April 7 coronavirus news

By Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes, Amy Woodyatt, Jessie Yeung, Helen Regan and Adam Renton, CNN

Updated 9:24 p.m. ET, April 7, 2020
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10:15 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Colorado extends "stay at home" order for another two weeks

Basketball hoops and backboards, removed from city parks, sit in a row outside a storage facility as a statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus on Monday, April 6, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
Basketball hoops and backboards, removed from city parks, sit in a row outside a storage facility as a statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus on Monday, April 6, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. David Zalubowski/AP

Colorado is extending its statewide "stay at home" order for another two weeks, said Gov. Jared Polis in a televised state address today.

The extended order is now planned to end on April 26.

"If there is any way to safely end it sooner, I will. And likewise, if Coloradans are not staying home and the number of dying or dead continues to pile up, it could go longer," Polis said.

There are signs of hope, he said. "Thanks to the actions we have taken, and you have taken, we are starting to show progress. The data is telling us we are starting to make progress." 

At the start of the national outbreak, Colorado was seeing its cases double every one and a half days. Now, it has slowed to doubling every six or seven days.

"That means the spread of the virus is beginning to slow," Polis said.

10:04 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Some US states are converting sports stadiums and conference centers into medical sites

A temporary hospital set up in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to treat those with Covid-19 in New Orleans, seen on April 4.
A temporary hospital set up in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to treat those with Covid-19 in New Orleans, seen on April 4. Gerald Herbert/AP

As infections spike in the United States, hospitals are running out of space, beds, and equipment like ventilators.

To address the issue, some states are instead turning to other spaces as alternative medical sites.

In Alaska, the Alaska Airlines Center sports arena is being fitted with more than 150 hospital beds to prepare for a possible surge in patients. The center is located at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, and can typically seat 5,000 people.

The similarly-sized Carlson Center in Alaska's Fairbanks is also being prepared to admit patients.

Meanwhile in New Orleans, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has been turned into a medical monitoring station with 1,000 beds.

The facility frees up ICU beds in hospital. All patients will arrive directly from hospitals and there will be no walk-up admission.

9:54 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

This is a "make-or-break week for us all," LA mayor warns

From CNN’s Jenn Selva

This coming week is critical to the pandemic's path forward, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned.

Los Angeles saw a 7% increase in coronavirus cases Monday -- the first time this daily increase percentage has been in the single digits since March 14, Garcetti said.

There were 420 new confirmed cases in LA County today, the public health department announced. That brings the county total to 6,360 infections.

Garcetti called the reduced rate of increase “good news,” but cautioned that data releases on Mondays have historically been lower than other days of the week.

“But this is good news, it shows that what you are doing is working,” the mayor added.

“This will be a critical week in our fight against this crisis,” he said. “This week is a make-or-break week for us all.” 
9:45 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

The US now has more than 367,000 cases

The United States now has at least 367,507 cases of the coronavirus and 10,908 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Some 29,887 new cases and 1,265 deaths were reported on Monday alone, according to JHU.

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 yet reporting a death from coronavirus.

CNN is keeping track of coronavirus cases across the US and an interactive map can be found here:

9:51 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

It's just past 9:30 p.m. in New York and 10:30 a.m in Tokyo. Here are the latest big developments

A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment wheels a body to a refrigerated trailer serving as a makeshift morgue at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on Monday, April 6, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
A medical worker wearing personal protective equipment wheels a body to a refrigerated trailer serving as a makeshift morgue at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on Monday, April 6, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. John Minchillo/AP

The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to batter the world. Here's a recap of the biggest developments of the past few hours.

  • The numbers: There are now more than 1.34 million confirmed cases globally. This does not reflect the number of active cases, as many of these patients have recovered, but rather the total number of infections since the pandemic began.
  • Boris Johnson: The British Prime Minister is in intensive care after being admitted to hospital on Sunday. He tested positive for the coronavirus on March 27, and his symptoms have worsened, his office said. Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab will deputize for him "where necessary."
  • In the US: The death toll in the US has topped 10,000, as the country struggles to contain its outbreak. South Carolina has issued a stay-at-home order, joining the ranks of more than 40 other states.
  • States step up action: New York has upped its fines for violating social distancing. The Wisconsin governor unsuccessfully tried to order a suspension of the primary election. Arkansas and Washington schools will stay closed for the rest of the school year. And California secured more than 4,600 beds to prepare for a surge in cases.
  • Economic aid: The Italian government is allocating a record 400 billion euros ($432 billion) to help families and businesses tackle the economic impact of the pandemic. The Japanese government is also committing nearly $1 trillion to try to protect its economy and is expected to declare a state of emergency today.
9:05 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Colombia extends isolation order until April 26

From CNN’s Abel Alvarado and Jackie Castillo in Atlanta

Colombian President Iván Duque announced that he will extend the nationwide isolation order until April 26. 

In a tweet, Duque said the measures taken to slow the spread of coronavirus "have been positive.”

"Our challenge is to continue saving lives," Duque added. 

The order for “mandatory preventive isolation” took effect on March 25 and was initially scheduled until April 13.

9:00 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

All Los Angeles residents can now apply for coronavirus testing

From CNN’s Jenn Selva

Los Angeles Fire Department officials deliver testing kits to waiting motorists at a coronavirus drive-up testing site in Elysian Park on Thursday, April 2.
Los Angeles Fire Department officials deliver testing kits to waiting motorists at a coronavirus drive-up testing site in Elysian Park on Thursday, April 2. Damian Dovarganes/AP

All 10 million residents in Los Angeles County are now eligible to apply for a coronavirus test.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference today that there are “no longer any limits” on who can apply for the testing. Patients don’t have to be over age 65, have underlying medical conditions, or have a weakened immune system, as was previously required. 

Garcetti said that doesn’t mean officials immediately have a test for everyone in the county -- the most populous in the US -- but it means that the capacity of tests is now greater than the number of cases they’ve been receiving under the previous guidelines.

LA County residents can register for testing at https://corona-virus.la

9:42 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

750,000 people in North Carolina could be infected by June, warns state health official

From CNN's Jennifer Henderson 

If North Carolina stops social distancing at the end of April -- as President Donald Trump and administration officials have pushed for -- there could be 750,000 state residents infected by June, said state health officials.

“The team found that the social distancing policies we currently have in place in North Carolina will help lower the likelihood that we’ll overload our health care system, that’s good news,” said Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, in a news conference today. 

The North Carolina-specific modeling forecast showed that if the state stopped social distancing by the end of this month, there is more than a 50% probability that the state will outstrip ICU bed capability and acute care capacity -- even as early as May.

On the other hand, if social distancing stayed in effect, it could cut the number of infections by half a million cases -- down to 250,000.

North Carolina now has 2,870 cases and 33 deaths, said Cohen.

9:44 p.m. ET, April 6, 2020

Chile mandates face masks on public and private transportation

From CNN's Cristopher Ulloa and Jackie Castillo

Chle has announced the mandatory use of face masks for all travelers riding public and private transportation to combat the spread of coronavirus.

During a televised news conference Monday, Chile's Undersecretary of Public Health Paula Daza said the measure will go in effect on Wednesday, April 8 at 5 a.m. local time. 

Some of the transportation methods that are included in the measure include trains, buses, metros and taxis. 

The announcement comes after Health Minister Jaime Mañalich called on the population to start making their own masks with homemade materials, such as T-shirts and scarves.