How Coronavirus Is Shutting Down America: Normal Daily Life Grinds To A Halt As People Take Measures To Flatten The Curve

Politico: America Shuts Down
Financial markets are careening. Public tours of the very symbols of American political power — the White House, Capitol Hill and Supreme Court — are being put on hold while some congressional offices are shuttering altogether. Campaign rallies are being canceled. Professional sports leagues have suspended play. And Broadway and Disneyland are shutting down. Each day, more and more employees are working remotely at companies large and small. Even the White House is considering mass teleworking. Schools are being closed or going virtual. Ohio students are getting a three-week spring break beginning Monday, while schools will be closed for two weeks across Maryland and six weeks in three Washington state counties. And travel is being discouraged — and in the case of foreign visitors from most of Europe, banned. Some cruise lines are even halting voyages on their ships. (McCaskill, 3/12)

The New York Times: Efforts To Control Coronavirus Could Get Even More Extreme
First came handwashing instructions and social distancing. Then came the prohibitions on large events and the shuttering of schools. Next up, should the coronavirus outbreak grow even more dire, are government measures that could have an even greater impact on daily life. Washington State — where 31 people have died from the virus, the most in the United States — has escalated through most of a 13-step strategy checklist for controlling infectious outbreaks and now has only a few remaining options: closing workplaces, restricting people to their homes and cordoning off targeted areas to help control the spread of infection. (Baker and Jordan, 3/13)

ABC News: Social Distancing Is Key To Stopping Coronavirus
Measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus are underway with schools closed, sports events canceled and business conferences postponed. These measures, considered "social distancing," may be key in containing the spread of the coronavirus. "Social distancing is a public health intervention in which people are discouraged from convening in groups and encouraged to keep physical distance from others in order to slow the spread of illness," said Dr. Neha Chaudhary, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Brainstorm, Stanford’s lab for mental health innovation. (Amin, 3/13)

The Associated Press: Pandemic Increasingly Takes Over Daily Lives, Roils Markets
The coronavirus pandemic has taken over daily lives around the globe, overwhelming hospitals, shuttering schools and offices, halting U.S. presidential campaign rallies and world sports while increasing fears about the financial toll. The intensifying spread of COVID-19 beyond Asia has dashed hopes about a quick containment, even with travel and social events curbed drastically. And political leaders were among those infected or quarantined due to potential exposure. (3/13)

CNN: Americans Face New Norms As Coronavirus Outbreaks Show No Sign Of Slowing Down 
For many Americans, the past 48 hours have felt like uncharted territory. Travel restrictions into the US are going into effect today. Leaders across the country are banning public gatherings, dozens of school districts and universities hit the pause button on classes, sports leagues suspended their seasons and major entertainment venues -- like Broadway and Disney World -- announced a halt in activities. Despite the unprecedented measures, one top US health official said the number of outbreaks is "definitely going to get worse before it gets better." (Maxouris, 3/13)

CIDRAP: From Broadway To Baseball, US Events Canceled Over COVID-19
All these efforts are attempts at forcing social distancing, which has been touted by public health experts as one of the best ways to flatten the epidemiological curve of the virus, or distribute the number of infections over a long period of time so as not to strain the nation's healthcare system. On Twitter, scientists, researchers, and journalists used the hashtag #flattenthecurve to encourage social distancing measures, such as working from home and canceling major events. (Soucheray, 3/12)

The Hill: Why Canceling Events Makes Sense In The Age Of COVID-19 
Governments, businesses and sports leagues are taking drastic steps to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus that has infected more than 1,300 people across the United States. The measures, virtually unprecedented in the century since the Spanish flu that killed more than 50 million people around the globe, are aimed at reducing the transmission of the potentially life-threatening virus between those already infected and those who are at risk. Public health experts say the steps are necessary, even critical, to stop the spread of the virus. (Wilson, 3/12)

Stateline: As Coronavirus Cancellations Swell, Officials Weigh How Far To Go 
With cases of the new coronavirus multiplying daily, state and local officials have shut down schools and universities, canceled sporting events, concerts and conferences, and even asked houses of worship to stop public ceremonies. In the space of only days, they have moved to sharply curtail the routines of millions of people. While many of these actions may have serious consequences for the economy and the collective psyche of Americans, public officials have not hesitated to take bold steps that only a few days ago seemed unimaginable. (Ollove, 3/13)

The New York Times: Twenty-Four Hours When Sports Hit The Halt Button
One by one, beginning Wednesday night and all through Thursday, the pillars of the American athletic landscape toppled, unceremoniously, to the ground, marking one of the most astonishing nights and days in United States sports history. Professional basketball disappeared first, then the college game followed; hockey melted away; baseball went on indefinite hiatus; and soccer took leave, as well. Before Thursday, Americans could have held some hope that the country’s traditional sports leagues would, in the coming weeks, supply moments of needed respite and emotional escape from the weighty concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. (Keh, 3/12)

The Associated Press: Virus Darkens Stages, Silences Orchestras Across The US
The closures of museums and theaters and concerts come even as families find their kids locked out of school with nothing to do and arts institutions worry about keeping the lights on without ticket sales. “It’s the people that are down here, trying to earn that dollar that it’s going to affect the most,” said Mike Beliles, of Wilmington, North Carolina, who was visiting Nashville. “It’s the people who are trying to make ends meet and they aren’t able to work.” (3/13)

The Associated Press: Some US Colleges Cancel, Postpone Graduation Over Virus
Colleges across the U.S. have begun canceling and curtailing graduation amid fears that the coronavirus pandemic will stretch into spring. Some are exploring “virtual"alternatives, while others are considering inviting seniors back for commencement at a later date or just mailing out diplomas. Schools including Brigham Young University, the Savannah College of Art and Design and Berea College are among those telling students that current commencement ceremonies have been canceled. (3/13)

ABC News: Two-Thirds Of Americans Concerned About Contracting Coronavirus, As Country Grapples With Growing Crisis: POLL 
Two-thirds of Americans are concerned that they or someone they know will be infected with the novel coronavirus, but in a country with a growing partisan divide, political tribalism is having a large impact when it comes to anxiety over the disease, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday. Although unease over the coronavirus is high, it also strongly breaks along partisan lines. Among Democrats, 83% are concerned about getting coronavirus, including 47% who are very concerned, and among Republicans, 56% are concerned, including only 15% who are very concerned. Only 17% of Democrats are not concerned while a larger 44% of Republicans are not concerned. (Karson, 3/13)

Reuters: 'People Are Terrified': Daily Life On Hold As Americans Face Coronavirus Threat
In Texas, a photographer worries about paying his bills. In Pennsylvania, an aspiring dancer struggles with a canceled audition. In suburban Los Angeles, a mother wonders whether anyone will show up for her son's bar mitzvah. Across the United States, the coronavirus outbreak is shuttering schools, emptying sports arenas and clearing out offices as Americans practice "social distancing" - staying at least 6 feet (1.8 m) apart from one another - that health authorities say is necessary to slow the advance of the deadly pandemic. (3/12)

The Wall Street Journal: When Big Events Get Canceled Due To The Coronavirus, Who’s On The Hook?
Event cancellations are multiplying because of the coronavirus. For the most part it is event organizers and local communities, not insurers, who will foot the bill. The limited involvement of the insurance industry sets the fallout from coronavirus cancellations apart from natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes that tend to result in substantial insurance payouts. (Steinberg, 3/13)