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Commuters in Miami: situation is complicated by COVID-19 2:55
(CNN) - There are more than 3,300 cases of coronavirus in the United States. Infected people without symptoms appear to be driving the spread.
A cruise ship with isolated passengers was denied entry to Caribbean ports. Nike and Urban Outfitters joined Apple and other retailers in closing their stores.
The Federal Reserve announced a second cut in emergency rates, to almost zero, lower than it has been since the 2008 financial crisis.
Senior government officials are still weighing dramatic measures like restrictions on domestic movement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Sunday night that all meetings of 50 or more people be canceled or postponed for at least the next eight weeks. But it seems that much of the country has followed a good part of the world and has already closed.
LOOK: This map shows you the situation of the coronavirus in the world in real time
Restaurants are closing. Companies asked their employees to work from home, but nearly 26 million school-age children have stayed at home, out of 57 million in the United States. That means that many people will not be able to be productive or work from home. CNN's Ray Sanchez explains the picture here.
There are still three big questions
How long will it last? - State and local governments, as well as American companies, are holding back almost everything. But it is unclear how long it is sustainable. Couldn't find toilet paper at your local store this weekend? How about milk, eggs, or orange juice? Healthcare and consumer groups are already warning about disruptions in the supply chain.
It will work? - The objective of this worldwide repression of routine human activity is to materially stop the spread of the rapidly advancing disease. But now we know that people who do not show any symptoms can transmit COVID-19. And with the paucity of evidence, it is difficult to know how far it has gone.
What will be the new reality? - People have put their lives on hold, but at some point the situation will not be viable. People who don't do things ultimately mean they won't get paid, and uncertainty means no one is starting anything new. The houses will not be sold. Businesses will not work.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin downplayed the risk of recession on Sunday during an interview on ABC's "This Week," but it feels almost inevitable.
Even if the government can prevent the economic catastrophe (President Donald Trump signed a new House spending package on Friday night, after initially ruling it out), it seems likely that there will be no return to "normal" American life during long time.
The impact is far from over - The country's top infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he would like to see Americans further confined and did not rule out the idea of a complete national closure like France, Spain, Italy and others. countries.
Fauci said he "would like to see a dramatic decrease in the personal interaction we see" in those places.
"Whatever it takes to do that, that's what I'd like to see," Fauci said.
Reaction . The Oklahoma governor faced criticism after tweeting a photo of him and his children in a crowded restaurant Saturday, while health officials urge the public to stay home and practice social distancing.
The Democratic primary will be held
So what would Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders do differently?
The two touted their own plans to fight the coronavirus in the first solo debate of the presidential race, with a surreal feeling without an audience as the nation sinks.
- Biden said he would make sure every state in the country had 10 places where Americans could access coronavirus tests from their cars, while urging the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish emergency hospitals. with 500 beds to classify patients. He added that he would try to quickly deal with the economic consequences of the crisis by helping Americans cover their mortgages and allowing small businesses to apply for interest-free loans.
- Sanders said that if he had the power to act immediately, he would move aggressively to make sure that every person in the country who becomes infected knows that they will not lose income, and assuring them that "all payments will be made." He also promoted his plan for "Medicare for All."
60 days for a national emergency
All of this happened very quickly. CNN's Kelly Mena noted that we went from a first case in the United States to a national emergency in less than two months:
January 21 : First case of coronavirus in the United States. It was confirmed in Washington state, a man in his 30s who had recently returned from China.
January 30: The first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus in the United States is confirmed. The husband of an Illinois woman who contracted the virus in China.
January 31: The Trump administration announces that it will deny entry to foreigners who have traveled to China in the past 14 days.
February 2: Mandatory quarantine announced for anyone returning from China's Hubei province in the past 14 days or who has traveled to other parts of mainland China and shows symptoms associated with the virus. It is the first such quarantine in more than 50 years.
February 26: First confirmed American case of unknown origin in a California patient.
February 29: The first death of the United States from the coronavirus in Washington state is confirmed. Governor Jay Inslee declares a state of emergency in response, as the state's confirmed cases reach 13.
March 3: The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by half a percentage point in an unexpected attempt to shake up the US economy. It is the first emergency outage since the 2008 financial crisis.
March 10: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo implements the United States' first containment zone in a New York City suburb that is the epicenter of the state outbreak.
March 13: Trump declares a national emergency.
March 14: Coronavirus confirmed in 49 states. Only West Virginia has not seen a confirmed case. Their schools have been closed anyway.
March 15: The Federal Reserve announces a second cut in emergency rates, to almost zero.