By Ben Westcott, Julia Hollingsworth, Adam Renton, Jack Guy, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN
From CNN’s Sarah Jorgensen
The state of Connecticut has announced that May 20 is the earliest date schools, bar and restaurants can reopen, Gov. Ned Lamont said at a presser Thursday evening.
Lamont cautioned this date could get pushed back as well.
The State Department of Education Chair had a message for graduating seniors saying in part the class of 2020 will still have their graduation.
From CNN's Dan Merica
Former President Barack Obama addressed a group of mayors organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies on Thursday, telling the group that “the biggest mistake any us can make in these situations is to misinform."
“Speak the truth. Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through,” Obama said, according to a press release on the virtual meeting.
Obama also pushed the mayors to bring in as many smart advisers and experts as possible.
“The more smart people you have around you, and the less embarrassed you are to ask questions, the better your response is going to be,” Obama said.
This is the fourth virtual meeting Bloomberg’s group has held with mayors. Two of the previous meetings have featured speeches by Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
From CNN's Hollie Silverman
Those attending or holding religious services must abide by social distancing orders during the holiday weekend, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said during a Thursday afternoon press conference.
Parson said that the state has been in contact with clergy and the faith based community to make sure they abide by the orders.
Several religious leaders are holding video sermons online and are being creative in their services, Parson said, including those that hold service in parking lots in cars.
From CNN’s Anneken Tappe
US stocks finished higher on Friday, buoyed by a new $2.3 trillion Federal Reserve program to support the economy through the coronavirus crisis.
Exchanges are closed for Good Friday tomorrow, so that concludes this trading week.
Here's where the markets finished up:
Remember: As stocks settle after the trading day, levels might still change slightly.
From CNN's Dave Alsup
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the formation of the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities.
The task force is designed to provide the governor with recommendations on how to address the disparity among victims from coronavirus. More than 40% of the state’s coronavirus deaths are black victims.
The task force will hold its first meeting next week and will be chaired by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II.
From CNN's Dave Alsup
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an expanded executive order extending her stay-at-home order through April 30.
The order also “prohibits all businesses and operations from requiring workers to leave their homes, unless those workers are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations.”
Under the new order, all public and private gatherings among people outside a single household remain temporarily banned.
The order also imposes restrictions on stores in an effort to reduce crowds. Here's what the order says:
"Large stores must limit the number of people in the store at one time to no more than 4 customers for every 1,000 square feet of customer floor space; small stores must limit capacity to 25% of the total occupancy limits (including employees) under the fire codes. To regulate entry, stores must establish lines with markings for patrons to enable them to stand at least six feet apart from one another while waiting. Large stores must also close areas of the store that are dedicated to carpeting, flooring, furniture, garden centers, plant nurseries, or paint."
From CNN's Brad Parks
A federal judge on Thursday denied a motion to order the immediate release of medically vulnerable detainees at Cook County Jail in Chicago to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.
“The Court concludes that plaintiffs have not demonstrated that the requirements of this temporary restraining order, coupled with the steps the Sheriff is already taking to prevent the spread of the disease, are insufficient and thus denies this requested relief,” US District Judge Matthew Kennelly wrote.
The lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of two current detainees at the jail, sought the release or transfer of elderly and medically compromised inmates. It cites accounts from detainees who complained the jail had not done enough to provide them with reasonably safe living conditions and adequate testing in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
While Kennelly denied the plaintiff’s request for release, he did grant other remedies which Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart must begin implementing.
In his 37-page order, Kennelly ordered Dart to enact additional sanitation and quarantine guidelines to keep detainees safe. Kennelly also ordered Dart to begin prompt testing of inmates who exhibit Covid-19 symptoms by Saturday. Additionally, the judge said the Cook County Sheriff’s Office must provide face masks to all detainees who are quarantined starting April 12.
A request for comment from the Cook County Sheriff’s Department was not immediately returned. As of Thursday, there are 4,463 detainees at the Cook County Jail in Chicago.
By the numbers: The Cook County Sheriff’s office said Wednesday that 251 detainees and 150 staff members have tested positive for the virus. A majority of those employees are correctional deputies at the jail, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff's office.
Of the detainees sickened in the outbreak, 22 are hospitalized for treatment and 31 others have been moved to a recovery facility. Additionally, one detainee died of “apparent” complications of Covid-19, sheriff’s officials said, but an autopsy remains pending.
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
The total number of beds in intensive care units available for use during the spread of coronavirus in 43 countries in Africa is less than 5,000. This is about five beds per one million people in those parts of Africa compared, to 4000 beds per one million people in Europe, the World Health Organization reports.
There are also less than 2,000 functional ventilators in 41 countries in Africa.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa has risen to more than 10,000.
While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, infection have grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread, WHO reports.
Africa’s first coronavirus case was recorded in Egypt on Feb. 14. Since then, a total of 52 countries have reported cases.
“COVID-19 has the potential not only to cause thousands of deaths, but to also unleash economic and social devastation. Its spread beyond major cities means the opening of a new front in our fight against this virus,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “
From Betsy Klein
Top Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow suggested on Fox Business this afternoon that the economy will be reopened on a "rolling basis."
"What we're looking at here, I hope, will be a two month gap interference, if you will. March, end of April. The next month or two, we should be able to restart, at least on a rolling basis."
Kudlow touted the $2.3 trillion from the Federal Reserve geared at helping medium-sized "Main Street" businesses, but didn't provide many details, saying that he didn't "know all of the parameters" for the loans yet and that is still being worked out with the Treasury Department.
However, he said, "Everybody who wants one is going to be able to get one. That is our goal. That’s the essential message: we want to keep you in business, we know just how difficult this is. We know the hardships are enormous."
He added that mitigation efforts "seem to be bearing fruit," and that it is his hope that the economy will reopen in a four to eight week time frame (something he's said previously).
He again acknowledged "glitches" with the small business loan program but expressed praise for Mnuchin and the SBA.
As of today at 2 p.m., he said, 500,000 loans have been approved, worth $128 billion, via almost 4,000 bank lenders.
One viewer who owns a hair salon asked him about issues with getting employees to want to come back to work.
"If I may, it's cool to work," Kudlow said. "Working has become cool again."