Trump gives up on his Easter deadline

Social distancing guidelines are in effect until April 30, a hospital in Central Park, and tips on surviving isolation.

THE BIG STORY   Trump is now recommending Americans practice social distancing until April 30   President Donald Trump said the White House will extend its guidelines for the coronavirus outbreak — which include working from home, limiting gatherings to 10 people or less, and avoiding travel — until April 30. The comments Sunday came after he previously said he wanted US churches, businesses, and schools to reopen by Easter on April 12, which would have been a medical disaster. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that between 100,000 and 200,000 people in the US will likely die because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the country will see millions of cases. So far the US has recorded more than 100,000 cases and over 2,000 deaths. STAYING ON TOP OF THIS   A city adapts to growing numbers   As of Sunday in New York state, the center of the pandemic in the US, almost 60,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and over 900 have died. This has put tremendous pressure on the its healthcare system and mortuary services, both of which are trying to adapt.   Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City is working with a humanitarian aid organization to set up an 80-bed field hospital in Central Park's East Meadow to help house the continuing influx of patients during the coronavirus pandemic.   And a Manhattan hospital has a refrigerated truck sitting outside, ready to carry away those who died from complications of COVID-19. A nurse shared a photo of the inside of the truck, lined with bodies, and shared it with BuzzFeed News. "I took it to show to people," the nurse told Miriam Elder. "It is the ghastly reality of what we deal with and where some of us have ended up already." Workers set up a field hospital in front of Mount Sinai West Hospital inside Central Park on Sunday in New York City. (Kena Betancur / Getty Images) HOW TO PLAGUE    We're all still socially distancing, so Katie Notopoulos is here with another edition of How To Plague, our advice column on the social aspects of all of … this. In today's: how to deal with transferring children between co-parents, whether college seniors are fucked for jobs, and how to stop holding a grudge at someone who isn't quarantining. Got a question yourself? Send her an email at katie@buzzfeed.com. SNAPSHOTS   The first infant has died in the US after testing positive for the coronavirus. A full investigation is underway to determine the baby's cause of death.   Reverend Joseph Lowery, a leader of the civil rights movement who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., has died at age 98 of natural causes.  Millions of hospital-grade KN95 masks are available for import, but the US won't let them in. The mask is a Chinese alternative to the scarce N95 mask.  The pandemic has workers who care for the elderly "terrified." They're at risk, and many of them are without adequate protection from COVID-19. Serial killer Lonnie Franklin, known as the Grim Sleeper, has died in prison. He was sentenced to death in 2016 for the murders of at least 10 women. ALONE TOGETHER   A man who spent three months alone in a hospital wants to help you deal with isolation Paul Thorn spent 12 weeks in isolation in a London hospital in 1995. It was a different time and a different infectious disease — tuberculosis — but a situation similar to what many are just entering. He wants to describe his experiences now to help people in isolation, and to offer practical and psychological advice gleaned from the hardest lessons of his life: how to cope when human connection is siphoned off. ONE LAST THING Be more Barry   I find myself in the position Tom was in a few weeks ago of needing a cheery story to cap things off and coming up empty. So I'm going to do what he did: post a photo of my pet and remind you to send in your own pics to hellomobile@buzzfeed.com to be shared! It really livens up the inbox. Thanks for reading, and here's Barry, a rescued stray from Abu Dhabi: Trying to take a lesson from Barry and stay warm and soft, Brandon P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝  This letter was edited and brought to you by Tom Gara and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.   🔔  Want to be notified as soon as news breaks? Download the BuzzFeed News app for iOS and Android (available in Canadian, UK, Australian, and US app stores). 💌  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to get BuzzFeed News in your inbox! Show privacy notice and cookie policy. BuzzFeed, Inc. 111 E. 18th St. New York, NY 10003 Unsubscribe