first up here on msnbc, optimism and fear. officials try to put facts over feelings while hot spots in different cities burn hotter. >> i still want to know how this happened. because the warning signs were there. and if you don't know the answer, then how do you know it's not going to happen again? >> i've been gasping for air. it felt like i was suffocating. nobody is safe from the virus. you don't know how it's going to affect you. >> observing the rehreupligious hallidays from home.

the lockdown creating something that has not happened in decades. a very good morning to all of you. it is saturday, april 11th. i'm alex witt. we begin with breaking news on the coronavirus pandemic. this morning, there are half a million of confirmed coronavirus cases in the united states. 18,651 people have died. that number increasing by more than 2,000 on friday. it is the highest number of deaths this country has seen in a single day since the start of the outbreak. there are some new indicators of how and when we might start to see a return to normal. a new task force will guide the administration is reopening this country. dr. anthony fauci said antibody tests could be the first step. >> anybody gives you an idea of the number of people that have been exposed and infected and actually recovered. when you get an idea that you will know, those people who very likely would be protected if

they were put into a situation where they might be exposed. that is part of a multi-faceted why of the things that you might need to come back and make a gradual return to normality. >> out on the west coast, los angeles county is extending the stay-at-home order through may 15. a health official says social distancing measures have been effective at slowing the spread but they must remain to keep that going in the right direction. the ios launching a new tool to help people receive their coronavirus relief checks. they are calling it a simple tax return. it is geared toward low income americans and those not required to file taxes. steve mnuchin said they will start going out by the end of next week. officials are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. the number of cases is getting closer to 171,000 with almost

8,000 deaths. 95,000 of these cases, 5,500 right here in new york city. officials are hopeful about the number of people showing up in hospitals in new york. look at that curve. that line there. you see it on a downward trend. but the daily death rate in the state has remained consistent. we have begun to see images like these of temporary mass burr burials. they are trying to ease the burden of elmhurst hospital very close by. what is happening there today? >> reporter: that's right. elmhurst one of the hardest hit, alex. today will be the first official full day this center will begin accepting covid patients. it began last night. as of the latest numbers, as we understand it from mayor bill de blasio's office, they have five patients here as well.

20 beds are available for icu if needed. even though the numbers and the deaths continue to grow, the glimmer of hope here from scientists is they are leveling off, which is good. the number of hospitalizations are down. the number of admissions to icu are in the negative in fact. those numbers were a bit of a surprise to governor cuomo. take a listen. >> the actual curve is much, much lower than any of them projected. well, what's the variance? how do you come up with a curve that is so much different than what the experts predicted? first, if fairness to the experts, nobody has been here before. nobody. so everyone is trying to figure it out the best they can. there is no model to track against. sending, the big variable is

what policies do you put in place. and the bigger variable was does anybody listen to the policies you put in place, right? >> alex, one of the more important things is listening to the policies put in place. in queens, 29,000 cases. it will be extra important to stay vigilant in the upcoming days. they want to ramp up antibody testing. he is hoping to make it 1,000 next week for the state and 2,000 by the week after. >> i have to tell you, cori, a lot of us could take our cue from you on wearing that mask. good on you. to philadelphia where a hot spot could be forming there. maura barrett is in philadelphia for us. a good morning to you. i see you have your mask on as well. talk about the city, what it is doing to get ahead of the curve

and keep it from spiking too steeply. >> reporter: good morning, alex. here in philadelphia, they are seeing 6,000 positive coronavirus cases compared to 20,000 across the entire state. yesterday, the highest spike, 33 in one day out of 137 here in philadelphia. we are about 100 miles south of new york city. the numbers don't even compare. there has been steady increases here in philadelphia. the mayor is optimistic. they have seen a steady uptick, about 500 cases a day. no heavy spikes there. here at the university of pennsylvania medical center, they are doing a test and trial for the hydroxycholoroquine. they have seen it have success with treating malaria, arthritis.

as the president has been talking about, researchers are saying not yet. the medical testing is absolutely necessary. take a listen to what one of the researchers told me just yesterday. >> we need to do rigorous science. that takes effort. that takes in time. but it is essentially if we see a therapy works or doesn't work. do we hope it works? we sure do. what we won't know until we look at this rigorously and perform good scientific trials to assess it. >> reporter: this trial in philadelphia has inspired similar trials up in the new york city area as well. researchers tell me in the meantime, people shouldn't wait for this drug to pass any testing. they should be passing prevention, staying at home, practicing social distancing. the mayor of philadelphia said yesterday this new normal of social distancing could last in philadelphia through the summer. alex? >> maura barrett, thanks for the

heads-up on that and the timeline. appreciate it. joining me right now dr. stefan flores from irving medical center. big welcome to you and our thanks for what you are doing as you, sir, have been on the front lines of this fight. are you seeing signs that we are flattening the curve? >> yeah. thank you for having me. as governor cuomo has stated, there has been hopeful statistics. please interpret these with caution. admissions in discharge are down thopts as well as to the icu. again, people are dying, and they will continue to die. so the numbers are grossly understated across all things that we are seeing. the number of cases, because we are obviously still under testing at this point and we haven't been widespread testing, fatalities as well as we know, patients are dying before they even get to the hospital. even hoplgzs. admission and discharge criteria

has shifted during this pandemic. that is something everyone needs to keep in mind. i can tell you i worked yesterday. it was probably the first day that i truly felt that our volume was done, which was great. the number of patients were acute, those who came in needed to be intubated and go to the icu was still there. i want to obviously really send that message that even though we may be potentially and currently in plateau that as the weather starts to get nice here in new york city and even around the country and with easter and passover upon us,ive urge citizens to stay at home and continue practice social distancing and everything we have been preaching. the best form of treatment is education and prevention at this point in time. >> a point i want to pick up on, slight silver lining. put in perspective that you felt yesterday that, you know, things

were turning a little bit. where did that sense came from? >> when i came on and got sign out i was there throughout the day. i wasn't as overwhelmed from a week ago when i came on. it just felt manageable. not that the whole pandemic is manageable. but compared to the last few days, i didn't feel like i was running around like a chicken without a head. maybe it is because i adapted to this new normal. again, i think it is a good sign. we kapbt stay lax during this time. we need to keep doing what we're doing, wear protective equipment. the virus doesn't take a day off, nor should we. >> absolutely. i want to ask you about the

numbers that we are seeing. you mentioned those dying before they get to the hospital, those dying at home. any perspective on what that number is? i know you are so busy inside that e.r. do you have an idea how many of those that ought to be a hospital are actually in the hospital versus those that are dying at home? >> it's hard to really say at this point in time. unfortunately, until the dust settles, we won't really know. i can tell you, though, we are starting to see data. new york city is specifically looking at things such as race now. we are seeing obviously, for example, hispanics and african-americans are dying twice their caucasian counterparts, which is unfortunate. >> doctor, can you offer a reason for why that is happening? that disproportionate effect on african-americans and latinos? >> absolutely. so i think a lot of this

unfortunately the covid-19 is highlighting the in efficiencies that we already known about. as we know, these vulnerable communities can't afford to distance, can't afford to miss a page check, can't uber or lyft to go to work. they can't even do what i'm doing now, skyping into a meeting, for example, or taking a zoom meeting and working from home. they have to take the train, the bus. they are living under crowded conditions. they all lend to what we see those communities being affected at the numbers and rates they are affected at. so, again, this only in the city but throughout the country. we are seeing data from illinois, milwaukee, and more. i want to take another point. just like covid-19 is affecting lungs and causing pulmonary failure and they die and suffer

alone, i fear the same is happening to our u.s. health care system. we were operating on all four cylinders and dealing with a lot as physicians with the burden, productivity level, and you super impose the covid-19 pandemic, and you have a recipe for disaster. i applaud our leaders and those who stepped up to take the reigns and lead us during this crisis, such as governor cuomo, mayor de blasio. >> dr. stefan flores, thank you so much. much appreciated. stay safe and healthy. to the white house now. kelly o'donnell. with a good morning to you, my friend. the president addressed this ending the lockdown as the

deadline for easing restrictions approaches. what are the terms of the details he's sighing on that >> reporter: good morning, alex. president trump acknowledges that the decision to reboot business life in america and get people out of their homes is the most consequential call he will ever to to meet in office. the president promised to be guided by science. >> i will certainly listen. i will certainly listen. >> reporter: while also relying on instinct. >> the metrics is right here. that is my metrics. >> reporter: bearing the heavy responsibility of when and how to lift social distancing restrictions set to expire april 30th. >> i'm going to have to make a decision, and i only hope to god it's the right decision. i would say without question it's the biggest decision i have ever had to make. >> reporter: a new cbs news poll shows 47% of americans

questioned say the president is doing a good job. but that's down 4 points since last week. should americans have to decide between staying healthy and to go back to work? >> we're going to do both. we are going to go back to work and we're going to stay healthy >> reporter: returning to work without widespread testing carries risk. >> there's no doubt you will see cases. i would be so surprised if we did not see cases. the question is how you respond to them. >> reporter: the president clearly torn. >> we open up, it could lead to deadly or rapid. staying home leads to death also >> reporter: negotiations continue with capitol hill for another massive relief package. while president trump says tuesday he will commission a bipartisan group of elected officials, science and business experts to plan next steps. >> i call it the opening our

country task force or opening our country council. >> reporter: in this easter season, the president urged those determined to hold services to instead heed restrictions and stay home. >> we've got to get our country healed. let's get healed before we do this. >> reporter: and president trump, who usually celebrates easter with his family in west palm beach, florida, attending services there, says that instead he will be watching services on a laptop here at the white house. so far, alex, there is no coronavirus briefing this weekend. it has changed in the past. it is, however, the holiday weekend. so maybe they will take a little break. >> i have a few friends that will be streaming their particular church services. it will be a popular one as well. kelly o'donnell, thank you very much, my friend. ignore the message that could save their lives. some church are still holding

services this weekend and could attract thousands. and new numbers the impact is having on 9 11 system. calls are coming in every 15 seconds. a request for ambulances up by 40%. and response times several minutes slower. wayfair has way more ways to renovate your home, from inspiration to installation. like way more vanities perfect for you. nice. way more unique fixtures and tiles. pairing. ♪ nice. way more top brands in sinks and faucets. way more ways to rule your renovation. nice! on any budget, with free shipping. wayfair. way more than furniture.

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welcome back to msnbc world headquarters here in new york. an empty times square from a stone's throw where we are at "30 rock" feller center. this weekend millions of americans will be celebrating the easter holiday. but there was increasing concern that some states are inviting disaster by allowing parishioners to pray in person. sam brock is joining me from miami, florida, one of the states under the microscope this weekend. sam, real concerns about the risks for the churchbound faithful, right? >> reporter: absolutely, alex. many faith leaders are communicating it's not worth the

risk. here in south florida, more than a million click parishioners who don't have the option. the archbishop of miami said you can only stream online. at the same time, a llex, the governor has given the green light. but it is stoking fears of transmission. empty pews is and online services. >> most of the pastors agree that they are better off doing what they're doing, which is 6 distancing. >> reporter: a presidential plea taking root in many big cities like los angeles. >> in these days we feel to physical distance. >> reporter: easter services are moving online. at the vatican, pope francis will preside over a livestream on on easter sunday. in some states, a different

tune. >> the state of florida will not close a church, synagogue or place of worship. we have advocated that people worship in a way of social distancing guidelines >> reporter: miami's archbishop. >> the governor is the governor. i'll take care of the spiritual side of things. and he'll take care of the state side. >> reporter: the center arena held in-person services in palm sunday and plans to go so again on easter. in louisiana, philadelphia, defiance on full display. a baton rouge pastor who has been arrested once will open his doors again. and a spiritual leader said face

masks will be provided to all who walk through the doors. but in new orleans, boundaries not being tested but spirits lifted. >> the archbishop has been diagnosed with covid-19. >> reporter: archbishop still recovering from coronavirus. flying over his parishioners in a world war ii era plane. and even in some states where there's not an explicit ban on in-person services right now, governors made clear they don't want to see it. georgia is a perfect example of that. they have been pleading with people stay at home. the state has abandoned gatherings of 10 or more people >> where was that drive-by? that was very cool. people could drive-by and get a brief blessing. where was that happening? >> reporter: drive-through benedictions. that was a suburb of new orleans. it's happening all over the country right now. people are coming in by the hundreds in cars to get blessed

but with a window in between or space following the social distancing guidelines that many governors have been advocating. >> yeah. that was awesome. sam brock, thank you so much, from miami. now a firsthand account from someone who survived it. i spent six days on a ventilator with covid-19. it saved me, but my life is not the same. a 17-day stint in the hospital and his road to recovery. david lat, founder and managing editor for abovethelaw.com. really good to see you. how are you feeling and how is your recovery going? >> good, alex. as you can see, i'm still a little bit hoarse and i get winded easily. i get short of breath from climbing the stairs. but i'm moving in the right direction. >> david, you are hoarse, is that because of the breathing

tube, the ventilator? the removal can cause the esophagus to get rather raw. when did you start feeling sick. when did you think i've got to get to the hospital? >> so i started feeling sick in early march, around march 7 to 8. initially it was just fatigue. then fever, chills, and aches. a week into the symptoms, i started getting a cough and shortness of breath. that's when i went to the emergency room. >> how scared were you? >> so i was definitely anxious when i first got sick. the scariest thing, though, was hearing i would have to be put on a ventilator, have to be intubated. that's when i was really, really scared. >> you got the proper treatments there. how long did it take for you to start improving? >> when i was still in the hospital, i was on the mend after the ventilator. i was there for about six days

afterwards learning how to breathe again. and i'm still improving. but it's just a slow process. my doctors told me it could take weeks or months to fully recover from something like this. >> i'm going to get to that in a second. i understand, david, your father is a doctor. your father said something about the ventilator, not going on it because so many people who go on it will die. that's very concerning to hear from your dad. >> yes. he told me that a few days before i actually went on the ventilator. he said you better not get on a ventilator. not everyone comes back from that. so that made me even more terrified when i had to be put on a ventilator. >> is that because he didn't want you to go on a ventilator because statistically there are some concerns, not because he didn't think the ventilator would work and help you? >> no, no. he understood. and i think he may have told me that when he heard i was put on

a ventilator he felt a kind of relief. he felt they were doing everything possible to save me. i think he was just saying it's a bad sign if you get put on a ventilator because it means you're in bad shape. >> absolutely. so the op-ed said that after surviving this your life is not the same. how so? how have things changed for you? >> so, as i mentioned, there's a lot that i can't do. i can take a shower without having to sit down every few minutes. i can't really go out shopping by myself. i can't walk around the block by myself. i don't have the lung capacity yet. so i need to rebuild that. and it's not uncommon. when you're on the ventilator, the machine is basically breathing for you. when you're in the hospital, you're not really that active. so you get deconditioned. i just need to kind of try to get back to my old self.

>> yeah. you'll be able to do that with time, right? just slow progress? don't go too fast into anything? >> exactly. exactly. take it easy. >> well, david lat, take it easy for sure. and i appreciate you sharing your story with us. we're awfully glad to see you looking as well as you do. thank you. >> thank you. fact over fears. four targets that must be reached before the u.s. can reopen. and new tools to help americans get those coronavirus stimulus checks. so you only pay for what you need! [squawks] only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ it's a day filled with promise and new beginnings, challenges and opportunities. at ameriprise financial we can't predict what tomorrow will bring. but our comprehensive approach to financial planning can help make sure you're prepared for what's expected and even what's not.

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the level one trauma center that is a hot spot. and i'm so grateful for that. and so is everyone else. thank you. >> yeah, we sure are. we will be speaking with one of those nurses later this hour. thank you for showing up to help out during this coronavirus pandemic. here are the latest numbers. total confirmed cases nearing half a million in the u.s. 18,000 have died. an order will be effective until theened of the month. they are looking to reopen some businesses. governor abbott is planning to release an executive order next week detailing the plan for getting back to work. >> we will focus on protecting lives while restoring livelihoods. we can and we must do this. we can do both. expand and restore the livelihoods that texans want to have by helping them return to

work. >> in italy, nurses and doctors took part in the way of the cross procession marching through a nearly empty st. peter's square. it is the first time the procession was not held at rome's coliseum since it was row introduced in 1964. back in the u.s., a massachusetts town hopes one-way sidewalks will help with social distancing. in beverly, they mandated one-way foot traffic against vehicle traffic. as you can see from this video, kind of seems to be working there. and let's take a look now how all the country's major newspapers are covering the pandemic. the focus in texas lifting to saving livelihoods. and a drive-by blessing. police riding on a truck to bless quarantined residents. and "chicago tribune" looking at early cases in deaths that were possibly misdiagnosed.

"boston globe" highlighting the death of an immigrant from guatemala and a heart-shaped floral tribute. they were intended to line the route of the boston marathon now postponed until september. a spotlight on march archie musicians silenced by the violence as they struggle to feed their families as the lockdowns continue. as we approach the apex of this health crisis, one big question that remains, when will we be able to open the country? a report from commissioner dr. scott gottlieb and his team of experts lays out four benchmarks the u.s. needs to reach before we can start returning to normalcy. joining me to dr., dr. holly phillips, internist in new york city. good to see you, dr. phillips. here's what he said needs to happen. hospitals must be able to safety treat all patients. there must be a sustained

reduction in cases for at least 14 days. each state needs to be able to test everyone who has symptoms and each state is able to conduct monitoring of confirmed cases. looking at these four, tall order. >> alex, part of the issue with the four goalposts are it would have been wonderful if we had reached those in the months leading up to where we are now. because of that, we have had to take such severe mitigation efforts by having basically everyone except for essential workers staying home. the first thing is a sustained reduction in new cases.

it puts us to the middle of may before we can send people back to work. that can't be done safely until we have widespread screening. we can identify them, isolate them and do contract tracing to quarantine people who may have been exposed. >> so it's that last part. testing everybody who showed symptoms. how likely are we to be able to get to that? >> i think we can say with certainty we are not close to that. in order to prevent another peak and surge like we are seeing now, we are seeing these tens of thousands of deaths. we are seeing half a million cases. we'll see the same happen in late summer or fall unless these things are in place. you know, when you think about

it, even though so many people have become ill, the vast majority of the united states has not contracted this cyrus yet. by some projection. maybe only about between 1% and 5% of americans would test positive for antibodies today. that would be higher, right? health care workers, tsa, people in mass transit, or brooklyn or manhattan or new york, a hot spot. overall, still only 5% of the population has been exposed. so unless we can test to see who is getting the illness and prevent them from spreading it, we won't have made much progress to from the all of these extreme measures we are taking right now. >> in other words, we still have a long way to go. thank you, dr. holly phillips. awfully good to see you. >> two lawmakers trying to figure out exactly what area kushner is doing in the coronavirus efforts. is he helping or just getting in the way? you wouldn't accept an incomplete job

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turning now to politics. joe biden holding his first virtual townhall as the nominee a sign of how much the lockdown upended the presidential campaigns. to geoff bennett in washington, d.c. with this. very good to see you, my friend, on a saturday morning here. look, this is another example of the pandemic's effects in an election year.

>> reporter: you're right about that. bernie sanders' exit to the race clears the path for joe biden's no, ma'am nation in an ultimate showdown with president trump in november. first, biden has to do a few things. he thats to pick a running mate, set up ground operations in key battle ground states and try to eye neat the party after what has been a bruising primary. all of those tasks made complicated now by the coronavirus crisis. former vice president joe biden now the democrat's apparent 2020 presidential nominee. marking the moment this week during a virtual townhall. >> though biden will be the nominee. i could not think of a better leader for our country in this moment. >> reporter: compare that simple announcement to the full-blown celebration four years ago. nearly 4,000 cheering supporters on hand as hillary clinton laid claim to the democratic presidential nomination. it is yet another striking example of how the coronavirus pandemic is upending the race for the white house.

as biden faces three big burdens. chief among them, winning over bernie sanders supporters. >> he has inspired and energized millions of supporters, especially young voters, to join him and championing a progressive vision for our country. he didn't just run a political campaign. he created a movement. >> reporter: biden courting the party's more progressive wing by adopting some of his former competitor's policies. the former vp needs to quickly close the cash gap as he readies for battle against president trump's money machine. the latest filings show president trump with a combined $225 million in the bank. compared to a combined $20 million in campaign cash for biden. team biden now reimagining ways to raise money during a pandemic and economic slowdown. biden also has to build a top-notch campaign organization in key battleground states to get out the vote. a tough task with americans in at least 42 states right now

being urged to stay home. meantime, the biden campaign is set to start the vetting process for his vice presidential pick. former president barack obama counseled him during this process. he encouraged someone to help balance his traits. biden has committed to selecting a woman as his vice presidential pick. a couple of names have been floated. senators harris, klobuchar, warren. biden told donors he might name his pick earlier in the process than usual, perhaps before the party's convention which has been pushed to august, alex. >> biggest in town. who will the vp pick be? thank you so much, geoff bennett. developing this morning, democratic chairs of two key house panels demanding information about jared kushner. the leaders of homeland security and oversight committees asking fema for answers about the role of the president's senior adviser and son-in-law in

acquiring and distributing medical equipment. joining me now is white house reporter with the hill. morgan, with a good morning to you. all right. we have representatives benny thompson, carolyn maloney who say their committees do not understand kushner's role in fema's efforts. what has his role been? where is the gray area that caused all the concerns? >> reporter: we saw kushner's first appearance in the briefing room last week. basically what he's been doing is working closely out of the white house with fema to help guide the supply chain issues. he's districting masks, other equipment, ventilators and supplies to states. i think part of the confusion, because it's unclear who is in charge. president trump faced calls to appoint azar. so a high-level military official who has experience in this to figure out how to a

adjudicate supplies. he has an admiral at fema. but kushner is in the mix here leading things. there is quite a bit of confusion who is running things at the top. >> we are particularly troubled that the work may even involved directing fema and hhs officials to prioritize specific requests from people pwhor able to get kushner on the phone. what's that about? >> reporter: right. and we saw the president and vice president pence in the briefing room. he was asked earlier this week, are you favoring states that have connections? of course we saw the president sent ventilators to colorado earlier this week after having contact with cory gardner days earlier said the white house -- they were being outbid for the ventilators. so i think there's been questions about that. we haven't really gone answers.

that is obviously why the members of congress are reaching out, raising those questions as well. and of course the letter following that inspector general report which reported at the end of march a large storages of tests and personal protective equipment at hospitals across the country. >> yeah. all those personal protection equipment >> all right. morgan, thank you for that. the nurse who traveled across the country and is putting her life at risk to fight on the front lines, what she's seeing firsthand in new york city. and one surprising and beautiful impact of india's lockdown. people can now see the himalayas from up to 100 miles away. absolutely stunning. india's notorious air pollution blocked that view for decades. the government ordered its 1.3 billion residents to stay home three weeks ago. this is a gorgeous byproduct of that. you can bring your vision to life and save in more ways than one.

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york for out of state doctors and nurses is an urgent one. one of those answering the call is a registered intensive care nurse from alabama. lorice, thank you for coming all the way from alabama to new york. what made you want to answer the call for new york? >> just the simple fact they needed help. they needed help. >> it is remarkable putting yourself in harm's way like that, having to make that travel from here to new york. a few things, i'm appreciating the fact that you look very protected right now. you're practicing those sanitary and hygiene practices, but we're hearing from the front lines of health care workers how inadequately they are protected. what are you seeing there in the hospital? >> supplies are very limited. they're very limited. you have to excuse me, i worked last night, so this is the end of a shift. but they're very limited. you have to be resourceful with the things you have at this

point. >> yeah. what are you seeing in general there? i spoke with one doctor who said he felt like there was a turn yesterday, that he could at least manage everything he's had to deal with for the first time. >> yesterday was my first day since i've been here that i had a patient extubated and had a survival rate. so yesterday was the turnaround for me. >> that's good. that's got to be uplifting. >> it was extremely good. >> but the other days have been tough, yeah? >> yes. every day has been tough. you are dealing with things that are unexpected. you have people dying right before your eyes. >> i have to say something, as a mom, you have five children. you came here and put yourself on the line. how hard is that for you? >> it's extremely hard, but again, in nursing, we have to understand we're on the line. covid is a serious virus, very

serious, but we're on the line every time we clock in as a nurse. >> clocking in for those of us in new york who need your help all wait from alabama. i applaud you. >> thank you. >> get home to your family soon. that will do it for me this hour. thank you very much for watching. i'll see you at noon. a ali velshi is up next. he's talking to suze orman who will answer your questions about how to cope financially during these tough times. ♪

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