The number of deaths over the past few days has been dropping for the first time. What that might mean for the battle around the country as millions of americans begin a new week under lockdown. Infected. The u. S. Navy captain forced out for sounding the alarm about the outbreak on his ship, now himself diagnosed with the virus as top military and white house tussle over the firing, the commanders crew gives him a heros sendoff. The latest just ahead. Hospitalized. British Prime MinisterBoris Johnsons condition worsens. Admitted to the hospital overnight 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus. The queen delivers a rare televised address. If we remain united and resolute, we will overcome it. Her message just ahead. Those stories plus a historic diagnosis at the bronx zoo. A beloved tiger catches the virus. As many as six others might be exposed as the outbreak takes a surprising turn, today, april 6th, 2020. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb. Morning, everybody. Welcome to today, it is nice to have you with us bright and early on monday morning as we start a new week. Im working from home again this week. Hoda is back in the studio Holding Things down. Good morning, how are you doing . Good morning, savannah. Good. Good to see your face. Were going to get right to the coronavirus outbreak. As we begin, there are now 337,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths in the United States. As we heard from governor cuomo, the number of fatalities does appear to be slowing in new york city meantime stressing the need for social distancing ahead. Dr. Anthony fauci said as many as half all infected people do not experience symptoms. Just this morning japans Prime Minister is expected to declare a new state of emergency in tokyo and several other major cities in the wake of renewed surge of cases there. We have it all covered. Were going to start with nbcs sam brock. Hey, sam, good morning. Hoda, good morning. When it comes to war on coronavirus, things may be about to go from bad to much worse. The white house warning right now the next two weeks are pivotal as the country enters its toughest period yet. With multiple states heading into make or break weeks against covid19, overnight President Trump trying to put a positive spin on an escalating situation. Were starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Reporter but just 24 hours earlier the president admitting. There will be a lot of deaths unfortunately. Reporter an assessment echoed by his health advisers. Next week will be our 9 11 moment. Reporter the president doubling down on his call to use hydroxychloroquine, even though theres no evidence it fights covid19. What do we have to lose. They say take it. Im not looking one way or another. Weve got to get out of this. If it does work, it would be a shame it didnt work early. Weighing in, when dr. Fauci was asked about the drug. Do you want to weigh in on this issue of hydroxychloroquine . What do you think of this . I asked the doctor. I answered 15 times. Alarming new projections show a peak in new york, new orleans in a few days. With a deficit of supplies, governors in many states are scrambling to prepare. Michigan has more than 14,000 cases of the virus, third most. Exponentially. Were seeing it doesnt discriminate based on city line, state line, party lines. New orleans has the countrys most lethal death rate while more than 4,000 have died in new york. To enact full stayathome orders, including iowa. If additional action is necessary to protect the health and safety of iowans, i will do so. Reporter but the Surgeon General saying it is vital to stop the spread. Give us a week or two if you can. We want you to do it in 30 days. In those nine states give you us what you can so we get the peak and come down the other side. Riverside, california, is mandating residents wear masks when they leave the house, one of the strictest measures. On sunday some with their faith ignoring social distancing. In louisiana one pastor despite a ban on gathers. Gatherings. The pastor was arrested last month for holding services. They would rather come an worship like free people than live like prisoners in their home. Here in florida the governor saying he doesnt have the authority to close houses of worship. With 15 states with the most vulnerable populations, many of them, mainly in the south, have religious exemptions. Sam brock, thank you very much. As we begin a new week, the mayor of new york city is warning hospitals there could run out of ventilators in the next two days. But as mentioned, there is some hopeful news in the fight against the fight in new york. Nbcs Gabe Gutierrez is at the makeshift hospital setup inside the Javits Convention center in manhattan. Gabe, good morning to you. Savannah, good morning. The Javits Center behind me now has 2500 beds making it the largest hospital in the country right now. U. S. Military personnel are staffing it. The federal government sending 1,000 doctors, nurses, and respiratory techs, to handle the overwhelming need here. We should warn you, some of the issues youre about to see are disturbing. This morning the u. S. Military is on the move, deploying staff to 11 new York Hospitals as the city answers whats expected to be its most critical week yet in the battle against coronavirus. The system is over capaci the system is over capacity. At one hospital in brooklyn, an unsettling scene, body bags lining the hallway until they can be moved outside to temporary morgues. Still a possible glimmer of hope the number of deaths over the past few days has been dropping for the first time what is the significance of that its too early to tell. New hospitalizations with icu admissions and intubations have also gon down in new york but the overall death toll remains grim the state topping a staggering 4100 deaths and more than 122,000 confirmed cases. I hope were somewhere near the apex, right . A Health Care System already pushed to its limits is now preparing for the worst. None of us actually expected anything like this to ever happen we only know to do one thing, and thats to show up at work and take care of our patients. The states urgent plea for help and supplies has been answered those near and far. Nurses with samaritans purse that responded to disasters around the world now helping at the emergency Field Hospital in iconic central park. We have never been responding together in america to a disaster situation, so this is a first for us. China sending 1,000 ventilators, another 140 from oregon in neighboring new jersey, a new Field Hospital is opening today as the state surpasses 37,000 cases and quickly approaches 1,000 deaths among the lives lost, richard gould, the former fire commissioner in woodbridge, new jersey he was honored by the department which held a funeral processional through town. Coordinating manager at elmhurst hospital in queens the world also lost jazz legend, a renowned trumpet player who learned from miles davis he was just 59 years old new york mayor bill de blasio estimates the city will need an extra 45,000 medical workers to match expanding Hospital Capacity throughout the area hoda. All right, gabe thank you so much. Lets turn now to our medical correspondent dr. John torres and nbc news contributor dr. Joseph fair. Hes an expert on the study of viruses. He was on the front lines of the african ebola crisis good morning, doctors. Im going to start with you, dr. Fair we keep saying what the Surgeon General is saying, this is going to be our pearl harbor, our 9 11 this week is critical. What do you think we should be prepared for in this week, dr. Fair i think i would agree with the statement, only its just going to be nationwide and not localized in a certain area. We all felt it as americans, when it directly touches you, someone related to you or a colleague, its going to touch you in a different way hes trying to prepare the nation for what thats going to look like. Having been through my fair share of these outbreaks like this and seen a lot of these deaths occur, it is something you have to prepare for mentally its not going to be easy to get through, to be honest. As a nation hes making that reference to best prepare people as best he can as a nation to get ready to go through that grieving process that is unique to outbreaks. There was a little bit of sound that was played at the president s Coronavirus Task force meeting yesterday. It was from dr. Deborah birx it struck us because it had to do with the everyday things we do she now says maybe we shouldnt be doing them anymore. Take a listen. This the moment to not be going to the Grocery Store, not going to the pharmacy but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe that means everybody doing the 6 feet distancing, washing your hands. Not going to the Grocery Store and not going to the pharmacy, dr. Fair why now . You know, shes really just talking about absolutely minimizing our interaction with one another. Those are essential tasks. Were going to have to do them occasionally i think what dr. Birx is trying to get across, and by the way, i have strong confidence in both her and dr. Fauci, they do know what they are doing, really trying to minimize in any way possible Human Interaction thats going to lead to social distancing protocol were trying to implement across the country, nationwide, across really everywhere in the world were trying to do at the same time. Its harder as we have more and more people on earth, in urban and densely Populated Areas like new york, its harder, just because we live closer to one another but thats what were trying to do. In gabes piece, the new york governor did have it sounded like a bit of good news. He said the numbers have been dropping on saturday the number of deaths was 630. On sunday it was 594 in new york what are we to read into those numbers . Have we reached the apex, do you think . Hoda, i think what youre seeing there is exactly what should be said theres a glimmer of hope here were seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. You cant base these decisions they are making on hopes and promises and wishes, you have to base them on good datadriven projections. Projections are showing this is going to be a bad week and he knows that hes not willing to say were at the apex, nobody is. We have to wait to see what happens as we start getting up the curve and finally coming down the back side of the curve. We might be there, we might not. You cant base decisions on the hope were there you have to base them on the fact we know more patients are coming in, more shortages, more issues going on here, especially in new york city other cities can use this as an example and template of whats happening to them as time goes on and they start looking at their own curves increasing and cases inundating hospitals. In lets talk about it. This is the most critical week. This is all hands on deck. This is the week we need lets talk about it this is the most critical week this is all hands on deck. This is the week we need all the equipment, dr. Torres. How are we doing in that department during this week . Hoda, i think were doing better than if youd asked that question two weeks ago or maybe a week ago but i dont think were still at the point yet that we can handle everything thats happening here especially if its as bad a week. When you have to make those decisions, thats the toughest decision to make, who gets treatment, who doesnt get treatments this is something ive done in military environment, not civilian field hopefully more and more equipment comes in were hearing about china, washington state, National Guard going upstate to get ventilators to bring them down to new york city i think were doing the things we need to do, to get ventilators moved around, which are the crucial piece of equipment we need. There are shortages as well were working on those shortages will be resolved. Ho resolved how quickly and how much of an impact in the meanwhile is the critical thing on saving lives Going Forward here. All right, dr. Torres, dr. Fair, thank you so much for your time we appreciate it. Thank you. Savannah, over to you. Now, hoda, to those new developments tied to the coronavirus outbreak aboard the uss Theodore Roosevelt the captain was relieved from his duty after writing a letter. Begging for help for his crew. Now he has the virus. White house correspondent Kristen Welker is following this good morning. It is the latest twist in the ongoing controversy facing the u. S. Navy. Captain Brett Crozier has reportedly tested positive for covid19 days after he was dismissed for writing that widely circulated letter letter sounding an alarm about the outbreak of the virus on the ship crozier is in quarantine as for captain brett fallout from his firing mounts fallout from his firing mounts for captain Brett Crozier, it was a heros farewell. Now word that he, too, has tested positive for covid19 the news comes after videos begin surfacing of clapping and cheering soldiers aboard uss roosevelt saying goodbye to him following removal from his command thursday saying his action was needed to save lives of his crew from coronavirus outbreak two Naval Academy soldiers revealing the diagnosis on sunday the classmates telling the times, crozier began showing symptoms of the disease before he was fired thursday. The navys top brass dismissing crozier from duties aboard u. S. Roosevelt days after the Commanding Officer penned a blunt letter to navy leaders calling for stronger action to address the covid19 outbreak aboard the carrier, writing, were not at war soldiers do not need to die. The acting secretary explaining the decision last week. I have no doubt in my mind that captain crozier did what he that captain cron the best interest and safety of his crew. Unfortunately it did the opposite it unnecessarily raised alarms with families of sailors of marines with no plans to address those concerns. Reporter the move to dismiss set off a firestorm. Joe biden responded sunday. I think its close to criminal the way they are dealing with the guy i think the guy should have a commendation rather than be fired. Reporter for his part President Trump is defending the dismissal saying croziers letter asking for help for section crew members was, quote, not appropriate. As for croziers condition Navy Officials would not confirm whether hes tested positive for the virus. A defense official telling nbc news, though, once crozier left the roosevelt he went into quarantine on Naval Base Guam and will remain there until being reassigned. Kristen welker at the white house. Hoda, 7 17, over to you. Its time to check the weather. Al joins us from home with the details. Hey, al. Hey, good morning, hoda good to see you. Unfortunately we dont have a lot of great news to talk about from our friends in the midwest and Central Plains we are looking, 13 million at risk for tomorrow. Damaging winds, tornadoes possible and large hail. Then as we move into wednesday, it moves south and east from memphis all the way to knoxville. Nashville to the south of evans villas this system pushes east mild air will surge northward. Storms will develop at night tonight in the ohio river valley, which is really one of the most dangerous times tomorrow showers and storms move rapidly to the east. A flood threat for ohio and West Virginia were also looking at a second line of storms that will come in later this week, which may bring more wet weather for the northeast and parts of the midwest as well. Southeast going to be looking very nice. Well be looking out west as stormy as it is. Well do that in the next half hour were going to look at your next 30 seconds. Yep. Pump the breaks on this, swap it over to that. Pump the breaks, and, uh, swap over . Thats right. Instead of all this that ive already . Yeah. What are we gonna do with these . Keep it at your desk, and save it for next time. Geico. Over 75 years of savings and service. Good morning. Im meteorologist kari hall. Weve been tracking rain off and on throughout the weekend, and it still continues today as we see a couple waves of energy that will be coming into the bay area today bringing some high elevation snow and also some thunderstorms possible for this afternoon. Ill be watching out for that. We may see it fire up again by early in the day. And then as we check out our forecast for tomorrow still some lingering showers. By midweek the rain is moving out and then our temperatures will be warming up. Thats your latest weather. Hoda. Thank you, al. All right, al thank you. I thought he was confusing us, hoda, its been so long since weve all been together. Just ahead, we are going to dive deep on an issue that means a lot to a lot of people are we any closer to having tests for the coronavirus available to all americans were going oneonone with the doctor in charge of that very thing. Plus a today exclusive on the race for a cure. Cynthia mcfadden has an inside look at a promising and potentially lifesaving new treatment for patients most at risk from the virus. But first this is today on nbc. Everyone is working a little differently now. So we can still answer your calls. And we are monitoring our system 24 7 to ensure that we have a fast reliable network, keep the customers connected, and making sure people are staying safe. And were still on the road. Solving Critical Issues as they arise. Go to xfinity. Com prepare. Thank you. Whaso lets do the rightver chanthing, today. Ow. Lets stay at home. Lets wash up. Lets always keep our distance please, six feet apart at least. Lets look after ourselves, as well as others. It will all be worth it. We can all do our part. So those on the front line can do their part. And when this is over, we will all, continue, to thrive. Still ahead were live