Millions of Americans have begun their work weeks holed up at home, as the coronavirus pandemic means the entire nation’s daily routine has shifted in ways never before seen in U.S. history.
As wide swaths of the economy came closer to shutting down, Wall Street stocks dropped by nearly 10 percent at the opening, triggering an automatic 15-minute trading halt.
The U.S. surgeon general, meanwhile, said the number of U.S. coronavirus cases has reached the level that Italy recorded two weeks ago – a signal that infections are expected to rise in America.
In Washington, the Supreme Court said it was postponing legal arguments because of the outbreak, while the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut said bars, restaurants and casinos, will close on Monday night.
The nation’s top infectious disease official said he would like to see a 14-day national shutdown imposed. Dr. Anthony Fauci said Americans should be prepared to “hunker down significantly more than we as a country are doing.”
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