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Coronavirus Watch: Trump wants to ease restrictions by April

Paste BN

President Donald Trump says he wants "the country opened" by Easter despite health experts calling for stricter restrictions on social interactions. 

It's Tuesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network.

For first-thing-in-the-morning coronavirus updates, sign up for Daily Briefing. Here's the latest news, as of 3 p.m. ET:

  • Trump, speaking during a virtual town hall on Fox News, says he hopes people can go back to work and still practice social distancing by April 12. 
  • The International Olympic Committee and Japanese government agreed to postpone the Summer Olympics to 2021. 
  • Agreement on a trillion-dollar stimulus package that includes $1,200 checks to most Americans could be reached within hours, leaders from both parties said. See the latest updates here. 
  • The Trump administration is expected to trigger the Defense Production Act to obtain about 60,000 coronavirus test kits. The war power allows the president to direct private companies to expedite the production of medical equipment. 
  • As the world nears 400,000 cases of coronavirus, the U.S. was nearing 50,000 cases and had 600 deaths. The worldwide death toll increased to almost 17,500. See a map of all confirmed U.S. cases here.
  • New York state may be two weeks away from seeing 40,000 patients requiring intensive care in facilities equipped for only 3,000, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned. The infection rate in New York is doubling about every three days, he said. 
  • Stocks rocketed higher on hopes that Congress would pass a stimulus bill. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied more than 1,00 points and Standard & Poor’s 500 also jumped. Want more market news? Sign up for The Daily Money newsletter.
  • China says it will lift travel restrictions on Hubei, the province where the coronavirus pandemic originated. The two-month lockdown ends at midnight Tuesday, although people will only be able to leave the area if they are coronavirus-free.
  • India announced a severe lockdown for the country of 1.3 billion people that will last for 21 days. “There will be a total ban of coming out of your homes,” prime minister Narendra Modi said.

Looking to help? Gannett, the owner of Paste BN, has launched a website to help you support local businesses by buying gift cards to use at a later time. Visit supportlocal.usatoday.com to get started. And there are plenty of other ways to contribute:

  • Tip extra if you order delivery
  • Thank employees at stores you visit
  • Check with local food banks and shelters about what donations they could use 
  • Hospitals need medical supplies, such as N95 respirators, protective googles, gloves and disinfectant wipes. Here's a list of donation sites.
  • Donate money. Find an organization through Charity Navigator or through GoFundMe. 

Q&A on Facebook Live: Today, we hosted a Facebook Live Q&A with reporters and experts who answered some of your most urgent questions, like which companies are hiring now? Are grocery store “senior hours” working? Watch the video here. 

Check out our Facebook group: If you like this newsletter, we have taken the conversation to Facebook where you can talk with other concerned subscribers and get more answers to your questions. Join here.

Finally, thank you all for subscribing. We appreciate you trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information. Know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward this email so they can sign up here.

— Rachel Aretakis, Breaking News Editor, @raretakis 

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