By Jessie Yeung, Brett McKeehan, Amy Woodyatt, Fernando Alfonso III and Amir Vera, CNN
The US now has at least 501,301 cases of the novel coronavirus and at least 18,758 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
On Friday, 35,551 new cases were reported and 2,074 people died. That's the biggest single-day jump in US deaths so far.
The total number of US cases come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as all cases repatriated from abroad.
Wyoming is the only state yet to report a coronavirus death.
From CNN's Esha Mitra
A woman in the southern Indian state of Telangana rode 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) on a two-wheeler scooter, over two days and nights, to bring her son home during a national lockdown.
Razia Begum, 48, is the principal at a government school in the town of Bodhan. Her 19-year-old son had gone to the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh in late March, traveling with a friend who had to take an exam there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 21-day coronavirus lockdown on March 25, which went into effect across the country just hours after his announcement -- and Begum's son was stranded.
"He was living at a dargah (mausoleum) there because he couldn't come back, so I decided to bring him back. Since four-wheelers aren't allowed I just took my scooter," Begum told CNN.
After getting permission from the commissioner of police, she set out on her journey on Monday, taking short breaks every few hours. She and her son were back home by Wednesday.
"I couldn't leave my son there," she said. "We don't know how long the lockdown will go on so it is good that the entire family is safe back home."
Begum is a single parent of two sons and a daughter. Her husband passed away 15 years ago, so she had been managing the household since.
The nationwide lockdown ends on April 15. However the states of Punjab and Odisha have already extended their lockdowns through to April 30.
From CNN's Alexandra Meeks and Maeve Reston
The mayor of Los Angeles urged the US to continue social distancing and ramp up coronavirus testing, warning that President Donald Trump's plan to reopen the country could place lives at risk.
"The best way to help the economy is to make sure that we have the public health side taken care of, and the best way to save lives is to make sure that we don't open the economy early," Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a press conference Friday.
This came shortly after Trump announced he was convening a second coronavirus task force -- called the 'Opening our Country Council'.
"If you want to get the economy open, Mr. President, Congress, or any mayor, do the work of getting the public health professionals who can track and trace, get us the tests so we can have the blood tests to know who's immune and who's not, and people who are not can properly distance (themselves)," Garcetti said.
According to previous CNN reporting, modeling suggests several red states will not hit their worst points until nearly the end of April -- which means it'll be nearly impossible to reopen the economy in those areas by early May, as Trump has pushed to do.
Garcetti urged national leadership to follow the guidance of medical professionals and prepare for the possibility of extended stay-at-home orders.
"This is something that will require national leadership... it's not something that we can wall off," he added.
From CNN's Elizabeth Cohen and Dr. Minali Nigam
There are several treatments being studied to prevent or treat coronavirus, but US President Donald Trump has been a cheerleader for one in particular: hydroxychloroquine, a drug currently used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Over the past month, he's made many optimistic statements about hydroxychloroquine. CNN has fact-checked the President multiple times, and found that he's being unrealistically enthusiastic.
Here are the facts:
How soon until we know if hydroxychloroquine works against the coronavirus?
Trump said "within days" on March 29.
Doctors say it's more like weeks or months. Of the 15 research centers conducting trials on the drug, six responded and said it would take anywhere between three weeks to four months.
French researchers have already done a study showing hydroxychloroquine works as a coronavirus treatment. Doesn't that tell us something?
Trump says yes -- he called it "a very good test" on April 5.
Doctors say the study was terrible, so no. There are several concerns about the paper, including that it ignored patients who took the drug and fared poorly.
Experts described the French study to CNN as "a complete failure" and "pathetic."
There has been so much criticism that the journal that published it is reviewing it again and wrote that "a correction to the scientific record may be considered."
Is hydroxychloroquine safe for coronavirus patients?
Trump says yes. "What do you have to lose? Take it," he said on April 4.
Doctors say the drug can have serious side effects. The label for Plaquenil, a brand of hydroxychloroquine, says patients taking it have reported "life threatening and fatal" cardiac problems and "irreversible" vision problems.
Read more about hydroxychloroquine here
After temporarily closing factories in the Pacific Northwest due to the coronavirus, aircraft maker Boeing announced it would resume operations in some Puget Sound sites on Monday.
“The resumption of operations will focus on our defense programs, including P-8 and KC-46, and Moses Lake site operations in support of 737 MAX storage,” according to a statement from Boeing.
“Other essential labs and support teams will also resume to support critical customer needs.”
Factories producing commercial aircraft will not reopen Monday, a Boeing spokesman told CNN.
Boeing says about 2,500 employees in the region will be returning to work, with all required to wear face coverings. Of more than 70,000 Boeing employees who work in the Puget Sound area, about 100 have been confirmed with coronavirus.
The Philippines has banned medical staff from working in other countries, sparking tensions as the island nation struggles to battle the coronavirus.
The order, signed by the Labor Secretary on April 2, prohibits physicians, nurses, medical technicians and other medical staff from working abroad while the country remains under a state of emergency.
The order says the Philippines sends 13,000 medical workers abroad every year -- yet faces a shortage of 290,000 health workers at home.
A lot of Filipinos go abroad to work in medicine. It can be much more lucrative in North America or Europe, with the average salary for a registered nurse under $200 a month in the Philippines, according to the country's Department of Labor.
More than 17% of registered nurses in California are Filipino, a 2017 report found. And in the UK, a 2019 government report found there are more than 18,000 Filipinos working in the NHS.
That's why they aren't happy with the new ban. An online petition has already gained 10,000 signatures, protesting the lost economic opportunities for Filipino nurses.
The petition urged the government to reassess the ban, arguing that the government's compensation of $10 a day for volunteers is not enough to replace wages earned abroad.
From Chermaine Lee in Hong Kong
Passengers from Australia and New Zealand on the cruise ship Greg Mortimer will be evacuated on repatriation flights this weekend, after almost 60% of those on board tested positive for the coronavirus.
The ship is docked off the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay.
The passengers will leave on a medical charter flight to Melbourne early Saturday local time, according to a statement from cruise operator Aurora Expeditions.
The New Zealand government will reportedly organize a transfer from Melbourne back home for its citizens.
The cruise company’s insurance will cover the cost of the repatriation flight.
CNN affiliate Teledoce reported that 112 passengers will go directly to Carrasco Airport. They are expected to go through a sanitary corridor arranged by Uruguay.
From CNN's Amir Vera
Churches across the world are celebrating Good Friday differently this year.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, churches are finding alternative ways to commemorate the day Jesus Christ was crucified.
Worshipers in Germany attended service at a drive-in movie theater, with the actual service playing on the radio.
In Indonesia, worshipers celebrated by live streaming a service.
Pope Francis presided over a Good Friday ceremony at St. Peter's Square in The Vatican despite lockdown measures in Italy.
Burning Man, a famous annual event held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, has been canceled.
The week-long gathering, themed around music, art, radical community and self-expression, was scheduled to start on August 30.
“In 2020 we need human connection and Immediacy more than ever,” organizers wrote on the event’s blog. “But public health and the well-being of our participants, staff, and neighbors in Nevada are our highest priorities.”
The event typically draws tens of thousands of people to the desert for concerts, exhibits and its signature creation – a multi-story wooden sculpture of a human that is ignited at Burning Man’s conclusion.
The official website says a “Virtual Black Rock City” will take the place of the traditional event this year.
