Nightly Rundown: 100,000 deaths worldwide; Immunity tests on the way; Signs of hope in New York; Virtual Good Friday & Easter

The Nightly News - with Lester Holt - Nightly News: 4.10.19

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts | View in browser By Dan Donahue, NBC Nightly News Good Friday afternoon. Here's what's in our Nightly Rundown tonight. Global coronavirus death toll surpasses 100,000 Another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of deaths has surged to more than 100,000 around the world. The U.S. has nearly 500,000 cases, the most in the world, with a death toll of 17,982, second only to Italy. Here are the latest updates: Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said this afternoon that the U.S. is showing “encouraging signs” that the outbreak is leveling off, but she cautioned that “we have not reached the peak.” In New York City, 19 members of the NYPD have died from COVID-19, and almost 20 percent of the 37,000-member force called out sick on Thursday — a new high. The commissioner announced today that 600 officers who were out sick with symptoms have returned to work. In Texas, an estimated 10,000 families lined up in their cars at the San Antonio Food Bank on Thursday, as the economic devastation from the pandemic continues to grow. Michigan is imposing new stay at home measures. An order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer bans people from traveling between homes they own in the state, or to vacation properties. Our Morgan Radford is in Philadelphia, a city that Vice President Mike Pence has said is “of particular concern.” The number of cases in Philadelphia has now topped 5,000, and White House officials have warned the city could be the next major hot spot. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told NBC News that the company sold enough toilet paper in five days for every American to get their own roll. McMillon urged shoppers to “buy week to week” instead of stockpiling. U.S. spy agencies collected raw intelligence in November that suggested a public health crisis was brewing in Wuhan, China, two current and one former U.S. official told NBC News. That information, however, was not taken as a warning that a global pandemic was imminent. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken “short walks, between periods of rest,” after he was released from the ICU on Thursday, a spokesman said today. Amtrak will receive $1 billion in federal assistance, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced today, after ridership plunged more than 90 percent in recent weeks. Nurses speak out about toll of coronavirus pandemic Fauci says antibody tests could be available in "a week or so" Antibody tests that could tell whether you have already had the coronavirus and beaten it, could be available in a matter of days, the nation's top expert on infectious diseases said today. "Within a period of a week or so, we're going to have a rather large number of tests that are available," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN. Tom Costello is reporting tonight on the tests that could help determine who may have developed an immunity to the coronavirus. Officials say it is a critical step in getting Americans back to work. President Trump is targeting May 1 to reopen much of the country, the Washington Post reported, a position that is putting him at odds with many health experts. "The Invisible Enemy will soon be in full retreat!" Trump tweeted today. At the White House task force briefing today, Trump said he is "looking at a date" to reopen the economy, but added "we're not doing anything until we know that this country is going to be healthy." New federal projections from the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, obtained by the New York Times, show that lifting stay at home orders after 30 days would lead to a spike in infections and deaths. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Fox News today that "most of the country will not" be able to reopen May 1. Adams said the country would have to reopen "place by place, bit by bit, based on the data." New York sees "dramatic decline" in hospitalizations but death toll grows Hospitalizations in New York have seen a “dramatic decline,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today, though the death toll in the hardest-hit state continues to soar. The three-day average in total hospitalizations is down, and for the first time since the crisis began, there were fewer people in the ICU than the day before, Cuomo said. Cuomo said the drop in hospitalization has made him "cautiously optimistic" that the state is slowing the infection rate. The number of deaths, however, is still climbing. On Thursday, 777 people died in New York state, a number only slightly down from the single-day record of 799 deaths on Wednesday. A total of 7,844 people have now died in New York. Gabe Gutierrez is continuing his powerful reporting tonight from the epicenter in New York City. New York Gov. Cuomo: Leveling off of coronavirus deaths 'a somewhat hopeful sign' Holdout churches resist stay-at-home orders with Easter services On this especially somber Good Friday, many churches in the U.S. are planning to hold Easter services virtually this weekend — but Stephanie Gosk is reporting tonight on a handful of congregations who say they will not heed stay at home orders. In Louisiana, Rev. Tony Spell is expecting more than 2,000 people to attend Sunday services at the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Reuters reported. “Satan and a virus will not stop us,” Spell told Reuters. Spell was arrested last month for holding services in defiance of Louisiana’s ban on large gatherings. In Idaho, Ammon Bundy plans to hold an Easter gathering of hundreds of people, despite a statewide stay-at-home order. Bundy is a rancher who was tried and acquitted for an armed takeover of a wildlife center in Oregon in 2016. "I actually want the virus," Bundy told CNN. "I'm healthy, my family is healthy. I'd rather have it now so my body is immune to it." In Florida, the state's stay-at-home order does not bar churches from holding services. Many other pastors and faith leaders across the nation have urged parishioners to stay home this Easter. Overseas, our Matt Bradley is at the Vatican tonight, where it's been a Holy Week like no other. Pope Francis delivered his Good Friday message today via live-stream from an empty St. Peter's Basilica. Easter services will also be streamed from the Vatican this weekend. Trump delivers Easter message as nation battles coronavirus pandemic Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. FOLLOW US Download the NBC News Mobile App This email was sent to: stevenmagallanes520.nims@blogger.com. This is an automated email. 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