By Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Angela Dewan, CNN
There are at least 1,223,468 cases of coronavirus in the US and at least 73,039 people have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases.
Johns Hopkins reported 19,117 new cases and 1,975 reported deaths on Wednesday.
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
From CNN's Barbara Starr
The Pentagon is considering a ban on new recruits joining the military if they have been hospitalized for coronavirus unless they get a waiver from the service they want to sign up with, according to a defense official.
The official said the guidance is being put in place because there is little understanding of the long-term effects of the virus and there is a concern that potential recruits who have been hospitalized may need further medical assessments.
The new policy is being finalized to set medical restrictions on recruits who may have tested positive or have been treated for the virus. Department of Defense medical waivers are required for a wide variety of medical conditions ranging from heart disease to a loss of vision.
The Military Times was first to report the news.
Some more context: Months into the pandemic, the virus is posing significant medical challenges to the military on several fronts.
There is a particular concern over whether a sufficient number of recruits will be able to join before a rigorous enough testing regime is in place to ensure they are healthy enough to enter training.
The fact sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt are still testing positive weeks after the outbreak of the virus on the ship is underlining the need to solve the medical mystery of why some people carry the virus but have no symptoms and may continue to test negative, according to several Navy officials.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at the Pentagon Tuesday that the department would randomly test groups of people "to understand how many asymptomatic or carriers are maybe out there."
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
The New York Police Department announced another three deaths related to Covid-19, bringing the department death toll to 41.
"These remarkable men will never be forgotten. Every member of the NYPD, of all ranks and titles, will keep their memories alive and honor their legacies by faithfully carrying on their most important work," the police department said in a statement.
From CNN's Janine Mack
Arkansas plans to test 60,000 people in the month of May and hopes to receive 90,000 Covid-19 test kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday.
The Arkansas Department of Health’s website stated that 59,003 coronavirus tests have been administered so far.
From CNN's Erica Henry
The Louisiana Department of Health has reported that the state has 30,399 coronavirus cases, which represents an increase of 403 cases from Tuesday.
The state death total increased by 53 to a total of 2,094.
In Orleans Parish, the total number of cases increased by 33 cases to a total of 6,608 and the number of deaths increased by 11 to 464.
On a positive note, the number of hospitalizations and those on ventilators decreased during this 24-hour period, the department said.
From CNN's Dan Berman
The US Supreme Court won't hear an appeal by a Pennsylvania politician and businesses to lift the state's coronavirus restrictions.
Without comment, the court on Wednesday declined to hear the case.
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close due to the coronavirus pandemic, although the state has now begun to reduce some restrictions in certain areas.
The appeal — filed by the campaign of Danny DeVito, an Allegheny County Republican, realtor Kathy Gregory, "B and J" laundry, Blueberry Hill golf course and Caledonia Land Company — asserted that the Democratic governor's order is doing "unprecedented damage to the economy."
Without intervention, the petitioners say they and "tens of thousands of other businesses may not be able to recover from the severe financial distress caused by the Order."
The Pennsylvania state Supreme Court rejected the challenge to the Wolf's order last month.
From CNN's Cheri Mossburg
California Gov. Gavin Newsom dispelled any rumors Wednesday afternoon that he has gotten a haircut during California's social distancing guidelines.
“I think it's pretty obvious to you I have not had my hair cut,” he said sheepishly in reply to a reporter question in his daily briefing. “I am a little embarrassed having this conversation as publicly as I am.”
Newsom, who is somewhat known for his slicked back tresses, said he is abiding by his own orders, much to the embarrassment of his 6-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.
He said Brooklyn offered to cut her father’s hair for him and even presented her craft scissors for the job, which Newsom said “certainly weren’t up for the task.”
From CNN's Cheri Mossburg
Los Angeles, the most populated county in California, will begin to reopen Friday, along with the rest of the state.
Trails, golf courses, car dealerships, and florists are among those being allowed to reopen, as are retail shops for curbside pickup, according to county supervisor Kathryn Barger.
Los Angeles has seen 1,367 deaths due to Covid-19, making up for more than half of all fatalities in the state.
Health Director Barbara Ferrer emphasized that the lifting of restrictions will be slow, with other low risk, nonessential businesses reopening soon, but in a drastically modified way.
Employees should continue to telework whenever possible, Ferrer said.
From CNN's Allie Malloy in Washington
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said it is “simply nonsensical” to suggest that every individual in the country needs to be tested in order for the country to reopen.
“Let’s dismiss a myth about tests right now. If we tested every single American in this country at this moment, we’d have to retest them an hour later and an hour later after that. Because at any moment you could theoretically contract this virus,” McEnany said in her second briefing as press secretary.
McEnany was asked specifically whether Americans should feel safe to return to work without receiving a coronavirus test — something President Trump and members of the administration routinely receive.
“So the notion that everyone needs to be tested is just simply nonsensical. The people that need to be tested are vulnerable populations," she said.
“We have to be strategic with our testing and we have done that so far," McEnany added.
CNN's Health Unit reports doctors say it’s not realistic to test all 328 million people in the US, especially since many states are still struggling to get enough tests or testing supplies.
So in order for the economy to reopen and stay open, the US will need to triple its number of tests performed every day — from 150,000 tests a day to at least 500,000, three Harvard researchers found.
And the proportion of test results that come back positive needs to be much lower. About 20% of US test results have been positive, which is “clearly way too high,” said Dr. Thomas Tsai, one of the Harvard researchers.
The World Health Organization said an adequate range of positive test results would be 3% to 12%. Germany and South Korea have already met that goal, Tsai said.
Watch here:
CNN's Holly Yan and Scottie Andrew contributed to this reporting.
