April 1 coronavirus news

Residents of Los Angeles should wear non-medical grade face coverings when in public, the city's mayor Eric Garcetti said in a news conference Tuesday.

Garcetti emphasized that all medical-grade N95 masks were reserved for front-line workers in hospitals and clinics.

Face coverings, like a bandanna, are only effective with safe physical distancing, he added. There are currently 8,155 cases of the virus in California.

Global debate on face masks: Despite the regular use of masks in Asian countries such as China and South Korea, Western governments have been slow to embrace them to stop the spread of the virus.

But with the number of new cases remaining low or stable in Asia, it appears that more countries in the West may change their approach.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the UK and Canada were making plans to repatriate their citizens from two Holland America cruise ships currently off the coast of Florida.

Two cruise ships off Florida coast: Both the Zaandam and the Rotterdam are currently on their way to Florida, and have requested permission to disembark guests.

Since March 22, 83 passengers and 136 crew onboard the Zaandam have exhibited flu-like symptoms. Eight passengers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Four people on the Zaandam have died, but the cause of their deaths is unknown.

On the Rotterdam, 14 passengers have exhibited flu-like symptoms.

Dr. Deborah Birx said a coronavirus antibody test could be available “within this month” and says “I've really called on every university and every state to develop ELISA’s, you can buy the antigens and the controls online, and really work to test entire health care communities in your state and support them that way.”

The ELISA, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, test detects and measures antibodies in blood. If successful, the test could help identify those who have already had the virus, but have since recovered.

Experts say that if a person has had the virus and developed antibodies, it will most likely mean they have built up immunity and the chances of that person being infected again drops dramatically. 

Birx said that the test could help identify frontline medical workers who may have had the coronavirus and not know it.

Birx said a first test could be available, “soon, within this month if the universities help us, absolutely.”

Watch:

There have been at least 917 new coronavirus deaths reported in the US on Wednesday, according to a count by CNN Health. 

This is the most reported deaths in the United States in a single day since the coronavirus outbreak.

There have been a total of 4,745 deaths reported in the US since the outbreak.

Hear more:

Wyoming remains the only state in the US without a death from coronavirus.

So far, there are 137 positive cases in the state, according to CNN's tally.

Adam Schlesinger, a prolific songwriter for film and television and co-founder of the band Fountains of Wayne, has died from complications of Covid-19. He was 52.

Schlesinger wrote the title track for "That Thing You Do," the 1996 film directed by and starring Tom Hanks.

More recently, he wrote and produced music for the show "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." He won multiple Emmy Awards, a Grammy and was an Oscar and Tony Award nominee. The Fountains of Wayne song "Stacy's Mom," a pop hit from 2003, was among the group's most popular songs.

The Zaandam and Rotterdam cruise ships are expected to arrive and remain off the coast of Florida early Thursday while they wait for clearance from US authorities, according to a statement from Holland America. 

The company made a plea to President Trump, Florida authorities and the public to be allowed to arrive to Florida.

The cruise line called the status on the ships a “humanitarian situation.” Four people on the ship have died and at least eight people have tested positive for Covid-19.

Since March 22, 97 guests (83 on Zaandam and 14 on Rotterdam) and 136 crew on the Zaandam have exhibited flu-like symptoms, according to the statement.

About 45 guests have mild illness and are unfit to travel. These passengers would stay isolated on board until they recover, per the press release.

Holland America says less than 10 people need immediate critical care onshore and it has secured a local health system to treat them.

“This small number is the only group that will require any support from medical resources in Broward County and is necessary to prevent further harm to their health,” Holland America said in a statement

When asked Wednesday evening during a coronavirus task force briefing why he didn't issue a universal stay-at-home order for the entirety of the country, President Trump implied that some states are basically fine when it comes to the disease.

Facts First: The entire country has been impacted by the coronavirus. Americans have tested positive in every US state and all but one territory. As of the start of Wednesday's press briefing, all 50 states had at least 100 cases.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said that Georgia could "reach peak hospital capacity on April 23."

Kemp added: "That's nearly three weeks from today. This model assumes that Georgians continue to abide by the state's orders and use social distancing methods through the end of May."