New York State Surpasses 100 Coronavirus Cases; D.C. Confirms First Patient; More States Declare Emergencies

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Cases In New York State Rise To 105
The number of people across New York infected with coronavirus was 105, based on state and city tallies Sunday, as residents prepared for a new workweek full of caution about personal contact and staying home if they notice any concerning symptoms. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the new tally was up from 89 Saturday. He renewed his call for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to approve automated testing for Covid-19—the disease caused by the virus—by private laboratories, including the Northwell Health site he used as a backdrop for a news conference. (Brody, 3/8)

The New York Times: Coronavirus In N.Y.C.: Disease Detectives
In just over a week, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York State has jumped to at least 106, with about 4,000 people being isolated in their homes as a precaution. And yesterday, Scarsdale, a suburb in Westchester County, shut its public schools until March 18 after a faculty member tested positive. Columbia University shut classes for two days. (Paybarah, 3/9)

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Outbreak Stymies New York Budget Debate
Health-care providers had planned a major trip to the State Capitol on Wednesday to push lawmakers about why they shouldn’t reduce Medicaid spending by $2.5 billion—a key issue in the state budget debate. But as the new coronavirus spread in New York, the gathering was canceled. The change shows how the coronavirus is crowding out public conversation on issues related to the state budget that is due April 1, at a time when lobbying in Albany normally reaches its crescendo. (Vielkind, 3/7)

The Baltimore Sun: Two More Positive Coronavirus Tests In Maryland, Including One In Harford County, Bring State’s Total To Five 
Two more Maryland residents tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the state’s total of confirmed cases to five, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Sunday. The two new patients are a Harford County woman in her 80s who is hospitalized and a Montgomery County man in his 60s who was “briefly hospitalized,” according to a statement from Hogan’s office. Both contracted the virus while traveling overseas, as did the three Montgomery County residents who were identified as having the coronavirus last week. (Wood, 3/8)

The Baltimore Sun: ‘Never Seen Anything Like It’: Maryland Shoppers Stock Up As The Coronavirus Spreads 
Denise Cox knew she wanted to be prepared “just in case.” The Highlandtown resident did all her COVID-19-related shopping a week ago at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Canton. Saturday at Harris Teeter in Canton Crossing all she had to worry about was shopping for dinner. “I’m always prepared,“ she said as she retrieved a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her purse. She then rattled off her list of last week’s purchases: four cases of bottled water, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray and bleach. “When I bought the bleach, corona was in my thoughts.” (Williams IV, 3/9)

NPR: To Reduce Coronavirus Risk, U.S. Clergy Rethink Customs
Before she was the interim minister at the Central Christian Church of Austin, Janet Maykus was a chaplain in health care settings, a job that required training in infectious disease control. So when she heard reports of the coronavirus spreading in some U.S. communities, she knew it was time to overhaul religious practices at her church. Last Sunday, instead of offering Communion wine in a shared cup from which all congregants drink, Maykus' service did away with the wine altogether. Also gone for now is the practice of intinction, or dipping the consecrated bread or wafer in the wine. (Godoy and Farzan, 3/7)

The Associated Press: Officials Confirm First Coronavirus Case In Nation's Capital 
A man in his 50s tested positive for coronavirus — the first presumptively confirmed case in the nation’s capital — and another person who traveled through the city has also tested positive in Maryland, officials said. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said Saturday the man in the initial case started exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 in late February. He was admitted to a Washington hospital on Thursday and appeared to have no history of international travel and no close contacts to any other confirmed cases across the U.S., Bowser said. (Balsamo and Superville, 3/7)

CBS News: Rector Of Prominent Washington, D.C., Church Tests Positive For Coronavirus
The first person to test positive for coronavirus in Washington, D.C., is the prominent leader of a historic Episcopal church in Georgetown, the church said Sunday. The Reverend Timothy Cole, rector of Christ Church Georgetown, was diagnosed at the hospital Saturday night and is in stable condition, according to the Reverend Crystal Hardin, the assistant to the rector, who spoke at a press conference outside the church Sunday. (3/8)

The Washington Post: Maryland, Virginia, D.C. Coronavirus Cases: What You Need To Know
As the number of people confirmed to have the novel coronavirus climbs in Virginia, Maryland and the District, officials are trying to ease the confusion many residents feel about the spread of the virus and who should be tested. A story of a D.C. woman who had traveled through the Seoul airport and was unable to access a test for covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, circulated on social media over the weekend, drawing attention to testing criteria used in the District and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Portnoy, 3/8)

North Carolina Health News: NC Community Centers Prepare For COVID-19 
As the state contends with its second coronavirus case, this one in Chatham County, North Carolina’s community health centers are stepping up their outreach to some of the most vulnerable members of every community: the uninsured and medically fragile. By recent count, more than a million North Carolinians lacked health insurance. About a quarter of them — or just over 245,000 uninsured people — were seen at a community health center in 2018, according to the North Carolina Community Health Center Association. (Engel-Smith, 3/9)

CBS News: Senator Chris Murphy Says Government Has "No Concept Of The Scope" Of Coronavirus Spread 
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy lambasted the Trump administration for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak and said the federal government has "no concept" of the virus' spread due to a lack of extensive testing. Connecticut is one of the 33 states with confirmed cases of coronavirus, though Murphy believes there could be "hundreds if not thousands" of additional unknown cases in his home state. (Quinn, 3/8)

The CT Mirror: Wilton Resident Is State's First Confirmed Coronavirus Patient
A Wilton resident who traveled recently to California is the first Connecticut resident to be diagnosed with coronavirus, state officials said Sunday. The resident, a man who is 40 to 50 years old, is being treated at Danbury Hospital. The person “most likely became infected” with the virus during a recent trip to California, the governor’s office said in a statement, and sought care shortly after returning to Connecticut. (Hamilton, 3/8)

The CT Mirror: Doctor Who Made Rounds At Bridgeport Hospital Has Tested Positive For COVID-19
A doctor who works in Connecticut and recently made rounds at Bridgeport Hospital has tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor announced Saturday. This is the second New York state resident who works in a Connecticut hospital to test positive for the virus, also known as COVID-19. State officials announced Friday night that an employee who works at both Danbury and Norwalk hospitals has tested positive for the coronavirus. (Carlesso, 3/7)

The Hill: Oregon Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus Outbreak 
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak as the number of confirmed cases in the state doubled to a total of 14, Brown announced Sunday. Brown authorized the state of emergency by verbal proclamation Saturday night around 8:14 p.m. and confirmed it in an executive order Sunday morning. (Klar, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: Masks Join Water Bottles At L.A. Marathon Amid Coronavirus Worries
The spread of the new coronavirus has sparked anxiety, panic buying and preventive measures. But for participants in the 35th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, it was mostly a punchline. “Run like someone with the coronavirus is behind you!” (Xia, Miller and Ormseth, 3/8)

Idaho Statesman: Idaho Legislature Gives $2 Million Emergency Coronavirus Funds 
The Idaho Legislature’s budget committee has approved $2 million in emergency funding to help Idaho prepare and respond to a potential outbreak from the novel coronavirus. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Friday approved Gov. Brad Little’s request to transfer the money to his emergency fund for COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that began spreading in 2019. (Dutton, 3/6)

Georgia Health News: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Now At 5 In Georgia 
Georgia Public Health officials said Saturday that two new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the state — one in Fulton County and one in Cobb County. Testing on those two patients was done by the CDC prior to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory having the capacity to test for the coronavirus, known as COVID-19. That testing capability at the state lab started Thursday after weeks of delay when the CDC’s initial test kits proved flawed. And state officials announced that the CDC has confirmed the positive test for the new coronavirus in a patient who was admitted to a Rome hospital this week. The original testing was done by the state lab, and the individual is hospitalized. (Miller, 3/7)

WBUR: Rhode Island Braces For Growing Number Of Coronavirus Cases 
As Washington and California grapple with a number of coronavirus cases, Rhode Island has confirmed two people in the state have tested positive for COVID-19. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo says there are 20 people who have been tested. One person diagnosed with the disease is recovering well at home, she says, while the other remains in the hospital. (Hobson, 3/6)

Bloomberg: Biogen Employees Test Positive For Covid-19 After Boston Meeting 
Biogen Inc. said three employees have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a meeting in Boston last week, while five others at the same meeting are presumed to have contracted the disease as state health officials await final confirmation. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based drugmaker said in a statement that a number of attendees reported varying degrees of flu-like symptoms after the meeting. (Lipschultz, Wu, and Gopal, 3/6)

Los Angeles Times: SXSW Is Canceled Due To Coronavirus... But For Some, It May Go On
Officials in the state capital declared a disaster late Friday due to fears of the coronavirus, essentially canceling the South by Southwest festival, but for some the show may still go on. Mayor Steve Adler declared the emergency shutdown Friday after consulting with local health officials concerned that the deadly illness could be spread to central Texas by attendees from the West Coast. (Hennessy-Fiske, 3/7)

Sacramento Bee: California Jails, Prisons On Alert For Coronavirus Spread 
Hundreds of people confined to a single space every day. People — many with existing health problems — come and go, bringing untold illness and viruses inside. Scores of inmates and staff sharing chow halls and recreation yards, cell blocks and bathrooms.Jails and prisons are petri dishes. (Pohl, 3/6)

Sacramento Bee: Do CA Hospital Have Enough Supplies For Coronavirus Outbreak? 
Emergency rooms would likely be swamped, overflowing into “surge tents” outside. Intensive care units might fill to capacity. Test kits and masks could run low. And medical personnel would almost certainly get overwhelmed. A coronavirus pandemic would strain California’s ability to quickly and effectively contain the disease. Although the state has confirmed less than 100 cases and a single death from COVID-19, experts are worried the state’s health care system couldn’t keep up. (Sabalow, Kasler, Reese and Pohl, 3/7)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento CA Schools Announce Coronavirus Exposure Link
At least two Sacramento City Unified schools announced to families and staff that school community members were potentially exposed to COVID-19 and were in self-quarantine. Both campuses had been deep cleaned. Community members at Leonardo da Vinci School and C.K. McClatchy High School were potentially exposed to the virus, according to statements sent out to families. (Morrar, 3/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Testing Bottleneck Frustrates Bay Area Health Officials 
Even with a flood of coronavirus testing kits that arrived in California this week, most parts of the state still don’t have nearly enough resources to test everyone who needs it and determine how widespread the virus is, say public health officials and doctors. But relief may be on the way, with more public and private labs expected to come on line next week that could allow for testing of hundreds or even thousands of people a day in the Bay Area. (Allday and Ho, 3/6)

WBUR: Boston Homeless Shelters Taking Extra Steps To Prevent Coronavirus Spread
Homeless shelters are taking extra precautions to try to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Pine Street Inn in Boston has hired an outside company to do deep sanitation — ramping up to have it done daily in addition to the normal shelter cleaning, according to Pine Street's president and executive director, Lyndia Downie. The organization has also installed portable hand-washing stations at its four shelters. (Joliocoeur, 3/6)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: These New Orleans Hospitals Are Ramping Up Screening For Coronavirus At Their Doors
As coronavirus cases spike across the U.S., New Orleans area hospitals are preparing for the increasing likelihood that patients and visitors walking through the doors may be carrying the virus with them. Every person entering a Tulane Health System facility will be screened for coronavirus starting on Monday, according to an email sent out to staff on Friday. (Woodruff, 3/6)

Detroit Free Press: If You Don't Follow Coronavirus Quarantine Orders, You Can Go To Jail
With the number of COVID-19 cases growing around the U.S. and the world, people who are suspected of having novel coronavirus and those with confirmed cases have been asked to self-quarantine, or isolate themselves at home for at least 14 days to avoid spreading the disease to others. But what happens if those people don't follow the advice of health officials? What if they decide to go to a party or the mall or out to dinner? (Shamus, 3/6)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Coronavirus In Milwaukee: Churches Adjusting Communion, Sign Of Peace
Local religious leaders are taking steps to reduce the potential spread of the new coronavirus as concern over how people interact in public spaces grows. From shaking hands with fellow congregants to drinking from a common Communion cup, many Christian services offer multiple opportunities for the virus to spread among crowds gathered in close proximity. (Carson, 3/6)

Charlotte Gazette-Mail: WV Universities Focus On Coronavirus Prevention 
Spring break is around the corner for many of West Virginia’s colleges and universities, and as some students may be looking to travel abroad, administrators are preparing courses of action to prevent a potential spread of COVID-19 on campuses upon their return. So far in West Virginia, there have been no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, a respiratory illness spread from person-to-person contact. As of Saturday, West Virginia — through the Department of Health and Human Resources — is verified to test in state for the coronavirus instead of sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Coyne, 3/7)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly-Area Insurers Pledge Coronavirus Test Coverage
As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States grows and testing becomes more available, insurers and lawmakers are preparing for how to pay for testing without leaving patients with unexpected bills. Tests done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state labs aren’t being billed to patients. But as private labs, such as Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, and academic medical centers begin offering tests developed by private partners, it’s less clear who will foot the bill. (Gantz, 3/8)