Coronavirus updates: First federal inmate dies from virus

Live updates for Saturday, March 28, continue below:

First federal inmate dies from virus

Update 10:17 p.m. EDT March 28: The first federal inmate in custody has died from the coronavirus, officials said on Saturday.

Patrick Jones, 49, an inmate at the Federal Corrections Institution in Oakdale, Louisiana, complained of a persistent cough March 19, CBS News reported.

While at the hospital, he tested positive March 20 for the coronavirus. Jones, who has pre-existing conditions, was put on a ventilator. He died Saturday.

He was serving a 27-year sentence for possession with intent to sell crack cocaine.

More than 10 inmates have been taken to the hospital and at least 60 others are in isolation, The New York Times reported.

Instacart employees plan strike over safety fears

Update 10:17 p.m. EDT March 28: Instacart employees are planning to strike Monday over fears that they are exposing themselves to risk of the coronavirus and are not being adequately protected or compensated by their company.

"Instacart has a well established history of exploiting its Shoppers, one that extends years back before our current crisis," Instacart employees and Gig Workers Collective, an activist organization, wrote in a letter posted on Medium. "Now, its mistreatment of Shoppers has stooped to an all-time low. They are profiting astronomically off of us literally risking our lives, all while refusing to provide us with effective protection, meaningful pay, and meaningful benefits."

Employees are asking for an additional $5 on each order and personal protection equipment provided at no cost, including hand sanitizer and disinfectant sprays.

It not unclear how many employees would participate. More than 200,000 people work as shoppers for the company, The New York Times reported.

The company had plans to hire thousands more amid demand for delivery while people are quarantined and isolating.

Instacart announced earlier this week new safety guidelines and said it would increase bonuses for its shoppers and extend sick and quarantine pay.

"The health and safety of our entire community – shoppers, customers and employees – is our highest priority," the company said in a statement, KNTV reported.

66 residents at Maryland nursing home test positive for virus

Update 9:07 p.m. EDT March 28: A coronavirus outbreak has doubled the cases in Maryland after 66 residents at a nursing home tested positive for the deadly virus.

Eleven of the 66 residents at Pleasant View Nursing Home have been hospitalized, WBAL reported.

"Multiple state agencies are on the scene and working closely with the local health department & the facility to protect additional residents and staff who may have been exposed," Gov. Larry Hogan said on social media.

There have been 10 deaths in the state.

US death toll surpasses 2,000, doubling in two days

Update 6:39 p.m. EDT March 28:  More than 2,000 U.S. citizens have died from the coronavirus as of Saturday, the death toll doubling in about 48 hours, the Washington Post reported. The time between the first confirmed death and the 1,000th was about a month.

There are nearly 120,000 confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S., according to a Johns Hopkins map.

More than 30,000 people have died from the coronavirus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins.

Columbia Sportswear CEO cuts salary to $10,000

Update 5:59 p.m. EDT March 28: Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle has cut his salary to $10,000 while employees will continue to receive their regular pay.

At least 10 other top executives took a voluntary 15% pay cut, The Oregonian reported.

The company’s nearly 3,500 employees are receiving their regular paychecks through a “catastrophic pay” program while its stores are closed amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The stores closed March 16 and will remain shuttered at least another two weeks. Boyle was paid $3.3 million in total compensation in 2018, The Oregonian reported.

Infant in Illinois dies from virus

Update 4:24 p.m. EDT March 28: An infant less than a year old died from the coronavirus in Illinois. The child is one of 13 new deaths in the state, health officials said Saturday.

"There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant. A full investigation is underway to determine the cause of death," state Health Department Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. "We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly virus. If not to protect ourselves, but to protect those around us."

In China, a 10-month-old died from the coronavirus, the New England Journal of Medicine reported March 18.

There are 3,491 cases of the coronavirus and 47 deaths in Illinois, according to health officials.

Ireland imposes strict lockdown order

Update 3:42 p.m. EDT March 28: Ireland's prime minister announced a lockdown with strict restrictions in the country Saturday, The New York Times reported.

“Freedom was hard-won in our country, and it jars with us to restrict and limit individual liberties, even temporarily,” Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in an address to the nation.

As of early Saturday, Ireland had reported 2,121 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and 22 deaths, the Times reported. From midnight until at least April 12, Ireland's residents have been ordered to stay at home except to travel to essential jobs, medical appointments, family care or "brief" exercise, according to the newspaper.

Trump goes to Virginia, sends off Navy ship bound for NYC

Update 2:49 p.m. EDT March 28: President Donald Trump spoke in Front of the USNS Comfort in Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday, before the Navy hospital ship before it departed for New York City.

“This great ship behind me is a 70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity to the incredible people of New York,” Trump said.

Trump said the ship would not treat patients with coronavirus, but will provide aid for people with other urgent care needs, CNN reported.

“Their mission will be to care for New Yorkers who do not have the virus but who require urgent care," Trump said. “In other words, they’ll be using this, people will be coming out of hospitals who don’t have the virus and they’ll be on this ship where they have great operating rooms and great facilities and the places in-bound, on land will be where people that have the virus will be.”

RI governor confirms 2 deaths, issues stay-at-home order

Update 2:06 p.m. EDT March 28: Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo confirmed the first two deaths in the state and issued a stay-at-home order, telling citizens they could still make necessary trips for food, gasoline or medicine, the Providence Journal reported.

Raimondo also ordered anyone entering the state by any means to self-quarantine for 14 days, she said at a news conference. The governor also said all “non-essential” retail outlets will close Monday until April 13,

“These are the first deaths and certainly will not be the last two,” Raimondo said. “This is for me and for all of us, this a reminder of the stakes that we face.”

Kansas gov. Kelly issues stay-at-home order

Update 1:32 p.m. EDT March 28: At a news conference, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a stay-at-home order for the state beginning Monday at 12:01 p.m.

“As we speak, well over half of Kansas’ population falls under a local stay at home order of some kind. Even without the executive order I’m issuing today, Kansas’ most populous counties have already issued local state orders to their communities," Kelly said at the news conference. “As governor, I left these decisions to local health departments for as long as possible. But the reality is that a patchwork approach is a recipe for confusion in our statewide fight to slow the spread of coronavirus that statewide uniformity will ensure. We’re all playing by the same rules, and it would help prevent an influx of new cases for local health departments, many of which are already stretched to max.”

Cuomo: NY presidential primary moved to June 23

Update 12:39 p.m. EDT March 28: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a news conference that the state's presidential primary, scheduled for April 28, will be postponed until April 28. Cuomo said the prospect of many people congregating to vote in April was not wise.

“I don’t think it’s wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote,” Cuomo said. “A lot of people touching one doorknob, a lot of people touching one pen, whatever you call the new device on the ballots.”

Cuomo also extended the tax filing deadline in the state to July 15.

“This is good news for individuals, for businesses. You don’t have to file your state tax return. You file it with the federal tax return on July 15," Cuomo said. “It’s bad news for the state of New York on a parochial level. That means we receive no revenue coming in until July 15."

UN to donate 250K protective masks to hospitals in NYC

Update 12:29 p.m. EDT March 28: United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said the organization will donate 250,000 protective face masks to medical facilities in New York City, CNN reported.

The masks will be given to medical professionals “who have been working courageously, selflessly, and tirelessly in response to the spread of COVID-19 across the boroughs in the hope that they play some small role in saving lives,” Guterres said in a statement Saturday.

UK death toll tops 1,000; Johnson tweets, ‘We’ll beat this'

Update 11:02 a.m. EDT March 28: The death toll from the coronavirus in the United Kingdom passed the 1,000 mark, according to figures released by the country's Department of Health and Social Care. That is an increase of 260 people, with the total at 1,019, according to the BBC.

On Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted, "We're going to beat it, and we're going to beat it together." Johnson tested positive for coronavirus Friday.

"Thank you to everybody who's doing what I'm doing, working from home and stopping the virus spreading from household to household," Johnson tweeted.

Death toll surges in Spain, Italy

Update 9:31 a.m. EDT March 28: Spain and Italy reported record numbers in the death tolls in their countries. Spanish officials reported 832 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its total to 5,690, The New York Times reported. Spain also reported that 12,248 people have recovered from the virus, the newspaper reported.

Italian officials said 969 people have died in the past day, bringing its total to 9,134, the Times reported.

Trump approves Michigan’s request for disaster relief

Update 9:31 a.m. EDT March 28: The White House announced Saturday that President Donald Trump approved Michigan's request for a disaster declaration.

"Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Michigan and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected," the White House said in a statement.

The declaration means federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments, the statement said. Certain private nonprofit organizations also will be eligible for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for areas in Michigan impacted by coronavirus.

South Korea says 3 test-kit makers win FDA preapproval

Update 8:42 a.m. EDT March 28: South Korea's foreign ministry said three test-kit makers in the country have won preapproval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The move paves the way for kits to be sent to the United States, The New York Times reported. The ministry did not name the manufacturers but said the preapproval, under emergency use authorization, allowed the products to be sold in the United States, the newspaper reported.

Global coronavirus deaths top 28K, worldwide cases near 608K

Update 7:35 a.m. EDT March 28: The global death toll attributed to the novel coronavirus hit 28,125 early Saturday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

In the three months since the virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, it has infected at least 607,965 people worldwide.

• The United States has reported 104,837 confirmed cases, resulting in 1,711 deaths.

• Italy has confirmed 86,498 cases, resulting in 9,134 deaths.

• China has recorded 81,996 cases, resulting in 3,299 deaths.

• Spain has confirmed 65,719 infections, resulting in 5,138 deaths.

• Germany has reported 53,340 cases, resulting in 395 deaths.

• Iran has recorded 35,408 cases, resulting in 2,517 deaths.

• France has confirmed 33,414 infections, resulting in 1,997 deaths.

• The United Kingdom has reported 14,754 cases, resulting in 761 deaths.

• Switzerland has confirmed 13,187 cases, resulting in 240 deaths.

• South Korea has recorded 9,478 cases, resulting in 144 deaths.

Japanese PM warms of ‘explosive spread’ of coronavirus threatening urban hubs

Update 7:20 a.m. EDT March 28: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a stern warning during a Saturday news conference, urging citizens to prepare for a "long-term battle" as the novel coronavirus threatens an "explosive spread" across the country.

The Washington Post, citing Japanese media coverage of the news conference, reported Abe said cases of unknown origin are spiking, especially in the urban hubs of Tokyo and Osaka.

“An uncontrollable chain of infection could lead to explosive spread somewhere,” he said.

Abe's comments came one day after Japan recorded its largest single-day spike in new cases of 123, bringing the nationwide total to 1,499 and 49 deaths. Nearly half of those newest cases were detected in Tokyo.

New coronavirus cases spike in South Korea following steady decline

Update 5:13 a.m. EDT March 28: Following a week of significantly decreased volume, South Korea reported a spike of 146 new coronavirus infections on Saturday.

According to the nation’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the new cases bring South Korea’s total infections to 9,478, but Friday’s uptick stood in stark contrast to the fewer than 105 cases reported each day for the past week.

On a more positive note, the country’s CDC confirmed only about 4,500 coronavirus patients remain isolated for treatment, while more than 4,800 patients have been deemed recovered and discharged from isolation.

Italy’s coronavirus cases surpass those in China

Update 5:07 a.m. EDT March 28: The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Italy has reached 86,498, making it the second nation in as many days to surpass China's total of 81,946.

The United States eclipsed China’s infection total on Thursday – and currently reports slightly under 105,000 confirmed cases – but Italy’s death toll continues to climb as the outbreak ravages Europe.

Health officials confirmed 969 virus-related deaths in Italy on Friday, alone, making it the largest single-day death toll recorded by an country since the pandemic began. To date, the nation has reported a total of 9,134 fatalities, followed by Spain with 5,138 deaths and China with 3,295.

U.S. Navy locks down Yokosuka base after sailors test positive for coronavirus

Update 3:31 a.m. EDT March 28: The U.S. Navy has ordered a lockdown of its Yokosuka base after recording its second and third cases of novel coronavirus on Friday.

The strategic Pacific base houses the Seventh Fleet.

In a video posted to Facebook, Yokosuka Capt. Rich Jarrett encouraged residents on base to remain in their quarters "maximum extent possible."

“This is not a time to do lawn maintenance, take the dog for a long walk or go for a run. Time outdoors should be for necessities only and should be conducted as quickly as possible,” Jarrett posted in a Saturday morning update.

Ginnie Mae poised to ease mortgage firms’ coronavirus fallout

Update 3:18 a.m. EDT March 28: Mortgage firms are bracing for the crunch when borrowers begin falling behind on their payments, and Ginnie Mae sits poised to assist them in weathering the financial fallout of he novel coronavirus pandemic, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Ginnie Mae, which already guarantees more than $2 trillion of mortgage-backed securities, told the Journal late Friday it will help companies such as Quicken Loans Inc. and Mr. Cooper Group Inc. with their anticipated cashflow interruptions. The agency will leverage a program typically reserved for natural disaster response.

Read more here.

Duke University develops N95 mask decontamination method to assist coronavirus fight

Update 3:03 a.m. EDT March 28: Duke University researchers in North Carolina have developed a method for cleaning used N95 respirator masks, CNN reported.

By Friday night, Duke's Regional Biocontainment Laboratory team had already decontaminated hundreds of used N95 respirators without damaging them, so they can be re-worn several times, the network reported.

More importantly, the researchers published their decontamination protocol, encouraging other medical centers and research facilities to follow suit.

Specifically, the method uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide to kill microbial contaminants, CNN reported.

Read more here.

Trump issues order allowing Pentagon to reactivate former troops for coronavirus response

Update 2:40 a.m. EDT March 28: U.S. President Donald Trump issued an order late Friday allowing the Pentagon to return certain troops to active duty in response to the mounting coronavirus crisis, The Washington Post reported.

According to the Post, the order allows for the reactivation of former U.S. troops and members of the National Guard and Reserve to bolster the military's ongoing efforts to help contain the virus' spread.

“Generally, these members will be persons in Headquarters units and persons with high demand medical capabilities whose call-up would not adversely affect their civilian communities,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said in a statement released early Saturday morning.

Read more here.

MLB, players strike deal should coronavirus cancel 2020 baseball season

Update 2:14 a.m. EDT March 28: Major League Baseball owners and players ratified a deal Friday that sets terms should the novel coronavirus pandemic postpone or even cancel the 2020 season.

According to NPR, players will be paid $170 million in advanced salaries over the next two months, and should the season ultimately be canceled, the advances will not have to be paid back. Meanwhile, players will receive "service time" credit for an entire year even if they only play portions of the 2020 season.

The season had been slated to open Thursday and run through late October, NPR reported.

Delta offering medical volunteers free flights to emerging US coronavirus hotspots

Update 1:57 a.m. EDT March 28: Delta Air Lines announced Friday it will fly select medical workers to areas of the country hardest hit by the novel coronavirus for free.

By early Saturday morning, the company had confirmed free, round-trip Delta flights will be offered to certain medical volunteers bound for Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan during the month of April.

State-by-state breakdown of 101,242 US coronavirus cases, 1,588 deaths

Update 12:44 a.m. EDT March 28: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the United States soared past 104,000 across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands early Saturday morning.

According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, there are at least 104,661 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, which have resulted in at least 1,706 deaths. U.S. cases now outnumber those in any other nation, including the 86,498 reported in Italy and the 81,946 confirmed in China.

Of the confirmed deaths, 519 have occurred in New York, 175 Washington state and 119 in Louisiana.

In terms of diagnosed cases, New York remains the hardest hit with at least 44,635 confirmed cases – more than five times any other state – followed by New Jersey with 8,825 and California with 3,801.

Five other states have each confirmed at least 3,000 novel coronavirus cases, including:

• Washington: 3,723, including 175 deaths

• Michigan: 3,657, including 92 deaths

• Massachusetts: 3,240, including 35 deaths

• Florida: 3,192, including 45 deaths

• Illinois: 3,026, including 34 deaths

Meanwhile, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Georgia each has confirmed at least 2,000 novel coronavirus infections, while Colorado, Texas, Connecticut, Tennessee and Ohio each has confirmed at least 1,000 cases.

The figures include 21 people aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship and 49 repatriated citizens. The repatriations include 46 sickened aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and three others retrieved from the outbreak’s epicenter in Wuhan, China.

CNN's state-by-state breakdown – including presumptive cases – of at least 101,242 cases detected on U.S. soil is as follows:

• Alabama: 638, including 3 deaths

• Alaska: 69, including 1 death

• Arizona: 665, including 13 deaths

• Arkansas: 386, including 3 deaths

• California: 3,801, including 78 deaths

• Colorado: 1,734, including 31 deaths

• Connecticut: 1,291, including 27 deaths

• Delaware: 163, including 2 deaths

• District of Columbia: 267, including three deaths

• Florida: 3,192, including 45 deaths

• Georgia: 2,198, including 65 deaths

• Guam: 49, including 1 death

• Hawaii: 120

• Idaho: 230, including 4 deaths

• Illinois: 3,026, including 34 deaths

• Indiana: 981, including 24 deaths

• Iowa: 235, including 3 deaths

• Kansas: 202, including 4 deaths

• Kentucky: 302, including 7 deaths

• Louisiana: 2,746, including 119 deaths

• Maine: 168, including 1 death

• Maryland: 774, including 5 deaths

• Massachusetts: 3,240, including 35 deaths

• Michigan: 3,657, including 92 deaths

• Minnesota: 398, including 4 deaths

• Mississippi: 579, including 8 deaths

• Missouri: 670, including 9 deaths

• Montana: 109, including 1 death

• Nebraska: 89, including 2 deaths

• Nevada: 535, including 10 deaths

• New Hampshire: 187, including 2 deaths

• New Jersey: 8,825, including 108 deaths

• New Mexico: 191, including 1 death

• New York: 44,635, including 519 deaths

• North Carolina: 763, including 3 deaths

• North Dakota: 68, including 1 death

• Ohio: 1,137, including 19 deaths

• Oklahoma: 322, including 8 deaths

• Oregon: 414, including 12 deaths

• Pennsylvania: 2,218, including 22 deaths

• Puerto Rico: 64, including 2 deaths

• Rhode Island: 203

• South Carolina: 539, including 13 deaths

• South Dakota: 58, including 1 death

• Tennessee: 1,203, including 6 deaths

• Texas: 1,731, including 23 deaths

• U.S. Virgin Islands: 19

• Utah: 480, including 2 deaths

• Vermont: 184, including 10 deaths

• Virginia: 604, including 14 deaths

• Washington: 3,723, including 175 deaths

• West Virginia: 96

• Wisconsin: 842, including 13 deaths

• Wyoming: 70