April 4 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, Brett McKeehan, Amy Woodyatt, Fernando Alfonso III and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 6:32 a.m. ET, April 5, 2020
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9:44 p.m. ET, April 3, 2020

Los Angeles recorded 1,000 cases in 48 hours

From CNN's Alexandra Meeks

Medical personnel work at an RV park at Dockweiler State Beach where some coronavirus patients are being quarantined on Friday, April 3, in Los Angeles.
Medical personnel work at an RV park at Dockweiler State Beach where some coronavirus patients are being quarantined on Friday, April 3, in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill/AP

Los Angeles County has recorded 1,000 coronavirus cases in just 48 hours, the mayor said on Friday.

"To put that in perspective, it took us 23 days to get to the first thousand cases and we've done that in just the last two [days]," Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference. "So even as we slow the rate of growth, the cases are still growing, and will continue to be hundreds and hundreds, possibly in coming days, more than 1,000 a day."

Los Angeles County had a 13% increase in cases Friday -- the third day in a row of low-teens or mid-teen increases, the mayor said. This is a decrease from the previous week, when the city saw almost a 27% increase on average each day. 

"A week ago, the rate of increase was about 50% more than it is right now," Garcetti said. "But on the other hand, before you start to get relaxed and say we can go outside, this is a moment to continue pressing on the accelerator."

More than 40,000 Angelenos have been tested for Covid-19, and Los Angeles has the capacity to do 3,500 tests a day in the coming week, Garcetti said.

It has been 15 days since California has been under stay-at-home orders -- and 19 days since Los Angeles started social distancing.

9:34 p.m. ET, April 3, 2020

Thailand suspends international flight arrivals

From CNN’s Kocha Olarn in Bangkok

A nearly empty terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 3, after the government announced that the country would be suspending all international arrivals.
A nearly empty terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 3, after the government announced that the country would be suspending all international arrivals. Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images

Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority has issued an order stopping flights from arriving in the country for three days.

The order went into effect midnight on Friday and will last until just before midnight on Monday, local time.

There are exceptions for state or military aircraft, emergency landing, technical landing, humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights, authorized repatriation flights and cargo aircraft.

The ban is meant to halt the spread of the coronavirus and support containment and mitigation efforts in the country.

Thailand has close to 2,000 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

9:30 p.m. ET, April 3, 2020

FEMA says it has obligated $1.1 billion in federal support to New York

From CNN’s Leyla Santiago

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement Friday that it has obligated $1.1 billion in support to New York state.

"Total medical supplies and equipment provided to New York include 1,096,922 N95 respirators, 1,836,891 surgical masks, 365,295 face shields, 219,811 surgical gowns, 8,059 coveralls, 1,435,129 gloves and 4,400 ventilators," FEMA said.

New York state has 102,987 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,935 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

9:26 p.m. ET, April 3, 2020

Trump on national stay-at-home order: "I leave it up to the governors"

From CNN's Sarah Westwood

US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump. Win McNamee/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump again signaled his resistance to issuing a national stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus -- despite comments from Dr. Anthony Fauci this week questioning why such an order has not been issued for all states.

The majority of states have issued orders for residents to stay in their homes, but the federal government has not mandated people do so.

“I leave it up to the governors,” Trump said at Friday's coronavirus task force briefing.

“I guess we’re close to 90% anyway,” Trump said of the number of people mandated to stay home. At least 41 states and the District of Columbia have issued stay-at-home orders.

“States that we’re talking about are not in jeopardy,” Trump said, referring to the handful of states that have not yet issued such orders.

“I like that from the standpoint of governing, and even from the standpoint of our Constitution,” the President said of his inclination to allow states to make their own decisions about ordering people not to leave their houses.

The federal government has issued guidance recommending that people stay home as much as possible and avoid gathering in groups larger than 10.

12:25 a.m. ET, April 4, 2020

There are at least 277,828 coronavirus cases in the US

A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai in New York on April 1.
A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai in New York on April 1. Mary Altaffer/AP

There are at least 277,828 cases of coronavirus in the US, with 7,141 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally of cases in the country.

So far on Friday, 32,615 new cases and 1,158 deaths have been reported. 

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

Wyoming is the only state not reporting a coronavirus death.

This post has been updated to reflect revised figures from Johns Hopkins.

9:26 p.m. ET, April 3, 2020

New York City reports more than 6,500 new coronavirus cases

From CNN's Laura Ly

Medical workers take a patient into the coronavirus intake area at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, on April 3.
Medical workers take a patient into the coronavirus intake area at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, on April 3. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

New York City is currently reporting 56,289 coronavirus cases and 1,867 deaths, according to the city’s website.

Friday’s new totals mark an increase of 6,582 cases and 305 deaths since Thursday.