AP – The death toll from the global pandemic surpassed 10,000 people worldwide and the effects of a global economy grinding to a halt because of the pandemic were beginning to show, from millions of unsold flowers rotting in piles in Kenya to the slow emptying of the world’s skies.
The U.N. chief warned of a looming global recession “perhaps of record dimensions,” and California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home indefinitely and venture out only for essential jobs, groceries and some exercise.
Here are some of AP’s top stories Friday on the world’s coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day:
WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:
—Members of President Donald Trump’s economic team convene Friday on Capitol Hill to launch negotiations with Senate Republicans and Democrats racing to draft a $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package amid the coronavirus outbreak.
— Republican Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Bur r sold as much as $1.7 million in stocks just before the market dropped in February amid fears about the virus epidemic.
— Newscasts bring word of “hot zones” and “lockdowns.” Conversations are littered with talk of “quarantines” and “isolation.” Leaders urge “social distancing.” In an instant, the pandemic has changed people’s vocabulary, just like everything else.
— Parents and authorities around the globe are s truggling to keep young people from gathering to help stop the spread of the virus.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.
Here are the symptoms of the virus compared with the common flu.
One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under finger nails before rinsing off.
You should wash your phone, too. Here’s how.
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ONE NUMBER:
$79: The amount that one store was accused of selling one bottle of Purell hand sanitizer. That led to one of the more than 500 violations that New York City has given out to crack down on price gouging, which an AP survey finds has surged across the country because of the pandemic.
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IN OTHER NEWS:
PANDEMIC POT: Companies in California and elsewhere are reporting big jumps in marijuana deliveries and sales, as consumers stock up ahead of lockdowns or simply light up in search of relief during anxious times.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
