By Ben Westcott, Helen Regan, Adam Renton, Tara John, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today that the state will hit its apex for coronavirus cases "roughly at the end of April."
"Which means another month of this," he added.
The governor said at that point, based on the projections, New York will need 110,000 Covid-19 hospital beds and 37,000 ventilators.
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At least 1,941 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died across New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference from Albany.
“That number will continue to go up,” he said.
At least 391 of those people have died in the past 24 hours, he said.
Cuomo said at least 83,712 people have tested positive for coronavirus in New York.
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From CNN’s Max Ramsay in London, Mia Alberti in Lisbon and Ingrid Formanek in Spain
Spain is “effectively in a phase of stabilization, according to the data we have learned today," Salvador Illa, minister of Health, said in a press conference in Madrid on Wednesday.
Illa cited the increase in the total number of cases (which includes deaths and recovered) at 8% as of today, the lowest percentage rise since Spain declared the state of emergency on March 14.
Illa said the new figure is down from the average 20% rate recorded between March 15 and 25 and has been falling since.
Speaking earlier at the Spanish government’s daily coronavirus technical briefing, María José Sierra, an official from the country’s center for health emergencies, said the lower numbers help “evaluate the measures we’ve been taking very positively."
Sierra said there were around 6,000 ICU beds in the country after “a lot of mobilization” to increase ICU capacity. She added that in many communities “ we are seeing less pressure on the ICUs."
Both Illa and Sierra urged caution, saying strict isolation measures need to continue.
Spain’s government has come under criticism from opposition parties, some health workers and unions for reported shortages of ICU facilities, lack of sufficient personal protective gear and overstretched health workers.
From CNN's Adrienne Vogt
Vice President Mike Pence said the worst of the coronavirus for the United States could be over by early June if all guidelines are followed.
“I hope people look at what happens if all of us continue to do our part, and that is by some time in early June, we could well have the coronavirus largely behind us as a nation, reopen our country, put America back to work,” Pence told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
“I never want to minimize the loss. I just want to make sure people know there is light at the end of the tunnel. We can save lives between now and the summertime by putting these guidelines into practice,” Pence said.
But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said that while there are early indications that social distancing appears to be working, the US could see another surge of the coronavirus in the fall.
Pence said he agrees with that assessment. “We believe that the likelihood is that, just like the flu, that the coronavirus will likely manifest again either in the fall or in the winter of next year.”
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There are at least 188,637 cases of coronavirus in the the US and 3,911 deaths, according to CNN Health's tally of US cases that are detected and tested in the country through its public health systems.
The total includes cases from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and other US territories, as well as all repatriated cases.
Wyoming is the only state not reporting a death from coronavirus.
For the most up-to-date US numbers compiled by CNN, please check this map which automatically refreshes every 10 minutes.
From Betsy Klein
Vice President Mike Pence sought to cast blame on the Centers for Disease Control and China when pressed by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on why the US was so late in understanding the enormity of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I will be very candid with you and say that in mid-January the CDC was still assessing that the risk of the coronavirus to the American people was low. The very first case, which was someone who had been in China – in late January around the 20th day of January,” Pence said.
He continued:
“But I think the American people grateful for the fact that while a lot of other things were going on in Washington, DC, before January was out, the President stood up the White House coronavirus task force, assembled a whole of government response,” going on to outline the President’s actions since then, including travel bans.
Pressed again by Blitzer, he later added, “The reality is that we could’ve been better off if China had been more forthcoming,” adding that the “outbreak was real in China… long before the world learned in December.”
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While the White House has issued national social distancing guidelines through April, federal officials have not mandated a nationwide shelter-in-place order. Many individual states however, have issued those kinds of restrictions.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer just asked Vice President Mike Pence why the Trump administration hasn't given such an order.
"At the present moment, we truly do believe that the strong actions taken in places like California and Washington and New York and New Jersey are appropriate," Pence said. "We fully support those efforts."
Pence added that officials continue to look at "every option."
"We're going to continue to bring the president the best recommendations based on real-time data and science for what every state, what every community should be doing," he said.
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Vice President Mike Pence said that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking at the the issue of masks "as a protective measure" for all Americans "right now."
He said that the White House task force will make a recommendation on that to President Trump.
On the timing of that recommendation, Pence told CNN's Wolf Blitzer during an interview today, "We'll bring those recommendations to the President at the appropriate time."
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From CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is continuing her workouts at the Supreme Court gym during the coronavirus pandemic, according to her longtime personal trainer.
Bryant Johnson, Ginsburg's trainer, told the news outlet Law360 on Tuesday that Ginsburg, 87, and a four-time cancer survivor, does not want to stop her sessions.
"Everybody's been shut down. The only reason why I didn't shut the justice down is because, hey, she ain't having it," Johnson said.
Washington, DC, has implemented a stay-at-home order and closed all public gyms due to the pandemic.
The court and Johnson have not returned CNN's requests for comment.
Johnson told Law360 that he has canceled his appointments with other clients and has only been working with Ginsburg. The court building has been closed to the public but staffers continue to visit the offices for official business.
Johnson said he is taking extra precautions and keeping a safe distance between him and Ginsburg during their sessions. He said he wipes "every piece of equipment" he thinks Ginsburg will come in contact with and washes his hands after.
"Her choice is, she doesn't make excuses not to do it," Johnson told Law360. "So we find ways to do it."
Social distancing at the Capitol: The city's "stay-at-home order" from April 1 through April 24 says all residents should remain in their homes except for "essential activities," like buying groceries.
Residents can also "engage in allowable recreational activities" outdoors with household members, such as walking, hiking, dog-walking, biking and other activities where there is no person-to-person contact.
Washington, DC, requirements for social distancing, as recommended by health experts, is to maintain 6 feet of distance from other individuals.
The court indefinitely postponed a slate of 11 cases that were to be heard in March — but has yet to announce alternatives for regular oral arguments scheduled for April.
