March 27 coronavirus news

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt suspended elective surgeries on Tuesday in an executive order.

On Friday, Stitt's office issued a clarification that classifies abortion services as elective if they are not deemed a medical emergency.

Abortions will only be deemed a medical emergency if they pose serious health risks to the mother, the statement from the governor's office said. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said travelers coming from Louisiana to Florida must do a mandatory 14-day self-isolation, as New Orleans becomes a potential coronavirus “hotspot.” 

DeSantis said he plans to extend his executive order and the guidelines.

The governor said he’s also suspending vacation rentals in Florida for the next two weeks.

All public beaches in Los Angeles County are being closed in an effort to thwart the spread of coronavirus, County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced.

“We want you to enjoy outdoor spaces, but keep six feet apart,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a news conference Friday.

Just last weekend, the shores were packed with beachgoers.

President Trump will sign the Senate's coronavirus stimulus package at 4 p.m. ET today in the Oval Office.

About the bill: The far-reaching legislation stands as the largest emergency aid package in US history. It injects a massive financial boost into a struggling economy with provisions aimed at helping American workers, small businesses and industries grappling with the economic disruption.

Key elements of the package include sending checks directly to individuals and families, an expansion of unemployment benefits, money for hard-hit hospitals and health care providers, financial assistance for small businesses and $500 billion in loans for distressed companies.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis in Italy, 51 doctors who tested positive for the disease have died, the Italian Association of Doctors said Friday.

The news of the death toll comes after an urgent call for medical protective equipment from the president of the association, Filippo Anelli, on Thursday.

By the numbers: Since the beginning of the epidemic, 6,414 health workers have been infected by coronavirus as of Thursday, according to the Italian National Institute of Health.

Out of the 51 deceased doctors, 32 were working in Lombardy, the Italian region worst-hit by coronavirus.

There have been at least 265 reported coronavirus deaths in the US on Friday, according to a count by CNN. 

This is the most reported deaths in the United States since the pandemic outbreak.

There have been at least 1,451 total reported deaths in the US.

There are at least 95,174 cases of novel coronavirus in the United States, according to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the United States through US public health systems.

At least 1,451 people have died. 

The total includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all repatriated cases.

Virginia does not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) or testing material to keep up with demand, Gov. Ralph Northam said during a news conference Friday.

A disruption in the supply chain in China coupled with the increased demand have resulted in a global shortage, Northam said.

Some context: Virginia is competing with their own health care system, as well as other states and the federal government for more PPE, Northam said.

Northam said they need a national solution and hope that manufacturers in the US can produce more equipment. 

Even physicians who are not infectious disease specialists or pulmonologists are training and joining the frontlines in response to the US coronavirus crisis, Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief health care officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges, said during a teleconference with reporters on Friday.

"We are hearing that there are individuals from other specialties being drawn into clinical care," Orlowski said.

Orlowski added that such trainings are to ensure that physicians are safe to work in areas that might not be their specialty. 

"It is always the physician's and people around them's responsibility to make the decision if they’re ready to practice in that expanded area," Orlowski said. "Safety and quality remains a high priority — the number one priority — even though people are having to work fast and work smart."