this together in this stressful time but the next steps are how do we manage that stress the first one that kevin already mentioned is to stay connected the reason for that is social connection and support is one of our most effective tools for managing stress and anxiety. so stay connected with your family and friends virtually and there are lots of creative ways of doing that right now. it's easy to say those words, stay connected but the action of staying connected actually carries a lot of weight. the second thing is to look at what you can control within this environment of uncertainty so what are the things that you can do and put those plans into action, because when we feel control, that helps reduce the

feeling of stress. so that might be taking necessary actions to look after your health, connecting with the people that we've talked about, taking on activities and particularly important there is managing your own physical stress response. so doing what you need to do to slow down your stress reactivity through yoga or exercise or cow breeding or whatever it is. >> dr. craske, thank you kevin love you've done incredible stuff so many people followed in your footsteps. they have donated money, listening to you today some said this, if you're wondering what to do with your time, call people and ask them to tell their story and then tell them yours. thank you for your time. thank you, doctor, we appreciate you. we have a lot ahead, including wellness questions

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time, 60 something years never has had happened before. we've got hoda in our studio, al and i are working at home. craig is at home as well we'll talk to him later this morning. we'll say, hoda, this was the shortest commute in the history of the world. >> you're in your basement, that's where you are >> i walked down the stairs, yes. >> it's a little brady bunch-esque, this three box but i'm happy to be sitting between you guys. >> but you can never come between us >> al. >> we're doing great i've got the coffeemaker going we're hanging out. nick hasn't come down for breakfast yet, which is great. look, it is very weird, i will admit. you know, venturing out, making sure you keep that physical distance, it's really -- deborah is waving hi it's erie kind of. you know, everybody inside, the folks i saw in my neighborhood, everybody is practicing what dr. fauci and the group of

preaching. >> savannah, we should point out, too, in case people are joining us at this moment, why is savannah at home, you've been having like a little bit of a sore throat? >> yes i have a sore throat, and i have the sniffles i didn't even think anything of it frankly, it doesn't seem to be on the official list of symptoms but what i've been told is, number one, the doctors are getting new information about this novel coronavirus it's new that means we're learning about it and the symptoms that present. that's thing one the other thing is if you're sick at all, the cdc is saying this is the time to stay home. so i had to admit it you know me, i like to come rain or shine and spread my germs around we don't do that anymore we stay home and keep everybody safe i told you, i think of it as a way of loving your neighbor. love your neighbor and keep them safe. >> i love that, too. i love that. all right, mr. roker, we love you. how about a little weather for

us. >> by the way, i should point out, just like savannah, her husband is her tech manager, no nbc personnel. i've just got an iphone on a tripod autumn of our nbc news folks are not dealing with this. but to get this all going is amazing. let's take a look and show you what we have going on as far as your weather it's the tale of two cities or two countries as far as temperature is concerned check it out where the jet stream dips to the south, it's below average out west, above average for the eastern two-thirds of the country. oklahoma city 14 above average, atlanta 75 phoenix, 64, that's cooler than average. then look at these temperatures, rapid city, 10 below shreveport 81. look out, cooler air coming. new york city on friday, 73, down to 46 on sunday d.c., 80 on friday, down to 48

on sunday. look at knoxville, tennessee 73 on friday down to 59 on sunday that's what going on aroun good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're seeing that rain moving through and some mostly light rain falling across parts of the bay area. we'll start to see this activity tapering off for a little while but we are expecting heavier downpours to pop up here and there as we go into this afternoon and as we go into tomorrow still some isolated showers possible on the first day of spring. we should see more peaks of sunshine, a lot more sun by friday into saturday and our new storm on sunday. >> and that is your latest weather. hoda. >> all right, al thank you. just ahead, help to make the most of your time at home. a lot of parents are asking us how do i teach my kids, how can i make it fun, what can i do to keep myself motivated. we have actual advice from

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making baskets and her mama prooouuuudddd!!!!!! try sour patch kid flavor gogurt for big little wins. good wednesday morning. right now at 7:56 as we check out the radar we're seeing a new round of light rain moving in this morning. and we're going to see this still moving through over the next couple of hours but gradually tapering off. and then by the afternoon some more hit or miss showers popping up that may be quite heavy at times. we'll be watching out for the possibility we could see small hail and going into tonight still some off and on showers for parts of the bay area. tomorrow we keep the rain chances for the first day of spring. we could see some clearing on friday into saturday with our temperatures warming up, up to 69 but then another storm system comes in on sunday and brings us more wet weather for monday into tuesday.

we'll see the dry weather for a couple of days between friday and on saturday. let's check in with mike. >> you talk about small hail, small drops on the lens and very little backup at the toll plaza. highway 24 as you approach fish ranch road just the caldecott tunnel. sounds like there may have been a spinout involved yet again looking at the rest of the bay. green roadway. you are able to go at speed in palo alto, the only damp roadways. no problem. >> thanks so much, mike. happening now san francisco suddenly facing a new wallop from the coronavirus pandemic, the w hotel has closed. thousands of marriott workers facing long-term furloughs. link to the full story now from our home page. parents waking up to a new, even more difficult possible reality. governor newsom now saying schools will likely not reopen

before summer at the earliest. the state superintendent of schools plans to talk more about it today on our home page. the story along with other bay area illnesses.

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[engine roars to life] [dog howls] ♪ dramatic opera music swells from radio ♪ [howling continues] it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, the united states of isolation. >> i think new yorkers should be prepared for the possibility of a shelter-in-place order. >> the las vegas strip goes dark some schools already closing for the rest of the year cities across the country ordering residents to stay home as the coronavirus spreads to all 50 states. the white house considering a radical rescue plan to help keep money in americans' pockets an businesses open. plus with you today, our team of experts is back to answer your questions, from home

schooling tips to surviving as a small business owner the simple steps you can take now. and star support how stars like tom hanks are coping with the coronavirus outbreak, as more high-profile figures test positive. plus a look at the moving performances for fans stuck at home ♪ >> today wednesday march 18th, 2020 welcome back to us on this once morning on "today. this is a first for us, savannah guthrie. okay so this is very weird. i'm in studio 1a and savannah is in her basement at home. so how are you how are you doing? >> yes, i'm good for people just waking up, and we hope people are sleeping in, that's got to be a silver lining here is what happened, i have a bit of a runny nose, sore throat, nothing i would have given a second thought to. because of the times we're in and following the guidance the

cdc is giving every american, i'm staying at home, working from my basement my husband is helping me get the signal up and duct taped the doors so the kids don't run in. >> you're kidding. >> no, i'm not these are strange times. all of us americans are getting used to the new moment. >> a shout out, because i know your husband has headsets on and cueing you we want to say thank you to mike. >> everybody is in it. let's get to it. a grim milestone, the coronavirus is in all 50 states. many americans are bracing for new severe restrictions on their daily lives. the president is pressing congress for quick action on a massive economic relief package. nbc's tom costello joining us he's at home as well hey, tom, good morning. >> hey, savannah, good morning to you the headlines this morning really underscore the seriousness of this global

pandemic across the country, communities ordering restaurants, bars, gyms, casinos and theaters to shut down. 7 million people in the san francisco bay area under a shelter-in-place order and new york city's mayor says he may issue a similar order within the next 48 hours, though it's not clear the governor would go along with that. kansas has ordered all schools closed for the rest of the academic year. the goal continues to be to slow the spread of this virus so it doesn't overwhelm the nation's medical system experts are urging millennials to play their part to help save lives. meanwhile, the economic toll here is mounting fast with so many businesses closed, professional sports shuttered, millions of americans already furloughed or laid off the white house pushing an emergency stimulus package that could send a $1,000 check to every american the treasury secretary says without that kind of action, we spike to 20% other news, joe biden made a

clean sweep on tuesday's primaries in florida, illinois, and arizona. he extended his lead over senator bernie sanders for the democratic nomination. savannah, back to you. >> all right, tom costello with the headlines there. hoda, back to you. >> thank you, savannah another major story this morning, not on the coronavirus, talking about the future of nfl superstar tom brady. in a stunner for fans of the new england patriots, the legendary quarterback announced he is ending his 20-year run with the only team he has ever known. so the question is what does his future hold. here is nbc's anne thompson. >> brady into the end zone, touchdown. >> reporter: as a patriot, tom brady was tom terrific, winning six super bowls and going to nine in his 18 seasons as a starter. >> i'm sad sad. that's what it is. >> number 12. >> this morning patriots fans struggli w of direction. >> he's part of our lives. that's all we talk about now he's going to be gone. >> heartbreak hill, brady's

social media post writing i don't know what my football future holds but it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and career. the six-round draft choice mvp becoming a free agent at age 42. >> i'm crushed and i'm probably going to shed some tears later on today. >> brady's relentless competitiveness, looks, marriage caused envy. the coach saying, he is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all time. a two decade career marred by deflategate when brady was accused of ordering footballs to be underinflated for nfc championship game. >> i didn't alter the ball in any way. >> he denied the involvement, going on to win his fifth super bowl after a suspension.

brady who took less money to build the patriots and played hurt hailed by robert kraft saying, there simply will not be another tom brady. >> he's in play. if you want him, come get him. >> overnight multiple reports have brady going to tampa bay buccaneers nbc news hasn't confirmed that and there's no comment from brady's side this post on the nfl's twitter account of brady in a bucs uniform bolstering that. for all new england fans, these will always be his glory days. as brady said, forever a patriot. for "today," anne thompson, nbc news >> all right, hoda, for pats fans, that was the morning bummer how about a morning boost. >> we've got you covered i've got your morning boost. there is no doubt the true heroes in the coronavirus outbreak are the health care workers all over the world, doctors, nurses, emergency responders are being recognized for their hard work and courage in a very unique way

take a look. that's called cheering that's called applause people in lockdown across europe, france, spain, italy, they are on their balconies applauding health care workers in a collective act of solidarity residents are organizing moments of gratitude through social media. i think -- you know what, i think we can all take a page from that. i feel like there are doctors and nurses everywhere. if you see one anywhere, in the grocery store, happen to be at the hospital, just a thank you, because they are putting their own lives on the line. they have got families at home i just feel like anyone who needs some love, it's our health care professionals. >> i agree wholeheartedly. we are so grateful for them right now. this is a time to tell people how you feel it's also a time to not just have one boost, hoda it's a time for two boosts

people are coming up with some creative ways to do things as social distancing changes our plan here is a young boy, his name is aiden. he couldn't have a party when he turned four. his family is healthy. they are playing it safe, being good neighbors his family in michigan put up a sign asking neighbors to honk for the birthday boy aiden got to celebrate in a different way but what do you want to bet he remembers that birthday for a good long time. >> that's pretty much a perfect boost, savannah. that's a perfect one hats off aiden. >> so many people doing good things right now. >> got to love that, guys. coming up, class is in session we've got two teachers and vicky nguyen ready to answer questions about home schooling your kids in the weeks ahead, actually, including what to do when you reach your breaking point. but first these messages

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many families like my own sharing what it's like switching from working in an office to alt home is tough. suddenly having your kids at home and not in school is tough. both those things together can feel like an insurmountable challenge so take a deep breath, go slow, and don't be too hard on yourself. at first it may feel like a snow day or sick day, but then the days keep stacking up. the kids may not go back to school for weeks or even months. about 30 million children across 36 states are out of school because of the coronavirus, my own included we've gotten creative, making checklists for our daughters for many parents like us, work moved from high-paced productive office to the loud, distraction-filled far less productive home. but this is now the reality millions of americans are facing. >> how are you doing >> i think we're all just trying to do our best with a situation we've never faced before.

>> like this mom, now at home with her husband and two teenagers. >> if this was just four days, i think we could all sleep in, binge watch one tv show after another. it's not going to be that. i think we need some amount of structure to get through this. >> jacob ward is under shr- san francisco bay area. >> one kid is doing math in that room my wife has been bravely working a fulltime job and trying to home school our kids in this room, and we're trying to figure out how are we going to do this thing over the next three weeks. >> a question many families are asking but keep expectations reasonable the home can't be as productive as the office. here are some tips establish a schedule, mealtimes, work times and play times for the day. another option is scheduling screen time to learn children's author is doing 1:00 p.m. drawing classes on youtube. >> i've been a little nervous. i don't know if you've been a little bit nervous, too, but

that's okay. >> also stay active. one nbc producer is enacting daily yoga at home for her and her son. if you don't need to shelter-in-place, get outside. maybe not on the public playground but on bikes or out for a walk. >> for me, the best way not to go insane is to continue to exercise i don't have a bike at home but i do have the next best thing, a friend who is not home who has a bike at home. >> finally, remember, this is not normal it will be hard. just staying patient can be the day's biggest success. it's also worth pointing out that many americans are facing an even harder challenge they can't work from home and need to work to take care of family now they are left with no child care during the day. cities and states are scrambling to try to deal with that problem. >> that's one of the most urgent needs right now. >> absolutely. >> thank you thank you for getting your piece done with your two adorable kids in the room. all right, savannah, over to you.

>> okay. our with you today campaign is getting so many questions about this topic, home schooling, how do you do it, how do you do it well joining us some answers parents of little ones, a fourth great -- grade teacher at maryland's crofton elementary school. she's with us this morning via skype. hello, nice to have you with us. let's get to some of the questions we got can you hear me? >> yes, i can. >> okay. so we got a message from kristen who says how can parents teach to a common core curriculum when we didn't learn that way >> i definitely think this is a big challenge for parents. but thankfully with technology, there are so many resources available. one of my favorites is kahn academy. they have both a website and app and instructional videos for different subject areas for kindergarten through twelfth grade. all of it is for free.

they have practice to go with it all else failed, good on -- get o youtube, search the skills and you can find tons of videos of teachers showing the strategies they are using in their classrooms. >> good. here is a big one. jennifer wants tips for parents who need to be teaching from home and working from home we have one from jennifer saying, it feels like i'm not giving proper time to my kids or my employer. >> i definitely think it's great to keep a consistent schedule. if you can, try to mirror that schedule to what your kids were already following at school. you can set timers on your phone to help keep you on track. then give your kids a checklist of things to do, so that while you're working, they can be doing more independent activities like reading or practicing on a website or app when you can take a break, do those more structured activities. >> i just taught my 5-year-old what the word independent means.

i'm hoping this will be a good lesson another jennifer wrote, my kids will have google classrooms. i'm comfortable keeping them on an academic schedule teach life skills, home maintenance. any other suggestions or tips on that. >> i think those are all fantastic ideas. while you're teaching them those life skills, try to teach academic skills as much as possible when you're cooking, have them read the measurements. have them be creative. so often they don't have enough time to do that. have them do a craft or develop their own game >> okay. i love the question we got, a video from someone on instagram. this is candace from arkansas. let's roll it. >> hi, i'm candace from arkansas my question for you is if we lose our minds over the next few weeks home schooling our kiddos,

what should we do? >> candace, we feel you, sister. >> yeah. teachers experience this, too. you are definitely not alone if all else fails and you just need a little bit of peace and quiet, turn down the lights, put on some soft music have your kids read or have them do a quiet activity. i know mo, the author doing lunch studio, live streaming and teaching kids how to draw different characters on his book, there's tons on youtube. one is art club for kids they have tons of different videos. >> okay, good. thank you so much, michelle. we appreciate it so much hoda, we'll send it back to you. i know you've got some tips for older kids. >> we certainly do nicholas teaches history at new jersey's union high school, he's with us here with vicky nguyen with some tips first of all, what all parents are learning in this moment is how much we need you, how much we need teachers

vicky, you saw a tweet >> my dad said i've been home schooling my kid, my six-year-old i think all teachers should be paid 1 million pounds a year. >> a question from instagram, she asks this, what are strategies for structuring the day for my seventh-grader. i don't want her to think had this is a vacation from school. >> i'm going to be the first one to say don't let them wake up at to say don't make them wake up at 6:00 or 7:00. at the same time try to create some sort of structure where, again, where you're working at home, while you're working, have your child do their work make sure there's routines, time for play, for recess structure is key especially when we do transition back to school, which parents do as well make sure they have the routine and make it like a normal school day. especially for high school kids. i have parents saying i want to wake them up at 6:00 no, let them sleep in but make sure we push everything back purchase we have a question from kim from south carolina on

facetime, let's take a look. >> good morning. we're curious what you can suggest we do to keep our kids from climbing the walls. we have some very active children that enjoy spending time outside, and we're still unsure as to what is safe and what is not safe for them to do. >> what do you think outdoor activities is a big one. >> i called 153 parents yesterday to make sure they were doing okay and their kids were doing okay anxiety and psychological issues were definitely in effect. one thing i recommend to them i'm going to be doing with my students, obviously facetime meditation, quiet and meditation and yoga anything that teaches them to control nervous system, emotions i think meditation is vital for them. >> i think that's a good one, too. if there are wide open spaces, they can go outside and play that's part of it in communities. they say get fresh air, get some

running in thank you for your question, hon, we appreciate it. quickly ashley from facebook, my oldest child has severe add -- adht rksd, anxiety. asking what to do with kids on the spectrum. >> obviously i have students with physical disabilities we have ics teacher and in-class support. parents should reach out to those teachers or have teachers that assist their students a lot of teachers are going above and beyond and going to the homes and helping them out and helping them ease this transition. >> we're happy any quick tips for us, vic. >> we have a list of things. a lot of kids don't have access to online education. companies are working for that, cox, at&t, comcast, our parent company. call them and find out if they are offering 60 days free or hot spot schools are trying to make laptops available. some to rundown, we heard about con academy. get them up, out of the pajamas,

puts us in learning mindset. scholastic programs. we were talking about that provides pre-k, interactive programs. >> we're racing through. we will have this clearly on the website so people will know exactly where to click thank you. we'll have more questions ahead but first al has a check of the weather. hey, al. >> let's take a look and show you what's going on out there. we're looking at heavy rain through texas, severe storms flooding is a big problem. later today it moves into mississippi and ohio river valleys. heavy snow through the rocki good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we start out this morning, waves of rain coming through, but most of it is fairly light. we'll also still see snow on mt. hamilton, upper elevations will have some additional snow. meanwhile, we'll start to see

the rain tapering off later this morning, but ramp back up. we're looking at the possibility that some of those downpours basically have heavy rain and hail, and we'll still have a chance of rain tomorrow, but clearing out on friday. good morning to you, 8:26. i'm marcus washington. the bay area dealing with a new economic jolt from the coronavirus fallout. san francisco's w hotel has suddenly shut its doors, the parent company marriott plans to furlough tens of thousands of workers, saying it hopes to bring workers back as soon as the pandemic is over, and they will will maintain health benefits in the interim. california's school expand more on possibly closing classrooms through the start of the summer break. gorn hinted at that during the latest update last

night. the bay area, there are not at least 358 confirmed cases of coronavirus, along with six deaths, the highest numbers are coming out santa clara county. mike, another smooth day? >> very smooth because we're light in traffic, but we do have wet roads. we're watching this one right now. outside the caldecott, crews are arriving. that's really the own slowing, very light, because of sheltering in place. thank you for doing that, folks, but you can drive at the speed limit, and that does nick the risk when you're braking. we'll have another update in 30 minutes.

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we're back now it's 8:30, wednesday morning it is the 18th of march, 2020. good morning, everyone nice to have you along with us we see hoda in studio. if you're wondering where in the world i am, i'm in my basement at home, just as a precaution. feel fine, just a little sore throat and runny nose, so i'm staying home to try to do what the doctors are telling us to do right now to keep people safe,

hoda. >> we're glad you're home and safe we're going to spend a lot of this half hour talking to people, taking questions stephanie ruhle with advice for small business and our friend chef matt abdu has questions to ask his restaurant is running into dire straits and he's trying to help customers get through this time. >> so many are facing that exact question we're going to tackle wellness questions with dr. natalie azar, everything from how to stay fit with no gyms and if you should be outside also, what you should do about upcoming or routine doctor's appointments or dentist appointments do you go? >> that's a great question how tom hanks and rita wilson are embracing the australian lifestyle down under in isolation. they have a humorous update. before that, let's turn to mr. roker in his kitchen and get a check of the weather hey, al.

>> hey, guys actually in the dining room, moved out. yesterday i was in everybody's way so i moved along let's look at your weekend outlook as we look for something nicer. we're looking friday with strong storms onto the northeast, record highs in the mid-atlantic states heavy weather into the southeast and gulf coast sharply colder behind on friday with sunshine in the pacific northwest which will continue saturday into the southwest. much cooler in the northeast but plenty of sunny skies. wet weather through the gulf coast and sunday -- sunday! -- rain increasing throughout the southeast into the mid-atlantic. we're looking for a quiet good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are seeing some light rain coming through now, mostly in the south bay, and some snow on some of our higher elevations. mt. hamilton snowing once again.

as we go into the rest of the day, we start to see it quieting down a little while, but ramping up between 2:00 and 6:00, very much like yesterday. not everyone will see that rain and we'll still have a chance of a spot shower tomorrow. temperatures warming up before a new storm comes in on sunday. >> and that's your latest weather. hoda. >> all right, al, thank you. next, certain businesses are hit harder than others when people stay home and they stop spending, so we shall going to -- we are going to talk with experts, stephanie ruhle, about things that can help your favorite restaurants and local shops. she's got some good advice, but first this

we're back now, 8:35 with more of with you today as we answer questions from facebook and instagram, our senior business correspondent stephanie ruhle has been a champ on all this stuff. steph, we've received thousands of questions online.

before we get to those, i want to get to a friend of ours and one of the chefs on our show, matt abdu. you may remember him he has a popular restaurant, pig beach. he had 100 employees he to lay off every single one because of these tough times matt, we're so happy you joined us do you have a question for steph. >> i sure do thanks for having me on, guys. stephanie, two things on all of our minds as small business owners and restaurant owners delivery and takeout don't work for us so we had to lay off employees. what do employees do to get relief what does collecting unemployment look like and what kind of reassurance can i give them >> first of all, the fact you care this much matters so much we forget independent businesses, they are families. you look at those employees like family you did the right thing first with mass layoffs. a lot of restaurant owners and small business owners are lowering people's shifts that doesn't help.

if they want to toave no job the good thing here in new york and some other states, we have seen those states wave the lag period for people to receive unemployment benefits. so you need to tell them, i know it hurts they need to fill out those forms asap to start receiving unemployment benefits. you've heard from the government, we may be extending benefits people may get cash payments first thing, fill out forms and apply today. >> that's great to hear. my second question, as a business owner, how do we pay rent, utilities, what's being done to help small businesses. we keep hearing about that aid but what does it look like, how long will it take. new york rents aren't cheap. if we stay closed two months or longer, how do we get out of that hole? >> official to unofficial. officially you want to get yourself out there and go for a small business loan. first google your state name, then go to development office.

here in new york we have special accommodations, the empire state development program. just last night mark cuban was tweeting to any small businesses in texas, they need to go on their state website because there is emergency relief funding. you might say i don't know if i want to go for a loan yet. these are long-term loans, 30-year loans with very low interest if you have that financial cushion, that's going to help you get through this time. it would also help if you and your peers, other local businesses sort of got together. write a letter, tell your story more tell your story to local lawmakers because this is a unique time. this isn't just, oh, the economy is down, things are slowing. this is treated like a natural disaster many business leaders are saying we should look at this like this is wartime so it doesn't hurt to reach out to your local government official and try to get some help the other good news, big business is helping. people like to say that in dark, dark times, if people get together it can be our finest hour we've seen in the last day

facebook offer $100 million in small business grants and free ads. grub hub, they are doing away with some of their commissions they are charging. even some banks, pnc, chase, bank of america, are waving -- waiving fees those are more unofficial than official reach out to vendors you mentioned rent i would say this to you and employees who have lost their jobs, reach out to your landlords. we're seeing more and more stories across america where landlords who can give a little more are saying, you know what, you can wait a while. >> that's great to hear. thank you so much. >> matt, we love you at the "today" show can't wait for you to come back. >> thanks. >> we have gabriella from instagram with another question for you, steph she says, my child is going to college in the fall. we don't qualify for much aid. should we take out a loan with interest rates to cover the cost. >> it's not a bad idea say she was getting tuition, not room and board it can end up being more than room and board

while rates are low it won't hurt you to take out a loan. but we're also seeing some colleges offer more financial aid. again, we realize this is a different time people weren't planning for it reach out to that school and see if their financial aid has been expanded some schools have huge endowments and it's time for those endowments to kick in. we have 3 million kids graduating high school in the spring we want to help them. >> frank has a question for viewer mail. he wants to know and people are asking this question, should we be refinancing our mortgages. >> it's worth a shot just because rates are near 0 doesn't mean your mortgage will be near 0 but there's a good chance you can refinance for a lower rate the issue is capacity. right now there's an influx of people trying to refinance it's not that you can't, it's going to take time. >> last one in here, steph joe on facebook wants to know about 401(k)s. about 401 (k)s

will hardship reasons include request for loss of family income because of the virus. >> it might be there are normally exceptions if you need to pull from your 401(k) early, for a funeral, tuition, unplanned medical expense. this is obviously an unplanned life event, so reach out i can't say for sure yet because it's still early but there's a good chance of accommodations. >> thank you, stephanie. so happy you're with us, really. coming up next, we'll move onto your wellness questions with dr. natalie azar including a question by new moms today we'll talk to her but first, this is "today" on nbc can we go get some ice cream? alright, we gotta stop here first.

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and we're back with more of with you today we're answering your questions and you've got a lot of them about the coronavirus. this is a collaboration with facebook a lot of you have been asking about wellness, health issues. joining us by facetime is nbc news medical contributor dr. natalie azar dr. natalie, good morning to you. >> hi, savannah, how are you >> good. it's good to see you across the airwaves our first question is from laura

on facebook. she says what about doctor appointments like annual eye doctor appointments or routine follow-up visits, should those are rescheduled? i'd add dental visits to that as well. >> we can add that people need to understand that offices are doing their best right now to stay open a lot of them are probably going to have to reduce hours and even consolidate practices, just logistically i think folks with nonurgent concerns or business, you need to reach out to health care providers to find see what their abilities are for virtual care, online care and telephone office follow-ups for example, in our practice we're getting that up and running as of tomorrow everybody is getting trained on that so again, urgent visits, that's a different story. obviously fever and cough. we don't want you coming in physically to the doctor's office but a lot of practices are really starting to do this

virtual care a lot of my answers are actually going to be the decision might be made for you. we just got a message from our orthodontist practice yesterday they are rescheduling all nonurgent appointments so to the dental questions, really, really interesting, the american dental association has guidance from cdc. people do need to remember that disposable items are just that they are disposed of dentists and hygienists do wear ppe, and nondisposable items are sterilized between patients. people may find dentist offices will reschedule for routine proceedings. -- cleanings >> maybe just emergency dental procedures here is a question from brian on facebook. >> hello this is brian from washington state. i was just kind of curious what the current restrictions or requirements to have dental work done. >> yeah.

>> maybe you've already answered it. >> i think we probably answered it for routine cleanings might be rescheduled at this point but people should feel confident dentists and hygienists do follow proper infection control procedure. >> ruby asks, is it okay to schedule a major surgery for may. >> this will probably differ throughout the country we all know here in the city that the mayor has required that all elective surgical procedures are postponed. my particular hospital, the definition of elective is that both the physician and the patient feel that it can be safely postponed for approximately three months if either or both feels differe can continue or go as scheduled. again, this guidance might change from a day-to-day basis but in general we are recommending to postpone

elective procedures because ors can be repurposed into intensive care units, which as we've been talking about, we're concerned we'll have a potential shortage of. >> okay. our next question is carol on instagram. >> i was among very large crowds this weekend is it okay for me to drop groceries off to my 85-year-old father i would leave them in his garage and not see him. i ask this because i would have touched the groceries. if i am potentially carrying anything, can he be exposed by receiving them >> this is a great question and i answered her on instagram last night. i think it's a wonderful idea. i think in general communities need to be making sure that our seniors are taken care of, and food delivery is going to be one of those things. i would just say to dad when you brin wash his hands before consuming any of the food. remember, we talk about this

survival of viruses on surfaces. we don't think that's the major mode of transmission, it is respiratory droplets primarily again, if the person dropping off wants to wear gloves, obviously that's a good idea but we need to be able to take care of our seniors i think that's safer than going to the grocery store himself. >> definitely. he can wash his hands, too. >> yes. >> we've got one more with angela on instagram. >> my name is angela i'm wondering how long the coronavirus lives on fruits and vegetables and how are we supposed to wash them when we get them home from the store to make sure the virus is killed. >> this is a question we've been getting a lot the last couple of weeks. for the most part -- not for the most part, for the time being there is no concern that the virus has affected our food sources. with fresh produce especially, washing and scrubbing for at

least 20 seconds, just like we would do our hands, is, of course, important. that's not just for the consideration of coronavirus, that's for any food-borne illness. now is a good time to practice those maneuvers or things we've been talking about for years and wash your hands before you eat to cook things thoroughly. that's really the guidance we can give right now if that changes and anything is affected in our food supply we will find out and guidance will change >> okay. dr. azar from home stay safe. up next, tom hanks with his signature sense of style what he and wife rita wilson are doing to pass the time in self-quarantine from down under but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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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... hey, everybody, welcome back we're ending now with how some beloved stars are coping and reaching out to the rest of us in the age of coronavirus.

here is natalie morales. >> one week after their coronavirus diagnosis, tom hanks along with wife rita wilson are updating fans on their recovery with hanks' signature sense of humor. good news, symptoms are much the same, he writes. bad news, my wife rita wilson won six hands of gin rummy and leads by 220 points. the couple at a rental home in australia after spending several days in the hospital. >> it's been a mad 24 hours as you can probably guess. >> british actor idris elba also checking in with fans after revealing his coronavirus diagnosis monday. >> still don't have any symptoms checking my fever twice a day and feel good, feel okay. >> while the 47-year-old says he's trying to stay positive, he admits he's concerned. >> i'm worried about, you know,

having asthma and how that could make things bad very quickly. >> overnight kevin durant becoming the latest celebrity to confirm he has tested positive telling a reporter, he feels fine adding, "everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine we're going to get through this." other stars are doing what they can to keep spirits up and help those in need. ♪ >> john legend with wife chrissy teigen and daughter luna performing a live concert on instagram. >> like all the other unicorns. >> reese witherspoon and jennifer garner among celebrities reading children's books on instagram for kids stuck at home. >> welcome to "the tonight show." i'm so excited to be doing the show from my panic room -- i mean living room. >> jimmy fallon providing comedic relief in the new at-home version of "the tonight show" hosted on the show's

youtube page hollywood standing together, at least virtually, hoping to let everyone else know they are not alone. for "today," natalie morales, nbc news, los angeles. >> i happened to catch that john legend concert by chance i looked down on my phone and saw chrissy and john and it was perfect. perfect. we want to share submissions savannah, do you want to start us off >> we put up the call and you guys answered. here is a video from lauren and james in indianapolis. >> today is march 18, which means -- >> it's my birthday. >> and while we're just celebrating the three of us, we're glad we can celebrate with you, "today" show. lucas. >> sweet. >> we want to say happy birthday, four years old, andrew, big kid and we're happy to share that with you. >> big boy

in newbury, south carolina, usually she's loving on great grandkids. lately she's been social distancing to stay safe. her nursing home staff wheeled her to the window. she looked out, and guess what she saw? her great grandkids surprised her holding signs they made that said, we love you, nanny to tess and everybody who is separated from their loved ones right now, we are with you, and we love you. that is so beautiful my word. >> i love that i mean, it's incredible to see how people are closing the distance in a lot of ways emotionally when we can't be physically together. we really love seeing your pictures and your videos if there's a milestone you didn't get to celebrate the way you wanted to, if you wanted to send a shout out to somebody, just use the #withyoutoday we will find it and we'll be sh >> it's our favorite part of the show we noticed something fun if you're looking for a fun thing

to do with your kids a lot of aquariums and zoos shut down, they are offering videos and live look at animals online. if you happen to be at home, we'll put all that stuff -- look at that. all those ways to see those animals. the penguins and all at today.com. savannah. >> i like that some screen time we don't have to feel guilty about. >> can we see you tomorrow i'll see you tomorrow, babe. >> yes also, i'll see you next hour. >> we have that. >> in a few minutes. we're back after your local. good morning. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. the bay area dealing with a new economic jolt. san francisco's w hotel has suddenly shut its doors. the parent company plans to furlough tens of thousands, hoping to bring them back once

the pandemic is over. many of the workers will keep their health benefits, but it's the latest hit to san francisco's tour iist industry. that order is like the one that's now in effect elsewhere. we have a crew in the north bay talking about that impact. we'll have the latest in a live report during our midday newscast. fans are waking up to a new more difficult reality, governor newsom saying schools will likely not reopen before summer. he hinted at the possibility during the latest update last night. the superintendent of schools is supposed to talk more about that today, about the guidance from the district as well as what they're being force to do do to adjust. the link to that full story is on our home page, as well as confirmed bay area illnesses we're having across the bay. >> announcer: happening now is brought to you by -- we made usaa insurance for members like martin.

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hey, everybody, welcome to the third hour of today. savannah guthrie ended up at home out of an abundance of caution. tell folks where you are. >> yes we mtioned it a couple of times but in case you're just tuning in, i do have the sniffles and a little bit of a sore throat. just in an abundance of caution and really following to the letter of the law the advice that experts and our nbc doctors have given, i decided to work from home. so where am i right now?

i'm in my basement. >> yes