that does it for us here on "today in the bay." >> that's right. we'll have complete coverage continuing. always join us 4:30 to 7:00 in the morning. a live look outside this morning. ♪ good morning breaking overnight battleground. >> we have a national crisis we are at war. >> the new york city hospitals under siege by the coronavirus the shortage of beds and equipment growing even more dire as the number of cases skyrockets a u.s. navy ship arriving to help this morning new york city's mayor is with us live. 3,000 and climbing the coronavirus outbreak now more deadly than the attacks of 9/11 as the president hits tougher new restrictions may be necessary to stop the spread. >> the choices and sacrifices we make will determine the fate of

this virus feeling the impact retail giants, macy's, gap and kohl's announce mass layoffs for tens of thousands of workers while the federal reserve issues a dire influence warning, the outbreak could leave nearly 50 million americans out of work. all that plus, to the rescue. >> we're going to need new people to come in and take care of patients. i can do that, and i will. the brave volunteers leaving home and heading to the white hot center of the u.s. outbreak to join the fight on the front lines. >> i just want a make a difference. >> how they are answering the call to action today tuesday, march 31st, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today: the coronavirus

pandemic" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> studio 1a. >> this is studio 1a i haven't been here in a while. >> i was going to say, so many things are not normal. and in this moment right now, as i'm looking at you, something final is it's good to see your face, savannah. >> it feels good to be in the same room. i wish we were closer, like we used to snuggle up but we're practicing our social distancing it's good to be back in the studio we have primetime special tonight on nbc you and i will host we have a lot of new information. and a lot to get to just this morning. here is the very latest on where things stand roughly three out of four americans now under orders to stay home. the latest states to join this growing list, arizona, maryland and virginia, whose stay-at-home order goes to june. >> it does new help has arrived here in manhattan, "the comfort," sailed

past the statue of liberty as it entered new york harbor. it will be used to lift some of the burden on local health care facilities check out this powerful site sight overnight. the empire state building flashing siren for responders. dr. anthony fauci, top infectious disease expert cautions a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak is likely to come this fall, but he says by then the country should be better equipped to fight the illness. >> as we start this morning, there are nearly 164,000 coronavirus cases in the u.s. and more than 3,000 have now died, surpassing the number of people killed in the september 11th attacks we have in-depth coverage, including a live interview with new york city mayor bill de blasio we begin with nbc's gabe gutierrez. he's near "usns comfort. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning.

this is the uses ns comfort across in iconic central park a field hospital is also set to open today but the lack of beds is not the only battle authorities are facing right now they are calling in for reinforcements we want to warn you, some of the video you're about to see in this story is disturbing this morning a war is raging inside the u.s. epicenter of covid-19 new york, new jersey and connecticut now topping 85,000 confirmed cases and more than 1400 deaths. >> to me we're beyond staggering already. >> new york governor andrew cuomo is now pleading for health care workers around the country to come help >> this is a war. >> reporter: the pentagon announcing that a national guardsman are among the dead while this disturbin video appears to show a body being lifted onto a refrigerator rated truck outside a hospital in brooklyn.

a grim reminder of what's at stake. help is arriving the u.s. hospital ship "usns comfort," a breathtaking site sight next to the statue of libbl lib e liberty, even though some onlookers failed to practice social distancing. inside relieving pressure on land. >> this the most important mission i've ever been on in my entire life. >> reporter: this emergency field hospital in iconic central park is set to open today. now the city plans to build a 350 bed facility at this tennis stadium in queens on the campus where the u.s. open is played. >> at this point we assume at least half of all new yorkers will contract this disease. >> reporter: but despite assurances by the state and federal government that there's enough personal protective equipment, or ppe, at least for the short-term, doctors and nurses on the front line insist there are spot shortages >> we try to make the best out

of very little i worry that it's too late for some of us. >> reporter: calvin's son is an er doctor at several hospitals in new york. he says he's having to intubate his own nurses and knows fellow doctors who are on life support. >> every day we wake up, even i do, feeling my head if i have a fever, as if like a soldier of war waking up every day to see if they have been shot. >> reporter: the last time the "usns comfort" was here in new york was nearly 20 years ago, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. on a more hopeful note, governor cuomo says while the number of hospitalizations here in new york continues to climb, the rate of hospitalizations -- it's increasing at a slightly lower rate that's good news right now authorities are analyzing that to see when we might reach that peak. hoda and savannah. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you so much as we mentioned, a growing number of states now issued stay-at-home orders in an attempt to control the spread of this virus

one of those states, maryland, where we find nbc's tom costello this morning tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the next 30 days, according to the coronavirus task force, the next 30 days is going to be critical towards slowing the spread of this and hopefully, hopefully, avoiding a cascade of patients into the nation's ers and icus two-thirds of states, two-thirds, have issued orders for businesses, nonessential businesses to remain closed. the message, stay home and save lives. overnight the u.s. reached a grim milestone more than 3,000 now dead because of coronavirus president trump now focusing on the lives that could be saved. >> we could save more than 1 million american lives the more we dedicate ourselves today, the more quickly we will emerge on the other side of the crisis. >> reporter: but with no plans for a national quarantine, the response from state-to-state has varied on monday a coordinated message from the capital region with the mayor of d.c. and the governors from maryland and virginia each

announcing their own stay-at-home orders. >> we need to continue to work together to flatten the curve. >> no maryland resident should be leaving their home unless it is for an essential job or for an essential reason. >> i'll say it again because i want everyone to hear me, stay home. >> reporter: virginia governor ralph northam's order extending to june 10th, beyond june 1st, when the president is hoping the country is up and rung meanwhile, companies are stepping up for medical supply shortages. including ford, which plans to produce 50,000 ventilators in 30 days. >> it's a different business but at the end of the day we're manufacturing a product. >> reporter: even as the president announced big numbers and showed off a new test from

abbott, a kit for the rest of the country is still a problem in a call by "new york times" and confirmed by nbc news, montana's governor says without kits from the cdc, his state was just one day away from lacking the ability to test. the president appearing to downplay that concern saying he had not heard about testing in weeks, and that the u.s. had tested more people than any other country. it all comes as dr. anthony fauci says the coronavirus will likely be cyclical with a potential return in the fall. >> what we're going through now is going to be more than just lessons learned, it's going to be things we have available to us that we didn't have before. >> reporter: the hope is that by the fall, we'll be further along and have improved testing, maybe even antiviral treatments will be further along and vaccine trials, in they are showing promise, they might be able to be used in an emergency situation. again, we're talking about the fall as for the current travel restrictions, which are set to expire in just a few weeks, the president is suggesting some of those could also be extended savannah.

>> all right, tom, thank you joining us now to talk more about his city's response to this outbreak is new york city's mayor, bill de blasio. mayor, good morning. it's good to see you. >> good morning. >> you've said quite bluntly that the worst is yet to come for new york city and new york state. can you take us behind the data that leads you to that conclusion >> savannah, you know, the data is what we're looking at all the time making our decisions based on savannah, obviously it means human lives. over 900 lives already lost in new york city. what we're seeing is a sharp upturn over the last days, certainly the last few weeks we have to look at this pattern and conclude that the worst is certainly in the next few weeks minimum. i could see it going into may in fact, with the numbers we're looking at, because we have community spread that's really the issue. it's deeply seated in our communities and it's going to have this all over the country unfortunately.

>> it has this feel -- it's not the calm before the storm but you feel this is all about to really hit in a huge way when you see something like the u.s. navy ship "comfort," docking off the west side of manhattan, you see a makeshift field hospital going up in central park right now they are empty, but it is your expectation that these hospitals will have to be filled with overflow patients because the other hospitals are filled with covid-19 patients >> yeah. let me give you the projection and it's very blunt, savannah. we have about 20,000 hospital beds in all of new york city that's where we were, say, the beginning of this month. normal times we project the potential that all of those beds, all 20,000, will have to be turned into intensive care beds to focus on covid-19 patients that are really, really sick. that gives you a sense of how abnormal it could be i hope the projections don't come true but as dr. fauci says, you have to plan for the worse the projection has it getting

worse over the next few weeks, potentially extending well into may and we'll require a level of hospital capacity we've never seen, we've never even conceived of we're talking about tripling hospital capacity to be able to handle this. >> mr. mayor, correct me if i'm wrong, last i heard in new york you can't get a covid-19 test unless you're so sick you have to be in the hospital. when i read the latest one that says 67,000 cases in new york, doesn't that dramatically undercount the number of people who are sick >> savannah, absolutely. community spread, this is what people all over the country really need to feel in their bones. community spread means it's out there and it continues to grow there's a point where it stops like every other seasonal disease. there is an endpoint here. but for the weeks ahead, let's not kid ourselves, it gets a lot worse before it gets better. >> can we talk about this issue of testing i just mentioned that in new york in order to conserve testing capacity, only the hospitalized are getting these tests.

the president was on a call with governors yesterday one of the governors from montana mentioned that state's need for tests he said he hadn't heard about testing in a few weeks is testing still an issue here in new york? >> testing at this point -- if testing had come earlier, i asked for testing from the federal government originally on january 24th if we had gotten it in january, in february, beginning of if february, we could have gotten ahead of this. i think there are still states where they can getting them testing is crucial. what it means now is it's the way we determine who needs the most immediate, urgent care. it's a way we help protect our first responders and decide, of course, who needs to go and be isolated i think the fact is testing is going to play a different role now. if we could get rapid testing on a truly universal level, that could help us a lot. that could help us immediately tell people what they have to do the best kind of testing is the testing early before you get an outbreak some states could still benefit

from that. >> a couple quick things i mentioned the u.s. navy ship "comfort" came to manhattan. i'm sure you saw the sight yesterday where people wanted to get a glimpse. some of the images indicated people weren't keeping that social distance as they crammed in to get a shot what's your message to folks who may have done that here in our city >> that's unacceptable savannah, we all feel emotional about the arrival of the "usns comfort. it's giving us hope our military is here. and we're going fo need a lot more military presence, we're going to need more help from the federal government, including medical help from the military very, very quickly i've told that to president trump. we need folks by sunday, starting this sunday, to get ahead of that horrible onslaught we expect in the next week or two. but in the meantime, as much as we love the "comfort" and love the fact the military is here, people must practice social distancing i've authorized our police to start giving out fines, $250, $500 fines to people who don't

get it because at this point, we've said it, we've educated, we've given people the message anyone who's not social distancing at this point is actually putting people in danger, and if we have to give them fines, we will. >> new york mayor bill de blasio, thank you for your time. we appreciate it new york has put out the call for health care workers around the country to come and help out. just ahead we're going to focus on some of those people who have answered that call a little bit later in the show, hoda while doctors are being overwhelmed by covid-19, they are learning more about the virus. for more on that, we're turning to nbc medical correspondent john torres. dr. john, good to see you. we're going to begin with this thing called the great math thing called the great mask debate the president said he could see a scenario where every american maybe should be wearing a mask but that's really contrary to what the cdc said. we've been saying for weeks on this show and many shows, not really necessary

so what's the right answer here? >> hoda, you're right. this is the great mask debate. it actually started this weekend with a doctor tweeting out that the cdc was going to change their guidelines saying people should be wearing them when they're out and about. i talked to cdc, they said they aren't going to change their guidelines people in the public shouldn't be wearing them. experts say it might help out a little bit why don't we wear them the truth is, it might help out a little bit here are the caveats, people have to wear them constantly and correctly. and they always forget, too, that their eyes are another way the virus can get in so without eye shields, they aren't getting all the protection they need to get. they might get a false sense of security, 6 foot bubble we're putting around ourself if they do, if somebody coughs or sneezes, they are still vulnerable to it on top of that, protect the masks, n95 for frontline workers because they definitely need them as to whether to help out or

not, is the cdc going to change its guidance and say so? right now saying no, could have potentially helped it could but not going to give you full protection. not fog to give you any more protection than washing your hands and getting that 6 foot distance. >> even cdc, the idea would be a bandana, not to use surgical masks or n95 mask so desperately needed by our front line health care workers let me ask you, there was a new study, a small one, but it suggested that transmission of covid-19 can still occur even after someone's symptoms have subsided this is obviously quite disturbing, but i know it was a small study. what do you make of it >> so it was a very small study, savannah it was 16 patients they found out half of them had symptoms and could give the virus to somebody else days later, beyond that three-daytime period we talked about if you look at the study, these were patients with sever complications and severe symptoms in the hospital

it looks like with the mild and moderate cases, which the vast majority of people who have the coronavirus have, it looks like the that three-day time period holds. that's the time they need to make sure they aren't spreading to anybody else, including fevers for people hospitalized, it might take a little bit longer this is where doctors come into play somebody hospitalized and finally get released from the hospital, the doctors need to sit down with them and say, here's how long you need to stay in isolation at home even though we're letting you out of the hospital, you might need to stick around your home a small study, people with severe symptoms that looked like they could spread it for longer periods of time. >> dr. torres, you've been talking to us over the week about viral load, how much of the virus you are exposed to and how that can affect how sick you get. tell us about that >> exactly right, hoda the viral load is the amount of virus that first get into your body when you get sick. if you get a little bit of virus, you're only going to get a little sick. if you get a big viral load -- in other words, sitting next to somebody for long periods of

time and that virus keeps hitting you, you get more sick those are the ones who tend to get severe complications and severe symptoms based on this. that's why frontline workers are so exposed we talk about saving masks and equipment for them they are constantly near somebody, getting that huge viral load it gets to the point your body's immune system can't handle that overload of virus. that's why we're so concerned about people getting a huge viral load up front. because if they just get the small one, they won't get as sick, and it's important to make sure that people don't get that sick and recover from this as quickly as possible. >> dr. torres, thank you we want to encourage folks to join us tonight. hoda and i are hosting a show about the pandemic this is the first in a series nbc news will be doing in the weeks ahead. we're going to examine the toll, the country's potential hot spots and answer your questions tonight 10:00 eastern and pacific on nbc also find it on msnbc and online streaming network "nbc news now."

>> what do you say both of us say hello to mr. roker >> good morning, al. >> al, look who's here >> well, all is right with the world. you guys are back together again. it's like reunited i hear peaches and herb in the background. >> it feels, good too. >> looks good, too that's for sure. weather doesn't look good to our friends down to the southeast. we have some severe weather. in fact, severe thunderstorm warnings out through central mississippi. this is all pushing to the east as the day wears on. we've got a risk for severe weather through there into georgia and on into parts of south carolina for hail, possibility of tornadoes as this pushes in, heaviest rain will be for the outer banks. wind advisories for mississippi down into florida and low pressure deepening offshore with rough surf with minor beach erosion. rainfall amounts, heaviest around the carolinas with locally up to 2 inches of rain still, we're going to keep an eye out for some flash flooding.

we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds or our delivery partners, doordash, uber eats and grubhub. we can't wait to serve you. now, more than ever, the little things make a big difference. like contactless payment through the chick-fil-a app. place a mobile order and pay ahead of your visit. then pick up in the drive-thru or curbside where available. in the meantime, let's all take good care of each other. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have some nice weather in our forecast today. a mostly sunny sky and temperatures reaching into the upper 60s. some lower 60s in participates of the north bay where i will be tracking some rain, some showers moving through close by. we'll keep those temperatures cooler in the north bay. elsewhere we're looking at temperatures reaching up to 70 degrees for the inland valleys. and it continues on with dry

weather until the weekend when a no storm system arrives. >> and that is your latest weather. guys. >> all right >> thank you, mr. roker. coming up, we're going to meet some of the heroic volunteers they are answering the impassioned plea they are heading here to new york, and they say they're going to help in any way they can. plus a new view from the front lines. one of the emergency room doctors who's facing it right now. she will join us live. nbc.first, this is "today" on

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potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®. and a good morning to you. 7:26. i'm marcus washington. it's looking more and more like these scenes will remain in place for some time. mayor london breed is preparing residents to shelter at home another month. bay area leaders are expected to officially extend social distancing guidelines until may 1st, meant to help flatten the curve of coronavirus infections. meantime the number of cases in the bay area has now topped 2,200. santa clara county has the most with 848 cases. and 55 people have died here in the bay area. right now a look at that forecast for you. meteorologist kari hall.

and, marcus, working from home we are still tracking the storm system moving very close to the bay area but we will say dry here and some rain just to the north of us will be moving off to the east. as we check out our seven-day forecast expect highs in the low 70s today as well as tomorrow but then going into the weekend a new storm system will be coming in bringing us rain saturday and sunday. mike, what's happening out there for the commute? kari, overall a light volume of traffic. continue to cause some slowing on the freeways. as we're looking in san jose north 680 coming up to montague expressway the crash there, a roll over. no major injuries reported. quite a spectacle for slowing heading through the area. as you're coming down to the san mateo bridge, south 880 at 92, looking at this crash going on over there as you approach.

the slow lanes still blocked by the crew clearing up all the spilled fuel in the area. back to you. all right, thanks, mike. we'll have another local news update in 30 minutes.

we're back. we're back at 7:30 it's tuesday morning, march 31st of 2020. good morning, everybody. glad you're with us. >> if you're just joining us, savannah and i are back together a little normal going on happy to be together we want to get right to your 7:30 headlines, the very latest on the coronavirus roughly three out of four states are now under stay-at-home orders. the latest states to join the list, arizona, maryland, and virginia where the rules in virginia will be in place until june 10th. the hit on the economy continues. macy's, gap, and kohl's will furlough tens of thousands of workers. the retailer struggling to

overcome store closures and slumping sales due to the coronavirus epidemic whole foods is calling for a nationwide sickout today they are calling for safer conditions, hazard pay and health coverage for part-time employees amid the outbreak. >> now to our nation's heroic health care workers. boy, do we appreciate them new york's governor put out an urgent plea for volunteers to come here and help with the mounting crisis. this morning that call is being answered by the thousands. people are coming. some from other parts of the country. nbc's stephanie gosk joins us with that story. stephanie, this is incredible. good morning. >> it really is, guys. it's a remarkable story. so far, 7,000 doctors and nurses and medical personnel have responded to new york's call for help they include medical students who have gotten out early, doctors out of retirement, and 17,000 of them have come from out of state. this morning a desperate plea for help from new york governor andrew cuomo. >> i am asking health care

professionals across the country, if you don't have ap us in new york now. health care crisis in your community, please come help us in new york now. we need relief we need relief for nurses who are working 12-hour shifts, one after the other after the other. we need relief for doctors we need relief for attendants. so if you're not busy, come help us, please. >> reporter: cuomo says 76,000 voluntee roll tu volunteers have already responded to the call for help among those stepping forward, a dozen health care professionals who flew in from atlanta to offer their services some of the city's top hotels are opening their doors to health care workers free of charge several airlines are offering free flights to medical staff heading to what's being described as a war zone. 29-year-old bailey is a critical care nurse she's driving from baltimore to new york and hopes to start working this weekend. >> i want to get on the floor.

i want to help the other medical professionals and take some of the burden off them. i want to treat patients i just want to make a difference. >> reporter: in the coming weeks, gabriel mayer, a fourth year nyu med student will graduate early to join the fight. >> i'm someone interested in helping people and helping patients as well as health care professionals fighting covid and that made this choice a lot more straightforward for me. >> reporter: young med students stepping up and retired physicians stepping back in. dr. judy solerno hasn't practiced internal medicine in five years. >> we're not going to pull doctors out of hospitals, we're going to need new people to come in and take care of patients i can do that, and i will. >> reporter: the stakes are high last week two nurses died in new york city after becoming infected photos from overseas showed the physical toll on health care workers. but for our country's medical heroes, this is a call to action >> i think every medical professional wants to help out

in this time of need. >> reporter: more than 200 medical workers in new york have tested positive for coronavirus. in boston that number is upward of 300 just a reminder of how dangerous this work is that they are volunteering to do, guys. >> all right, stephanie, thank you so much. now let's take a closer look at the front lines of this fight right here in new york dr. arabia mollette is in the battle she's in it every day. she works in the emergency department of brookdale hospital in brooklyn. dr. mollette, thank you for joining us. >> hi, good morning. >> we just heard stephanie's piece. they have an influx of nurses coming in. how badly do you need the help >> we certainly need the help. but we are all helping each other by lifting each other up and we are remaining strong because we have a job to do. >> yes, you do i was looking at images inside your hospital, dr. mollette. we saw it looked like plastic tarps taped up with tape to cordon off the covid-19 ward

paint the picture of what it's like inside your hospital right now. >> right now is, is -- it's tough. it's pretty devastating. we're all doing the best we can to take care of our community overall because the hospital is part of the community and our patients is our community. we're doing the best we can to take care of everyone with low supplies, like many other hospitals in our country at the end of the day, when you come into our emergency department, you still see the patients, still struggling to smile, still struggling to hold on their family members are doing the best they can to be supportive towards their family members, as well as us as health care workers, and we're just doing the best we can. it's not easy. it is a medical war zone we're unprepared for that's nationally, not just at brookdale but we're doing the best we can. >> dr. mollette, tell us what you need we heard people say doctors and

nurses say they are desperately in need of protective gear we hear elected officials saying they haven't heard that. tell me what is your number one need right now in your hospital. >> again, we are low on supplies but i received word that we are receiving -- we'll be getting more supplies soon, such as vents, gowns, gloves, bonnets that we use on our heads protective gear, personal protective gear and vents. >> gear is important but you also need to have the personnel. we hear story on story of doctors and nurses falling ill just give us the status at your hospital. >> to be honest with you, i don't have the numbers as of yet. i will say that we are at high-risk exposure there have been a number of us who have fallen sick to th coronavirus. again, we're doing our best to definitely don't have those numbers. >> one of the saddest things i feel like i keep seeing, a lot of these patients have to be alone kind of in their darkest hour their families can't be there

because of how contagious it is. you see families speaking to one another just on facetime what have you seen in your hospital >> same thing. it's the same thing. even for us as health care workers, i haven't seen my family in over two weeks so i have to speak to them facetime because i can't expose them as well my fiancee and i sleep in two separate spaces. it's been tough for everyone, including the family members as well as the families of health care workers and health care workers themselves >> when you start your day, suit up and go into work, how do you have hope? tell me what gives you hope this morning. >> i pray. i pray before i start the shift. i pray during the shift. i pray after the shift when i'm feeling tired and fatigued and frustrated, i walk out to the ambulance bay and i cry to release the anxiety, the frustration, because you see health care disparities. you see the pain and suffering

in the emergency department. and so -- and also having colleagues that you can talk to. i will say my emergency medicine department, the entire staff has been wonderful but we all have a chance to talk with each other without feeling a shame about our anxieties, frustrations and concerns so i definitely want to give - i definitely applaud my emergency department and the entire hospital for being supportive for us. dr. arabia mollette, we want to thank you too. we want to thank you for all the work you're doing. savannah and i are here like wow. >> you amaze us, doctor. thank you for your hard work we're sending you all our love please pass it on to everybody you're working with. >> thank you so much god bless. >> god bless you too >> i was just thinking as i drove in, i haven't seen the city in a couple weeks just being the lonely profession, i was imagining the health care worker getting up for the early shift and how it might feel walking into that hospital, these

anxious times. i think for all of us we owe such a debt of gratitude for their courage. just get up and go and go right into the eye of the storm. so we've got to support them in every way we can >> also when they come home too to their families and how they have to be distant even there. >> can you imagine >> no. >> they have little kids they walk in the door and they want to run and hug you. they can't do that because they have to protect them they are making great sacrifices. >> yes. coming up, we're going to spotlight another group who is answering the call to help how the nation's auto workers are shifting gears, you might say. they are going to make some much needed medical equipment right after this nice. way more top brands in sinks and faucets. way more ways to rule your renovation. nice!

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many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. that's a difference you can feel. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, 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. we are back now, 7:43, with in-depth today, as we shine a light on another group of heroes in this coronavirus crisis >> that's right. hospitals put out that urgent plea for medical supplies.

this morning auto makers and their employees are answering it and coming to the rescue cynthia mcfadden has the story of one detroit grandmother who is pitching in at ford. >> reporter: inside this sprawling 1 million square foot factory -- >> i'm going to show you what we're doing. >> reporter: pat tucker is helping to fight the war on the coronavirus. >> i'd rather save lives than stay at home. >> reporter: the 55-year-old grandmother, one of over 400 ford employees working around the clock to fill these desperately needed face shields. for everyone, we took our cameras for this exclusive look inside. >> i really hope what we're doing makes a difference. >> reporter: while all these workers are paid, they're also volunteers agreeing to leave their families and homes each day, putting their own safety on the line. >> everything is 6 foot apart. we're all wearing these, everyone is staying pretty separated.

everyone washing their hands over and over again. my youngest granddaughter lives with me. i'd be devastated if i gave her something. if i can help others, i love helping others. >> reporter: the days are long ten hour shifts, seven days a week but tucker says they're assembling a new mask every 10 seconds. >> like i said, 10 seconds, save a live. >> reporter: ford tells us they're shipping 40,000 a day with hopes of doing many more. pat tucker and her co-workers can already see the results of their hard work. >> you know what really helps, is when we get the pictures from the hospitals. >> as you can see, henry ford emergency room says thank you. it's nice that they're sharing this with us i'm happy to help. i mean, if they get another idea for us to make something, i'm going to be here >> reporter: for "today," cynthia mcfadden, nbc news >> that's just one good huma doing a great things so many answering calls. great to see ford working with auto workers and come together and do something great for

humanity. >> if you ever lose faith in humanity, all you have to do is check out one of those pieces, a lot of good out there. speaking of good, what do you say we bring in mr. roker and check out the weather. >> that just does your heart so much good to see a simple piece of equipment but can save lives and they are all doing it that's just fantastic. guys, as we take a quick look at what's going on around the country, we have severe weather to talk about in the southeast where we're going to be looking at severe storms down in florida, record highs today. mountain snows in the pacific northwest, sunshine from texas all the way into the southwest and sunny skies in the upper mississippi river valley good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a lot of clouds to start out. we will see some breaks as we go throughout the day looking live in san francisco. we are going to see also warmer temperatures for this afternoon reaching the low 60s.

throw 70s for parts of the east bay up to 68 degrees in morgan hill. our seven-day forecast shows we will be clear much of the week. a new storm system will arrive. >> and that is your latest weather. guys. >> al, thank you so much >> thanks, al. coming up, we'll answer your questions about the outbreak's impact particularly on your wallet this has been so tough on the economy. will you see some relief in your next cell phone bill that's the question we've been getting. first, these messages. and my doctor said my joint pain could mean permanent joint damage. and enbrel helps relieve joint pain, helps stop that joint damage, plus helps skin get clearer. ask about enbrel so you can get back to being your true self. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers,

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good tuesday morning. right now at 7:56 we are seeing a mostly cloudy sky across the bay area. a live look outside in san francisco where we have mist and drizzle on our camera lens right now. we'll be watching out for a slight chance of rain further to the north. we'll see a mostly sunny sky going into the afternoon. and as the sky clears, our temperatures will warm up. we'll see some upper 60s and even a few low 70s in parts of the east bay. the rest of the forecast highs reaching into the low 70s, we will have some quiet weather throughout much of the week. then going into this weekend a new storm system brings in rain saturday as well as sunday. we check in with mike on the morning commute. all right, kari. we're looking at a smooth drive

around most of the bay. folks getting to their essential duties. we're talking about hayward heading south in san lee and dough. 880 we have the right lane blocked, the slow lane, because of crews there. a fuel spill after a big rig crash. they continue to have slowing out of san leandro from before you get to winton down past 92. just the slow lane is blocked and no one is seriously hurt. that's the good news. 880 approaching montague expressway a crash blocking part of the off ramp. slowing there as well. back to you. happening now county leaders meet this morning, and it's likely some, if not all, will officially extend the current stay-at-home orders until the first of may. now san francisco mayor london breed is among those giving residents an early heads-up. we're following the developments. you can check our twitter feed for those updates. and how is the bay area doing when it comes to following social distancing guidelines? there's new data out grading the response from each bay area county. you can go to the coronavirus

section of our home page that's nbcbayarea.com.

coming up, on the brink. >> we are at war. >> new york city bracing for impact with new cases of coronavirus erupting from coast-to-coast more than 85,000 confirmed in new york, new jersey, and connecticut alone as the nationwide death toll tops 3,000. we're live with the latest. plus, road to recovery >> hey, everybody. welcome to "watch what happens live" at home. >> andy cohen joins us live to talk about his battle with the coronavirus and what he missed the most while in isolation. how the bravo superstar is back on air just 10 days after announcing his diagnosis.

and ready for rhett. ♪ in a world full of hate be a light ♪ >> country star thomas rhett is opening up to us about his new daughter, new music and the new normal as he shares a new song with us live today tuesday, march 31st, 2020 welcome back to "today." we're so happy you're joining us on this tuesday morning. if you're just tuning in, look at the sight for sore eyes right here we have savannah in studio >> we are reunited >> how does it feel -- it's weird rolling into new york anyway, but how does it feel to be reunited? >> it's been two weeks here. i've been, as you know, broadcasting from my basement upstate. it's interesting it's kind of bittersweet to come back here and realize how much have changed we only have two people working here right now it's good to see them. we're really grateful, whether working at home or here in the

studio keeping this show going it feels incredible. >> it does feel good for me to see you sitting there. >> right back at you. >> we have something we're looking forward to tomorrow. our friend, simone biles, of course, the world's greatest gymnast. she's going to join us for a live interview it's her first since the tokyo olympics were postponed in july 2020. >> we'll see how she's feeling about everything let's get to the news headlines here at 8:00 coronavirus deaths in the u.s. have soared to a grim new milestone. more states are locking down as well to prevent an even greater loss of life nbc's tom costello joins us now with the three things he's watching on this front today hey, tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning to you. the grim milestone is as follows. 163,000 known cases in the united states right now and 3,000 deaths already nationwide. importantly, the true number of cases is surely much higher since most people who have the

virus ride this out at home. and the vast majority, we believe, are not getting tested. new york, connecticut, and new jersey remain the worst hit in the united states. 85,000 cases in the tri-state area, 1,400 deaths right now new york governor cuomo was pleading with health care officials and workers, doctors, nurses, you name it, fro around the country, please come to new york to help in the crisis they have makeshift hospitals as you know set up in central park as well as javits convention center and the u.s. naval ship "comfort" is now docked in new york city. earlier on "today," new york mayor bill de blasio said the situation in the coming weeks is going to get much more difficult. >> we have to look at this pattern and conclude the worst is certainly in the next few weeks, minimum, i could see it going into maw, in fact, with the numbers we're looking at, because we have community spread, and that's really the issue.

>> reporter: meanwhile third -- two-thirds of the states across the country have ordered nonessential businesses to close and in some places for people to shelter in place three-quarters of the american public are under those types of orders the most recently announced including maryland, d.c., virginia and arizona by the way, virginia is now extending that order until june 10th the concern here, of course, is that this virus is only just now starting to pick up. guys, back to you. >> all right tom costello, thank you very much now to the latest state to see a spike in the coronavirus cases. we're talking about florida. health officials say they are increasing at a, quote, exponential rate while the governor has yet to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, he is cracking down on some residents nbc's sam brock joins us from miami. hey, sam, good morning >> reporter: hoda, good morning. there are increasing signs the virus is set to explode in south florida.

four counties just in this region make up almost 60% of the cases in the entire state. in miami you'll find yellow plays tape all over the city keeping areas flooded with people just a couple weeks ago empty for the time being but not enough folks are listening as the governor unveiling a brand-new executive order. this morning in florida, the urgency is escalating with long lines for testing and police checkpoints at the state's borders. coronavirus cases here are racing towards 6,000, a number that's only expected to soar residents adjusting to a new reality that so many others nationwide have been living with governor ron desantis issuing new executive orders, urging residents in four hard-hit counties to stay at home >> the safe at home is the right move for southern florida. this is the right time to do it. listen to your local officials. >> reporter: yet it's what's going on elsewhere in florida that's been fueling outrage across the country. >> we believe in laying hands on

the sick. >> reporter: tampa bay pastor, rodney howard brown, convened a church service sunday with 500 people a move that landed him in jail before he was bailed out. >> his reckless disregard for human life put hundreds of people in his congregation at risk and thousands of residents who may interact with them this week in danger. >> reporter: a civil liberties firm that's representing the pastor said the order he's accused of breaking has so many exceptions it looks like swiss cheese, that the church observed 6 foot distance between families on the east coast. >> you need to get out and get air. you can only sit inside four walls for so long. >> beaches in jacksonville still packed until the county closed them on sunday all of that just what's happening on land. by sea, 2500 people aboard two holland america ships looking for somewhere to died. for somewhere to dock.

after four people died 18 people tested positive for covid-19 and nearly 200 others are suffering from flu-like symptoms >> we think it's a mistake to be putting people into southern florida right now given what we're dealing with. >> reporter: ultimately lies with the broward county government, which is voting tonight. still, many see florida as a refuge this man arrived from new york two weeks ago. >> do you feel safer in miami? >> compared to new york, 100%. >> reporter: now, he came right before the implementation of a mandatory two-week quarantine for everyone from the tri-state area, hoda and savannah. that is an order that as of louisiana. back to you. >> all right, sam. thank you so much. >> i'm your pal -- >> what was that >> we're hearing andy cohen. he's going to be with us in a little built. >> the voice of andy cohen came right in i thought that was our boost >> we've got a boost you're going to like this one. you've been stuck at home, organized your closet, read a couple of books, did puzzles what is left why don't you write a song here is what some grandparents

tom and stacy came up with ♪ quarantine quarantine every morning you greet me ♪ ♪ virus fight with all my ♪ covid you'll never beat me >> how good are they >> they sound great. >> they should sing a lot of songs. i guess one night stacy couldn't sleep. she came up with this little ditty. she was going to send it to her grandkids who they weren't able to spend time with. >> i love that ♪ ♪ >> the whole block dancing to that stones' classic each day at 5:30 some guy blasts the play lis from the second story. they are the d.j.s everyone gets in on it the street dance is preserving a real sense of community.

>> i love the woman right in front of the house doing her thing. >> yes also get your body moving. it does make you feel better, get that blood pumping. >> it sure does. coming up next, andy cohen he'll be here live, talk about the recovery from coronavirus, his emotional reunion with his son and what it's like doing his show from home coming up after in tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya®. uncover clearer skin that can last. janssen can help you explore cost support options. ♪ ♪ uh-oh.

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i was told to begin my aspirin regimen, blem. and i just didn't listen. until i almost lost my life. my doctors again ordered me to take aspirin, and i do. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. listen to the doctor. take it seriously. subway is still serving the subs delicious subs made fresh and easy to get for takeout or delivery. and now, with our family takeout special, get a free footlong when you buy two. ♪ so i really navigate the world by touch. when dove asked me to try out this body wash... ...i was excited that it was foam. it was so light... ...and soft... not sticky. it's light. it's different. it's foam.

to get back to normal again. for hospitals and at ctca, we aren't waiting either. we're still focused on providing world-class cancer care. because cancer isn't just what we do, it's all we do. call now. sensitivity it's very common to have a gum health concern as well. but if you have sensitive teeth, you probably aren't going to brush your teeth as effectivity because it causes pain. and if you see blood you should do something about it. you know, i talk to dentists every day and they're able to recommend one product, new sensodyne sensitivity & gum, to address both conditions at the same time. if we only treat one versus the other, the patient's mouth is never going to be where it needs to be. it's really good dentistry to be able to recommend one product for patients that can address two conditions. he's a greek god. this is the essence. we make greek yogurt. it's silkier than zeus' pajamas. i bet they're soft (laughing). the perfect fit. possibly the best yogurt in the world.

did you know liberty mutual customizes your car insurance ta-da! so you only pay for what you need? i should get a quote. do it. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ covid-19 we're back, 8:13, with a firsthand look at what it is like to have the coronavirus 11 days ago our good friend, andy cohen, revealed that he tested positive. guess what, last night he was back on the job hosting "watch what happens live" from home we're going to speak to andy in just a second, but first more on his diagnosis and his road to recovery >> i'm your pal andy cohen hosting a social distancing party from home. >> the show must go on, whether in the clubhouse or andy's house. >> i am feeling a lot better, and i am so eager just to get

back to doing what we do best here at watch happens live, which is put out a show to make you smile at the end of the day. >> andy cohen returning to tv monday night for a new episode of "watch what happens live" at home hi, rinna. hey, jerry, great to see you >> just ten days after revealing his coronavirus diagnosis, he first broke the news on an instagram posting, writing in part, after days of self-quarantine and not feeling great, i have tested positive for coronavirus. as much as i want to do wwhl at home, we are putting a pin on that so i can focus on getting better the host opening up about his health scare monday on his sirius xm show >> my symptoms were a fever, tightness in my chest, a cough, very, very achy, some chills, loss of smell and appetite.

>> but andy says the hardest part of all of it was being separated from his 1-year-old son, ben >> i have been quarantined from ben for the last 12 days or so, and i'm going to get to see him right after the show. >> andy now recovered and reunited with his little boy ready to share his story. as promised, andy cohen is with us live. >> hi, andy. >> how are you feeling this morning? >> ladies, it's so good to see you together i'm drinking out of "sunday today" mug willie geist gave me. >> we have mugs, too. >> if i was there, i'd give you both elbows. >> we got you. >> how are you doing, andy you look good. you feel all better? >> i feel strong i feel like it worked its way through my system. i'm solidly at 90% it's good. >> walk us through, andy because i think people are

sitting at home and i think some people think they have it because they feel achy you've had colds, maybe flus and stuff. how was this different what symptoms did you have >> it was lingering. i'm asthmatic but the tightness i felt in my chest was different from the shortness of breath i feel as an asthmatic it was a low fever it was no sense of smell or taste. really achy throughout my body just persistent aches that wouldn't go away kind of a dry cough. not horrible but there it took, like i said, about 11 days, i would say, or 12 days, i would say, to work its way through my system. i took a lot of tylenol, drank a lot of vitamin c and slept a lot. really an energy sap, a major energy sap. >> andy, i didn't know you had asthma

that's like a little scary, wasn't it, because it's a respiratory illness, and when you have those underlying conditions, i think that's where -- even for someone as young and healthy as you are, that's a little terrifying >> it was a little scary but the thing that really helped me is that my doctor recommended that i get something called a pulse oximeter that's one of those little devices -- you can get them at drugstores, and you stick your finger in it to take your pulse. but what it also does is measure the level of oxygen going to your lungs nights where i thought, this doesn't feel right, and i was able to use this pulse oximeter and see what the reading was my doctor said if it goes below x reading, give us a call and then we'll talk. so at least that was a way for me to monitor it at home without driving myself, you know, crazy. >> being sick was tough, i know. but you know what was tougher

was being away from ben. i mean, you have to be cordoned off. would you tell us a little about what that was like i want to hear about the reunion really. >> well, it was -- i just stayed in my room, really, for that whole time and when he was in the kitchen, i wasn't in the kitchen. he, i guess, thought i was out of town, or i don't know what. that was yesterday right after i got off the air on the radio, i went in you know, look, i'm a romantic i've been sitting in my room thinking of nothing but seeing him again, watching him on the nanny cam. it was a delightful reunion. i can't say that it was one for a movie. you know, i joined him playing blocks, and he immediately started knocking down what i was making but he was delighted his face lit up. he touched me a lot. it was very sweet. i'm still kind of trying to

social distance from him as much as i can, even though the doctors say it's okay. they told me that five days after my last symptom, it would be okay to see him. >> oh, gosh. i know it's so hard not to snuggle such an adorable little baby, but you'll be back in business soon. we're so glad you're feeling better. >> thank you so much we're so happy just when you thought my show couldn't get more low tech, here we are back on bravo every night. i mean, we are hanging by a piece of scotch tape and lisa rinna's wi-fi connection >> i see you in your bathrobe there, too. >> which happens to be very good i know this is a tough, heavy time for people, but we are happy to bring some stupid fun back at the end of the night. >> we need stupid fun, andy. >> we do that's what america needs right now. >> we love you >> thanks, andy. >> thank you, andy we love you. >> thank you, guys. >> you can catch all the stupid fun you want, "watch what happens live" 11:00, 10:00 central on our sister network,

bravo. what do you say we check i with al and get the latest on the weather. hey, al. >> it's good to see him and his son what a little cutie the southeast, watching the line of thunderstorms. we actually have tornado warnings for parts of eastern mississippi. this really lines up with the storm hazards we're looking at today. damaging winds, hail, tornadoes possible so we're watching that very closely today. the rest of the country, record highs down through florida mountain snows in the pacific northwest. a spring chill in the air in the upper midwest on into the upper mississippi river valley and a real mess on into the mid-atlantic states. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're starting off with clouds and a live look outside. in the south bay, we'll get some

peaks of sunshine going into this afternoon with our temperatures warming up into the upper 60s by later today. as we check out the rest of the forecast, expect it to reach into the upper 60s. for the south bay and inland east bay, even up to 70 degrees. but then in the forecast, we will see a few more days of weather like this, but then rain returns just in time for the weekend. >> and that is your latest weather. ladies. >> al, thank you now to our ongoing series, with you today this morning in collaboration with facebook, we are focussing on your money. >> tomorrow april 1st, big day on the calendar. for a lot of folks, that means the bills are due, rent, car payments, that kind of thing but with so many out of work, what if you can't afford to make that payment our correspondent stephanie ruhle with everything you need to know and we have your questions right here stephanie, good morning. >> good morning, ladies. >> let me start with rita on facebook she wanted to know if there's any relief for rents

this is a big topic. we saw the words cancel the rent floating around social media is there any relief for folks? >> it's been emblazoned on the side of some office buildings in new york, cancel the rent i want people to understand, at least in new york, that's an activist group an activist group trying to push for this we're hearing it across the country. but on a federal, that means a national level, there has been no regulation changes. the federal government, their perspective is they are expanding unemployment they are now giving those refund checks americans who are in need should use that money to pay their essential bills like rent. now, if you live in federally funded housing, there has been a 120-day freeze on evictions. you can go to the hud website. for most of us who have private landlords, the best you can really do is reach out to your landlord privately, see if there's some sort of relief program, see if you can get put

on a payment plan. because there's nothing official that's happened across the country, at least not yet. >> another question, steph, that we're getting a lot is who can and who cannot file for unemployment this is a big one. here is lindsey from instagram let's take a listen. >> i wasn't collecting unemployment before coronavirus 19 but was unemployed. am i now eligible fo unemployment under new coronavirus 19 eligibility rules? >> so can lindsey collect, stephanie? >> most likely the answer is no. so the expanded unemployment is really to include anyone who's lost a part or all of their job due to corona. if you weren't working before, it will be tough to seek unemployment normally you have to apply within the first week or so from losing your job. now, they've waived that because there's this huge influx of people applying, and the websites are down and you can't get anyone on the phone.

so there's more of a grace period what i would recommend, she should go to the new website the labor department set up, careeronestop.org. that includes every single state out there. you're going to type in your state and see exactly what the parameters are she would have needed to work at some point in this base period to apply and receive those unemployment benefits. >> i want to get one in from mary on facebook let's roll it. >> my husband and i are self-employed with no employees. do we qualify for unemployment >> how about it, stephanie >> you know i love good news the answer is yes. the careers act has expanded unemployment benefits to people who are self-employed, freelance workers, gig economy workers so there's a yes to that it might actually be a double. because they run a small business, they may be eligible for something called the paycheck protection program. that is a loan, 100% forgivable short-term loan the government is offering small businesses if they keep all of their employees

on the payroll in mary's case, it's she and her husband on the payroll, so there's a chance they may get that loan which turns out to be a grant. she needs to call her bank. >> stephanie, thank you. we've got a lot of questions we'll get more coming in also facebook and instagram if you use the hashtag with you today, and post your question, we'll find it for you. we do have a great half hour ahead. country music star thomas rhett, there he is in his house he's going to join us live he's got a great new song. it's going to help people impacted by the coronavirus. pay attention, savannah. roger federer is keeping busy with the tennis season on hold your boy is playing in the snow. >> still got the trick shots >> after your local news good morning to you.

8:26. i'm marcus washington. san francisco leaders are reportedly ready to tighten the restrictions on construction projects during the shelter at home. the chronicle reporting a surge in complaints about ongoing development and work crews disregarding social distancing rules. today is your chance to be a hero without leaving your home. and to help your local restaurants stay afloat. a first great american takeout day was held one week ago. and again today. restaurants are offering some special deals on meals and cocktails to go in an effort to keep employees on the job. so try to grab your fork and your part to do what you can today. right now we want a look at the forecast for you. not forecast. what am i talking about? let's look at the commute for you. mike, how is it going? >> we'll do both. we're looking over here toward the roadways where i forecast some slowing. it continues here southbound 880 toward 92. we saw that crash and fuel spill being cleared up.

there may be a crash in the backup so it may grow a tad bit out there. regarding the forecast and a live look outside. we'll see the san mateo bridge. once you get there through the slowing in hayward, no problem crossing the bridge. you can see for yourself the forecast, because i don't technically have a degree. >> a little cloudy out there. we'll have more for you in 30 minutes.

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>> i am speaking in all caps. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> oh, my gosh ♪ it's 8:30 now. it is tuesday morning. here we are. it's the last day of march 2020. nice to be sitting across from you miss hoda kotb. >> so nice to be sitting with you. >> it's been a long few weeks. soon we'll be able to be right next to each other like we want to be. as my mom keeps telling me, this, too, shall pass and we'll all be together. >> we do have a real big fun half hour coming up. >> i know. we hope this brings a smile to your face. >> we're starting off with that music, thomas rhett. he turned 30 yesterday. >> he's only 30? >> yes he released a new song it's for a great cause you'll be singing it we can't wait to chat with thomas and listen to him sing it. >> i think they have a new baby

in the house plus, who is ready to read with jenna right here? this is the perfect time i always tell jenna, i can't read your books, who has time. guess what, we all have time what the world needs now is jenna and her must read pick for april. we'll see her in a few. we'll give you a bunch of reasons to smile on "pop start," including a certain tennis star who has found a way to keep busy these days you'll probably read it. >> i probably have already watched that video a few times before we get to that, let's get to al with a check of the weather in husband neck of the woods. good morning, again. >> hey, guys, good morning we have really chilly temperatures in the northeast. it's nice and warm down around the gulf where we won't have records. look how warm, beaumont, texas, into new orleans and jacks jacksonville but below normal temperatures in new york, charlotte, nashville and little rock. as we move in tomorrow, warm air from the west. denver, raleigh, cleveland,

knoxville and montgomery all below average. then later this week, temperatures try to moderate we get into the 50s in hartford, cleveland will be flirting with 60 low 60s as you get into st. louis. even minneapolis trying to warm up after friday's >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have some really nice weather in the forecast. we'll see the clouds this morning clearing out for mostly sunny sky and highs reaching 70 degrees in the inland areas. as we go through the week, we'll see still some dry weather up until saturday. that's when a new storm system arrives and temperatures cool off slightly. checking out san francisco with a high of 63 today but we'll see mid-50s once that rain moves in on saturday and sunday. >> hey, if you're looking for a couple of good mysteries, guys i just finished walter mosley's

"trouble is what i do. harlan coben, "the boy from the woods. those are two good thrillers. if you're looking for something. >> read with al. >> we like that. >> all right, al thank you. just awe head, -- ahead, today is the day prince harry and meghan markle's exit from royal life becomes official and inside a look at their next move but first this

all right, everybody time for "pop start. carson is home with beautiful baby goldie and family, so we're going to have to take on the "pop start" duty >> we'll give it a try first up, harry and meghan start a new chapter. they are officially stepping down as working members of the british royal family and making a new home right here in the u.s. natalie morales has more on what's next for them. >> reporter: harry and meghan saying farewell to life as they know it, marking their final day

as senior working royals o instagram writing thank you to this community for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world. adding, you've been great. the couple will always be the duke and duchess of sussex but will no longer use their royal highness titles and will give up their wildly popular sussex royal instagram and other branding the decision to step back, following hints of unhappiness, seen in a documentary filmed during their africa tour last fall harry reliving the memory of his mother's tragic end. >> every single time i see a camera, every single time i hear a click, every single time i see a flash, it takes me straight back >> meghan candidly discussing her tough adjustment to royal life. >> i never thought this would be easy but i thought it would be fair it's not enough to just survive something, right that's not the point of life you've got to thrive. >> reporter: harry and meghan

also acknowledging the global pandemic in their farewell noting, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute. while you may not see us here, the work continues the couple, who have recently been based in canada, have now reportedly relocated to meghan's hometown los angeles president trump tweeting about the couples' arrival writing, "now they have left canada for the u.s., however, the u.s. will not pay for their security protection they must pay. a spokesman for the couple responding, the duke and duchess of sussex have no plans to ask the u.s. government for security resources. privately funded security arrangements have been made. their return to l.a. also marking meghan's return to show business. >> elephant, narrated by meghan, the duchess of sussex. >> reporter: the former "suits" star, lending her voice to a nature documentary on elephants.

meghan narrating elephants all the proceeds going to elephants without borders in africa, a place near and dear to her heart and prince harry's maybe a clue of what lies ahead as they seek to pursue financial freedom and pursue charitable interests on their own terms for "today," natalie morales, nbc news. >> all right well, how about some tennis royalty. >> there you go. >> the rog, my bestie. so, you know, he's home. he's practicing some social distancing himself, but there's a tennis backboard in his life when you're one of the best players in the world, what do you do if you have no one to play with? well, you practice your trick shots. >> oh, my word >> i mean, right he's still got it. >> come on. >> the backboard there he is, in the snow must be in switzerland pretty impressive. by the way, he just had knee

surgery last month so he's looking good he was already going to be out from the french open also, i should mention, he and his wife donated $5 million to fight the coronavirus in switzerland, their native country. >> there are so many people doing great things you don't hear about i'm glad you mentioned that. that's super cool. finally jon bon jovi he's the latest celeb to join jimmy fallon's stay-at-home party last night we got a sneak peek at a song he's written to inspire fans during the coronavirus outbreak. here he is with "do what you can. ♪ nothing's the same you've got to make it through ♪ ♪ when you can't do what you do ♪ ♪ you do what you can ♪ this ain't my prayer it's jus a thought i'm wanting to send ♪ ♪ round here we bend but don't break ♪ ♪ down here we all understand you can't do what you do you do

what you can ♪ >> by the way, that man is going to give us an exclusive performance of this song tonight during our special primetime coverage of the pandemic it will be at 10:00 tonight. >> really good way to end the show he actually put out a social call asking everyone else to write the second verse and tell their story. >> i love that. >> we cannot wait to hear that it's tonight on our primetime special. just ahead, a cure for your self isolation boredom jenna with us revealing her new book club pick we can't wait. but first, ts is "today" on hi

welcome back it's me and savannah look who else is joining us, jbh. jenna, good morning. >> how are y'all >> good morning, cutie. >> look at you you look good. you did your own hair, your own makeup. >> you look very dewey and fresh. >> thank you

i really love to hear that you guys know, i have found my biggest companion, minus my three children and my husband, in these tight quarters have been books during this time. i've heard from so many on social media that in a time of worry and anxiety, losing yourself in a good story is exactly what we should be doing. so y'all might have thought that i forgot about read with jenna but tomorrow is april 1st, so guess what's happening, ladies >> what? >> we are revealing our april pick are you ready? >> we are. lay it on us. >> y'all, here it is it is called "valentine. it is a beautiful book it's a debut novel by elizabeth westmore, and it's almost hard to believe that it's the first time she's published something because it is so fierce and beautiful. it's about west texas, a place i know pretty well, in the 1970s during an oil boom it's told from the perspective of five incredible women who all rally when something tragic happens. i know you hear tragic, and you think, okay, i need humor, and i

got it but this book is funny and lovely and poignant. it talks about how women can lift each other up even when they don't have much so please fall in love with this book like i did. y'all don't have any excuses, savannah i know you have a prime time schedule - >> i just finished the book. >> i read that "pants on fire". >> that's the one i read. >> see >> wasn't it great >> it was. >> it was. >> "valentine" is a beautiful book it's also -- you'll start reading it and all of a sudden be done. i read it on one plane flight. >> wow >> people might think well, how can we get books now you can get books online now support your local bookstores. you can order from them. some are still shipping. >> are you going to do that chitchat on instagram that my mom can't find >> i'm going to do that with this month's author, lilly king who wrote "writers and lovers" that was march's pick. >> okay.

>> but we wanted to go ahead and get this one in the hands of some of our readers. there's ways about how you can get the book if you're worried about how to get it and also how to support indy book sellers an libraries. a lot of libraries are doing such incredible work right now so y'all, find a good book and fall in love >> jenna, we'll see you at 10:00. >> i'm going to be hosting from right here let's hope that works out okay. >> keep your shot up, girl. >> keep your shot up try a little duct tape on the door so the kids can't barge in. >> get some rabbit ears, get them just right. >> they've been coming in. there's no baby crying i think he's down for his nap, so we're all good. >> all right, jenna. >> give him a squeeze for us, jenna. thank you. go to today.com/read with jenna. you can find the book. i think they do normally have a link to where you can buy it as well just ahead, another sight for sore eyes. thomas rhett celebrated a big birthday now he's got a new song. he's going to help musicians impacted by the coronavirus.

a lot to talk to him about, a a lot to talk to him about, a a new baby, - will invisalign aligners really work for my smile.

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♪ i feel good time now to check in with a country superstar and friend of our show just saying his name makes you feel good. thomas rhett recently welcomed his third daughter, celebrated a big milestone birthday and released a very special new song he has a lot to talk to us about. >> he does. >> thomas is joining us by facetime from nashville. a lot of new going on in that house, how are you doing >> lots of new new baby, just turned 30 in a quarantine it's pretty wild. >> oh, look. showing a little picture of lennon gosh, is she pretty. how did you celebrate your birthday all cooped up inside? >> yesterday my wife had a bunch

of my best friends pull up in the driveway, and they leaned out the sunroof and said happy birthday my parents and her parents came over and we sat 6 feet apart it was strange weirdly i had a good time on my birthday ate a lot of cake. i feel old if that makes any sense. >> you look amazing. there are your other kids. you have willow, ada james can we talk about lennon love's hair i've never seen that. >> look at mine. >> look at your hair. >> that's where she gets it from. >> a head of hair. how old is she, two months old >> she's 7 weeks old >> look at her. >> is that insane. >> i think she looks like you. >> i do, too. >> she's a really good baby, really good baby. >> you're working on new music this is so crazy because you actually wrote this song, had some great collaborators with you on this one, reba -- who else is with you on this one

>> reba, keith urban, chris tomlin and hilly scott from lady a antebellum >> this was written a year ago i can't believe how appropriate it is right in this moment. >> we wrote this a year ago based on where the world was kind of at for me it was kind of like what do you say, because there's a million ways to go about it. for me it was how to be a light in a dark place. how to just spread light in a place that seems like you can't, you know. so we wrote this song on the road. i think it was in canada and then, when this all started happening, it just felt like this is the perfect time to put a song like this out it's always been one of my favorites. i'm glad it's finally out for people to hear. >> it's a gift it's called "be a light. can you play it for us. >> yeah. i'll play you like a verse, chorus or so >> okay. >> all right here we go ♪ in a time full of war, be

peace ♪ ♪ in time full of doubt, just believe ♪ ♪ yeah, there ain't that much difference between you and me ♪ ♪ in a time full of war, be peace ♪ ♪ in a world full of hate be a light ♪ ♪ when you do somebody wrong make it right ♪ ♪ don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine ♪ ♪ in a world full of hate be a light ♪ ♪ yeah, don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine ♪ ♪ in a world full of hate be a light ♪ a little snippet for you. >> wow, we love that. >> can't think of a more perfect sentiment, so beautiful, be a light. >> thank you so much >> thomas, you're amazing. >> thank you, thank you. >> where are the kids, by the way? all upstairs. >> upstairs. i think everybody was going to come down here where are they

>> is that lauren? >> they're eating breakfast. >> can lauren say hi >> yeah, come on. >> come on, lauren, just say hi. >> i haven't brushed my hair yet this morning good morning, everybody. >> we love you. >> how are you doing having three kids at home, it's not so easy. hats off to you. thanks for sharing your time with us this morning. >> we were glad to be a part of it good to see y'all via facetime hopefully we can do this face-to-face real soon. >> we can't wait "be a light" available now thomas and lauren, thank you for more on the music cares covid relief fund, you can head to our website "today".com helping those. >> the song isn't just to make us feel good, but to help as well we're glad about that. meanwhile, we're trying to shine a light on some of the unsung heroes. the work they are doing, we've asked you to help us with that unsung heroes, boy, have the posts been pouring in. let's talk wanda in washington, d.c., she

shared a photo of two 911 dispatchers. they are doing incredibly important work, especially in a time like this we're hearing this from cities all across the country the calls are just coming in, and they're some folks doing great work >> hats off to them. danielle shared a photo of her sister sam bagging groceries and lending a hand to shoppers in pueblo, colorado hats off to you. >> absolutely. okay amanda posted this picture of her hero husband, matthew. he's a firefighter and a paramedic, working 24 hour shifts for days on end to serve his community in sebastian, florida. >> cheryl from texas, she tweeted us a photo of her three kids us airman jacqueline, pediatric nurse jocelyn and u.s. sailor joshua. three siblings, three heroes we know now just that image is amazing. there are so many heroes out there. we'd love to keep highlighting them just post, use that hashtag,

today heroes, and as savannah said, we will find you >> we will find you and give you the love you deserve and gratitude we all really feel in these hard times the third and fourth hours of "today" are straight ahead you'll see craig and al after this and hoda and jenna at 10:00 today. we'll see you in a few after your local news.

good morning to you. i'm marcus washington. we know it's looking more and more like these kind of scenes will remain in place for some time. san francisco mayor preparing residents to be ready for shelter at home for at least another month. today bay area county health leaders are expected to officially extend the current social distancing guidelines until may 1st. the restrictions are meant to help flatten the curve of coronavirus infections. meantime, the number of cases in the bay area has topped 2,200. santa clara county has the most covid-19 cases with 848. at least 55 people in the bay area have now died. happening now, we're

monitoring talks this morning and we'll post any updates as soon as they come out on our twitter feed. we'll also have a live update for our midday newscast. also at midday it's possible some bay area whole foods stores may be understaffed today. workers have organized a sick-out. some employees are at odds with the whole food owner amazon. and to learn more about that, head to the local section of our home page. now to the bay area. we're doing what it comes to following the social distancing guidelines. are we doing it? more on that on our home page as well. u cook, to save time and stay ahead of the mess. but scrubbing still takes time. now there's new dawn powerwash dish spray. the faster, easier way to clean as you go. it cleans grease five times faster.

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and a good morning to you. welcome to this third hour of "today." craig melvin here, working from home also working at home, hey, buddy, how are y doing >> doing great just put a little bacon in the oven that should be done by the time we're finished up here there have to be some perks working at home and nick is about ready to start school. all in all, things are pretty good in fact, three out of four of us americans are now under stay-at-home orders. in new york, the