THE BIG STORY

There are more than 200,000 confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide

Testing for the coronavirus is finally ramping up, and the numbers of confirmed cases are rising dramatically. Yesterday we crossed the 5,000 mark in the US, by this morning we’re at almost 6,500. To put that in perspective, almost half of all the confirmed cases since the outbreak began have been reported in the last two days.

(via the BuzzFeed News coronavirus live tracking page)

The true number of infections could be 5-10 times higher, some researchers believe. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than 50,000 people who have been infected at this point in the United States,” Jeffrey Shaman, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University told BuzzFeed News.

The global total crossed 200,000 this morning. Getting a handle on just how widespread the outbreak will become, and for how long it will last, is becoming an urgent challenge. On Monday, we reported on eye-opening estimates from a team at Imperial College in London, which led to the UK government dramatically shifting its approach to the outbreak. The same numbers stunned the White House, which cited them when announcing a major shift in its approach.

According to the Imperial College report, interventions like lockdowns, social distancing, and school closures could be needed for up to 18 months. Other researchers are putting out similar warnings. “The main message that isn’t getting across to a lot of people is just how long we might be in this for,” epidemiologist Adam Kucharski told Vox.

What do working people do in the meantime?

We still don’t know how long the current state of shutdown in the US will go on for, but it’s already been devastating for workers across the country. Congress and the White House are rushing to get emergency financial relief to the people and businesses affected; yesterday Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin floated the idea of sending people a $1,000 check, and doing it within the next couple of weeks. Bernie Sanders proposed $2,000.

One group of workers hit particularly hard and fast by the outbreak are bar and restaurant staffers, who’ve seen their hours evaporate. Assistance for them can’t come soon enough, Amber Jamieson reports. “If nothing happens, I’m going to go broke," said Michael Garabito, a bartender whose work disappeared when his employer closed its doors a few days ago.

Harlem restaurant owners Jenifar Chowdhury and Alex Guzman (center) with their 21-month-old daughter, Lily. (courtesy Archer and Goat)

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

It feels almost weird to be talking about this, but…

Joe Biden won three blowout victories in Democratic primaries yesterday in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. He now has a huge lead in both delegates and polling, and there’s no clear path for Bernie Sanders to catch up, especially now that campaigning has ground to a halt. Sanders will be “having conversations with supporters to assess his campaign,” his campaign manager said this morning.

“The primary isn’t exactly over: Sanders is, for now, still in it,” writes Matt Berman. “It just feels beside the point when most of us are sitting in our homes waiting for something catastrophic to happen. At this moment, we can’t even say for sure when the next primary votes will be.”

That’s a real question, by the way. Voting in the Illinois primary yesterday was a chaotic mess due to the coronavirus outbreak: Polling places were relocated at the last minute to keep them away from nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, and many didn’t have adequate supplies. Judges and other election workers were no-shows, and the state scrambled to find replacements. It was a warning sign for the remainder of the Democratic primary, and the general election that lies ahead.

SNAPSHOTS

Immigration judges across the country are staying home after the coronavirus hit their courtrooms. Preliminary immigration court hearings have been postponed by the Department of Justice.

A bug on Facebook incorrectly flagged posts about the coronavirus as spam. The company said last night that the bug has been fixed and all the posts have been restored.

Five people who attended a conference on emergency medicine in New York last week have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. It’s not clear if the five, all doctors or medical professors, were infected at the conference.

One country that is taking a very…chill...approach to the coronavirus pandemic is Mexico. Its president still travels the country holding big public rallies, concerts are still happening, and health experts are very worried.

A metro station in Mexico City yesterday (Gustavo Graf / Reuters)

DO YOU WANT TO HELP SOMEONE?

One question we keep hearing from readers is how you can help the many people who are already being hit by the outbreak — especially the people living paycheck to paycheck who are going to be hit extra hard by stores, restaurants, and other businesses closing.

So we put together a list of a bunch of groups who are making sure that people get the food, money, and medical care they need. Some are local, some are national, and some are global. All of them need donations right now.

MAKE THE MOST OF BEING STUCK AT HOME

The art of WFH

You’re probably spending a lot more time at home these days. How’s that working out for you? Aside from eating lunch four times a day, I’m holding up alright. I’m going to include some tips, tricks and links in the newsletter each day on how to make the best of this bizarre situation we’re in — if you have any ideas, or tips, or contributions, send them through!

First up: BuzzFeed has a newsletter that’s all about making the most of our time stuck at home. Quarantine Today will help you stay sane with daily cleaning tips, tasty recipes, longreads from days past, and other fun ways to keep busy at home — all delivered to your inbox each day! You can sign up here.

Looking for something to watch that won’t stress you out? Our team put together a list of the best TV shows to binge watch when you’re feeling anxious.

And if you’ve watched too much TV and want to do something different, how about checking out a museum? Some of the best museums in the world have amazing virtual tours now, here’s 13 of them.

After your third lunch today, check out the Musée D'Orsay,
Tom