tv CBS Overnight News CBS April 6, 2020 3:00am-4:01am PDT
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breaking news tonight. new warnings for americans, and a coronavirus fight. the nation's top health officials say to brace for the worst and saddest week yet. >> we are struggling to get it under control. >> this is going to be our pearl harbor moment, our 9/11 moment. >> also tonight, president trump accuses some governors of playing politics, as they plead for help. >> can you imagine if franklin delano roosevelt said, "i will be right behind you, connecticut. good luck building those battleships." >> plus, this palm sunday, keeping the faith, and breaking the rules. >> i know it's an increasingly challenging time. >> queen elizabeth urges self-discipline in a rare address to an anxious nation. nurses on the front line
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speak out about shortages threatening their lives. they are the heroic workers putting their health on the line every shift. >> i try to do my help. >> later, a supercentenarian celebrates 110 years. party on. ♪ ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> good evening. i'm karen leigh, reporting tonight from cbs4 news in denver. we begin with breaking news. in britain, prime minister boris johnson, who has the coronavirus, has been admitted to the hospital. also, dire warnings of a country about challenging days ahead. in the last 24 hours there have been more than 1300 new deaths. new york is hit the hardest. 1,000 more military personnel will deploy there to help out. and the virus is spreading, experts warn of a new wave of so called hot spots.
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areas include the northeast, mid-atlantic and south, plus states like indiana and colorado. we have reports tonight from cbs news correspondents across the country and overseas. we begin with meg oliver in newark, new jersey. >> reporter: karen, here in the epicenter of new york and new jersey, they are desperately waiting for flights to arrive full of flies like ventilators. some hospitals only have days left before they run out. the death toll is soaring in new york city, where they lost 594 more people in the last 24 hours to covid-19. >> coronavirus is truly vicious. >> reporter: but sunday, as new york governor andrew cuomo pleaded for the most vulnerable to stay isolated and protected, he offered a glimmer of hope in the same time period they saw the highest number of patients 1,700 discharged -- as well. >> we could be either very near the apex or the apex could be a plateau. >> reporter: as the virus
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ravages hospitals in new jersey suburbs, it is also attacking detroit and chicago, where covid-19 deaths quadrupled last week and doubled in new orleans. two people died aboard the "coral princess" before they were allowed to dock in miami saturday. as new york remains the epicenter, hospitals are running dangerously low on supplies and health care workers are stretched thin. >> every day when i go to work, i feel like a sheep going slaughter. >> reporter: first responders are trying to help, offering support with a nightly serenade of sirens. as health care workers brace for one of the one of the toughest weeks ahead, the economic pain is mounting at an extraordinary rate. here at newark liberty international, united airlines have slashed the number of daily flights from 400 to just 15. experts estimate at least 29% of the economy has shut down. karen. >> all right, meg, thank you. the coronavirus has now claimed
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nearly 10,000 lives across the united states. president trump and top health officials warn, we are in for a tough week. nikole killion is at the white house. >> this is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most american's lives, quite frankly. this is going to be our pearl harbor moment, our 9/11 moment. >> reporter: the surgeon general implored the public to do its part to flatten the curve, as the u.s. braces for the coronavirus crisis to climax. >> i will not say we have it under control, margaret, that would be a false statement. we are struggling to get it under control and that is the issue at hand right now. >> reporter: while most of the country is under stay at home orders, a handful much states are not. >> we'll do more as we need to, listening to our public health official. >> reporter: some governors warn they could be out of critical supply this week. >> it's probably around the 9th of april before we receive our ventilator capacity. >> reporter: the president's
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admission said it is doing all it can to meet the needs and use the federal stockpile as back up. >> to say a backup, the surgeon general eluded to pearl harbor, can you imagine if franklin delano roosevelt said, "i will be right behind you, connecticut. good luck building those battleships." >> reporter: meantime, the pentagon is facing new fallout over the dismissal of u.s.s. "roosevelt" captain brent crozier who was cheered by his fellow sailors after he wrote a letter the complaining the navy wasn't doing enough to save his disease-stricken crew. >> i thought it was terrible what he did. >> reporter: then-secretary mark esper said it was a tough decision, but one that he supports. >> it's a chain of command issue. an issue of trust and confidence in the captain of the ship. >> reporter: captain crozier has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, secretary esper said. over half of the ship's crew has been tested, with 155 confirmed cases. karen. >> all right, nikole, thank you.
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now to britain, boris johnson has been admitted to the hospital. officials call it a precaution as he battles with the coronavirus. in britain today, queen elizabeth ii delivered a rare public address on the coronavirus. as elizabeth palmer reports, it drew on her own wartime experience. >> reporter: boris johnson appeared in the doorway of 10 downey street on thursday to applaud health workers. he has been in isolation, but insisted is he was still leading the fight against the virus. tonight, we're told he's in hospital having tests as a precautionary step. the announcement came just after queen elizabeth made a rare address to the nation. >> i hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. and those who come after us will say, the britons of this generation were as strong as any.
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>> reporter: most britons are trying to keep the regulation two yards apart outdoors this beautiful spring weekend. those who aren't, get nudged along by patrolling police, whether in london's busy parks or on english channel beaches. meanwhile, sweden is still bucking a national lockdown. shops, restaurants and schools remain open, though older people are self-isolating. but critics say the data suggests sweden will soon follow italy and spain deep into crisis. in perugia, italy, father romano celebrates palm sunday mass from a rooftop. proof that things are far from returning to anything like normal yet. but both here and in spain, there is some is good news. the infections and the death rate are flattening. coronavirus deaths in the u.k. are now among the highest in europe.
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♪ ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> holy week has begun with empty places of worship, but people are still keeping the faith this palm sunday. in jerusalem, monks handed out palm fronds at doors and by reaching up to balconies. at the vatican, pope francis said mass to a near empty st. peters basilica. across america, people of all faiths are finding new ways to connect this palm sunday. but some are defying orders not to gather. jonathan vigliotti reports.
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>> reporter: fire and brimstone. >> reporter: and defiant inside louisiana's life tabernacle, where against state and federal orders, pastor tony opened his doors this palm sunday to a packed crowd. he said banning church services is a violation of the first amendment. louisiana's governor disagreed. >> i'm calling upon those parishioners to not go, because it is grossly irresponsible. >> reporter: across the country religious leaders are holding services and risking their parishioners and their community's health, from tampa, florida, where pastor rodney howard-browne was arrested and later decided to cancel in person services. >> people think i was excessive but somebody had to make a stand. >> reporter: ...to thousand oaks, california, where a church
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opened today to give communion to up to 400 people. by and large, most places of worship have heeded the warning, following the pope's lead and taking scripture. >> the church is not something you go to, the church is something that you are a part of. the country is not shutting down churches because they don't believe in what we believe in. they are doing it for the safety of people. >> reporter: the pandemic has led many back to their faith but officials say to place faith over the science is simply dangerous, especially when technology allows people to gather together online. karen, you remember, like all of us, that criticism of spring breakers came under when they gathered collectively on beaches. well, critics say church goers are no different and should stay inside, at least for now. >> all right, jonathan, thank you. the coronavirus pandemic has taken a wrecking ball to all of our social gatherings. from sports to tourism to culture. it is also thrown a speed bump on the road to campaign 2020. ed o'keefe reports on how democrats are dealing. >> reporter: former vice
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president joe biden on sunday once again criticized president trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic. >> what i have been saying is that he is moving too slow. the virus is not his fault. but -- but the response is his responsibility. >> reporter: cbs news polling find a narrow majority of americans approve of the president's handling of the crisis, 51-49%. biden's delegate lead makes him the presumptive democratic nominee. and gives him a slim lead over the president. but the pandemic has affected the presidential campaign as much as every state of life. wisconsin holding a primary on tuesday. the democratic governor and republican legislators have been fighting over the day in court. biden and senator sanders agree the primary should be delayed. >> people should not have to put their lives on the line in order to participate in our democracy. >> reporter: activists like michigan democratic party chairwoman barnes says as a
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precaution states need to expand the use of absentee and vote by mail ballots by november. >> we need to be prepared to have elections that don't require people to show up on a specific day. >> reporter: democrats are also postponing their national convention in milwaukee mid july to mid august. biden is open to having either party delegates meet virtually. >> the idea of holding the convention is going to be necessary, but we may not be able to put 10, 20, 30,000 people in one place. >> reporter: as for republicans, president trump says his party's convention scheduled for late august in charlotte will proceed as scheduled. karen. >> all right, ed o'keefe, thank you. straight ahead on the "cbs trying to stay safe. nurses raise alarms about a critical shortage of supplies. plus, supermarket heroes. new tide power pods one up the cleaning power of liquid.
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been compared to war. on the front line, medical workers. cbs news spoke to more than a dozen nurses in six states who said the shortage of protective equipment is putting them, their families and patients at risk. cbs news senior investigative correspondent catherine herridge shares their story. >> what i can tell you is it has quickly grown into a war zone. >> reporter: i.c.u. nurse shot this inside her yonkers new york hospital because she says she is so concerned. >> this is the painter coveralls. >> reporter: the lack of personal protective gear is putting her and her fellow nurses at risk. >> no isolation gowns. and we are riddled with fear and anxiety because we don't have the proper equipment to take care of these patients. "so what, we're expendable." that's how with you feel. >> reporter: cbs news spoke to more than a dozen nurses in six states who said their hospitals or nursing homes are rationing
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critical supplies. it is now routine to reuse gowns and masks. >> it is not made to be used multiple times. >> reporter: shelley hughes works at a long-term care facility in washington state. her husband found a box of n95 masks in her home emergency kit. >> i wish i had enough to give to everyone. but i gave one to a young lady that i worked with who is seven months pregnant. >> my fear that since the measures and response from from the state have not at all matched the need or the crisis, i'm afraid that i'll see my coworkers dying. >> reporter: new york city i.c.u. nurse tre kwon came back from maternity leave last month. >> i was really torn about returning because i was worried about leaving my baby and breast-feeding and also bringing back the virus, but i couldn't stay home and kind of watch.
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>> reporter: she returned to overwhelmed emergency rooms, and colleagues with coronavirus symptoms. >> the unit, the nurses are getting sick. we are in the i.c.u. as patients. >> reporter: they are also deeply conflicted. >> reporter: the guilt toward not tending to patients right now outweighs the guilt toward my family. >> no health care worker deserves to martyr themselves to this broken system. >> i can't kiss my children, i can't hug my children. and this is going to go on for months. we work hard for our patients because we're impassioned about what we do. but, we didn't sign up to be exposed to a killer virus without proper protection. >> reporter: since our interview, shelly hughes, who gave one of her n95 masks to a pregnant colleague, has begun self-isolating. she has some symptoms and she doesn't know whether it's her asthma acting up or covid-19. karen?
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>> all right, katherine herridge in washington, d.c. tonight, thank you. they cannot work at home, keeping food on our tables. how fast does dove dry spray actually dry? dry spray dries in an instant. leaving these men with nothing to do in this ad. thankfully, we've got something to fill the time, instantly putting these guys back into their comfort zone. dove dry spray dries instantly and keeps you protected for 48 hours. did yocould be signs that dovsyour digestive systemwntly isn't working at its best? taking metamucil every day can help. metamucil supports your daily digestive health using a special plant-based fiber called psyllium. psyllium works by forming a gel in your digestive system to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down. metamucil's gelling action also helps to lower cholesterol and slows sugar absorption to promote healthy blood sugar levels. so, start feeling lighter and more energetic... by taking metamucil every day.
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that's a zzzquil pure zzzs sleep. our gummies contain a unique botanical blend, while an optimal melatonin level means no next-day grogginess. zzzquil pure zzzs. naturally superior sleep. a new warning tonight from one the nation's top health experts, dr. deborah birx. she said this is not the moment to go to the grocery store, if you live in a coronavirus hot spot.
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but some people don't have a choice to stay home -- they work there. and while they are not often seen as heroes, these days this is exactly what they are. here's janet shamlian. >> reporter: it's not a hospital, but in this unique time, grocery stores like this in houston have been almost as important lifelines for communities. demand is surging and just keeping shelves full takes herculean efforts. workers on the front lines knowing being here puts him as elevated risk, doing it anyway. >> i'm not a doctor, i'm not a policeman, but do i work in a grocery store and i try to do my part to help the public. >> reporter: so many working in warehouse stores, groceries, even mini marts, feeling that call of duty. >> we have thousands of customers that come in a day, lines get long. but it's like a brotherhood. we are all coming in, helping each other out. >> reporter: what is it like to be on the front lines of a public health crisis? >> there is a lot of uncertainty and you really feel the
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responsibility of taking care of the community. that you understand that the community is relying on you to put food on their table. >> reporter: a whole new playbook for stores nationwide, including h-e-b... >> reporter: ...more accustomed to weathering storms. >> diapers? >> diapers have been coming in. >> with the hurricane, you see the storm coming. it hits and it goes away. there is so much uncertainty with coronavirus because you don't know exactly when if will peak and how long it will last. >> reporter: never has the industry and people played such a vital role. have you ever given a thought about not coming to work? >> no, never crossed my mind. >> reporter: because? >> because this is a necessity, it has to be done. somebody has to do it. >> reporter: a different kind of first responder. >> reporter: janet shamlian, cbs news, houston. briefly from florida, a massive fire took firefighters two days to knock down this fire near the airport at fort meyers,
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flames torched over 4500 cars in an overcrowded parking area. spectators watched despite the toxic smoke amid stay at home orders. when you humble yourself under the mighty hand of god, in due time he will exalt you. hi, i'm joel osteen. i'm excited about being with you every week. i hope you'll tune in. you'll be inspired, you'll be encouraged. i'm looking forward to seeing you right here. you are fully loaded and completely equipped for the race that's been designed for you.
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finally tonight, while this is a time of severe hardship for many, one woman in los angeles has reason to celebrate -- 110 incredible reasons. for the supercentenarian, life goes on. here's jamie yuccas. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ happy birthday to you >> reporter: ruth mendelson dressed up and put on her lipstick to celebrate her 110th birthday. but, the party attendees had to get creative, using an iphone in and front glass window. >> we threw the best party we could give her under the circumstances. >> reporter: ruth's son errol bender hopes his mom is a beacon of hope during this dark time, and thinks anyone could learn from how she lived her life.
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what makes your mom special? >> she is extraordinary because she is ordinary. she is not a world record holder in anything. she didn't invent anything. she didn't run any companies or paint pictures. she has been a person who has impacted people's lives through who she is. she listens to people. she cares about people. she smiles. >> reporter: born in 1910, william howard taft was president. ruth lived through world war i and ii, the great depression and the spanish flu of 1918. now, bender just hopes she can survive coronavirus, so he can throw her another party. >> this is not what we hoped to have to live in for a lot longer but under the circumstances, it is better than the alternative. >> reporter: and that's all any of us can hope for, at any age. jamie yuccas, cbs news, los angeles. >> and that's the overnight news for this monday. for some of you the news continues. for others, check back with us a little later for the cbs morning
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news. or follow us online any time at cbsnews.com. reporting this morning from cbs 4 news in denver, i'm karen leigh. ♪ ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> good evening, i'm karen leigh reporting tonight from cbs 4 news in denver. we begin with breaking news in britain. prime minister boris johnson who has the coronavirus has been admitted to the hospital. also dire warnings in his country about challenging days ahead. and the last 24 hours there have been more than 1300 new deaths. new york is hit the hardest. 1,000 more military personnel will deploy there to help out. and the virus is spreading. experts warn of a new wave of so-called hot spots. areas include the northeast, mid-atlantic and south, plus
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states like indiana, and colorado. we have reports tonight from cbs news correspondents across the country and overseas. we begin with meg oliver in newark, new jersey. >> reporter: karen, here in the epicenter of new york and new jersey, they are desperately waiting for flights to arrive full of supply likes ventilators. some hospitals only have days left before they run out. the death toll is soaring in new york city, where they lost 594 more people in the last 24 hours to covid-19. >> coronavirus is truly vicious. >> reporter: but sunday, as new york governor andrew cuomo pleaded for the most vulnerable to stay isolated and protected, he offered a glimmer of hope in the same time period they saw the highest number of patients, 1,700 discharged as well. >> we could be either very near the apex or the apex could be a plateau. >> reporter: as the virus
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ravages hospitals in new jersey suburbs, it is also attacking detroit and chicago, where covid-19 deaths quadrupled last week and doubled in new orleans. two people died aboard the "coral princess" before they were allowed to dock in miami saturday. as new york remains the epicenter, hospitals are running dangerously low on supplies and health care workers are stretched thin. >> every day when i go to work, i feel like a sheep going slaughter. >> reporter: first responders are trying to help, offering support with a nightly serenade of sirens. as health care workers brace for possibly one of the toughest weeks ahead, the economic pain is mounting at an extraordinary rate. here at newark liberty international, united airlines have slashed the number of daily flights from 400 to just 15. experts estimate at least 29% of the economy has shut down. karen. >> all right, meg, thank you. the coronavirus has now claimed nearly 10,000 lives across the united states.
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president trump and top health officials warn, we are in for a tough week. nikole killion is at the white house. >> this is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most american's lives, quite frankly. this is going to be our pearl harbor moment, our 9/11 moment. >> reporter: the surgeon general implored the public to do its part to flatten the curve, as the u.s. braces for the coronavirus crisis to climax. >> i will not say we have it under control, margaret, that would be a false statement. we are struggling to get it under control and that is the issue at hand right now. >> reporter: while most of the country is under stay at home orders, a handful of states are not. >> we'll do more as we need to, listening to our public health official. >> reporter: some governors warn they could be out of critical supply this week. >> st probably the 9th airport. >> reporter: its president said his administration is doing all it can to meet the needs but
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also cautioned states to use the federal stockpile just for back up. >> to say a backup, the surgeon general eluded to pearl harbor, can you imagine if franklin delano roosevelt said, "i will be right behind you, connecticut. good luck building those battleships." >> reporter: meantime, the pentagon is facing new fallout over the dismissal of u.s.s. "roosevelt" captain brent crozier who was cheered by his fellow sailors after he wrote a letter the complaining the navy wasn't doing enough to save his disease-stricken crew. >> i thought it was terrible what he did. >> reporter: then-secretary mark esper said it was a tough decision, but one that he supports. >> it's a chain of command issue. an issue of trust and confidence in the captain of the ship. >> reporter: captain crozier has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, secretary esper said. over half of the ship's crew has been tested, with 155 confirmed cases. karen. >> all right, nikole, thank you. now to britain, prime minister
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boris johnson has been admitted to the hospital. officials call it a precaution as he battles with the coronavirus. in britain today, queen elizabeth ii delivered a rare public address on the coronavirus. as elizabeth palmer reports, it drew on her own wartime experience. >> reporter: boris johnson appeared in the door way of downing street on thursday to applaud health workers. he has been in isolation, but insisted is he was still leading the fight against the virus. tonight, we're told he's in hospital having tests as a precautionary step. the announcement came just after queen elizabeth made a rare address to the nation. >> i hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. and those who come after us will say, the britons of this generation were as strong as any. >> reporter: most britons are trying to keep the regulation
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two yards apart outdoors this beautiful spring weekend. those who aren't, get nudged along by patrolling police, whether in london's busy parks or on english channel beaches. meanwhile, sweden is still bucking a national lockdown. shops, restaurants and schools remain open, though older people are self-isolating. but critics say the data suggests sweden will soon follow italy and spain deep into crisis. in perugia, italy, father romano celebrates palm sunday mass from a rooftop. proof that things are far from returning to anything like normal yet. but both here and in spain, there is some is good news. the infection and the death rates are flattening. coronavirus deaths in the u.k. are now among the highest in
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europe. but the health secretary has said evidence shows the peak may come as early as next weekend. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. >> holy week has begun with empty places of worship, but people are still keeping the faith this palm sunday. in jerusalem, monks handed out palm fronds at doors and by reaching up to balconies. at the vatican, pope francis said mass to a near empty st. peters basilica. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. and the struggle is real.
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♪ ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> welcome back to the overnight news. i'm karen leigh reporting from cbs 4 in denver. the coronavirus is taking a toll on the nation's farms. because of all the schools and restaurants closed, other farmers are struggling to harvest their crops. thousands of migrant workers who come to this country just for the season are being locked out. mark strassmann has a story from tifton, georgia. >> reporter: you're looking at one of georgia's biggest farms, 7,000 acres, more than a dozen crops that help feed america.
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in this cabbage field we found farmer bill brim walking with his worries. >> this coronavirus has got everybody so stirred up. >> reporter: does it keep you up at night? >> oh, yeah, i sleep about 2 1/2, three hours a night. >> reporter: seasonal foreign labor mainly from mexico, always harvest brim's crops. but this spring he could be 200 workers short. the coronavirus crisis has delayed the u.s. government's processing of their work visas. bill brim is fashioning a series of harvest deadlines. first one is april 15th. and these fields of squash. may 1st, it's cucumbers and so on. and he better have his pickers in place. >> when we start harvesting squash, we've got just days to pick it. so if our workers don't show up here on time, then we're going to be in real trouble. >> reporter: it's not one of those things in life you can say i'll get to it next week. >> no, sir. i wish we could.
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>> reporter: 70 miles away jeremy white is in bigger trouble. his blue berry crop is days away from harvest. he needs 100 pickers and packers. but they're stuck in guatemala where the borders are sealed because of the virus. nobody in, nobody out. >> we need them now. absolutely we need them now. as you can see, this fruit is turning blue and it's not waiting on anybody. >> reporter: more than a million dollars worth of blue berries could rot in the fields. he has no plan b. >> domestic labor just don't want to do this kind of work. it's unfortunate to say. they don't want to get out and do hard field labor any more. >> reporter: gary black is georgia's commissioner of agriculture. >> it is reality if there are not workers, there will be crops that will go unharvested. and that has a ripple effect throughout this economy and it will affect the consumers of this nation. >> reporter: bill brim's worries go beyond his labor shortage. what if the workers he does have get sick? and restaurants usually buy 60%
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of his crops. not this year. not with so many restaurants closed. this big farm, how much money could it lose if this doesn't turn around? >> it could devastate us. it could put us out of business really. >> reporter: 35 years you've owned it. >> right. >> reporter: and this could be it? >> right. we're hoping and praying not. we're hoping this coronavirus will get out of here and we can go back to a little bit of normalcy. >> reporter: timing is now everything here. these crops can't wait. mark strassmann, tifton, georgia. >> while new york city and other centers of the coronavirus outbreak brace for a flood of new cases, there is hope coming from italy. the number of people dying is dropping. now to its lowest level in two weeks. our own seth doane is in rome. he is under quarantine after testing positive for the virus. >> reporter: images from italy are usually a window into the
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past, but recently its empty canals, tourist sites and streets provide a startling glimpse of the future. >> probably we are learning things for the next pandemic. >> reporter: anesthesiologist marco was the lead author of recommendations designed to help italian doctors prioritize icu patients when there aren't adequate resources. a dilemma hospitals in the u.s. now face. so what should the u.s. be learning from italy? >> when i hear the news from colleagues and friends, for example, in new york city, i think that probably they wasted some of the advantage they had. >> reporter: that advantage, time to prepare. he says a few extra days of containment measures in communities can make an exponential difference in hospitals. what is the lag time between the lock down and when you really see it working? >> i mean, at least ten days, but probably up to three weeks.
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>> reporter: hospitals in italy have been sources of infection since early cases were not recognized. and the italian government's evolving response has also been criticized. initially only italy's north was locked down and people fled south. likely carrying the infection. now a national lock down is in place and italy has boosted surveillance and fines. despite its staggering more than 15,000 deaths, italy has shown encouraging signs this past week as the percentage increase of new infections slowed. but the country is prioritizing testing only the most severe cases. so that means many others go undetected and vergano says calculations, including those in china, have been misleading. >> many epidemiologists say probably the real number of deaths is four to eight times more than the official numbers.
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and this is happening in italy, too. so this is -- those are catastrophic numbers. >> reporter: the issue of under reporting is just a chronic one. >> reporter: john zelner, professor of epidemiology at the university of michigan says testing is key. >> it's like fighting gravity. it's hard to beat back the tide when you have one, two, three for indications in your community, you know where they are, you can deal with them on a case-by-case basis. as the number grows, the ability to chase down cases goes out the wo window and we're left with more draconian measures. >> reporter: what went so long in italy? >> we are the first western country with the disease diagnosed so we did not recognize cases of the disease that certainly was around at least four or five weeks before. >> reporter: the doctor is coordinating the response at hospitals in hard-hit lombardi province. they struggle with the
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demographic challenge. are there cultural factors here in italy that made the spread worse? >> the age of the population. because italy has like one of the oldest population in the world. >> reporter: the only way to slow infections is to change behavior, and that has not been easy. in late february, just days before he tested positive for covid-19, this top italian politician tweeted about maintaining normality, and rekindling the country's economy. >> if we leave this disease go, we will have a number of deaths which is comparable to that of the second world war. i don't see how having hundreds of thousands of deaths can help economy. i would be draconian now and then we will start. as it started after the war, you know? >> reporter: while lock downs may buy time, ultimately widespread testing and contact tracing are essential to truly defeat this virus.
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>> seth doane under lock down to be honest a little dust it never bothered me. until i found out what it actually was. dust mite matter! eeeeeww! dead skin cells! gross! so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy-duty dusters. duster extends to three feet to get all that gross stuff gotcha! and for that nasty dust on my floors, my sweeper's on it. the textured cloths grab and hold dirt and hair no matter where dust bunnies hide. no more heebie jeebies. phew. glad i stopped cleaning and started swiffering.
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♪when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion,♪ ♪upset stomach, diarrhea. try pepto liquicaps for fast relief and ultra-coating. ♪nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea.♪ get powerful relief with pepto bismol liquicaps. believe it or not, there is no toilet paper shortage. panic buying has left the shelves empty at your local stores, and this isn't the first time it's happened. mo rock a has your overnight news history lesson. >> they buy it before we can put it on the shelf. >> i thought because there was
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going to be a shortage maybe i would come and stock up. but i see someone beat me to the punch. >> yep. it happened before. a toilet paper scare during the energy crisis of the early 1970s. former cbs news reporter sally quinn covered the story. >> reporter: amidst the recent preoccupation with the fuel shortage and meat shortage, a new gap has appeared in the staples of the american household, the toilet paper shortage. >> reporter: film maker brian gersten made a documentary short about it last year. yes, before the current toilet paper panic. you know people think you're some kind of prophet now. >> i am not the nostradamus of toilet paper shortage. >> reporter: here's what happened in 1973. >> a congressman releases a statement saying the next thing we're going to have to worry about is a potential toilet paper shortage. >> reporter: a toilet paper
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shortage is no laughing matter. >> it is a problem that will potentially touch every american. >> reporter: the warning was picked up by late night king johnny carson's writers who left out the potential part. >> there is an acute shortage of toilet paper in the good old united states. we have to quit writing on it. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the false alarm sent carson's audience of almost 20 million running. >> i'm used to being able to go when i want to, when i want to, but suddenly i think i'm going to have to start curbing my habits. >> people grabbed as much toilet paper as they could. >> reporter: a month later cbs news's own walter chrronkite se the record state. >> they are allocating a system
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for toilet tissue. unfounded rumors of a shortage caused excessive demand at retail outlets. >> and this carson issued a clarification of sorts. >> all my life, i don't want to be remembered as the man who created a toilet paper scare. there is no shortage. >> reporter: and there is no shortage today, but there is another panic. >> when there is uncertainty in the world, people would like to eliminate some of that uncertainty. >> reporter: boston university economics professor jay zikorski says it's rooted in something called zero-risk bias. >> so, buying toilet paper or plenty of toilet paper ensures at least one act in their life is completely taken care of. >> reporter: it gives us some degree of reassurance, of certainty? >> reassurance, certainty, you might run out of something else, but at least you have one of the staples that makes most people feel better. >> the ripple is a great way to clean.
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>> that's something we can get behind. >> reporter: toilet paper manufacturer kimberly clark wants to make clear. >> we're working very closely with our retail partners to ensure we can get that product to the store shelves, and so that this temporary shortfall can be corrected. >> reporter: and here's something to bowl you over. about 90% of toilet paper americans use is made right here in the usa. >> i think the most important message that people should take away is there's actually plenty of toilet paper. there's no need to panic. >> reporter: a lesson sally quinn imparted to our viewers over 45 years ago. >> apparently there's plenty of toilet paper for everybody. it's just that the terror has caused people to hoard, there by depleting the supply and all for nothing. americans are just shortage scared about toilet paper and everything else. >> the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. per
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>> reporter: turns out social distancing, staying at home, even locking yourself in your apartment, cannot prevent love sickness. take the case of 28-year-old jeremy cohen, the brooklyn man who fell for a girl he saw out his window dancing on her roof. what did you see in her? you could barely see her. >> i saw a shining bright light. she was happiness in a dark time. i went out on my deck and waved hi, she waved back. i felt a little bit of a connection. >> reporter: there's nothing you can do about it. >> unless. >> reporter: you have a drone and the courage to fly your phone number to a total stranger. 23-year-old tori texted jeremy shortly after. >> so i asked her out to dinner. >> reporter: of course, tori couldn't come over so she sat at her table and he at his. >> you look beautiful! >> reporter: they even shared a face-time toast. >> it felt like a real date even though we were on face time.
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>> and the date lasted until tori's phone died. >> reporter: for their second date they went for a walk using a giant bubble he bought on e. bay. she was bowled over by the gesture, almost literally. perhaps he can fly his toothbrush over to her place. why not? she's already met his mother. >> your mom reached out. >> no. >> why wouldn't she tell me? >> reporter: are you guys dating now? >> sure, but we're opening to seeing other roof people right now. >> reporter: it is hard to maintain a long distance relationship, even if it's just across the street. but we will certainly be rooting for them because it's their kind of attitude and ingenuity tha we're going to need to preserve our humanity. steve hartman, on the road in new york. >> and that's the overnight news for this monday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us a litt lateror the cbs morning news. or follow us online any time at
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cbsnews.com. reporting this morning from cbs 4 news in denver, i'm karen leigh. ♪ ♪ captioning sponsored by cbs >> leigh: breaking news tonight-- new warnings for americans, and a coronavirus fight. the nation's top health officials say to brace for the worst and saddest week yet. >> we are struggling to get it under control. >> this is going to be our pearl harbor moment, our 9/11 moment. >> leigh: also tonight, president trump accuses some governors of playing politics, as they plead for help. >> can you imagine if franklin delano roosevelt said, "i will be right behind you, connecticut. good luck building those battleships." >> leigh: plus, this palm sunday, keeping the faith, and breaking the rules. >> i know it's an increasingly challenging time. >> leigh: queen elizabeth urges self-discipline in a rare address to an ou
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