first up here on msnbc, in the thick of it. doctors, nurses, first responders. this hour, health care workers on the front lines give us their take on where this pandemic stands right now. >> survival story. a priest who overcame covid-19 shares his message of hope this easter sunday. >> plus, without them, we would have nothing. american heroes, a grocery store worker weighs in on how his life has changed since the outbreak began. a very good morning to all of you. it's sunday, april 12th, happy easter, everyone, if you're celebrating. i'm alex witt. before the latest coronavirus numbers, a note about what you're going to see the next hour. we're going to take you around the hardest hit areas to hear the stories of an emergency room doctor in maryland who is seven months pregnant, a staten island firefighter who has moved into an rv in his driveway to keep

from contaminating his family, a grand rapids priest who survives the virus. a grocery store worker from oyster bay, new york, who says he doesn't see himself as a hero, and an emt who works out of teaneck, new jersey, who is coming off a 12-hour shift. all compelling stories in their own right. first, we'll get to the latest headlines as this morning in the u.s., there are more than half a million confirmed cases of coronavirus around the country. more than 20,000 people have died. the u.s. reaching a grim new high as the nation with the most confirmed coronavirus deaths in the world, surpassing italy for the first time. the country's death toll has now more than doubled over just this past week. meanwhile, president trump facing both a public health and economic crisis, saying he will decide fairly soon on how and when to reopen the country. >> certainly, the toughest decision that i have ever made, and i hope that i'm going to make the right decision.

i'll be basing it on a lot of very smart people, a lot of professionals, doctors and business leaders. there are a lot of things that go into a decision like that, and it's going to be -- it's going to be based on a lot of facts and a lot of instinct also. whether we like it or not, there is a certain instinct to it, but we have to get our country back. people want to get back. they want to get back to work. >> and the irs sent out the first wave of coronavirus relief checks. the agency tweeting yesterday it will continue issuing payments, quote, as fast as they can. people who have filed tax returns for 2018 and 2019 and authorized direct deposits will be the first to see that money hit their bank accounts. people who haven't filed or receive social security, you probably have to wait a few weeks to get your check. and new today here in new york, drive-through testing sites are open in minority communities just like this one in central brooklyn. testing is being done by appointment after residents call

the state's hotline and testing get rolled out in a few more city neighborhoods. the numbers are expected to grow even as new york remains the global hot spot for the pandemic. the city has more than 98,000 cases. more than 27,000 people in hospitals, and has lost as many as 6300 souls. corey kaufman is joining us from outside field hospital at new york's javits convention center in midtown manhattan. we have new york's governor who is pushing back a bit on any expectations for a speedy reopening of this state or the city. >> yeah, he is urging patients. he tweeted out last night, talked about it in his press conference as well, saying the last thing he wants to do, even though it is on everyone's mind, even though everyone is clamoring to get the economy rolling again, last thing he wants to do is open things too soon and have a resurgence of cases. he said in his opinion, the last

thing as far as the reopening everything goes that he wants to do without going forward with it would be testing. so testing is number one for him to start to get the economy reopen, and after that, he had a call for the federal government to repeal the cap on state and local taxes. >> we need to do more testing and more advanced testing, and we have to do it faster. that's both a diagnostic testing, the antibody testing. you want to help the places that were impacted. i'll tell you what the federal legislation should do, it should repeal sault. you want to help new york, that was the most heavily impacted, and by the way, you think you're going to reopen the economy without the engine of the new york metropolitan area, you're kidding yourself. here, you're going to have many people struggling, many businesses struggling. we have government programs, yeah, but trying to access a government program is like trying to break into a bank

sometimes, right? >> all right. governor cuomo with the straight talk there, alex. you know you're going to get honesty when he gives those updates. he also said one of the reasons he's going to be providing pro bono lawyers and organizing them around the state, providing those for people having trouble is because of how much trouble people have been having trying to file for unemployment, trying to deal with housing issues. he said he's also going to be providing a program for pro bono lawyers to have access to anybody who might be having those issues at this time. >> all right, more of things from our straight talk governor, thank you so much. >> well, here's a look at the situation in new jersey this morning. just over 58,000 cases there. more than 2,000 deaths. more than 7600 people in the hospitals. about 1650 are right now on ventilators. joining me now, brian, paramedic at holy name medical center in teaneck. brian, with a big welcome to you because i know you're coming off a 12-hour shift there in bergen

county, it is the site of the largest outbreak in the state. tell me what you have been seeing. >> thank you so much for having me, alex. my role as a paramedic right now is that many of us have been brought in to the hospital to help supplement, obviously, the large amount of patients we're seeing in the hospital right now. and paramedics are uniquely suited to fit this role. my responsibilities are code blue and rapid response coverage for the entire hospital. paramedics are advanced cardiovascular life support certified so we fill this role well. what it does is allow the critical care nurses who normally serve on the teams to free them up to focus on the care of covid-positive patients in the hospital. >> i have to tell people a little asterisk by you and what you're doing. you were on your way for a board exam to get your medical doctor degree, which is pretty extraordinary how hard you have been working for that. that's going to be put on hold

for a wee bit. something that has happened, as i understand it, on one of your 12-hour shifts, five people passed away. were these patients that you responded to? that's got to be heartbreaking. >> yeah, i mean, the really heartbreaking part about it is that it's day after day. and it's every night. i'm working five nights a week right now. and as a paramedic, you obviously see a lot of tragedy from time to time, but never at these levels, so consistently. and i gotta be honest, as difficult as my role is as a paramedic, by the time i am responding to these emergencies in the hospital, i may spend an hour or two maximum with the patients, my heart really goes out to the nurses caring for the patients day in and day out. they are the physical presence for these patients, just you know, so compassionate with their bedside manner, spending hours and days and weeks with these patients, and they're also

the point of contact between the hospital and the families. so my hard goes out to them because they are really building strong emotional relationships with these patients. and i think we have all broken down many times up to this point. but we're very resilient, and you know, you might need to take a second and take a step back and go cry or think to yourself a little bit, but a couple minutes later, you have to be ready to get back in there. i'm so impressed with all of my colleagues and the ability to take that second, kind of collect yourself, and get back to business. >> clearly, there's a lot of compassion in you, too, brian. when you show up and see these patients, what do they say to you? what's their biggest concern? >> well, when i arrive to see these patients, they are unfortunately already gravely ill. many of them are just about to get intubated.

so obviously, the greatest concern that we see is severe respiratory distress. and in anybody who is in the situation, you can just see the amount of fear in their eyes. and we do our best, you know, i try to talk to them. i come from a background as somebody who was in a very serious accident a couple years ago. i myself was in a medically induced coma for five weeks. i understand a little bit more than maybe the average health care provider what it's like to be on the other end of the intubation tube. i try to take time, just introduce myself. my name is brian, you're in the icu. you're intubated. you got sick, you have pneumonia. so much of the fear of being on the other end on the patient's side is just that unknown. just, you know, waking up for brief moments in an unfamiliar place with bright lights and alarms and i think so much of what we can do is just kind of

ground them a little bit and let them know we're here to take care of them, to let them know where they are, and i think by doing so, we're taking our first step -- >> i have to tell you, listening to you, those patients are lucky to find you at their bedside. take care of yourself. happy easter. >> overseas, one of the most visible aspects of the virus, easter services at the vatican with no crowds. this in a city and a country under lockdown. let's go to italy where pope francis has been leading the traditional easter mass via live stream. matt bradley once again there for us on this easter sunday with an empty st. peter's square behind you. we're starting to get used to that view. >> yeah, so the pope was giving his prayer, which means loosely translated from latin, from rome to the world, and indeed, as you mentioned, hoe was speaking to the entire world, but in front

of an empty st. peter's basilica, and it was almost empty. there was a very chilling sight to see pope francis strutting around doing his ceremony without almost anyone there. but he is trying to seek to bless the entire world more than just the 1.3 billion christians who are celebrating this holiday today. the pope is actually looking with optimism to this crisis, and he mentioned that in his remarks today in this prayer, he said he hopes this will create a contagion of hope. he had also used language previously that he hopes to see a pandemic of prayer. you know, alex, it's really interesting. this institution, this is not the first crisis obviously that has faced the catholic church. this is a nearly 2,000-year-old institution, and they're kind of hoping that they will see a revival of the faith that comes out of this crisis. you know, there are so many people who are criticizing, using this as a moment to criticize the health cyst mth, the economic system, the political system, the catholic

church is hoping that people when they turn inward, when they return home, they will use this moment to re-evaluate how they treat each other, and how they treat their relationship with god. i spoke with an american priest, an kaacademic here in rome. >> there's a kind of somber character, but because we're getting close to easter, there's also a sense of joy. really, a lot of people within this crisis, we're experiencing a time of grace despite the hardship. so for instance, my students are especially receptive and they're especially studious, and all of us professors are finding this during this period. it really seems to be a time of grace despite the suffering. >> so this pandemic of prayer that the pope has mentioned, this is something that the catholic church is really starting to see. one thing that also needs to be mentioned is the charitable arm of this institution. the catholic charities spread throughout the entire world, churches, hospitals, schools.

the pope recently established an emergency fund to try to bolster those outreach efforts because of course, this institution is also prepared for the economic crisis that's going to follow the biological one. that's one where they're going to see a massive strain on their soup kitchens, homeless shelters and hospitals, and that's something the catholic church is going to be expected to pick up a lot of slack, especially in the developing world as the virus, the pandemic sweeps further and further across the entire world. here in italy, things are starting to turn the corner. we're starting to hear talk of a stage two of this nationwide lockdown because the lockdown was supposed to be raised tomorrow, on monday. but now, the italian thoernauths have said over the weekend they're going to extend it for another three weeks. that's because even though the deaths and numbers of new contractions are starting to plateau. nobody here wants to turn around and have a secondary wave of infections by letting everyone in the street again. the italian authorities are

trying to preserve the progress they have made because this country has been hit so hard, alex. >> wiser heads prevailing there on letting the health officials lead the way. thank you so much, matt bradley, there in front of the vatican. >> some american heroes to tell you about now. as we have many on this easter sunday, carrying spiritual joy in their hearts, we need to focus on the hungry and those in need. food banks have been overwhelmed by those looking for a helping hand. craig melvin interviewed the leader of a charity in brooklyn. >> in terms of need, since the virus started, versus ordinary times. what's the difference between the two? >> well, first of all, as i said, there's people coming who have never come to a food pantry in their lives. that's a big difference. and for some people to realize that that's their need, you know, it's a tough thing. you know. i would say also there is, you

can just feel because we ourselves, we have to separate and make sure that we have gloves and masks. it's a very tense time for a lot of people. >> did the people who come, what do they tell you as they pick up their food? >> well, for the most part, they're very grateful. you know, they say thank you. gracias. and i think when they're looking, they are looking for the information when we give them, we also give them information on some mental health services we provide here in the neighborhood. we give them a lot of different resources so that they're able to be able to deal with this. so i think for the most part, they come away more informed and, you know, i think a lot of them are just struggling right now. >> and you can all watch much more on our live coronavirus primetime special. join savannah guthrie, hoda kotb, experts around the world with realtime information tuesday at 10:00 p.m. eastern

and pacific on nbc, msnbc, and nbc news now. >> a big question for medical workers. when you work with sick people, how do you keep from bringing the virus home to your family? you're going to hear from a firefighter on staten island about the hard choice he's made next. when you shop with wayfair, you spend less and get way more. so you can bring your vision to life and save in more ways than one. for small prices, you can build big dreams, spend less, get way more. shop everything home at wayfair.com hold on one second... sure. okay... okay! safe drivers save 40%!!! guys! guys! check it out. safe drivers save 40%!!! safe drivers save 40%! safe drivers save 40%!!!

that's safe drivers save 40%. it is, that's safe drivers save 40%. - he's right there. - it's him! he's here. he's right here. - hi! - hi. hey! - that's totally him. - it's him! that's totally the guy. safe drivers do save 40%. click or call for a quote today. safe drivers do save 40%. new crest pro/active defense. you're doing more to keep your body healthy for the future. shouldn't your toothpaste do the same for your mouth? now with crest pro/active defense, future proof your whole mouth. its active defense technology neutralizes bacteria to shield against potential issues. crest. from anyone else. so why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase relieves your worst symptoms which most pills don't. get all-in-one allergy relief for 24 hours, with flonase. thats where i feel normal.s an hour,t. having an annuity tells me my retirement is protected. protected lifetime income from an annuity can help your retirement plan ride out turbulent times. learn more at protectedincome.org.

the theater home to you,t to with xfinity movie premiere. there's a world full of other trolls. how different can they be? our brand-new service that lets you watch all the latest movie releases from the comfort of home. trolls world tour available now. i will protect you no matter what, pinky promise. just say xfinity movie premiere into your voice remote to bring the theater to you.

we think all the time not only about our patients that we have inside the walls of our hospital but, you know, we have families. and our kids are home from school. and our neighbors are laid off work. or our spouses, or our parents. we have had colleagues who have had family members or friends who have been taken away from them by this horrible disease. this hits home for us. >> first responders among the

many essential workers battling the pandemic right on the front lines. for most, that comes at the risk of bringing that virus home to your family. one new york city firefighter is making a sacrifice to keep his loved ones safe. having moved out of his home and into an rv. and joining me now is sal, and he's a firefighter at staten island's engine 160. sal, with a big welcome to you, you look like you're inside that rv outside your home, which certainly doesn't have all of the comforts of home, but talk to me about what inspired you to move there instead of being with your family. >> hi, alex. thank you for having me. so i have been living in the rv for about 2 1/2 weeks now. when this first happened, a lot of guys in my fire house started coming down with the virus. and my wife was a little nervous because i have two little children. a 3-month-old -- i mean a 3-year-old and a 16-month-old. my 16-month-old was born with a risperatory issue, so because it

was a respiratory problem, we were a little nervous and trying to figure out what to do. i stayed with mister for a day, and she came up with an idea to find an rv. i was looking at hotels and it was pricey, so she came up with the idea for an rv, and i was like, let me look into it. it was affordable at the time, and they had an rv available, so i jumped on it. and i figured that was the best way. i'm close to home, i'm right outside the door. i go and see them a couple times a day through the window and talk to them and hang out with them. and you know, doing the best i can to not bring it back to the house. >> yeah, i'm loving the pictures we're seeing. at least you are literally right outside the door and able to see your family and your two little ones. with regard to those that came down with covid in your firehouse, i think there, you said, up to a dozen. that's got to be frightening. what about the frekz? did you have the protection you

needed as you were going out on calls? >> at first, we had minimum. we basically had just enough to get by, but thanks to a couple big donations from the beanie fund and the world care center, we're fully stocked right now. >> okay. how has this affected you emotionally? not only being distant from your family, although i'm sure it helps to be able to see them, but what you see on the front lines. >> thankfully, we haven't been going to a lot of cpr runs until recently, and it started to pick up maybe because of the peak, but it's different. it's a different feeling. when you go on a call for cpr now, it comes in as a fever and cough so we're aware and know what we're going into. and it's a little bit of an eerie feeling going in, even though i'm around guys in the firehouse who had it, it's

different going into somebody's home who had it. we take extra precautions. we make sure we're fully dressed up before we go in the house. when we come out, we make sure we spray each other down. sanitizer, bleach, go back to the firehouse and clean up good. >> i don't know how people are reacting to you. i would hope they're doing every once in a while what i do, i see a nurse or doctor from a neighboring hospital out walking and getting a fresh air. i start clapping and say thank you. are you getting that grateful response from people? >> not yet. i mean -- we go to the hospitals over here and they'll do it, but it hasn't been done for us yet. i think hospitals, they're doing a little more than we are right now. they're in it every single day. you know, we get calls. you know, a couple times a tour, but they're constantly helping

people and right in the middle of everything. >> hey, sal, do you have any idea when you're going to be able to move back home? >> we're just playing it by ear right now. i'm hoping that they come out with those antibody tests soon so i can test and see if i have an immunity to it. that's what me and my wife are talking about right now. i could get that done and then we'll figure it out from there. as long as i keep going on cpr runs and guys in the house have the virus, you know, we want to do our best to just keep it away. better to be safe than sorry. >> for sure. sal, thank you for joining me. i know you are not quite with the comforts of home, but it looks, i guess, kind of cozy behind you. >> it's not bad. like a hotel room. >> well, good. stay healthy. thank you so much for what you're doing. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> they have no medical training, but they're on the front lines of this pandemic. you're going to hear from a grocery store worker about how his life has changed next. >> and coming up later on a.m.

joy, representatives adam schiff and ilhan omar on the response, the relief, and the racial disparity. that's 10:00 a.m. eastern on msnbc. ♪ ♪ eh, not enough fiber- chocolate would be good-

snacking should be sweet and simple. the delicious taste of glucerna gives you the sweetness you crave while helping you manage your blood sugar. glucerna. everyday progress but when allergies attack,f any the excitement fades. while helping you manage your blood sugar. allegra helps you say yes with the fastest non-drowsy allergy relief and turning a half hearted yes, into an all in yes. allegra. live your life, not your allergies. when they bundle home and auto with progressive. wow, that's... and now the progressive commercial halftime show, featuring smash mouth. ♪ hey now, you're an all star ♪ get your game on, go play thank you! goodnight! [ cheers and applause ] now enjoy the second half of the commercial! even renters can bundle and save! where did that come from? the kitchen. it was halftime.

aand we're here for you -ry day fespecially now,rs. doing everything possible to keep you connected. through the resilience of our network and people... we can keep learning, keep sharing, keep watching, and most of all, keep together. it's the job we've always done... it is the job we will always do. ♪we ain't stoppin' believe me♪ ♪go straight till the morning look like we♪ ♪won't wait,♪ ♪we're taking everything we wanted♪ ♪we can do it ♪all strength, no sweat

let's take a look add the latest numbers in the coronavirus pandemic. there are more than half a million confirmed cases in the u.s. more than 20,000 people have died. antibody testing is under way at six locations around los angeles to determine how widespread the coronavirus is there. researchers will be testing 1,000 randomly selected residents with a finger prick. officials say this could help determine when the area could safely reopen. >> what this study will do is provide evidence on how deadly this disease is, how fast it is spreading in the community, and when it is going to end. >> it will give people who participate in the study information about whether at any point in the past they have

actually had the infection and have antibodies. if they are antibody positive, they will be able to quickly resume their activities. >> a group of officers is actively patrolling to crack down on large gatherings. the pandemic response team was created to keep a check on large areas without a police presence. >> moving to connecticut, the national guard there is turning a hartford convention center into a covid recovery center. the 636-bed facility will be the largest in the state and is expected to be finished in just a couple days. >> this is protection, and it is surge capacity for the center of the state, for the hartford health care symptoms. this is for patients who still require some things like rv, oxygen, but it feels great to know that these guys are doing something and it will make a difference should people need it. >> let's check out the sunday papers. the sunday l.a. times leads with a look at how the virus crept in

like an intruder even though it was detected by a new york scientist a few days after christmas. >> the star tribune in minneapolis leads with the u.s. death toll becoming the world's highest and warns hot spots could shift from the new york area to the midwest. the dallas morning news shows off another amazing photo of a reverend filling empty pews with photos of his parishioners for holy week observances. and "the washington post" says states are still competing for supplies in a cut-throat market. they're all trying to buy from the same suppliers. >> new this morning, americans are starting to receive their direct payments from the irs. part of the $2 trillion relief bill that congress has passed. joining me now, illinois representative raja chris numirtha. good to see you. happy easter if you're celebrating. we talk about the payments which will be a gift to some as they begin being made. it comes just a few days after

the president removed the lead wat watchdog overseeing the payments. how much does it affect your confidence in getting all this money to the right places? >> unfortunately, it shakes my confidence and those of my colleagues. you know, at the end of the day, the president has fired, i think, two or three inspectors general just within the last few days. and installed his own white house attorney as another inspector general. and here's the deal, which is that the money as part of the cares act is the tash payers' money, not the president's money. so the taxpayers get to decide how that money is spent. it needs to be spent in the national interest, not for donald trump's personal or political benefit. and that's why we need the oversight right now. >> yeah, for sure. obviously, the president has been weighing the question when do we start to reopen parts of the economy. and he spoke with fox news about

that last night. how critical do you think this decision is? do you trust that the president will make the right call on this? >> well, unfortunately, his decision making up until now has raised serious questions. alex, you know, because of investigations by the media, we know that the president ignored the warnings of public health experts leading up to the decision to finally enforce social distancing, but those warnings had been made even as early as february. and now, we have to make sure that the public health experts and the science is followed, not any other consideration getting in the way of that, bought the worst thing that could happen is reopening the economy and then all of a sudden the virus ferociously reappearing and putting us back where we started. and so we have to first make

sure that we stop and kill the virus as much as we possibly can before we reopen the economy. >> i'm curious how your constituents are reacting to that dilemma, if you will. there are so many who are out of work, i'm sure, and who need to get back to work. but they want to be healthy and safe. which side, if you will, clamors more loudly, stay safe or get us back to work so we can get back to making money? >> i think overwhelmingly, people say stay safe, end the virus, end the pandemic. but at the same time, we know that it's wreaking economic devastation. >> yeah. >> for instance, small businesses are really collapsing around us. and that's why, you know, i was a small business owner in the last great recession. i felt that the federal government really ignored us. so this time around, my office had a hand in creating what's called the ppp program, a law which is designed to essentially save these small businesses and

most importantly save their pay rolls and the workers who are there. it's gotten off to a rocky start with regard to implementation. it's getting better now, but that program is essential. but another thing that's also essential, alex, is we have to help states and local authorities. they're hemorrhaging cash, dramatic budget holes are appearing in their budgets. we have to help them because the last thing in the world we need is a situation where we're helping small businesses on the one hand, but on the other hand, these states might be contemplating revenue hikes or dramatic cuts in services later on that could hurt these very businesses and working families we're trying to help. >> complicated to say the least. thank you so much for your time. i appreciate it. >> thank you so much. >> grocery store workers, everyone. they are the ones being called the unsung heroes of this coronavirus pandemic. in fact, just a few weeks from -- rather in just the past

few weeks, millions of clerks, stockers, cashiers have found themselves standing on the front lines of a global health emergency, and joining me is the local of the 338 retail wholesale and department store union and united food and workers union, wally. how about the last couple weeks? what's it been like for you? >> good morning, and happy easter. well, last couple weeks have been very, very challenging. you know, we have seen a high volume of customers coming to the store panic buying. so we were a little unprepared at first, but we were able to catch our breath and catch up. we haven't fully caught up, but needless to say, it's a very trying experience right now. >> i can imagine with all that panic buying and a lot of people coming in there. you in fact still are exposed to a lot of people every day. are you, wally, concerned for your safety? >> i am not as concerned as some of my counterparts i have been

hearing because our company has done an excellent job in giving us the tools that we need to do our job. i feel relatively safe right now. despite what's going on. >> when you talk about being safe, like what? do you have personal protective equipment? are you not on the front lines interacting with customers, or why do you feel so good? i'm glad you do, but why? >> i am on the front lines. i am probably the last person that you see when you leave the store. i work exactly on the front end. but the company has put in so many safeguards and so many protocols. for instance, we have these face masks that we wear. we have the n-95 masks we wear. they put in sneeze guards on every register, every register has hand sanitizer. we have wipes. we have so many things. and throughout the day, we make announcements about social distancing. so in my location i work, i feel

pretty confident that we're not going to catch this or if we do, it's going to be limited. >> yeah. how about the customers that you see, wally? is everybody wearing a mask, gloves? i know, my grocery store, we have to go in certain directions down each aisle. so that's something that's been unique. >> yeah, that's correct. in our store, we have the same protocol in place. that's to control the flow of traffic, limit the amount of people that congregate in the aisles. in the last week, i would say i have noticed that probably 90% of people who come in have masks. i don't think it's mandatory in new york yet, but people are voluntarily doing it. my greatest concern is the younger people. they tend to come in, you know, kind of carefree. that's kind of disconcerting at times. >> i have heard that you don't consider yourself a hero being a frontline worker, but i would

officially like to correct you and say you absolutely are, you and your colleagues. we're so grateful because you're keeping the food lines going and we need it. thank you so much. safe sunday to you. >> social distancing here on easter sunday. a safe solution one pennsylvania church has come up with. we'll show you next. so chantix can help you quit slow turkey. along with support, chantix is proven to help you quit. with chantix you can keep smoking at first and ease into quitting so when the day arrives, you'll be more ready to kiss cigarettes goodbye. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. stop chantix and get help right away if you have changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions, seizures, new or worse heart or blood vessel problems, sleepwalking, or life-threatening allergic and skin reactions. decrease alcohol use. use caution driving or operating machinery. tell your doctor if you've had mental health problems. the most common side effect is nausea. talk to your doctor about chantix.

in nearly 100 years serving the military community, we've seen you go through tough times and every time, you've shown us, you're much tougher your heart, courage and commitment has always inspired us and now it's no different so, we're here with financial strength, stability and experience you can depend on and the online tools you need because you have always set the highest standard and reaching that standard is what we're made for ♪ ♪ oh, oh, (announcer)®! ♪ once-weekly ozempic® is and reaching that standard is what we're made for helping many people with type 2 diabetes like james lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death.

it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. once-weekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) you may pay as little as $25 per prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®.

trust us. us kids are ready to take things into our own hands. don't think so? hold my pouch. the coronavirus shutdown turned this drive-in movie theater into a church. you're looking at a site in pennsylvania where easter services will be held while

abiding by the health officials' guidelines. let's go to mara barrett who is also there for us. i have to say, i love this concept. it's catching on. tell us about the setup, as you have drivers rolling into church. >> yeah, alex. it's absolutely creative here. these folks are rolling in for the 8:00 a.m. service, the first 7:00 a.m. service just wrapped. when you pull up here at becky's drive-in in pennsylvania, they hand you dixie cups of wine, bread for the holy eucharist that folks will take later on during service, and we're finding ourselves in eastern pennsylvania along the border of new jersey, which of course, is a hotspot of cases for coronavirus. so this area of pennsylvania had to shut down businesses back in mid-march, and the church had to get creative. so they have been holding the drive-in services for the past couple weeks now. as you saw in the video, hundreds of cars showed up. they're expecting just as many for this holy sunday today. i talked to a pastor earlier. this area is big on manufacturing, a lot of retail

jobs, a lot of health care workers. a lot of his congregation have a lot of an ziexiety and worry. when i asked what his message would be, he talked about the overall message of easter which of course is light coming out of darkness and hope rising even through dark and difficult times. and alex, we have been talking the past couple weeks every weekend, and it's really a very hard and difficult story. it's nice to be here in a place where people can still gather, even though safely in their cars. social distancing but still within their own communities. and we're in this dark period, but of course, these folks coming in for about five church services in pennsylvania today are working to stay safe and also unite their community. >> i have to tell you, i want to thank you for putting a smile on mice face. this is a great story. thank you so much. >> well, like many other churches around the country, st. anthony in grand rapids, michigan, is closed today, but the pastor of that church says he has a message of hope after

he says he almost died from the virus. joining me now, reverend mark sh shifis, the pastor of tchirch i michigan, and he's now recovering from covid-19. welcome to you, father. talk about the message you have for your congregation and anyone else suffering because of coronavirus. >> good morning. happy easter. what my message is is that it's a message of hope and new life. i had never had somebody say to me before that i was almost going to be dying. and that was a death like a good friday experience. i had been thinking a lot about new life, the new life of easter, the new life that jesus brings. and what are we going do with the new life now that we have it. >> that's is powerful about getting a new lease on life. talk about, sir, though, your time in the hospital.

how long were you there? what was it like? >> it was a long, extended process. it actually started on the day before st. patrick's day. i woke up after having a night of chills and sweats. i called my doctor. we did a phone triage. and they said just stay home. so i stayed home until thursday the 19th. and then i had to go get some prescriptions refilled at the hospital. so i went to the hospital. while i was waiting for my prescriptions to be given to me, i passed out in line. and they rushed me to the er, where they did different tests, blood tests, they did a test for influenza. but the doctor came in and said, i'm sorry.

i think you have covid-19. but we can't admit you because you don't meet the criteria. and i said, i just passed out in your pharmacy, and i don't have the criteria to get in. and he said no, you don't. so he said, go home and follow these regulations. isolate yourself. so i did. and on the 25th, two days after my birthday, i stood up in the morning and i couldn't walk more than five feet. and again, i called my doctor. and i told him, and he said you need to get into emergency right away. so i went into emergency at mercy health st. mary's here in grand rapids, and they ran a lot of tests. they sent me for a ct chest x-ray. and when i came back from that, they said they were going to give me the covid test.

and so i took the covid test. but then immediately the doctor said to me, you're going to be admitted. we didn't like what we saw on your chest ct scan. >> i'll >> talk about a new lease on life, you're living proof of that, father. i'm sure your message will be powerful to all of the congregants you're able to reach on this easter. thank you so much for joining us on this holiday, sir. do take care of yourself. >> thank you very much. happy easter. >> and to you. a pregnant emergency room doctor treating covid patients and she's going to join me next, urging everyone to do one thing before this pandemic is over.

as the krn pandemic takes its tool on health care workers, one doctor in maryland is fighting to protect not only herself but the life inside her.

elizabeth claiborne is one of the many emergency room doctors fighting on the front lines of this crisis and doing so seven months pregnant. dr. claiborne is joining me now. she's a physician at u.n. prince george's hospital. welcome to you. and i understand you're having a baby april 18th. how are you feeling? >> certainly pretty good, taking it a day at a time. going into work is concerning but as far as the pregnancy, i'm fortunate i have not have complications so far and i'm feeling very well. >> good, i'm very happy to hear that. the but i have to ask what is it like to not have to worry only about your patients and yourself but also your baby? >> absolutely. every time i go into work i'm very cognizant of the fact i'm not by myself. i'm carrying my baby, my daughter who will be born in june. i'm trying to be as careful as i

can be and protect myself. not just for my family but all of the people i'm seeing. so i'm making sure we're being diligent about keeping everything clean, changing gowns or minimizing the ability for medical providers' feedback from spreading the virus in addition to keeping ourselves safe. >> one of the pictures we're showing as you're talking is a photo of three of you, i believe, that are all pregnant right now. has the hospital acknowledged that in any specification wa wa? are they saying anything to you as frontline workers to keep your babies safe? >> yes, we're considered at-risk workers. as you can see in the picture, i have two co-workers who are also pregnant. even though us leaving, the choice we had to make, is slight risky so they accommodated us by

giving us less risky shifts where there's other coverage. so gives us not to do the highest-risk things in the er. but we have the option to stop. i'm taking it a day at a time. if i reach the point i truly feel uncomfortable, we can stay at home. >> has this been a real tug of war for you internally? taking the hippocratic oath you'to take care of others but do you ever think i need to leave and take care of the baby that's coming? >> absolutely. it's something i consider everybody day. and also constant of the fact if i become sick, i will be a strain on the health care system rather than helping out. i think it's a fine line i'm walking. right now in maryland we're preparing for our surge. i think as the days get more busy and we're exposed to more

risky patients, i might have to change my direction and decide i can serve in a different way and that might mean not going to work and not clinically being active. >> dr. elizabeth claiborne we wish you the best of luck on so many fronts. you look wonderful. >> thank you. and i want to make sure everybody realizes to take the time with their family, stay safe and stay home and talk to your loved ones what about you would want done if you came into the hospital. people ask me as an er doctor what can i do to help you, and one of the most important things you can do is have an advanced care plan. go to cdc.com and look at the directives. thinking about that ahead of time opposed to when there's an emergency is one of the most useful things you can do for me as an er provider. >> well said, thank you very much.

and i will be back at noon eastern. ali velshi is next with the impact this could have on your edit card. i faced reminders of my hep c every day. i worried about my hep c. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret... ...i was cured. mavyret is the only 8-week cure for all types of hep c. before starting mavyret your doctor will test... ...if you've had hepatitis b which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after treatment. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b, a liver or kidney transplant,... ...other liver problems, hiv-1, or other medical conditions,... ...and all medicines you take. don't take mavyret with atazanavir... ...or rifampin, or if you've had certain liver problems. if you've had or have serious liver problems other than hep c, there's a rare chance they may worsen. signs of serious liver problems may include yellowing of the skin, abdominal pain or swelling, confusion, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. tell your doctor if you develop symptoms of liver disease. common side effects include headache and tiredness. with hep c behind me, i feel free... ...fearless... ...because i am cured. talk to your doctor about mavyret.

♪ here's a razor that works differently. the gillette skinguard it has a guard between the blades that helps protect skin. the gillette skinguard. which is why when it comes to his dentures only new poligrip cushion and comfort will do. the first and only formula with adaptagrip cushioning technology. choose new poligrip cushion and comfort. 450-degree oven, to box, to you, know that from our it's our policy that your pizza is never touched once it comes out of the oven. and we're taking extra steps, like no contact delivery, to ensure it.

it's been 47 days since the first transmission of covid-19 in america. has staying at home actually flattened the curve? 100,000 people have now died from coronavirus worldwide, and the infection hasn't eat hit its most vulnerable