US virus reaction? Some go on lockdown, some go to the beach
Tim Sullivan | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 8 months AGO
A couple walks past Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, known as the oldest bar in the United States dating back to the 1700s, which is closed due to an order from Louisiana's Governor John Bel Edwards to shut bars and restaurants state-wide to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, La., Monday, March 16, 2020.(Max Becherer/The Advocate via AP)
People wear masks as they commute during rush hour on a subway, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in New York. The subway is normally crowded but many people are staying home out of concern for the spread of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
A man, who hoped to vote in the scheduled primary election, stands outside a closed polling station Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at Schiller Recreation Center in Columbus, Ohio. 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. (Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)
A United States flag is reflected in the window of the Nasdaq studio, which displays indices and stocks down, in Times Square, New York, Monday, March 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
A billboard along Interstate 35 displays tips to help people prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus Monday, March 16, 2020, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
An empty gymnasium is viewed at Robertson Elementary School, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Yakima, Wash. All 15 Yakima County school districts announced they are canceling classes because of the coronavirus outbreak starting Monday. (Amanda Ray/Yakima Herald-Republic via AP)
A woman walks through a lightly trafficked Times Square in New York, Monday, March 16, 2020. Bars and restaurants will become takeout-only and businesses from movie theaters and casinos to gyms and beyond will be shuttered Monday night throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut because of the coronavirus, the states' governors said. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Lisa Wang wears a mask while walking her dog Rooney on Bernal Heights Hill in San Francisco, Monday, March 16, 2020. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Tourists stand inside The Oculus at the World Trade Center transportation hub, Monday, March 16, 2020 in New York. New York state entered a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic Monday, joining with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants and movie theaters starting Monday night. The governors said restaurants and bars will move to take-out and delivery services only. The three states also will limit crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people, effective 8 p.m. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A man looks toward the skyline from Bernal Heights Hill in San Francisco, Monday, March 16, 2020. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Pedestrians pass a food cart open late, Monday, March 16, 2020 in New York. New York state entered a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic Monday joining with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants and movie theaters starting Monday night. The governors said restaurants and bars will move to take-out and delivery services only. The three states also will limit crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people, effective 8 p.m. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A man rides his scooter outside The Oculus at the World Trade Center transportation hub, Monday, March 16, 2020 in New York. New York state entered a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic Monday, joining with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants and movie theaters starting Monday night. The governors said restaurants and bars will move to take-out and delivery services only. The three states also will limit crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people, effective 8 p.m. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Bartender Cassandra Paris takes farewell a shot at an early closing time at 169 bar with patrons Monday, March 16, 2020, in New York. New York leaders took a series of unprecedented steps Sunday to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including canceling schools and extinguishing most nightlife in New York City. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Nearly 7 million people in the San Francisco area were all but confined to their homes Tuesday in the nation's most sweeping lockdown against the coronavirus, even as spring break crowds partied in Florida and tourists lined up to pose for pictures in front of the world-famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
Arizona, Florida and Illinois pressed ahead with their presidential primaries, recommending such precautions as putting tape on the floor to keep voters a safe distance apart, while Ohio called off its election hours before the polls were to open.
The official reaction to the crisis varied wildly across the U.S., despite new, more urgent warnings from the Trump administration, which called on Americans not to gather in groups of more than 10 and advised older people to stay home.
Coronavirus infections across the country reached approximately 4,700, and the death toll climbed to at least 93, with more than half of the victims from Washington state. Worldwide, more than 7,300 have died.
Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator for the federal response to the virus, called on the "army of millennials" to lead the charge. Birx said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the nation needs young adults doing everything they can to avoid infection, but also protecting their parents and grandparents.
Birx has said that millennials, those born in the 1980s and early ’90s, are vital to stopping the spread of the virus, in part because they grew up with social media and understand how to work and communicate without meeting in person.
But not all those millennials were listening. With beaches on Florida’s Gulf coast near Tampa still open, at least one was full of spring breakers. Gov. Ron Desantis said he would leave beach restrictions up to local authorities.
"It's not probably advisable to have spring break gatherings," but small beach groups are probably OK, he said. “I think the communities can work that out."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, praised the federal government's response as he took only limited action amid the outbreak. Unlike other governors of heavily populated states, Abbott has not made explicit calls for limiting mass gatherings.
“This is not a time to panic," he said. “It’s not as if we have never been through this before. We’ve been through this many, many times."
As the U.S. economy ground to a near-halt, stocks bounced around in early trading Tuesday on Wall Street, one day after the worst market 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 president acknowledged for the first time that the outbreak may send the economy into a recession and suggested that the nation may be dealing with the virus until July or August.
Election officials in the three states holding primaries said they were taking precautions to make sure voters could safely cast their ballots. The immediate problem: Hundreds of poll workers dropped out, forcing state officials to scramble.
"Please, please heed our call and volunteer," said Marisel Hernandez, head of the election commission in Chicago. "Help us."
Election officials in Illinois' Cook County, home to Chicago, urged poll workers to use blue painter’s tape to mark the floor every 6 feet so voters could keep their distance while waiting in line.
Meanwhile, millions of Americans were holed up at home, with many thrown out of work until further notice as the list of businesses forced to close across the U.S. extended to restaurants, bars, gyms and casinos.
In Detroit, bus riders were stranded Tuesday after most drivers didn't report to work, apparently concerned about the spread of the virus and confused as to whether Michigan's new restrictions on gatherings included vehicles loaded with commuters.
The city canceled bus service shortly after 8 a.m. because of the shortage of drivers. Surprised riders waiting at stops across the city pulled out phones to try to get a lift from friends or family.
“Just now?" a maintenance man, Amadou Sanders, asked. “How am I going to get to work?”
Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a “shelter-in-place” order affecting millions, requiring most residents to stay inside and venture out only for food, medicine or exercise for three weeks.
"I know today’s order is a radical step. It has to be. We need to act now, all of us," said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Health Department.
Health officials say that "social distancing" — encouraging people to avoid close contact with others — is a key to slow the spread of the virus and keep U.S. hospitals from being overwhelmed with a sudden deluge of patients.
Most people who come down with the disease have relatively mild symptoms, but it can be deadly for some, especially the elderly and those with underlying health problems. Most people infected with the virus recover in a matter of weeks.
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 schools closed for tens of millions of children across the country, parents helped their youngsters with take-home lesson plans. Many did this while juggling work conference calls, emails and memos. Others scrambled to find child care.
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Associated Press writers Ed White in Detroit, Angela Charlton in Paris; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Kelli Kennedy and Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; Sophia Tareen and Tammy Webber in Chicago; John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois; Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta; Julie Watson in San Diego and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report.
ARTICLES BY CHRIS RUGABER
US virus reaction? Some go on lockdown, some go to the beach
Nearly 7 million people in the San Francisco area were all but confined to their homes Tuesday in the nation's most sweeping lockdown against the coronavirus, even as spring break crowds partied in Florida and tourists lined up to pose for pictures in front of the world-famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
State and local officials take a harder line on the virus
Nearly 7 million people in the San Francisco area were all but confined to their homes Tuesday, while Florida put a damper on spring break and St. Patrick's Day by ordering the closing of all bars, as state and local officials took an increasingly hard line against the coronavirus.