Sorry about missing Friday the 13th! I felt the need to get to SeaWorld before it closed! 😉
Update as of 7:30 am ET:
There are now 2329 confirmed cases and have been 50 deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19.
The president declared a national emergency on Friday (3/13), which will allow $40 billion in disaster-relief funds.
Many large gatherings and events have been canceled, and theme parks are closing or have been closed.
For theme park closings: Attractions Magazine: Coronavirus – Theme Park and Attraction Closings and Updates
Canceled events: CBS News: Closed due to coronavirus: Updated list of events, sports, and entertainment canceled amid COVID-19 concerns
Several CDC statements:
- The United States nationally is currently in the initiation phases, but states where community spread is occurring are in the acceleration phase.
- The immediate risk of being exposed to this virus is still low for most Americans, but as the outbreak expands, that risk will increase. Cases of COVID-19 and instances of community spread are being reported in a growing number of states.
- More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the United States in the coming days, including more instances of community spread. CDC expects that widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur. In the coming months, most of the U.S. population will be exposed to this virus.
- Widespread transmission of COVID-19 could translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, and workplaces, may experience more absenteeism. Mass gatherings may be sparsely attended or postponed. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and sectors of the transportation industry may also be affected.
- Healthcare providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it.
Resources:
- QUICK FACTS AND INTERESTING TIDBITS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS 2019 AND COVID-19
- CHILDREN AND CORONAVIRUS: STATS AND FACTS AS OF 3/12/20
- Johns Hopkins Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases Tracker
- Bloomberg’s Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak Across the World
- Worldometer for current U.S. case and death count
- CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) page
- WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak page
- NBC News live updates
- NBC News : Coronavirus in the U.S.: Map of where cases have been confirmed across the country
- TVM U.S. Coronavirus Updates