COVID-19 News from Around the Web

Across the Villages, a sprawling retirement community with more than 115,000 residents in the vital political battleground of Florida, reactions to the growing coronavirus crisis are invariably colored by a voter’s partisan views. … But what brings both sides together are concerns about the plunging stock market and slowing economic growth caused by the virus - a potential danger sign for Trump ahead of a November re-election fight in which Florida and older voters will play a key role.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Tuesday that if you owe taxes to the federal government this year, you won’t be charged any interest or penalties if you defer your payment for up to 90 days after the April 15 filing deadline. You’re still required to file your taxes by April 15. But if you owe money to the federal government, you’ll have longer to pay it without penalty.

As people are advised to stay home and as the list of gathering places being closed to limit the spread of the coronavirus grows, people might find themselves shut out of their gym, or choose not to go. But that doesn't mean they should give up on the idea of fitness entirely, trainers say. And people who do find places to work out in the weeks ahead will want to be aware that gyms can be germy – and they should take steps to protect themselves. … If you can't get to the gym, you shouldn't give up on your workout, Zinder said. It's easy to find a way to work out at home. The outdoors, as long as you maintain the recommended social distance from others, can be a place to walk, jog and bicycle. "The only limiting factor in working out at home is creativity," he said. "And these days, you don't even have to be creative. You just have to have an internet connection. Because there are so many videos and so many programs that you can download."

Beloved children’s author Mo Willems has earned rockstar status with parents. With schools closed around the country because of the coronavirus, Willems has launched a “Lunch Doodles” livestream video series. Each weekday at 1 p.m. EST, he'll release a new episode on the Kennedy Center’s website. “I know a lot of you guys are not in school, you’re at home right now because of all the things that are going on,” Willems, 52, said in a video. “Well guess what? I’m at home too. So for the next couple weeks ... I’m going to make drawings with you, I’m gonna show you some stuff about my studio and we’re gonna hang out together.”

To prevent spread of coronavirus, experts recommend canceling your beauty services — but there are still ways you can help those professionals.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many people around the world are self-isolating, which in turn has resulted in an uptick of at-home workouts. Monday, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut governors announced that gyms have been ordered to close at 8 p.m. EST. in an effort of limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Racing to stall an expected surge of coronavirus cases, the White House on Monday released a series of sweeping guidelines that for the next 15 days will temporarily rewrite the norms of American society. President Donald Trump, employing a newly somber tone about the crisis enveloping the globe, urged all older Americans to stay home and everyone to avoid crowds and eating out at restaurants. The president for the first time acknowledged that the pandemic may send the economy into a recession and suggested that the nation may be dealing with the virus until “July or August.” Among the new recommendations: Over the next half month, Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10 people, schooling should be at home and discretionary travel and social visits should be avoided. If anyone in a household tests positive for the virus, everyone who lives there should stay home. The administration did not say how old people should be to follow the advice to stay home. Related: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/coronavirus-guidelines-america/

Millions of Americans holed up at home against the coronavirus Monday, with many of them thrown out of work until further notice, as authorities tightened the epic clampdown and the list of businesses forced to close across the U.S. extended to restaurants, bars, gyms and casinos. With the U.S. economy shuddering to a near-halt, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted nearly 3,000 points, or 13%, its biggest one-day percentage loss since the Black Monday crash of 1987. The rapid work stoppage had Americans fretting about their jobs and their savings, threatened to overwhelm unemployment benefit programs, and heightened fears the country could plunge into a recession. The shutdowns touched every corner of the country: blackjack dealers in Las Vegas, theme park workers in Orlando, Florida, restaurant and bar employees nationwide, and winery workers in California. At least eight states called on all bars and restaurants to close at least part of the day.

With borders slamming shut, schools and businesses closing and increasingly drastic restrictions on movement in place, tens of millions of people were hunkered down Tuesday, heeding government calls to isolate themselves and slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Shoppers in Malaysia stood in long lines to stock up at picked-over supermarkets. Commuters in the Philippines waited in huge traffic jams at checkpoints set up to take their temperatures before entering the capital city. Officials in seven San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a sweeping shelter-in-place mandate, ordering millions of residents to stay at home and go outside only for food, medicine and outings that are absolutely essential. Fresh moves to contain the virus came even as Wuhan reported just one new case on Tuesday. Malaysia banned foreign travel and is allowing only essential services to stay open. France allowed people to leave home only to buy food, go to work, or do other essential tasks. India shut down the Taj Mahal to visitors. Most schools and entertainment facilities were already closed. The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Somalia, which has one of Africa’s weakest health systems after nearly three decades of conflict.

Ohio called off its presidential primary just hours before polls were set to open there and in three other states, an 11th-hour decision the governor said was necessary to prevent further fueling the coronavirus pandemic that has paralyzed the nation. Health Director Amy Acton declared a health emergency that would prevent the polls from opening out of fear of exposing voters and volunteer poll workers — many of them elderly — to the virus. Officials in Arizona, Florida and Illinois felt they had done enough to ensure the safety of voters, even as concerns mounted that there will not be enough poll workers in some precincts and voters will be confused after polling places in nursing homes were moved to other locations. Elsewhere, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana have postponed their scheduled primaries.

Some states have seen a desperately needed increase in their bandwidth to test for the coronavirus in recent days — but the United States' testing capacity still lags far behind other nations. "We have had a phenomenal increase in testing," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday at a press conference where he announced there were 950 cases of the virus statewide, the highest of any state in the country. Identifying who is sick is a key part of mitigating a pandemic. So far, the ability to freely test anyone showing symptoms, which include fever, cough and shortness of breath, has eluded U.S. public health officials. But increases in testing capacity has not necessarily translated into easier access to tests for many Americans. Social media is flooded with horror stories of having symptoms, but being denied a test by hospitals or public health departments.

San Francisco is ordering city residents to stay in their homes to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The shelter-in-place order will remain in effect through at least April 7. "Effective at midnight, San Francisco will require people to stay home except for essential needs," Mayor London Breed tweeted at noon Monday. "Necessary government functions & essential stores will remain open." Individuals are asked to avoid all gatherings except for medical purposes, to get food, or to care for a friend or relative. People should work from home unless they provide essential services, such as public safety, sanitation and medical services. "You’ll still be able to walk your dog or go on a hike alone or with someone you live with or with a friend as long as you stay six feet apart," Colfax said.

The European Union will close its borders to all non-essential travel as it attempts to contain the ongoing spread of the coronavirus on the continent. The bloc's member states imposed aggressive measures on Monday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) said Europe was at the epicenter of the pandemic. Commission President von der Leyen said the EU travel restrictions would be in place "for an initial period of 30 days," and could be prolonged. French President Emmanuel Macron declared "war" on the virus during a national address on Monday, banning all social events across the country -- including family gatherings. Germany also announced new restrictions on public life, closing bars, clubs, discos, and similar establishments, as well as theaters, opera houses, concert halls and museums.

A site made by Google’s sister company went live with a tool for coronavirus risk screening that directed residents of two counties in Northern California to test centers. It wasn’t long before the Verily site ran into trouble. People with symptoms were told they weren’t eligible for the screening program, and those who were needed a Google login to use the tool. On top of that, the Verily site reached capacity by Monday morning. A few hours after activity on the Verily site ground to a halt, Google said that the informational website it planned to launch earlier this week would be delayed

France's health ministry has suggested that popular anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen could worsen the effects of the coronavirus, raising questions over which over-the-counter drugs people should be taking to treat the symptoms of the disease. Health Minister Olivier Veran, who has also worked as a neurologist, tweeted on Saturday that "taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone...) could be an aggravating factor of the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or in doubt, ask your doctor for advice." His suggestion was criticized by some health experts, who cited the lack of publicly available evidence suggesting a link between ibuprofen and adverse effects of the coronavirus.

Self-quarantine is a step up from self-monitoring because the person at risk of infection — even though the person still doesn't have symptoms ― had a higher chance of exposure. Quarantining means staying home and away from other people as much as possible for that 14-day period. People in this circumstance who don't live alone should do their best to retreat to their room or find a separate area in their home, and they shouldn't go out shopping, eating or socializing. A diagnosis of COVID-19 triggers isolation.