March 25, 11:55 p.m.,  Senate passes $2.2 trillion economic rescue package in response to coronavirus pandemic. The House will vote on Friday.

March 25, 11:15 p.m. Johns Hopkins University tally shows U.S. death toll from coronavirus surpasses 1,000.

March 25, 8:15 p.m.  The Clintons sent pizzas to all of the hospitals in Westchester - more than 400 pies - as a token of their appreciation for everything medical professionals are doing for their communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

March 25, 7:37 p.m. President Trump said he has approved major disaster declarations for New York, California, Washington, Iowa, Louisiana, Texas and Florida.

March 25, 7:12 p.m. Mayor Bill de Blasio says there are 17,856 positive COVID-19 cases in New York City, which constitutes 54% of all New York state cases. It's also 32% of all cases in the U.S. During Wednesday's news conference he blasted the stimulus package for the portion going to New York City - calling it immoral.

March 25, 3:05 p.m. Chef Floyd Cardoz, who won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus. He was 59. He had been admitted a week ago to Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey, with a fever and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.

March 25, 2:49 p.m. Gov. Phil Murphy announced 736 new positive COVID-19 cases in New Jersey, increasing the total to 4,402 statewide. He also announced 18 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing that total to 62 statewide. Gov. Murphy says that day cares that wish to remain open can only do so if they certify that they will only care for children of essential workers. Day cares that won't commit must close by April 1.

March 25, 2:43 p.m. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone says there are 2,260 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county. He says 7,763 residents have been tested, with 28.7% of those confirmed positive. 

March 25, 2:31 p.m.: The 74th annual Tony Awards postponed. The awards show was scheduled to air live on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 7 from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date.

 

March 25, 11:36 p.m. Gov. Cuomo says the evidence suggests the density control measures may be working. Projections show that on Sunday, hospitalizations were doubling every two days. On Monday, it was up to every 3.4 days. Yesterday, it was 4.7 days. "That is almost too good to be true." Although the governor says he doesn't place a great deal of stock in the projections, he says it's a "very good sign." "The arrows are heading in the right directions," says Cuomo. At least 30,811 New York residents have tested positive for COVID-19. 3,805 (12% of cases) are hospitalized. 888 of those patients are in ICU. 

March 25, 6:43 a.m. Spain surpasses China in the overall number of coronavirus deaths, now second to only Italy.

March 25, 6:39 a.m. UK palace says heir to the throne Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus, has mild symptoms.

March 25, 1:08 a.m. Congressional leaders, White House reach deal on massive coronavirus relief package.

March 24, 8:08 p.m. Los Angeles County has reported what may be the first confirmed U.S. death of a child from coronavirus.

March 24, 6:45 p.m Climate change activist Greta Thunberg posted on social media that she is self-isolating due to coronavirus symptoms, following a trip to Central Europe - adding that she cannot be tested in Sweden unless she is in need of emergency treatment.

March 24, 6:30 p.m. Sen. Cory Booker spoke to News 12’s Kurt Siegelin about the latest federal coronavirus relief efforts and a federal stimulus package to help the economy impacted during the crisis.

 

March 24, 6:09 p.m. President Trump's Coronavirus Task Force is urging anyone who has left the NYC area recently to self-quarantine for 14 days.

March 24, 5:15 p.m. Universal Studios extends closure of both theme parks, Hollywood & Orlando, to April 19.

 

March 24, 4:59 p.m. The Putnam County Department of Health confirmed 36 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 82.

March 24, 4:22 p.m. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says 62% of the state's cases in Fairfield County. Statewide cases are up to at at least 618.

 

March 24, 4:21 p.m. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says there are now 14,776 coronavirus cases in New York City with 131 deaths.  The mayor says this represents about 58 percent of cases in New York state.

March 24, 4:16 p.m. The Dow rose more than 2,100 points Tuesday, its biggest-ever point gain, as Congress nears a deal on a coronavirus aid package.

March 24, 2:54 p.m. Tony-winning American playwright Terrence McNally has died of complications from coronavirus, according to a representative. He was 81.

March 24, 2:45 p.m. There are 1,880 positive COVID-19 cases in Suffolk County and 422 new cases in the past 24 hours, County Executive Bellone says.

 

March 24, 2:07 p.m. President Donald Trump said at a virtual town hall hosted by Fox News that he is hoping the country will be reopened by Easter. Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction, staying home from work and isolating themselves, the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system.

March 24, 2020 11:34 a.m. Gov. Cuomo implored federal government Tuesday to deploy ventilators to combat the COVID-19 apex striking New York. He also says there shouldn't be a choice between a sound economic strategy and a sound public health strategy. He says "younger, recovered, tested workers" can restart the economy while public health is protected. "We need the federal help and we need the federal help now," says the governor, who says the government has a stockpile of 20,000 ventilators. Cases in New York have reached 25,665.

March 24, 2020 8:55 a.m. Tokyo Olympics officially postponed to 2021 by International Olympic Committee.

 

March 24, 2020 8:30 a.m. Japanese Prime Minister Abe says IOC president has agreed “100%” to proposal of postponing Olympics for about 1 year.

March 24, 2020 5:30 a.m. Chinese authorities said Tuesday they will end a two-month lockdown of most of coronavirus-hit Hubei province at midnight, as domestic cases of the virus continue to subside. The city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started in late December, will remain locked down until April 8.

March 23, 2020 10 p.m. The principal of a Brooklyn school died due to complications from the coronavirus.

 

March 23, 2020 6:58 p.m. New York Waterway is suspending trans-Hudson ferry service beginning at 10 p.m. Monday, according to the mayor of Hoboken. New York Waterway hopes to return to full service after the COVID-19 crisis is over. Only essential workers should be traveling to New York City, and should plan for alternate methods of transportation, Hoboken's mayor says.

March 23, 2020 6:30 p.m. Top ranking International Olympic Committee members echoed a similar sentiment Monday -- it appears the 2020 Olympics will not take place as planned.

March 23, 6:29 p.m. 'America will again and soon be open for business,' says President Trump. The president puts timeline at 'a lot sooner than 3 or 4 months' during briefing.

March 23, 6:12 p.m. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he is issuing an executive order mandating that anyone arriving on a flight from New York City and the surrounding area submit to self-quarantine for two weeks. 

March 23, 3 p.m. At the Capitol, tempers flared and emotions were raw as senators wrangled over critically needed aid. Democrats blocked another vote to advance the package, trying to steer more of the assistance to public health and workers. They argue the package is tilted toward corporations.

March 23, 11:10 a.m. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state has 20,875 cases of coronavirus, with 157 deaths. He is ordering all New York hospitals to increase their capacity by 50%.

March 23, 10:55 a.m. Scam artists are preying on older people's fears by peddling fake tests for the coronavirus to Medicare recipients, the feds warn. The Health and Human Services inspector general's office said it's seeing marketing schemes rapidly pivot to offering tests for COVID-19 and “Senior Care Packages” with hand sanitizer or even tout a vaccine, which doesn't exist. Some marketers falsely claim that President Trump has ordered that seniors be tested.

March 23, 10:22 a.m. More than 1.5 billion people, a fifth of the world's population, are being asked or ordered to stay in their homes as coronavirus infections soar, the Associated Press reports.

March 23, 10:20 a.m. The Federal Reserve says it will buy as much government debt as it deems necessary and will also begin lending to small and large businesses and local governments to help them weather the COVID-19 crisis.

March 23, 7:30 a.m. Some New York State-owned golf courses are open with limited reservations.

March 23, 5:20 a.m. Long Island Rail Road ticket offices are temporarily closed, including at Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica. Customers told to buy tickets online or at the ticket machines.

March 22, 9:30 p.m. Coronavirus cases in NYC climbed to at least 10,764, including 3,154 in Brooklyn and 1,564 in the Bronx. The citywide death toll was at 99, city officials said Sunday evening.

March 22, 8:35 p.m. Worldwide, more than 335,000 coronavirus cases and more than 14,400 deaths have been reported as Spain and Italy continued to be hard hit, according to the Associated Press.

March 22, 8:01 p.m. The Senate has refused to advance the coronavirus rescue package in a procedural vote with Democrats rejecting a draft from Republicans and pushing for more aid for workers. Negotiations were expected to continue into the evening Sunday.

March 22, 7:32 p.m. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says coronavirus cases climb to 327 in the state; death toll at 8.

March 22, 7:31 p.m. President Trump says he's ordered FEMA to ship mobile hospital centers to New York and 2 other hard-hit states in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

March 22, 6:20 p.m. Bed, Bath & Beyond closes all stores until at least April 3. Some stores had remained over the past week. All are now closed.

March 22, 4:30 p.m. More than 1,500 contract workers have been laid off from jobs at La Guardia, Newark Liberty International and JFK International Airport, according to Local 32BJ of the Services Employees International Union.

March 22, 1:45 p.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in quarantine after a doctor who gave her a vaccine tested positive for coronavirus.

March 22, 1:40 p.m. Sen. Rand Paul says he has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. The Kentucky Republican is the first member of the Senate to report testing positive. He said in a tweet Sunday that he is feeling fine and is in quarantine. 

March 22, 10:45 a.m. Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the federal government to nationalize medical supply acquisition as coronavirus cases in New York continue to surge. The total number of cases in New York is at 15,168, including 4,812 new cases. That includes 9,045 in New York City, 1,900 in Nassau, 1,873 in Westchester, 1,034 in Suffolk, 455 in Rockland and 247 in Orange.

March 22, 10:55 a.m. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he expects Congress and the White House to reach full agreement later Sunday on an economic stimulus package that could approach $2 trillion to address the coronavirus crisis. The proposed package would include $3,000 checks to families and other aid to last the next 10 weeks.

March 22, 8:30 a.m. Hawaii's governor has instituted a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine starting Thursday for all people traveling to the state as part of efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus. The order applies to returning residents as well as visitors.  

March 22, 3:40 a.m. New York City has been hit by the nation’s largest coronavirus jail outbreak to date, with at least 38 people testing positive at the notorious Rikers Island complex and nearby facilities -- more than half of them incarcerated men, according to the board that oversees the city's jail system.

March 22, 12:01 a.m. The death toll from the global coronavirus pandemic has surpassed 12,000 people worldwide and it has sickened more than 291,000, the Associated Press reports.

March 21, 9:03 p.m. A spokeswoman says Vice President Mike Pence and his wife tested negative for the novel coronavirus. Pence, who leads President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, had announced earlier Saturday that they would be tested.

March 21, 8:45 p.m. New York City officials confirmed Saturday evening that the total number of cases of coronavirus in the city has reached 8,115, with 60 fatalities.

March 21, 7:21 p.m. The New York state Department of Motor Vehicles says all DMV offices and auto bureaus statewide are closed until further notice. That includes both state- and county-run field offices. While offices are closed, expiration dates for driver licenses, non-driver IDs and registrations will be extended. Road tests will be suspended until further notice.

 March 21, 5:02 p.m. The death toll from the global coronavirus pandemic has surpassed 11,000 people worldwide and sickened more than 286,000, the Associated Press reports.

March 21, 3:50 p.m. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that the Army Corps of Engineers is recommending four initial sites in New York for temporary hospitals. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Old Westbury and the Westchester Convention Center were inspected by the Army of Corps of Engineers and state officials.

March 21, 2:37 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted a brief suspension of flights to New York City-area airports because of coronavirus-related staffing issues at a regional air-traffic control center. In an alert posted online Saturday, the agency had advised air traffic controllers to "stop all departures" to Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and other airports in the region. The halt was lifted after about 30 minutes. Initially air traffic controllers were warned it could last several hours.

March 21, 2:29 p.m. The FAA says it is suspending flights to NYC-area and Philadelphia airports because of virus-related staffing issues.

March 21, 1:25 p.m. Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order directing nearly all New Jersey residents to stay at home and he says all gatherings are canceled. All non-essential New Jersey retail businesses must indefinitely close their physical stores to the public beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday.

 

March 21, 12:10 p.m. New York City officials say that citywide, there are 7,530 positive cases of COVID-19 and 45 fatalities. That includes 2,077 cases in Queens, 1,791 in Manhattan, 2,275 in Brooklyn, 1,005 in the Bronx, and 375 in Staten Island. Of those cases, 1,160 people were hospitalized, including 260 who were in the ICU.

March 21, 11:30 a.m. Gov. Cuomo says there are now 10,356 coronavirus cases in New York, including 6,211 in New York City, 1,385 in Westchester, 1,234 in Nassau, 662 in Suffolk, 262 in Rockland and 88 in Orange. The governor says state officials are ‘scouring the globe’ looking for medical supplies, and will scout locations for field hospitals with U.S. Army today.

March 21, 11:08 a.m. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran on Saturday reported three new deaths in the county attributed to COVID-19, for a total of seven so far. She said total cases are at 754.

March 21, 10:35 a.m.  Italy's health minister is pleading with people to follow  coronavirus rules. Minister Roberto Speranza is concerned that too many citizens are flouting lockdown restrictions imposed nearly two weeks ago to contain Italy’s relentless increase in coronavirus cases. 

March 21, 8:20 a.m. Spain has recorded almost 5,000 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours as it climbed into third place in the global ranking of infections behind China and Italy. Health authorities in Spain said Saturday that virus infections have reached 24,926, up from 19,980 the day before. 

March 20, 11 p.m. Japan's health ministry says a Canadian man who was a passenger infected with the coronavirus while on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess died of COVID-19 pneumonia Saturday. It is the eighth death among ship passengers.

March 20, 7:38 p.m. The White House says a member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus. Pence’s spokeswoman Katie Miller said that the staff member, who is not being identified, did not have “close contact” to either the vice president or President Donald Trump.

March 20, 7:20 p.m.: Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) say President Trump has approved a major disaster declaration for New York in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

 March 20, 5:56 p.m. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that there are at least 5,151 coronavirus cases in New York City. De Blasio said those numbers accounted for one-third of all cases in the U.S. and two-thirds of the cases in New York state. "We are now the epicenter," he said.

March 20, 2020 5:42 p.m. The Dow lost more than 900 points Friday, ending the week with a 17.3% loss. The losses capped the market’s worst week since the financial crisis of 2008.

March 20, 5:15 p.m. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the state's residents to remain in their homes except for essential needs, joining similar efforts in California and New York.

 

March 20, 4:51 p.m. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all non-essential workers to stay home as coronavirus cases continue to climb. The state Department of Economic Development issued guidance on what exactly is essential. Click HERE for more information.

March 20, 4:47 p.m. Gov. Ned Lamont announced that a fourth Connecticut resident has died from the coronavirus. All of the deceased victims have been from Fairfield County. The governor also introduced the "Stay Safe, Stay at Home" policy, which he hopes will aid in stopping the spread of COVID-19. He says anyone over 70 years old should avoid gatherings and urged anyone who can telecommute to do so.

 

March 20, 3:20 p.m. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced four additional COVID-19 deaths in Suffolk, for a total of seven.

March 20, 1:54 p.m. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is postponing the March 31 Republican primary runoff in the state's 2nd Congressional District to June 23.

March 20, 12:20 p.m. President Donald Trump says the U.S. and Mexico will sharply curtail cross-border travel to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. The president also announced that interest on federally held student loans has been waived for 60 days. He also announced an extension of tax day until July 15. President Trump says Department of Education will not enforce standardized testing requirements for current year.

 

March 20, 12:00 p.m. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered non-essential workers to stay at home. The governor has also asked companies  to, if possible, assist with the manufacturing of masks and other essential medical equipment.  The governor says several event sites and colleges are being looked at to potentially be used as temporary medical facilities.  

March 20, 10:20 a.m.: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says that the income tax filing deadline has been moved from April 15 to July 15.

March 20, 10:10 a.m.: Enforcement of New York’s plastic bag ban has been postponed to May 15 as New York State's Department of Conservation deals with a lawsuit that is delayed due to the coronavirus crisis.

March 20, 9:25 a.m.: The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 has passed 10,000, the Associated Press reported.

March 20, 9:15 a.m.: This year's Scripps National Spelling Bee has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus.

 

March 20, 8:50 a.m.: New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announce that all barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors, nail salons, hair removal services, and related personal care services will be closed to members of the public effective Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m., as these services cannot be provided while maintaining social distance.

March 20, 8:45 a.m.: TJmaxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods will shut their doors for two weeks globally due to the corronavirus pandemic, the CEO of TJX Companies announced.

March 20, 8:15 a.m.: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says 4,000 cases of coronavirus in New York City with 26 deaths.

March 20, 7:05 a.m.: Bed, Bath & Beyond closes 800 stores nationwide that do NOT carry essential items, such as cleaning supplies, until at least April 3. Other stores will have adjusted hours.

 

March 20, 6:35 a.m.: Iran announces 149 more fatalities from virus, bringing death toll to 1,433 amid nearly 20,000 confirmed cases.

March 19, 9:57 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a statewide order for people to stay at home, except for essential needs.

 

March 19, 7:13 p.m. Connecticut has reported its third coronavirus death.

March 19, 2020 6 p.m. Connecticut's Eversource Energy says it is suspending customer disconnections, waiving late charges and offering payment plans for past due bills.

 

March 19, 2020 4:57 p.m. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted President Trump's response to the coronavirus crisis during a news conference, calling him the Herbert Hoover of his generation. He implored the president to activate the military to begin helping with the pandemic. De Blasio also announced New York City's death toll was up to 22 and the number of cases was up to 3,615.

 

March 19, 2020 4:15 p.m. The State Department is warning Americans not to travel internationally. 

March 19, 2020 2:32 p.m. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont confirmed the state's second coronavirus death, a 91-year-old New Canaan resident who died while being treated at Norwalk Hospital.

March 19, 2020 2:14 p.m. The death toll in Italy is up to 3,405 - more than China’s.

March 19, 2020 2:00 p.m. Click HERE to check for a coronavirus testing site in the tri-state area.

March 19, 2020 1:15 p.m. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has announced 318 new positive cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey, bringing the statewide total to 742. The governor also announced four additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to nine.

March 19, 2020 12:30 p.m. Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II has moved to Windsor Castle and will likely stay there beyond Easter due to the coronavirus pandemic. The queen shared a message of support.

 

March 19, 2020, 11:46 a.m. President Trump says he directed FDA to eliminate outdated rules to advance ‘safe, effective treatments’ for COVID-19. "We believe these theraputics and others under evaluation right now will be able to provide relief to many Americans." Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner, says the president asked the agency to be aggressive. to break down barriers to innovation and to accelerate the development of life-saving treatments. "The FDA is committed to providing regulatory flexibility and guidance, but I want to make one thing clear," he said. "The FDA's responsibility to the American people is to ensure that products are safe and effective."

March 19, 2020, 11:35 a.m. Major League Soccer is targeting a May 10 return to play and will consider pushing back its championship game by a month into December.

March 19, 2020 10:42 a.m. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is mandating that businesses have 75% of their employees work from home except for mandatory services.  He says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was also in New York looking at sites to build temporary medical facilities.  He is also implenting 90-day mortgage relief based on financial hardship and waiving fees for overdrafts, ATMs and credit cards.  He has suspended foreclosures. 

March 19, 2020 9:32 a.m. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tells Fox Business that he hopes to get $1,000 out to most adult Americans within three weeks.