All bets are pretty much off along the vegas strip. Mgm and wynn resorts both plan to shut their casinos this week. On the other side of the country, popular beaches in miami and ft. Lauderdale have been closed. Those are some of our top stories on this monday, march 16th. Good morning, everyone. Some major escalations in the fight against the virus are being put in place here in new york city. The citys Public Schools are closed as of today until at least april 20th. Bars and restaurants have been ordered to close except for takeout and delivery. The cdc now recommends that gatherings of 50 or more people be put off for the next two months. And our Parent Company disney said overnight that its closing all Disney Stores beginning tomorrow. Company hotels will be closing by friday. Abcs Erielle Reshef looks at how the coronavirus is impacting our way of life. Reporter some American Cities virtually shutting down. In new york the governor closing the Public School system, saying its the safest thing for the 1 millionplus children. I think its the right decision. Theres no reason to put us in jeopardy if we can easily have a Good Alternative at home. Reporter the entire state of ohio closing all bars and restaurants. Illinois also ordering restaurants to close to customers. And only serve takeout. The state of california shutting down all bars and wineries and calling for home isolation for everyone 65 and over. We recognize that social isolation for millions of californians is anxietyinducing, but we recognize what all of the science bears out. Reporter in south boston, the same reality. Business at bars and restaurants halted. In new orleans, police clearing iconic bourbon street after an order went out to clear the area. Drastic measures taken as cases spiked to roughly 3,000 in the u. S. The death toll is now surpassing 60. At least three fatalities in new york. The latest a 79yearold with multiple Underlying Health issues. A new hot spot in new jersey. In teaneck, at least 18 people diagnosed. Officials declaring an emergency. Encouraging all residents to selfquarantine. I dont take the actions that i did lightly. I know the extreme impact that they have on people and Business Owners in bergen county, but there is no other choice. Reporter drivethru testing now increasing. Cars lining up in wilmington. And in the containment area hit hard in new rochelle, a look inside the testing process. A Health Care Worker fully covered reaching through the window and taking a swab. But now abc learning of some problems. Amanda macy posted this on facebook, saying her husband has the virus, but getting the test results was a nightmare. We still dont have the original test results that were sent out from thursday, which is absolutely mind boggling to me. These tests have to be prioritized based on severity and acuity of these cases. Reporter her husband is now recovering. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo demand the white house nationalize the response. His state with the most cases, at least 750. You cant have a Patchwork Quilt of policies. You cannot do this ad hoc, one state at a time. Make the decision. Tell the states, this is the decision. And then lets go. Reporter so many families rely on schools to provide meals and supervision. Officials say they are working to figure out how to keep kids fed and taken care of during this tough time. New york city mayor bill de blasio said school could be canceled here for the rest of the school year. Erielle reshef, abc news, new york. Thanks to erielle. Overseas, italys National Quarantine is into its second week. Pope francis got himself out of the vatican sunday, visiting two churches where he prayed for an end to the outbreak. Abcs Julia Macfarlane has more about the virus effect right now across europe. Reporter cases in italy spiraling. Over 360 fatalities in the last day. A 25 spike. The deadliest day since the outbreak began. They now have a total of at least 1,800. In spain the country is on lockdown. Keep a safe distance with other people. Reporter police on loud speakers warning tourists to be careful of others. The prime ministers wife testing positive for coronavirus. Deaths more than doubling. 152 reported alone for a total of roughly 300. Countries such as germany, poland, and the Czech Republic shutting their borders. In france the eiffel tower and louvre are closed as cases increase. In ireland officials closing all pubs for st. Patricks day and for the next two weeks. Here in the uk, the Health Minister making the wartimelike request that auto manufacturers and others start producing ventilators. Julia macfarlane, abc news, london. Julia, thank you. Back at home, the nations top Infectious Disease expert says millions could die in the u. S. From the coronavirus, but dr. Anthony fauci says thats the worstcase scenario and the challenge is to make sure that does not happen. Fauci also saying during an appearance on abcs this week that it could be months before life returns to normal. Its going to be a matter of, you know, several weeks to a few months for sure. If you look at the dynamics of how outbreak curves go, you just need to take a look at china and take a look at south korea right now. With china they went to their peak and they are coming down right now. There were just a day or so ago 11 new cases in china, which is minuscule compared to where it was. Korea is starting to flatten and maybe come down a little. If you look at that bracket, all of that was a couple of months, a month and a half for china. China really dramatically did what we call social distancing. They just shut down the country. As they start getting back to normal personal interaction, i hope we dont see the second blip, but its possible. So were looking, you know, favorably at the fact that china is coming down. But we also want to look carefully to see what happens when they resume normal life. Thats one of the things that were interested in. Hopefully it will stay down. But it possibly could come back up. Fauci stressed that people need to understand that things will get worse, but hes confident that the u. S. Is doing Everything Possible to contain the virus. A programming note, abc news will air a special live 2020 pandemic what you need to know tonight at 10 9 central. Beginning tuesday, nightline temporarily moves to right after your late local news, continuing our coverage of the coronaVirus Outbreak. The coronaVirus Outbreak took center stage in last nights democratic president ial debate. Former Vice President joe biden pointed to his experience with the Ebola Outbreak and senator Bernie Sanders used the coronavirus to focus on universal health care. Abcs andrea fujii joins us with the details. Reporter good morning, zohreen and kenneth. It was an unusual debate. What was once a crowded field down just to two. And because of virus fears there was no audience. There was no applause or cheers and the candidates podiums were six feet apart to follow social distancing guidelines. In a nearempty room in washington, d. C. Sanders and biden both agreed more must be done to combat the coronavirus. They also said they are taking steps to keep themselves and the public safe during the campaigns, like not holding as many rallies and having some staff work from home. In a surprise announcement biden confirmed his running mate will be a woman. Sanders said hes also moving in that direction. And i commit that i will, in fact, appoint a pick a woman to be Vice President. There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow. In all likelihood i will. For me its not just nominating a woman, it is making sure that we have a progressive woman and there are progressive women out there. So my very strong tendency is to move in that direction. Reporter in a tweet, former candidate andrew yang seemed surprised to hear biden will pick a female as a running mate, wow, joe just committed to a woman as vp, i like it, though he didnt mention that to me when we spoke. He tweeted senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar must be at or near the top of bidens short list. Four states are scheduled to hold their primaries tomorrow. Kenneth, zohreen . Andrea, thank you. I think the speculation for vp is on. Sources tell abc news President Trump is considering a presentencing pardon for michael flynn. The former National Security adviser pleaded guilty to lying to the fbi during the russia probe. Meantime mr. Trumps former fixer Michael Cohen is petitioning for home confinement due to coronavirus. Hes serving three years for bank fraud and other charges. Coronavirus fears shut down the murder trial of real estate heir robert durst, charged with killing a friend who prosecutors say knew he murdered his wife. Durst was never charged in his wifes death. Her body was never found. The trial is set to resume april 6th. Former candidate for governor of florida Andrew Gillum says he is withdrawing from public life and entering rehab. Gillum said since his run for office ended in 2018, hes fallen into depression thats led to alcohol abuse and his announcement comes after police found him inebriated in a Miami Hotel Room where another man was treated for possible overdose. A young lady on instagram is proving anyone can be a teacher at any age. Emma has gotten more than 28,000 views thanks to her advice on social distancing, take a listen. Emma is 3. Her mom posted, if a 3yearold can do it, you can too. I dont want to social distance myself from emma, though, shes so cute. So sweet. A lot of instagram responses to the post, a lot of people saying things like, i will do anything emma demands, holy cuteness. And, if only adults could follow this. She is really cute and gives great tips and advice. Use the technology, facetime, get on messenger, on facebook. Theres plenty of things. If people like sounding off on social media anyway, now is your chance. Sitting at home on the couch . Really go at it. Sound off. Abc, wnn, twitter, you know it. Coming up, how coronavirus is bringing out some of the best in people. Later what do you think you should do if you find you have mild symptoms of the coronavirus . Abcs dr. Jennifer ashton weighs in. First what parents need to know about home schooling as schools across the country are shut down. Shut down. And looking to buy Life Insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. What are the three ps . The three ps of Life Insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. A price you can afford, a price that cant increase, and a price that fits your budget. Im 54. Alex, whats my price . You can get coverage for 9. 95 a month. Im 65 and take medications. Whats my price . Also 9. 95 a month. I just turned 80. Whats my price . 9. 95 a month for you too. If youre age 50 to 85, call now about the 1 most popular whole Life Insurance plan, available through the Colonial Penn program. It has an affordable rate starting at 9. 95 a month. No medical exam, no health questions. Your acceptance is guaranteed. And this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. So call now for free information. And youll also get this free beneficiary planner. And its yours just for calling. So call now. For bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. Just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. For 45 days. And the clock could be ticking towards bad breath, receding gums and possibly tooth loss. Help turn back the clock on gingivitis with parodontax. Leave bleeding gums behind. Parodontax. Leave bleeding gums behind. So, you bought those good enough paper towels . [daughter laughs] not such a bargain. Theres only one quicker picker upper. Bounty, the quicker picker upper. If youre headed to starbucks, be prepared to make that order to go. For at least two weeks the company is taking steps to minimize traffic in the u. S. And canada. The coffee chain is adopting a togo model and temporarily closing high social gathering locations like college campuses. One of the most profound ways the coronavirus has shifted American Life is forcing millions of kids to stay at home from school. The move is now raising both educational and logistical problems for millions of parents. This morning millions of students across the country are sitting at home. With more than 55,000 schools closing their doors. I think its the right decision. Theres no reason to put us in jeopardy. Reporter among the closures, the Largest School system in the country. And its very painful. Its going to be very difficult for a lot of families. Reporter new york citys mayor closing Public Schools through april 20th. He says he doesnt know when it will be safe to resume classes so teachers will report to work to learn how to teach their classes online. Were in this for the long haul. I think our best estimate is sometime in september. Reporter while the Digital Learning approach may be the easiest solution to a difficult problem, the decision leaves nearly 30 million American Students without a stable classroom, raising concern for those with special needs and for those without Internet Access at home. This has been something that we have been totally immersed in for the last month. Reporter for now many schools like this one in wisconsin are offering grab and go packages that include homework as well as breakfast and lunch. We will have new material, things there on a daily basis. Reporter still, the sudden lack of child care is a major challenge for parents, many of whom are juggling kids and working from home, and looking to maintain structure throughout the day. Use kids activities as a way to help to make sure the kids are still learning, theyre engaged, theyre active, theyre busy. Reporter parents pulling together, offering tips how to keep kids busy without losing out on education. Cut construction paper in half and write on them letters, numbers, shapes, spelling words. Tape to the back. Tape it around your house. Send your kids racing to go find them. So many good ideas out there. Parents are being forced to be creative, obviously, so their kids can learn. Im so concerned about lowincome families and the resources for them, especially when it comes to feeding these children. And again, educating them through this pandemic. So many people get their food and meals from school. Scholastic publishing is offering three weeks of free resources for students, parents, and teachers. Hopefully well hear of more opportunities for kids to kind of get those resources and bring them to them. When you hear schools could be shut down possibly through the rest of the school year and into the fall . Again, that is tough to hear. We hope that those kids are getting what they need throughout all of this. Coming up, living with these new aggressive social distancing measures. Abcs dr. Jennifer ashton explains why medical experts say theyre absolutely necessary. Test test olay ret. Face anything. Olay. Now available with retinol serum and retinol eye cream. So, i go to floor decor, where they dont just know the difference between products, they live for it. From american hardwood to spanish porcelain to italian marble, im looking for inspiration from every part of the world. So, when it comes to discovering every imaginable tile, wood, laminate or stone without compromising my design, one aisle doesnt cut it. I need an entire store. Now, ive got one. Explore floor decor in person or online at flooranddecor. Com weve been hearing so much weve been hearing so much lately about the worstcase scenarios of the spread of the coronavirus here in the u. S. But what if you find you just have mild symptoms . Abcs dr. Jennifer ashton sat down with tom llamas to answer some viewer questions. Jen, a lot of questions about testing as the system is being worked out. If you have mild symptoms and you most likely cant get a test, what should you do . As we see those kinks being worked out, again, for mild symptoms, you want to err on the side of thinking you might have coronavirus. So if possible, call your Health Care Provider if you have one or call the local health department. You want to say at home, just as you would for any viral illness. Avoid Public Places and public transportation. If possible you need to stay away from others in your home. That means staying out of common areas like kitchens and bathrooms if possible. Avoid contacts with pets. Again, this is for mild symptoms only. Jen, a lot of viewers watching our broadcast are going to see intense headlines. New york city finally shutting down its Public Schools. Restaurants and bars closing in major areas. California telling residents 65 and older to stay home. And europe in a very dire situation, some countries closing borders there. Medical experts say this is all necessary . I think its important now when you look at these very aggressive social distancing measures to understand they are being done to flatten the curve. Time is of the essence. So effort is important here. And while it can be anxietyproducing, as dr. Anthony fauci said just this morning on this week, ideally we look back on this and are criticized for doing too much. So yes, i think right now these things are appropriate. They are appropriate. The word there from dr. Jennifer ashton. Our thanks to tom as well. Its a lot to digest. It really is. Again, social distancing. We keep talking about it. Its important. You just have to navigate your way through this in your community, because obviously new york city is different from a rural community. Absolutely. Theres a lot of other advice too, like if you want to go to the gym. Go in the off hours. Age 50 to 8, and looking to buy Life Insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. What are the three ps . The three ps of Life Insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. A price you can afford, a price that cant increase, and a price that fits your budget. Im 54. Alex, whats my price . You can get coverage for 9. 95 a month. Im 65 and take medications. Whats my price . Also 9. 95 a month. I just turned 80. Whats my price . 9. 95 a month for you too. If youre age 50 to 85, call now about the 1 most popular whole Life Insurance plan, available through the Colonial Penn program. It has an affordable rate starting at 9. 95 a month. No medical exam, no health questions. Your acceptance is guaranteed. And this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. So call now for free information. And youll also get this free beneficiary planner. And its yours just for calling. So call now. Just between us, cleaning with a mop and bucket is such a hassle. Well i switched to swiffer wet jet and its awesome. Its an allinone that absorbs dirt and grime deep inside. And it helps prevent streaks and haze. Stop cleaning. Start swiffering 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. Unlike ordinary wmemory supplementsr . Neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel five indicators of brain performance. Memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. Trneuriva for thirty days and see the difference. So dad bought puffs plus lotion, blows. And rescued his nose. Puffs have more lotion and soothing softness to relieve. A nose in need deserves puffs indeed. We are the world we are the children now more than ever we are learning that we, each and every one of us, are the ones with the power to make a brighter day. And amidst all the doom and gloom headlines surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, we are seeing some silver threads. Our own will ganss here always finding Silver Linings. These are trying times. As mr. Rogers would remind us, look for the helpers, you will always find people who are helping. At world news now we wanted to shoutout some of those helpers this morning. Millie erickson in massachusetts. There she is. Her family wanted to celebrate her 100th birthday the best way they could. Millie lives in a nursing home which has had to say no to visitors for coronavirus. Her family gathered outside her window to sing her happy birthday and wish her well. Thats a lot of people. Millie was decked out in her special birthday hat and blew kisses to her family there outside the window. How sweet is that. Happy birthday, miss millie, i love it. 100 years old. And the party doesnt stop for anybody. Thats the way it should be. Thats the way it should be. Up next, small acts of kindness like this one popping up in apartments all over the country. This note left in the lobby of a busy building. Dear neighbors, if you are at high risk and concerned about your exposure to coronavirus, id be happy to pick up your groceries, run errands, et cetera, on your behalf in the coming weeks. We got to help each other out. And still, social distance, but get the groceries for your neighbor. Drop them off. Pick up prescriptions for those who need that, yes. Its important, it really is. To help. And finally, this ones my favorite, its not just because mickey mouse is my boss. If youre stuck at home, especially if you have kids, or you dont, like me, theres one thing that just may melt your heart. Disney has decided to start stream frozen ii three months early. Whoa so if youve got disney plus, you can travel to arendelle and sing along with anna, elsa, and olaf three months early. Genius idea. It really is. And i know, i know theyre our bosses, but disney plus obviously is such an important streaming service for the kids. The kids love it, right . So you put out this three months ahead of time . I mean, it was the highestgrossing animated film of all time, right . It broke its previous record held by frozen i. Now i bet its about to break some streaming records too. Essentially for those kids, summertime started last week, it starts now, right . Youre so right. Here at world news now, were going to try our darnedest. Were going to have will here talking about the Silver Linings, the positive stories when it comes to this pandemic as much as possible. Especially this week, next week. This morning on world news now, the latest recommendation from the cdc. Its saying no large gatherings for two months due to coronavirus concerns. Plus the president tells americans to stop hoarding groceries. The travel ban is set to grow after a weekend of massive crowds of americans returning from europe. Also this morning the closures. A growing list of cities and states telling bars and restaurants to close their doors. Some Las Vegas Hotels announced they too are closing. And the nations Largest School district shuts down until next month. Plus the latest democratic debate. No audience, no handshakes, but one very big promise from former Vice President joe biden. And you know the saying, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When a Global Pandemic cancels your cruise, you cruise at home. Its monday, march 16th. We say good morning on this 3 16. When we left you on friday we thought wed have better news to share at the start of this week but it looks like things are really about to change in this country. We begin with the coronavirus toll on American Life. Restaurants and bars are being closed in a growing number of cities and states. New federal guidelines will be made public today. As of now there are more than 3,200 confirmed cases of the virus nationwide and the death toll is up to at least 67. Get this, the cdc is recommending that gatherings of 50 or more people be put off for the next two months. And President Trump is calling on americans to stop panic buying at Grocery Stores, which has left empty shelves across the country. Vice president pence says Virus Testing is available in all 50 states and that more than 2,000 labs with highspeed testing are now operating. One estimate says nearly 26 Million Students nationwide are being affected by some sort of school closure. More than 1 million are here in new york city. Abcs Megan Tevrizian begins our coverage. Reporter in new york city, the countrys Largest School district will close monday until at least april 20th, maybe longer. And its very painful. Its going to be very difficult for a lot of families. Reporter the entire state of ohio and other cities and towns, people in the u. S. Closing bars and restaurants. In illinois ordering restaurants to only allow drivethru and delivery services. This is not a joke. No one is immune to this. Reporter california taking similar actions, but also asking seniors 65 and older to stay home. We recognize that social isolation for millions of californians is anxietyinducing. But we recognize what all of the science bears out. Reporter this as hospitals brace themselves for a surge of patients. But facing shortages in the necessary protective gear. One Nurses Association asking americans if they purchased n95 masks needed by Health Professionals to donate them to the people fighting on the frontlines. We are very concerned that when this virus peaks, that we have enough of the equipment for our nurses to take care of our patients properly. Reporter Health Experts in the u. S. Trying to keep the country from facing the crisis confronting italy, where the covid19 pandemic has claimed the largest number of lives in one day since the pandemic began. Megan tevrizian, abc news, new york. As of tonight, the u. S. Travel ban grows to include ireland and the uk. Over the weekend the ban sparked a rush to get home from other parts of europe, creating packed arrival halls in several major airports including chicagos ohare there. Passengers waited hours to get through Health Checks and customs. The big crowds were in obvious contrast to calls for social distancing. A surprise Interest Rate cut by the Federal Reserve on sunday was meant to ensure Economic Growth amid uncertainty of the Virus Outbreak but it seemed to have sparked fear as u. S. Spark futures and most asian markets slumped overnight. Rebecca jarvis has the details. Reporter the Federal Reserve announcing rare Emergency Action to calm financial fears, cutting Interest Rates to near 0 , their lowest level since the great recession. President trump, whos been critical of the fed previously, applauding. And i want to congratulate the Federal Reserve. Thats a big difference. Quite a bit. About a point. Reporter since the record highs last month, the dow is now down 21 . Now one of the nations top economists, mark zandi, predicting our new normal store closures like nike and apple, restaurant traffic and travel way down, will cost the economy 120 billion in gdp by the end of march. Issuing this warning well, the economy is shrinking. Were in recession. People are pulling back. Reporter treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin disagrees saying the virus wont cause a recession. Were clearly going to have a slowdown. And later in the year obviously the Economic Activity will pick up as we confront this virus. Reporter the Federal Reserve says we entered this challenging period on Strong Financial footing. They say they will keep the new policy in place until theyre confident we have weathered the storm and the u. S. Economy is back on track. Rebecca jarvis, abc news, new york. Thank you, rebecca. Another top airline in the u. S. Is facing major cuts to service in the wake of this pandemic. United is slashing its flights by 50 for april and may. Its also considering furloughs, pay cuts, and lower staffing minimums for workers. Airline Officials Say 1 million fewer people flew united in the first two weeks of this month compared to last year. On the rails, today amtrak cuts its northeast Corridor Service by 60 . A number of other routes through pennsylvania and new york state will move to weekend schedules. The red cross is warning the coronaVirus Outbreak could pose a threat to the nations blood supply. Blood drives are among the socalled large gatherings being canceled across the country so red cross is urging Healthy People to make an appointment and donate blood. The only caveat is anyone who has traveled to china, hong kong, macao, iran, italy, south korea, postpone giving blood for 28 days. Were learning major resorts in las vegas are closing. Mgm is shuttering casino operations today and will close its other properties on tuesday. The resort will not take reservations for new arrivals before may 1st. On tuesday wynn resorts plans to close its hotel and casinos for at least two weeks. In florida cities have closed stretches of public beaches indefinitely as thousands of College Students were expected to descend on the beaches at least through early april. Today one of the Worlds LargestPerfume Companies joins the fight against coronavirus. Lvmh, maker of fragrances such as Christian Dior and givenchy, will start producing Hand Sanitizer. The antibacterial will be delivered to french medical facilities for free. The pandemic has led to a nationwide shortage. I really think we should have a segment that we call were in it together. Or just Hand Sanitizer. Right. I applaud them, this perfumemaker, saying, were going to jump in this fight, make some Hand Sanitizer, because its flown off the shelves. In the theme of we are in this together, i have a present for you. Did you sanitize the Hand Sanitizer . No, i will wipe it down, i got you. I will put this around here, then i will okay. Thank you, i really appreciate it. By the way, because im like, i still want to be us here at world news now. You said givenchy . Youve got to say it with that air, givenchy. Thats how youve got to say it. Givenchy is getting into this whole Coronavirus Fight here, okay. Coming up, how you can help those on the frontline of fighting the coronavirus. Plus the message from former president s clinton and obama about social distancing and staying at home. And the big news from last nights democratic debate. What joe biden just confirmed about his potential running mate. Were back with two former president s encouraging people to stay home. To minimize the spread of the virus bill clinton tweeted, if you dont absolutely need to leave home, dont. And former president barack obama weighing in as well. He tweeted, all of us can help slow the spread of the virus, protecting the elderly, the vulnerable, and each other. The top two democrats who hope to be the next president faced off in their first oneonone debate with the coronavirus dominating the discussion. It was interesting. Former Vice President joe biden and senator Bernie Sanders argued about their past records and their future plans, and one of them, get this, made news with a promise about his potential running mate. Abcs andrea fujii joins us now with details. Good morning, zohreen and kenneth. Frontrunner joe biden confirmed his running mate will be a woman. And Bernie Sanders says his vp will also most likely be female. It was an unusual debate. What was a crowded field of candidates down to just two, and because of virus fears there was no audience. Devoid of applause, joe biden and Bernie Sanders greeted one another with elbow bumps and podiums six feet apart in a largely empty room in washington, d. C. Amidst covid19 concerns. Both candidates agreed more must be done to combat this health crisis. Sanders criticizing President Trump. He is undermining the doctors and the scientists who are trying to help the american people. It is unacceptable for him to be blabbering with unfactual information which is confusing the general public. The present system cannot handle the surge that is likely to come. So we should already be sitting down and planning where were going to put these temporary hospitals. Reporter both men in their 70s were asked how theyre protecting themselves during this pandemic. I love doing rallies, and we bring many thousands of people out to our rallies. I enjoy it very much. Were not doing that right now. In fact, our entire staff is working from home. Reporter biden pointed out that unlike sanders recent heart attack, he is in good health. Fortunately, i dont have any of the underlying conditions you talked about that i have to worry about. Reporter the candidates sparred over social security. Time and time again, talking about the need to cut social security, medicare, and veterans programs. Is that true or no, its not true. That is not true . That is not true. Reporter a surprise announcement. Joe biden says his running mate will be female. I commit that i will, in fact, appoint a pick a woman to be Vice President. Reporter sanders says hes also moving in that direction. In all likelihood, i will. Reporter in a tweet, former candidate andrew yang seemed surprised that biden committed to picking a female as running mate saying, wow, joe just committed to a woman as vp, i like it though he didnt mention that to me when we spoke. He also tweeted senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar must be at or near the top of bidens short list. Four states are scheduled to hold their primaries tomorrow. Kenneth and zohreen, back to you. Thank you, andrea. I covered andrew yang for a few months, i sense a little bit of jealousy there. I think so, like wait, thats not what he said to me. We had the phone call. It will be interesting to see how the voting plays out with coronavirus. Obviously just so many concerns with it when it comes to going to the polls or not. Well see how that plays out. That was a big discussion on that debate stage as well. The big headline from joe biden about picking a woman for vp. Coming up next half hour, Hand Sanitizer hoarders. Whats next for the two brothers caught with thousands of bottles of Hand Sanitizer and where those bottles are now headed. First, the dire warning from one Health Expert about just how long we can expect many schools and businesses to be closed. Did you know that every single flush fling odors onto your soft surfaces . Then they get released back into the air so you smell them later. Ew. Right . Thats why febreze created small spaces. Press firmly and watch it get to work. Unlike the leading cone, small spaces continuously eliminates odors in the air and on surfaces so they dont come back for 45 days. Now thats one flushin fresh bathroom. Onward, the latest film from our Parent Company disney, stayed atop the box office for a second straight week, bringing in 10. 5 million. But the coronaVirus Outbreak forced ticket sales to their lowest levels in 20 years where seats were about 56 million in the u. S. And canada. Those numbers of the box office are reflective of how Many Americans are taking the coronavirus seriously and avoiding large groups of people. But too Many Americans are still not getting the message. Dr. David eisenman of ucla, i asked him what we should all be doing. We can get ahead of this disease if we do social distancing. We have two choices. We either do social distancing or we are going to have an overwhelmed Health Care System, overwhelmed hospitals, where doctors are choosing who gets the ventilator, who do i let live, who do i let die. Social distancing is very effective at this point. We do it early in the disease, we can actually limit the Community Spread that occurs. We need to hit this early with social distancing and we need to hit it hard with social distancing. When it comes to gyms, theaters, places of worship, they are still open. Should they be . In places like seattle, new york city, austin, where there are all these local hot spots, i think its time to just close them once and for all. People in rural areas, people in the cities, i feel like i came in contact with several different people, asked the same question. Is this all being blown out of proportion . Your response to that . Sadly, this is not being blown out of proportion. This is going to be the biggest disaster the world has seen in my lifetime. This will be bigger than 9 11, this will be bigger than any other Natural Disaster weve ever seen. At this rate we are looking at potentially millions of people dying from this disease. Theres not going to be a city or country in the world thats not affected by this. This is not a hoax. Should there be a blanket order from the white house, from President Trump, that closes these businesses, these restaurants, these bars . I dont think we need a blanket order yet. Because there are some cities where this will be really impactful. Places like i mentioned. Seattle, new york, boston, parts of northern california. Where closing the bars and restaurants makes sense. Places like ohio where were seeing rapid increases in numbers. That makes sense. But there are still some cities, theres still some towns, theres still some places where we havent seen Community Spread. So it may be too early to say that they need to close their restaurants and bars. I think we need to really have messaging to younger persons that this is the right thing to do, this is the courageous thing to do. No one will make fun of you for saying, no, im not going out tonight, lets have a Virtual Dinner Party if thats what we want to do. But yes, we need to really get at that young group, stayhome. I think were looking at realistically through the middle of may before we see any improvements in this. And all of that is really contingent on excellent social distancing. Once we can really get people to not see not interact with each other and not spread the virus, then we might be able to get our hospitals up to capacity, to take care of the old or the really sick. We might actually have enough capacity to deal with this disease. And then we might be able to back up a little bit and see if we can sort of take our feet off the pedal here and start opening things back up. I wouldnt be surprised if places where schools are closed now, theyre closed until fall. Our thanks to dr. Eisenman again from ucla. When he said some of the things he was saying, especially that line about looking at potentially millions of people dying from this disease, kind of stood up. Chilling. Chilling. Sat up straight there. It is chilling. He was tough on the young people. Saying, you could be carriers for this and it could really impact the elderly and not be selfish essentially. Its so interesting because he is so forceful with his words and he doesnt believe in grounding domestic flights . Not at this point but at this point social distancing we have to be vigilant, we have to be sure were doing it as much as possible, because if we get ahead of this, it could really help before things get much worse. Help before things get much worse. Breathe freely fast, with vicks sinex. My congestions gone. I can breathe again ahhhh i can breathe again ughh vicks sinex. Breathe on. About the Colonial Penn program. Here to tell you if youre age 50 to 85, and looking to buy Life Insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. What are the three ps . The three ps of Life Insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. A price you can afford, a price that cant increase, and a price that fits your budget. Im 54. Alex, whats my price . You can get coverage for 9. 95 a month. Im 65 and take medications. Whats my price . Also 9. 95 a month. I just turned 80. Whats my price . 9. 95 a month for you too. If youre age 50 to 85, call now about the 1 most popular whole Life Insurance plan, available through the Colonial Penn program. It has an affordable rate starting at 9. 95 a month. No medical exam, no health questions. Your acceptance is guaranteed. And this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. So call now for free information. And youll also get this free beneficiary planner. And its yours just for calling. So call now. Time now for the mix. And our first story, a doctors warning about mass hoarding. Oh my gosh, yes. One doctor says, if you hoarded any supplies of n95 masks, i implore you for your sake and everyone elses please look into whether or not you can donate them to a health care facility, this is a big issue out there as theres a mask shortage. She is saying that of course a larger corporation probably wont be able to accept it but look at donating it to a local private practice, primary care office. Hospitals across the country, they are being rationed, this is a big deal. These masks are a big deal for Health Care Providers, those folks that are on the frontlines when it comes to dealing with the patients who potentially do have coronavirus. And they need them. They need them to treat the patients, they need them to do the work. By the way, we do applaud all those nurses, doctors, medical professionals who are there doing incredible work. Theyre working around the clock. Also thinking about the folks in italy. They have been really obviously hit hard by it, coronavirus. And these folks, were always looking for Silver Linings when it comes to the pandemic. This is how theyre dealing with it in italy in isolation there. Theyve got the music. Irish musicians performed irish reel on a window ledge as the lockdown there kicks in. I saw this video over the weekend and it just warmed my heart there. I love them. Theyve got great spirits. I heard there was another video too of them reciting rihannas blank but i have my money. Go look it up, its real cute. Theres one instance in spain where there was a workout instructor in the middle of the apartment complexes who was leading everyone in a workout from their balconies. I love it. A lot of people trying to make the best out of their situation. There was a couple in melbourne, they had to cancel their cruise, the big cruise for their anniversary. Instead, take a look at this, they actually watched images of the water as if they were actually on a ship. Theyre toasting from the comfort of their own living room. Oh. Their daughter took this image of them, she said they were due to go on a 10day Pacific Island cruise for their 53rd anniversary, of course they had to cancel it. Yeah, you know what . Again, when life gives you lemonades, make that lemonade, then drink it relaxing in your chair. This golden retriever right here good story. So good i had to mention it again. Play date with a little ray of sunshine. Dogs cannot get coronavirus in case you were wondering. Just like covered california helps you find Health Insurance you can afford. Theyre the only place you can get Financial Assistance to help pay for Health Coverage. Plus, this year, the state is providing more help than ever before. And because a new law requires californians to have Health Coverage or pay a penalty, covered california has made it easier to get financial help, but you gotta sign up by april 30th. Visit coveredca. Com or call to enroll today. This morning on world news now, the race to find a Coronavirus Vaccine. Plus President Trump urges americans to stop hoarding groceries. And more schools and businesses close for weeks if not more. The growing concern at hospitals nationwide. Are they just weeks away from being overwhelmed with patients . One nurses union says there isnt enough protective equipment. New this half hour, what its like to have the virus. We hear from one patient who thought he wouldnt survive the weekend. Plus from the hot zone in italy. The pope taking a rare stroll alone. And irish bars close just before st. Patricks day. In the skinny, the celebrities who are sharing their own advice about staying healthy. And the tv doctor who wonders, why are people hoarding toilet paper . Hmm. Its monday, march 16th. Weve been in this thing for some time now and i dont know why people are hoarding toilet paper. I saw one explanation early on that was like, economy, then producers, and blah, blah, blah. And i was like, i still dont get it. But they are. Good morning, everyone. Lets get to the latest on the coronavirus emergency. As of now there have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases in 49 states and at least 67 deaths. The cdc is out with new guidance. It recommends a 50person limit on gatherings over the next two months. A Government Official says a Coronavirus VaccineClinical Trial begins today. A lot of people are probably excited to hear this. It will take up to 18 months to fully approve any vaccine. The Federal Reserve has cut a key Interest Rate to near zero in an attempt to calm financial fears, but after the announcement u. S. Stock futures and most asian markets fell sharply. A sunday afternoon appearance in the White House Briefing room, the president praised the feds move. Saying his administration has tremendous control over the administration and the president asked americans to cut back on panic buying at Grocery Stores. Theres no need for anybody in the country to hoard essential food supplies. You dont have to buy the quantities. Because its hard to refill the stores on a basis as rapid as theyre refilling them. New measures to protect everyone at the white house began today. They include taking the temperature of anyone entering the complex, including visitors and members of the media. The president did mention that Grocery Stores should remain open. So just in case people are concerned the Grocery Stores are going to shut down as they hear about restaurant and bars and other places closing. A broader travel ban kicks into gear tonight barring residents of ireland and britain from entering the u. S. For the next month. The race of americans traveling home created chaos throughout the weekend. Mona kosar abdi reports. Reporter the nations biggest airports thrown into chaos as enhanced coronavirus screenings cause massive delays through customs. At chicagos ohare, thousands returning to the u. S. Herded on escalators going nowhere. Long, winding lines at dallas ft. Worth airport, travelers Standing Shoulder to shoulder, some waiting up to seven hours, all at a time when americans are being urged to keep their distance from one another. Through customs, and then another line to cdc where i had my temperature taken. Reporter the federal government rushing to implement President Trumps restrictions on travel from 28 European Countries including the United Kingdom and ireland. 15yearold liam elliot, returning from switzerland to virginia, says everyone was in close proximity. Was anyone handing out masks or any protective equipment . No. Reporter illinoiss governor slamming the president on twitter calling the lines unacceptable. Chicagos mayor pleading for help. We need more screeners here at ohare, and they need them at other airports across the country. Reporter President Trump responding, asking people to, quote, pardon the interruptions and delays, adding, quote, it is very important that we be vigilant and careful. Dr. Anthony fauci says Domestic Travel restrictions have not been seriously discussed and are not in the immediate future, but he did add that the Administration Remains openminded. Mona kosar abdi, abc news, dulles international. As we just mentioned the party is over in a growing number of places when it comes to bars and restaurant. Bars in illinois, ohio, massachusetts, washington state, and here in new york city have been ordered to close. Many restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery services. Grocery stores will be stay open. Heads up, theres a great food bar at most of them if you want prepared food. In vegas, mgm and wynn resorts are closing properties as of tomorrow. The president s Coronavirus Task force says Virus Testing is available in all 50 states. More than 2,000 labs will be doing highspeed testing as of today, like here at the Quest Diagnostics lab in northern virginia. The nations hospitals are bracing for a possible onslaught of new virus cases in the weeks ahead. Abcs Marci Gonzalez has that. Reporter with the number of covid19 cases rising, hospitals across the country preparing for a potential crush of patients. Some constructing tents to handle possible overflow. Health officials working around the clock on plans to keep the Health Care System from being pushed to the limits. If we have a worstcase scenario, weve got to admit it, we could be overwhelmed. Are we going to have a worstcase scenario . I dont think so, i hope not. Reporter we checked in with hospitals from coast to coast. These California Medical Centers conducting drills. Were not seeing too big of an influx with patients right now. Reporter a different story at south shore health in massachusetts where theyre seeing high volumes of patients with respiratory symptoms. We have to assume that when theyre coming in that all of them could have covid19. Now of course they dont, but we have to be very careful to make sure we maximize our personal protective equipment, because we cannot afford to get infected. Reporter in new York Governor Andrew Cuomo warning it could be just weeks before the Health Care System there is overwhelmed, pointing to a shortage of critical ventilators needed to treat the most vulnerable patients in intensive care units. They are scarce. And you cant find available ventilators no matter how much youre willing to pay. Reporter while President Trump says masks are now being made by the millions, in ohio a nurses Union Raising concerns about the availability of protective gear. We are very concerned that when this virus peaks, that we have enough of the equipment for our nurses to take care of our patients properly. Reporter new yorks governor is calling on President Trump to mobilize the army corps of engineers to convert places like military bases and College Dorms into temporary medical centers. And some hospitals are now asking retired doctors and nurses to be on standby in case more staffing is needed. Marci gonzalez, abc news, los angeles. All right, thank you, marci. Theres been so much talk about the epicenter of this virus. We talked about china initially. Now it appears western europe is now considered the epicenter of this pandemic. Spain is now into its second day of a twoweek state of emergency. Streets in major cities are eerily empty with residents confined to their homes for all but essential reasons. Spain has nearly 8,000 cases and its death toll is almost 300. Among those cases is the prime ministers wife. Italy is entering the second week of its National Quarantine. One doctor in italy says his hospital is seeing a tsunami of patients. On sunday italy reported its biggest daytoday increase in infections, bringing its total to nearly 25,000. More than 1,800 people have lost their lives to the virus. Thats more than onequarter of the global death toll. The pubs and bars in ireland are closed for at least two weeks. St. Patricks day is tomorrow and people are being warned not to attend house parties or other large gatherings. Parades for the holiday were canceled last week because of the outbreak. And get this, police in a South Carolina town are asking for the publics help during the outbreak. Authorities in belton, South Carolina want criminals to behave. The Police Department is asking that all criminal activities cease until further notice. The Facebook Post says, we will inform you when we deem it safe and appropriate to proceed with yo bad selves. That Police Department in belton is only a few miles from my hometown of abbeville, South Carolina. You think criminals are going to listen . I think so, i think they know there is a pandemic happening and they better behave because they dont want to be in those confined spaces that they could potentially be in. Belton there, they actually took this from it appears they had took this from some other Police Department as well. I hear that in west virginia, they had a similar posting. Im pretty sure a lot of Police Departments are having those types of postings saying, behave yourselves. Yes. But you know what, with streets just so empty, especially with curfews coming out of cities, it might be easier, potentially, to police certain areas. If you dont social distance yourself, the Police Departments across this country will do it for you. Coming up, a firsthand account of what its like battling the coronavirus. Plus the two brothers accused of hoarding thousands of bottles of Hand Sanitizer. What they said they planned to do with it. Later in the skinny, an update from tom hanks and his new favorite breakfast down under. Welcome back. There are more than 3,200 cases of coronavirus in the u. S. This morning were hearing from patients battling the virus. This morning inside the fight to survive the coronavirus yeah, thats the cough. Reporter this is now life for kevin harris. Medical professionals visiting him in the hospital in ohio are limited and wearing full protective gear. Thats you and thats me. Reporter the 55yearold says he was healthy before getting infected. Harris says he started feeling sick about two weeks ago after traveling from his home in warren, ohio to cleveland. Doctors treated him for the flu and sent him home, but his fever and dry cough, a primary symptom of the virus, only got worse. Friday night, he posted this video to facebook from his hospital bed, convinced he wouldnt survive the weekend. Do i want to die suffocating, going into cardiac arrest at the same time . Reporter but this morning good news from harris doctors who say his lung function is improving. Its unchartered territory. To be as sick as i am and be the first case in our area. Reporter this morning people caring for patients also sharing firsthand accounts. On instagram, a new york herbalist documenting her struggle to care for her parents, both of whom are infected. She says shes never seen something attack the lungs like this, adding, quote, im powerless against this thing, i cant sleep because im so terrified about my dads breathing, just sitting outside his door. You know, having some mild symptoms, coldlike symptoms, but otherwise feeling very well, very healthy. Reporter miamis mayor Francis Suarez is sharing his recovery from the virus, hoping to calm some fears. Understandable anxiety that people have about the possibility of getting infected. I feel well. Certainly im sure im going to feel symptoms. But i want to document them and let the public know so that they can hopefully have a sense of comfort. Reporter as for harris, he doesnt know when hell leave the hospital, and he believes the pandemic will change the world. It already has. And i think its going to bring everybody closer. Reporter harris maintains he had little contact with people while he was showing symptoms. He says hes coming forward with his diagnosis so people will listen to warnings from Health Professionals. A tennessee man who tried to use the pandemic to make a buck has had a change of heart. But that may be because the states attorney general got involved. Matt colvin and his brother bought nearly 18,000 bottles of Hand Sanitizer in tennessee and kentucky. That is more than one lifetimes worth. They posted them on amazon. Some for as much as 80. He says he wasnt trying to fleece anyone. Was i buying them intending to turn a profit off selling them . Yes. At the same time, i wasnt in a situation where i was trying to rip people off. Amazon got involved and pulled the listings. Yesterday matt donated twothirds of his stockpile to a church. The a. G. s office took the rest to give to their colleagues in kentucky. When we come back, how celebrities are reacting to the coronavirus. And an update from tom hanks on his condition. The skinny is next. New microban 24 finally a household cleaner that keeps killing bacteria for 24 hours. Watch as both brands kill 99. 9 of bacteria and viruses. The difference . Even after multiple touches, microban 24 keeps killing 99. 9 of bacteria for 24hours. New microban 24. Available in multipurpose cleaner, sanitizing spray, and bathroom cleaner. Skinny just gimme the skinny time now for the skinny and the celebs are proving when it comes to the coronavirus, were in this all together. We are. Celebrities of all stripes are weighing in with their advice to listen to the Actual Health authorities about social distancing. Taylor swift took to instagram last night urging fans to cut out the parties and hang outs and truly isolate themselves to curb the spread of the virus. Nba star steph curry tweeted out his own video saying, weve all got to take responsibility for ourselves and do whatever it takes to flatten the curve. Im at home, me and my family really enjoying family time. As best you can, social distance yourself, and we can flatten the curve and get rid of this virus as soon as possible. Appreciate it, stop the spread, lets do it. Meantime, comedian josh gad, the voice behind the beloved snowman olaf in the frozen films, livestreamed on twitter a reading of one of his favorite books, the giving tree. And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, come, boy, climb up my trunk and swing through the branches and be happy. Im too busy to climb trees, said the boy. Gad said since were all stuck at home right now, i figured we would have a little fun together. And we should mention that our Parent Company, disney, has announced that frozen ii is going to be released three months early on disney plus, the streaming service. Because all the kids are home. Thats a great idea, yeah. Got to give theyre probably going to watch it a thousand times as well for the parents. Yep. Enjoy that. That should be fun. Youve never seen frozen. Can we rush through this . I cant talk about it anymore. No, why are you trying to rush, plenty of time, right, greg, producer . Plenty of time. Youve seen it, why dont you tell us about it . No, youve seen frozen, right . I have not. Okay, ill tell the Parent Company, disney, all about it. Thank you. Thank you for that. Next to an update from perhaps one of the highestprofile coronavirus patients. Tom hanks and wife rita wilson quarantined in australia and getting treatment is thanking his helpers as he and his wife recover. He tweeted a photo showing a stuffed kangaroo and koala watching over his vegemiteslathered toast. James west wrote he spread it on way too thick and forgot the most important ingredient, butter, and a lot of it. I think hes doing it wrong, he needs to take the vegemite, put it over a trash can, and drop it into the trash can, because vegemite is nasty, its salty, its got fish eggs in it, i dont like it. Let me guess youve had it before. I have. Dr. Oz is speaking out against everyone whos been hoarding toilet paper during this chaos. The famous doctor went shopping over the weekend and shared this image on facebook showing empty store shelves. He wrote, why we buy out toilet paper is something i dont understand. Humans are a hardy bunch, we fix problems far under the sea and on the face of the moon. He added dont panic, buy the essentials for two weeks no more, leave supplies for everyone else. One of the reasons why this is so important is because if you have an elderly neighbor, someone whos handicapped, theyre not going to multiple stores, theyre going to one store. Its good to leave some for everyone. I dont get it. I dont either. Today is the day tom brady enters into free agency. Speculation is running high that he may be bound for los angeles. This comes after the Tennessee Titans agreed to a fouryear extension with quarterback ryan tannehill. Exciting news. Tennessee had been considered a landing spot for brady. Now the oddson speculators say the chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders are the two most popular destinations if brady does leave after 20 seasons in new england. But of course thats still a big if. Many people refer to this date as john 316, march 16th . I think its tom 316. Coming up, saving the High School Musical. Coming up, saving the High School Musical. Diarrhea . Pepto diarrhea to the rescue. Its 3x concentrated liquid formula coats and kills bacteria to relieve diarrhea. The leading competitor only treats symptoms it does nothing to kill the bacteria. Treat diarrhea at its source with pepto diarrhea. 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. Discover a new world discover whats good pantene nutrient blends were all in this tog were all in this together in this age it caught me. I was really enjoying that. In this new age of the coronavirus, we truly are all in this together. Perhaps now more than ever. Even for students across the nation whose High School Musicals have been canceled, our very own High School Musical superfan and veteran, youve been in a few, will ganss is here. Did the jazz hands give it away . Those High School Musical rehearsals are not going to waste thanks to major stars and the platforms theyre providing. Reporter hows that for heavenly . While high schools are forced to cancel their musicals, broadway legends are giving a platform to kids who wouldnt have a spot to sing otherwise. Tony award winner Laura Benanti, please post yourself singing and tag me, i want to be your audience. I want to see you. I want to hear it. Reporter the responses hitting the right notes as the post gains popularity. Reporter tony award winner ben platt joining in. I need a hero reporter slay. Linmanuel miranda saying, thank you, kids, im watching too. And this morning Jennifer Garner encouraging those theater kids in another way saying, quote, to the elsas and matildas, the Willie Lomans and romeos, not to mention the flutists, pianists, gymnasts, the shot putter, we want to see, show us what youve got. The High School Musical kids responding quickly. Dancing. Singing. Playing. For those who need the space to be creative, these online outlets mean the most. Broadway stars giving those kiddos the audience they deserve. Theres nothing like live theater. But when you cant get into a room with 1,000 other people, the best thing we can do is watch it online and create the largest theater in the world. A Typical High School auditorium is 400 seats. Its certainly a shame so many productions are being canceled, but the 9 million followers that jen garner and Laura Benanti offer makes up for it a little bit. Its so important to express those arts. I feel like if were going to go through a pandemic, technology now is great for obviously expressing yourselves, getting it out there, getting the videos out there, i love it. Were in it together. Elbow bumps. Stay with us for good morning america. Breaking news in america this morning, the coronavirus emergency forcing america to shut down. More states ordering restaurants, bars, theaters and gyms to close immediately as the death toll climbs and the virus spreads. The Federal Reserve takes Emergency Action to lower Interest Rates but overnight stocks plunging, the president urging americans not to hoard groceries. In europe a nightmare with no end in sight. Italy reporting its biggest oneday death toll so far as the British Government warns elderly people they may have to stay inside for months. Here at home the rush to prepare hospitals. Several proposals are now being considered. For School Children and their parents now stuck at home, new ideas to keep kids learning outside the classroom. We have every new