April 1 coronavirus news

The coronavirus pandemic is the "greatest test" the world has faced since the United Nations was formed in the wake of World War II, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Guterres said the world must work together if it is going to reduce the social and economic impact of the coronavirus on the global population.

In response to the crisis, the secretary-general said in a statement that he has established a dedicated Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund to support the efforts of low- and middle-income countries to stop local epidemics.

The United Nations was founded in 1945 in the immediate aftermath of World War II by more than 50 countries with an aim of increasing cooperation between states and preventing conflict. It now has 193 member states.

The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus is rising rapidly in the United States, with at least 830 new fatalities reported on Tuesday alone, according to a count by CNN Health.

It the most reported deaths in the US in a single day during the coronavirus epidemic.

To date, there has been a total of 3,834 deaths reported in the US since the pandemic began, with at least 185,499 cases across the country.

Hawaii reported its first death from the disease on Tuesday, leaving Wyoming the only state yet to report a fatality.

For the most up-to-date US numbers compiled by CNN, please check this map which automatically refreshes every 10 minutes:

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Eighteen months might sound like a long time, but in vaccine years, it's a blink.

That's the long end of the Trump administration's time window for developing a coronavirus vaccine, and some leaders in the field say this is too fast -- and could come at the expense of safety.

Vaccine trials typically start with testing in animals before launching into a three-phase process.

Mark Feinberg, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, told Stat that while he recognizes the importance of animal trials, the urgency of the current public emergency makes it worth the trade-off.

For more on the vaccine trials and vaccine development, read the full story here:

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The timetable for a coronavirus vaccine is 18 months. Experts say that's risky

Tokyo reported 78 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday -- the highest single-day increase for Japan's capital -- as pressure builds to lock down the city. 

The latest rise in people testing positive in Tokyo came as Japan recorded over 200 new coronavirus cases on the same day -- the biggest single-day jump during the outbreak, according to public broadcaster NHK. 

On Tuesday, Koike urged Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to use Tokyo as a reference to decide whether to declare a state of emergency to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, NHK reported. 

“Tokyo is on the verge of an explosive increase of infections. We are trying to prevent that situation and trying to prevent further spread (of the virus). A decision by the state is needed now,” Koike told reporters Tuesday. 

Lockdown measures: Last Wednesday, Koike urged residents in Tokyo to avoid bars, restaurants and large public gatherings, and telework where possible until April 12. 

Koike’s remarks were a test for the city of over roughly 13.5 million people, which until then had been reluctant to impose a lockdown on its residents. While other countries have been quick to enforce restrictions on their citizens to contain the spread of the coronavirus, in Japan it's largely been business as normal. 

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Tuesday that the federal government isn’t meeting the needs of his state for ventilators for Covid-19 patients and that the state is purchasing its own.

The governor said the state has requested 4,000 additional ventilators from the federal government, but only received 450.

Federal miscommunication over ventilators: Pritzker's comments come after the Department of Defense said it still hadn't shipped 2,000 ventilators to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health because it didn't know where to send them.

As more and more foreign passenger vessels require medical evacuations for people with flu-like symptoms, the US Coast Guard's strained local medical resources are feeling the pressure.

According to a Marine Safety Information Bulletin issued by the US Coast Guard and obtained by CNN, the increased demand “is leading to the establishment of improvised field hospitals.”

The Zaandam cruise ship, which is headed to Florida with dozens of people with flu-like symptoms -- and at least eight people who tested positive for Covid-19 -- is flagged in the Netherlands. It is requesting to dock at Port Everglades. There are 305 US citizens on board, including 49 Floridians.

Foreign-flagged vessels that sit beyond US territorial seas “should seek flag state support prior to seeking support from the limited facilities in the U.S,” the bulletin said.

The bulletin goes on to say that an evacuee “has better access to comfortable surroundings and medical staff on board the foreign passenger vessel where care is already being provided.”

“This is necessary as shore-side medical facilities may reach full capacity and lose the ability to accept and effectively treat additional critically-ill patients,” the bulletin said.

Samsung, the world’s largest maker of smartphones, TVs and memory chips, has sent its manufacturing experts to mask-producing firms to increase output without adding new equipment, according to a news release from the South Korean tech giant.

At one firm, the daily mask output increased from 40,000 to 100,000, the release said. Samsung also imported 284,000 masks and donated them to the Daegu region, where the outbreak in South Korea has been concentrated.

Samsung’s 14 affiliates, including Samsung Electronics, have donated 30 billion won ($24.6 million) to the Korea Disaster Relief Association to support efforts to overcome the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Samsung also provided South Korean authorities with its training facility to use as a care center for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms. 

South Korea has recorded 9,887 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 165 deaths.

The US federal prison system will move to a heightened state of lockdown as it fights the spread of coronavirus behind bars, the Bureau of Prisons announced.

Beginning Wednesday, inmates will be confined to their cells for a two-week period, with exceptions for certain programs and services like mental-health treatment and education. 

Limited group gatherings -- like access to prison stores, laundry, showers and the telephone -- will be "afforded to the extent practical," the agency said.

The strict protocols come just days after the first coronavirus death in the federal prison system -- at a Louisiana prison over the weekend.

Read the full story here:

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Federal prisons will confine inmates to cells for 2 weeks due to coronavirus

Detroit hospitals are being stretched thin as coronavirus cases skyrocket in the Michigan city.

First responders at the city's fire department are still assisting residents -- and when the call comes in as code "Charlie," that signifies it's a possible Covid-19 call, a Detroit Fire emergency medical technician (EMT) tells CNN.

First responders try to educate and inform those with mild symptoms of the CDC guidelines, the EMT says. Ultimately, they have to transport people if they ask to be brought to the hospital. 

While responding to a call, the EMT says first responders from the fire department are in constant communication with "medical control," an ER physician on the other radio. 

While in the home, even with their personal protective equipment (PPE) on, they're trying to maintain a six-foot (1.8 meters) distance with any patients.

Right now, the EMT says they believe they have a good supply of PPE. They are constantly cleaning their trucks, too.