The death toll has increased to at least six after nearly two dozen tornados ripped across the south. One of the largest twisters touched down in southern oklahoma where the entire small town of madill is without power. There was widespread damage to homes and businesses. Another destructive tornado hit southeastern texas north of houston, uprooting trees, knocking down power lines, and slamming into dozens of homes. Turning to Financial Relief for families suffering during this financial and economic crisis. With so many people stuck at home and fewer cars on the road, Insurance Companies enjoying a cash windfall from fewer accidents are now giving back to their policyholders. Bc bory. Kids. T nal that means big cars and big insurance premiums. Their bill, 315 a month for their two cars. But since the shutdown, their needs have changed. We have not moved our cars from our driveway. Theyve basically just been sitting there for almost a month now. Reporter so zero miles on the road, zero chance of having an accident. In a muchneeded relief effort, many car Insurance Companies are offering money back because were driving less. We contacted about 20 insurers, and majority of those are giving some sort of rebate, refund, premium credit, to policyholders. Reporter looking at the nations five biggest auto insurers, state farm says youll see an average 25 credit. Geico discounting 15 for your next full policy term. Progressive giving a 20 credit at the end of april or may. Allstate offering 15 for april and may. And usaa with a 20 credit on two months worth of premiums. So how much could those refunds add up to . We asked our m to log in to her insurance site and check. Theyre calling it shelter in place payback. And it looks like we will get 15 of our premiums back during april and may. Reporter thats 94. 50 that youre getting back. Thats not bad. That is a nice surprise. Reporter the best part . Those rebates are given out without having to request it, theyre done automatically. Reporter these rebates arent enough for many hardhit americans, so experts say call your Insurance Company to discuss other options. Tell them that youre not driving as much and you might actually get an additional discount. You might also be able to call your insurer and defer those bills. Our thanks to becky and her oldschool calculator there. We appreciate that. Yeah, this ill thinking about the people who are just obviously at home, theyre struggling. Atever you can, but sometimes you call these people and youre on the line forever, a long wait. Were hearing about people waiting in line on phone, theyre like im the 7,000th in line or whatever. Youve got to be dogged about these things if you want some money off, and just good luck, thinking about all those people. Flo, jake from state farm, were calling yall. Coming up, battling coronavirus on the front lines while pregnant. Were hearing from three brave doctors inside the epicenter of the viral surge in maryland. Why they say theyre still on the job. Test test fighting the covid19 pandemic from inside the nations hospitals is challenging and risky enough even when youre in tiptop shape. This morning we are meeting three doctors at one hospital in maryland who are working around the clock while pregnant. Heres abcs rachel scott. Reporter at Prince Georges Hospital center in maryland, there is not just one pregnant doctor on the front lines, there are three. As soon as i walk in a room a lot of people are like, what are you doing . Why are you here . Theyre, youre crazy. Why are you still working . Its what we signed up for, and we want to be there or else we wouldnt be there. Reporter these three doctors worry taking a leave of absence all at the same time could put a strain on their fellow staffmembers. Dr. Michelle callahan, elizabeth claiborne, and carol nguyen would choose to say on the job six to seven months pregnant. With full backing from the hospital to take a leave of absence at any point. While there is limited data on covid19s effects on pregnancy, hospital staff have tried to limit their exposure. There were a couple of unresponsive and very sick people who had to get intubated right when they came in. My colleagues stepped up and kind of took care of those people. Reporter but protecting themselves as doctors brings an added layer of difficulty as expecting mothers. When youre wearing n95 masks or anything else, its basically youre being suffocated for 10, 11 hours a day. I feel relieved im walking out to my car and only have this face shield mask on instead of n95 or respirator, which makes it really hard to breathe when youre pregnant. Reporter each day is a balancing act. Initely gettinmoe going to end up testing positive and what will happen in that event. Reporter their 10 to 12hour shifts arent without those constant trips to the bathroom. And under all that personal protective gear, Compression Stockings to keep the swelling down. You know, im really tired and thirsty by this time. Ive had the mask like pressing on my face all day, my nose feels congested. Its becoming more difficult for me to not see these sick patients. Reporter their families proud but anxious. I worry about the risks that shes taking. Im scared for my unborn granddaughter. Reporter even after hours surrounded by death and pain, moments of joy about the lives they will soon bring into the world. Hopefully in a few months well all be able to get together and have play dates with our baby girls. Reporter yes, all three are expecting girls this summer. When your daughter one day grows up and learns about this time, what do you hope she takes away . I think the biggest thing i would love my children to take away, is find a job that you feel fulfills you and that you want to go to. I do hope my daughter grows up and looks back on this like, cool. Like, theres some strong women out there doing some really cool stuff. Always going to be challenges that lie ahead, in her life, in the lives of human beings, forever and always. So how we respond to these challenges are really important. Reporter while they are seen as heroes, they plan to tell their daughters, they were just doing their jobs. Rachel scott, abc news, washington. Thank you, rachel. Thank you to those strong, brave moms to be right there on the front lines. A huge lesson on overcoming adversity. Great lesson for their daughters. Coming up, jersey for jersey. The starstudded Charity Concert next. T next. U can imagine. Live. Welcome back to the mirror. Youve got this, john. And on demand. Its bar, boxing, strength, cardio, yoga, and more. Its an interactive. Relax your shoulders, dan. Goal crushing. Keep that heart rate up. Whole family, whole body fitness machine. Finally got my mirror up and running. Its so cool today, you did an awesome job and i hope you feel it. The future of fitness is at home. The mirror. man 9. 95 . 9. 95 . 9. 95. Whats with all the 9. 95 notes . Its about a Life Insurance plan with options starting at 9. 95 a month. Been seeing it on tv. We talked about getting more Life Insurance. Remember how much your brothers funeral cost . man yeah, his funeral expenses were a real eyeopener. North of 8,500. Exactly. man but we could get it at our age with my medical history . I feel 25 here and here, but the mirror says otherwise. Dont worry. We cant be turned down for any health reason. I think we should call to see for ourselves, dont you . If youre age 50 to 85, call now about colonial penns number one most popular whole Life Insurance plan. It has an affordable rate starting at 9. 95 a month. 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But John Bon Jovi himself along with the boss, bruce springsteen, headlined an event for the garden state to help answer prayers for all of us. Our own jersey boy, will ganss, is here now with more, hey. I dont know how im supposed to talk through this song, its such a great singalong song. Im imagining myself at karaoke now. Anyway, you might think today is thursday, but its jersday. Stop arguing about whether or not Central Jersey is a thing, because today were embracing our inner jersey boy or jersey girl. Nothing matters in this whole wide world when youre in love with a jersey girl reporter were all in love with new jersey this morning. Following the starstudded jersey for jersey benefit with nearly 100,000 people testing positive there, and more than 5,000 deaths. Wednesday night a welcome distraction. All for a good cause. The garden states biggest stars joining forces to help fundraise for pandemic relief. Rising stars like halsey. Oh were dancing in my living room reporter and sza. How can i be 20 and nothing reporter and the classics like tony bennett. Smile though your heart is aching reporter comedians also joining to add a little levity. Ive been in quarantine for 30 days, i already look like doc brown from back to the future. 88 miles an hour reporter some celebs reminiscing on their home state. You know, im a local. I was born on Second Avenue and new street. I used to get on my bike and ride down Second Avenue, make a right, go down main street. Started living in new jersey is that its not just a state, its a family. Reporter two of the most famous members of that new jersey family bookending the benefit. The boss well meet me in the land of hope and dreams reporter and bon jovi. Reporter so many people trying to donate during the special that phone lines couldnt handle all of the traffic. 100 of all funds raised going to organizations that provide essential services to those in need and assisting those on the front lines, you guys. Jerseys a special place. They stick together, and they do for other jersey folks. This morning on world news now, breaking news. Reports of nearly two dozen tornados. In oklahoma, one massive twister tore through businesses with workers inside. Hundreds of miles away, the system spawned tornados in south texas. New details about casualties just coming in. Also this morning, new details about the battle against the coronavirus. President trump now says he strongly disagrees with georgias decision to reopen some businesses tomorrow. Plus the new model that shows when states might safely ease restrictions. It says georgia should wait until june. A top government doctor researching a Coronavirus Vaccine says he was fired after objecting to a drug promoted by the president. What the white house is saying overnight. And the nfl draft is usually one of the leagues biggest events of the year. Rookies in new suits, fans cheering, booing. But this year, obviously much different with the commissioner in his basement. Thursdayapri23 im pretty sure those young men dont care how they get drafted, as long as they get drafted. Its a very special moment for them, of course. Theyre by their families. But youre right, because at the end of the day, theres a lot of zeros behind that announcement. Very true. And we will get to all of that this morning. We do need to get to that breaking news, Severe Weather tearing through the Southern Plains where a large tornado has killed at least three people. The radar shows the hardesthit areas, parts of texas and oklahoma and into arkansas and mississippi. A volatile radar there. Several tornados have touched down, leaving behind a massive trail of destruction. Oh my god reporter this morning a massive tornado caught on camera, roaring through southern oklahoma, slamming into a sheet metal business. The twister sending shrapnel hundreds of feet into the area. Golly, its huge. Reporter witnesses say several vehicles were thrown into trees and this semi truck blown over. Look at that, that thing is getting larger and larger and larger. That thing is violent. That is a violent tornado. Reporter overnight, officials in oklahoma confirming at least two people were killed from the storms. Here comes the rain. Reporter farther south in texas, this tornado touching down in polk county, injuring at least ten people. Local authorities declaring a disaster. Reporting significant damage to homes and public infrastructure. Pictures of the damage showing homes destroyed and trees splintered. Jessica willey of our houston station was there. You see huge trees were uprooted, power lines are down. Reporter and this morning new drone video showing one neighborhood devastated. Despite the destruction, natures beauty also on display. This rainbow clearly visible with the passing storm in the backdrop. Just some incredible images there. Forecasters say that Severe Weather is moving into the southeast with tornados possible in alabama, georgia, and florida stretching into north and south carolina. We will stay on top of that breaking news story throughout the morning right here on world news now and america this morning. We do need to get to the latest developments on the pandemic. President trump now says he strongly disagrees with georgias decision to reopen a string of shuttered businesses, everything from gyms to barbershops and Bowling Alleys, starting tomorrow. The states republican governor says hes moving forward with his plan anyway. This map of updated projections from the university of washington shows that georgia is among 12 states that should wait until at least june 8th to ease up on social distancing. Those are the states in brown you see there. The models show only a handful of states should start relaxing restrictions as early as may 4th, like North Carolina and montana in dark green. According to a new poll 80 of americans say strict shelterinplace measures are worth it to curb the spread of coronavirus. 19 say those restrictions are placing unnecessary burdens on people and the economy and causing more harm than good. So far there are more than 840,000 confirmed cases of covid19 across this country. More than 46,000 americans have died. And 152,000 people have recovered from this virus. Abcs whit johnson has more from new york. Reporter even as new york descends from its peak, the number of patients flooding the hospitals is still shockingly high. More than 1,300 new admissions. New york hit the hardest of any state, but finally coming down the mountain. Were in a relatively good place. Better to be going down than to be going up. Reporter in manhattan, Police Officers cheering for a stream of volunteer Health Workers from other states now heading home. Governor cuomo announcing hes now building another army, joining with the governors of new jersey and connecticut to hire socalled contact tracers, disease detectives, to track down and isolate people who test positive for covid19. We will literally need thousands. We have to put together a significant operation, because the numbers get very big very quickly here. Reporter in three southern states, a roaring debate about whether plans to reopen are moving too fast. In georgia, where places like gyms and Bowling Alleys could open their doors on friday, some bigcity mayors are pushing back. Theres nothing essential about going to a Bowling Alley in the middle of a pandemic. Reporter Governor Brian Kemp defending his plan. Listen, if people dont want to go, martha, they dont have to. Reporter hard choices for barbershop owner john douglas. I was excited. Then i had to sit back, calm down, relax, and realize its probably not the right time. Reporter in south carolina, katherine guz was thrilled to reopen her boutique. Were excited to be opening again, were excited to have some other options of how we can allow people to shop. Reporter the mayor of las vegas raising eyebrows with her push to open casinos and businesses but offering no plan for doing that safely. And so for a restaurant to be open or a small boutique to be open, they better figure it out, thats their job, thats not a mayors job. Reporter californias governor gavin newsom firmly closing the door on reopening large sectors of the economy. Were not prepared to do that today. Reporter california revealing startling new information about the spread of covid19 in the u. S. Authorities have determined two people in santa clara died in their homes from coronavirus on february 6th and 17th, weeks before the first reported american death. Neither person had traveled overseas, raising new questions about just how long the virus has been on our shores. Weve actually directed beyond just santa clara, to go back as far as december, to request coroners autopsy to dig even deeper. Reporter here in new york, Governor Cuomo is rolling out an ambitious testing plan. He says he wants to double the states capacity from 20,000 to 40,000 tests per day. Whit johnson, abc news, new york. Whit, thank you. Dr. Anthony fauci is warning coronavirus could rebound if States Reopen too quickly. At yesterdays White House Briefing he made a direct appeal to georgia Governor Brian Kemp to follow the administrations plan that lays out three phases to safely loosen restrictions. And i know theres the desire to move ahead quickly. Thats a natural human nature desire. But going ahead and leapfrogging into phases where you should not be, i would advise him as a Health Official and as a physician not to do that. Dr. Fauci also said he is convinced there will be a resurgence of the coronavirus in the fall, but the u. S. Will be better prepared to manage it. A top government doctor involved in finding a Coronavirus Vaccine has been demoted. Dr. Rick bright claims that he was removed for opposing a malaria drug that the president touted, without proof, that it might be a remedy. Bright put out a scathing cron science. President trump says he never heard of dr. Bright. Two new york housecats are the first pets to test positive for coronavirus in the u. S. Federal Officials Say the animals live in different parts of the state and appear to have caught the virus from their owners. They showed mild symptoms and are expected to be okay. Meanwhile, seven more big cats at the bronx zoo have tested positive. Those cats and a tiger that first tested positive continue to do well. Tonight the nfl begins its first draft in the pandemic era. Weve seen it before, its usually a big, flashy show. Last year the nfl took over downtown nashville. This year, instead of taking place in las vegas as planned, commissioner Roger Goodell will be announcing the selections from his own basement. The teams will have their own virtual war rooms, and players will also be at home. Round one coverage begins tonight at 8 00 eastern on abc and our Sister Network espn. I have a direct appeal to these soon to be draftees. Still dress up. Do all the elaborate things. Do shuffle, dance, whatever you want, we still need the entertainment. Remember when Ezekiel Elliot wore the crop top . I remember the fashion. Here at world news now, we need that story for tomorrow morning. Yes, we do. All your draft pick fashion, we need that story. The first five picks, cincinnati, washington redskins, detroit lions, new york giants, miami dolphins. I didnt even have the team names, i knew it from memory, a little sports fan. Joe burrow, number one draft pick, expected to be, former lsu quarterback, well see what happens. Good old joe. Should be a fun event. Dress up, please. Coming up, the age that most americans say youre officially old, mona. Oh its younger than you might think. Dont come for me. First, the only Movie Theater in america thats still open during the pandemic and running new films, and you have to bring your own seats. Plusheoppy reserve thats in full bloom. How people have been defying roadblocks and other measures to take in natures beauty during this pandemic. And other measures to take in natures beauty during this pandemic. boy got it. dad its slippery. boy nooooooo. grandma nooooooo. dad nooooooo. dog yessssss. vo quick, the quicker picker upper bounty picks up messes quicker and is two times more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand. boy hey look, i got it. Bounty, the quicker picker upper. Fechildrens claritin allergy relief. And relief from symptoms caused by over two hundred outdoor and indoor allergens. Because to a kid, a grassy hill is irresistabale. Childrens claritin. Feel the clarity and live claritin clear. We are back with southern californias mt. Baldy resort reopening to skiers. Officials there say if golf courses can open, then the slopes can too. Just over 100 miles away is the Antelope Valley poppy reserve, which is in full bloom. Its closed due to the virus, but Officials Say people have been visiting to take pictures among the flowers despite road blocks and other measures. Most bigcity Police Departments are reporting an increase in car thefts since the pandemic began. They speculate that because most people are staying at home and not driving, cars parked on streets and public garages are sitting ducks for potential thieves. One example is new york city where Police Say Car thefts are up more than 50 just in the last month, while the overall crime rate is down. The grocery chain publix says it is buying excess dairy items and Fresh Produce from farmers, then donating those items to food banks. Publix expects to donate more than 150,000 pounds of produce and more than 43,000 gallons of milk to feeding america member food banks during the first week of the initiative. Staying in south florida, its home to the only Movie Theater offering firstrun films during the outbreak. It was responsible for the 2,500 gross for last weekends topearning films, the world war ii drama resistance and the psychological thriller swallow. The owner said hes also stayed open during hurricanes and Power Outages as well, now he can add a national pandemic. I used to work in central florida, shoutout to wfdb channel 9 eyewitness news. Its a popular place. I never was able to visit the ocala drivein, but people like it. Driveins are seeing a surge in popularity right now. They sure are. Coming up next half hour, the benefit concert for new jersey by new jersey celebs. What one of those stars did with his bed. But first, reports of two covid19 deaths in california weeks before the first confirmed case in the u. S. What our medical expert is saying this morning about Community Spread. Thailands youngest coronavirus patient heads home. Doctors in bangkok say they cured the 1monthold using a mix of antiviral drugs. Some thai hospitals are giving newborns face shields to try to protect them from the virus. Back here at home, there are new reports about early covid19 deaths in california that could suggest the Novel Coronavirus had been circulating here in the u. S. Weeks before and ahead of the First Official case. I spoke earlier with dr. Alok patel. Dr. Patel, a new development has Health Officials trying to answer the question how long has the coronavirus been spreading here in the u. S. . Were hearing there were two covid19 related deaths in california in february. As you know, that was weeks before the first reported american death. So what is this telling us . End of january, early february, we were still worried about international cases. We werent necessarily talking about Community Spread of this disease. In other words, we werent thinking that coronavirus had already embedded itself in the united states. This case actually proves otherwise. Because everything we know right now about the person who passed away in the beginning of february is there wasnt a clear travel history to any coronavirus hot spot. Now she did work in a company where some people were traveling around, but its more likely that she spread it within the community. The question lies did she spread it to other people within the community . Its totally possible we had a coronavirus and cases moving around in california before that first domestic case was reported in washington later on, about three weeks later. So is this saying something about how california has been impacted by this Coronavirus Crisis, and also about herd immunity . Kenneth, im glad you bring that up, because there is some speculation that, hey, if you guys saw the virus earlier, is it possible people built up immunity . The reason i dont think thats likely is as far as every estimate we know, we need about 60 of people to be immune to coronavirus to build up herd immunity. Now recent estimates from antibody surveillance studies are showing us that in a perfect scenario in these studies, that maybe 4 of people in southern california, northern california, could have been exposed to coronavirus. 4 is way far off from 60 . So yes, as were learning, its possible we had cases of coronavirus a little bit earlier, but its not likely we had that much coronavirus to get millions and millions of people not only infected, but to get them to recover enough to build up immunity. We would have seen a lot more deaths and a lot more mysterious cases popping up in our hospital system. I dont think the herd immunity theory is likely. Taking a look at animals and this virus, weve learned two pet cats in new york state have been infected. What do we know about the risk to our pets and whether they can transmit this virus . People were flagging this headline, and theres a lot of concern because theres a lot of pet owners in the country. The first studies that came out of china showed us that in a lab setting that ferrets and cats are susceptible to this coronavirus. We heard the story about the tiger in the bronx zoo. Now theres a couple of cats. What this tells us is something that the lab already did kind of hint, is that its possible for cats to get this. Now its really important for people to understand, there is no documented case right now of a cat passing on coronavirus to a human. But it is important that we have to wait and see how this really affects cats. Its likely that this doesnt cause the same level of disease in cats as it does to humans, otherwise veterinarians assume we would have seen more cases popping up. But its important to know that its possible that you can absolutely make your cat sick. These cats had mild respiratory symptoms. So people should still be washing their hands, wearing masks. If youre really sick, you should consider whether or not you should be directly taking care of your pet. Times going to tell whether or not an animal could act as a reservoir, meaning if you could get a cat sick and that cat could subsequently get somebody else sick. Our thanks to dr. Patel. The cdc does recommend you treat pets as you would other human family members. Do not let pets interact with people or animals outside the household. If a person gets sick, make sure you isolate that pet away from that sick person. Person. pirate girl ahoy excited squeal, giggling panting gotcha man ah girl nooooooooooooo man nooooo girl nooooo. vo quick, the quicker picker upper bounty picks up messes quicker, and is two times more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand. man and pirate girl ahoy laughing vo bounty, the quicker picker upper. Stimulant laxatives forcefully stimulate i switched to miralax for my constipation. The nerves in your colon. Miralax works with the water in your body to unblock your system naturally. And it doesnt cause bloating, cramping, gas, or sudden urgency. Miralax. Look for the pink cap. It is time now for the mix. Ladies and gentlemen, ever since i told kenneth that my birthdays coming up, hes been throwing shade. All types. About what age im turning. May 13th, everybody. Said i got wrinkles. Dont shout it out, but he might as well. A new survey says what age officially americans think is old. What is it . Be careful here. 57. I thought it was like 30. I actually thought it was like in the 60s or Something Like that. 60s is old. Thats what i was going to say. No offense. I love all the 60 something year olds watching us right now, we love you, im just saying. Im not calling you all decrepit. The Social Security system did. Aarp did. A lot of americans thought it would be in the 60s as well, thats when you become officially a senior citizen. I dont know, i guess the word old gets thrown around so much, i thought by the time you hit 30, youre old. Youre old as you feel, keep it young, folks. Speaking of young, weve got this viral video of one of our colleagues in the business, msnbc reporter kristin welker. She was reporting on the air, i think this is yesterday outside the white house. When not one but two lights tried to take her out. But you saw kristin with the dodge there, the fakeout. She said, you are not taking me out. Twitter had a lot of fun with this. Ive known kristen a few years now. A great, great, great reporter, unflappable. She demonstrated that. People on the internet were sounding off. People said this is a firstround pocket presence. Got the nfl draft tonight. Kristin responded, big eagles fan, philadelphia area, shes like, put me in, coach. Draft her, guys, tonight. Eagles this kind of takes us back to, remember when darla miles, our wabc reporter, friend to the show here not on my watch. Kristin welker said, not today, lights. Not today, coronavirus. Blocking it like its coronavirus. Not today, satan. Were going to stay in the d. C. Area for this one. Virginia, come get your senator. The top democrat on the Senate Intelligence committee is now a matter of national security. He decided he was going to videotape him making his famous tuna melt. I say famous, its famous to him. You didnt think the amount of mayo this man uses right now is already a crime . He has the tuna juice water all up in this. And he put two slices of american cheese, no seasoning. You know this man is rich, right . No seasoning. Then he puts it in the microwave. He puts mayonnaise in the microwave. Apparently kamala harris, his fellow senator, has helped him out. They did a little tutorial last night about how to really cook. An important announcement from abc7 kgotv. On wednesday, april 29, abc7s digital frequency will change. If you watch abc7 with an antenna, you need to mark your calendar and plan to rescan. On april 29th, grab your remote, go to the menu, select setup, choose antenna, and then channel scan or auto tune. Your tv will do the rest. Its that easy. Make sure you can keep watching abc7. Plan to rescan on april 29th. Dad, im scared. Its only human to care for those we love. And also help light their way. Its why last year chevron invested over 10 billion to bring affordable, reliable, ever cleaner energy to america. This morning on world news now, tornados leaving death and destruction across several states. New details just coming in. Also this morning, President Trump and dr. Anthony fauci both voicing their opposition to georgias plan to reopen businesses tomorrow. Plus the new model showing when states can safely reopen. And the stunning new estimate that businesses may need 1 trillion in relief. For the first time ever, two pet cats test positive for coronavirus in the united states. What does it mean for your pets . Plus the bronx zoo announcing more big cats have the disease. And the starstudded concert headlined by the boss and captain kidd. The two jersey boys joined by a bevy of celebrity money for covid19 relief in the garden state. The big names and the music later in the skinny. Its thursday, april 23rd. We give what we can good morning. We cant wait to show you all of that fun, raising money for jersey later on in the skinny. We do need to get to that breaking news, Severe Weather turning deadly overnight, spawning nearly two dozen tornados in the plains and south. One of the largest twisters touched down in southern oklahoma, killing at least two people in one small town. Extensive damage at two major businesses and at least 12 homes. Another huge tornado ripped through southeastern texas, look at that. This happened near houston, leaving at least three people a. The twister uprooted trees, downed power lines, and smashed into dozens of homes. One person has been killed in louisiana. We will continue to stay on top of this breaking story. Now lets get to the latest developments on the Coronavirus Crisis at this hour. There are now more than 840,000 confirmed cases of covid19 nationwide. The death toll is rapidly approaching 47,000. More than 150,000 people have recovered. As for a second wave, President Trump declared the virus may not come back at all. But dr. Anthony fauci said he is convinced the virus will be here in the fall, adding the country will be better prepared to manage it. With the economic fallout from the pandemic worsening by the day, more americans are lining up for hours to take home a bag of donated food. And georgia is just a day away from allowing some businesses to reopen, even though the president now says the governor is moving too fast. Megan tevrizian has the latest. Reporter this morning, tensions mounting over when to lift the coronavirus lockdowns. In georgia, the governors call to reopen gyms, Bowling Alleys, and barbershops tomorrow is facing pushbacks from across the state. Theres nothing essential about going to a Bowling Alley in the middle of a pandemic. Reporter now even President Trump and dr. Anthony fauci are voicing their opposition to the governors plan. I want him to do what he thinks is right, but i disagree with him on what hes doing. There are certain checkpoints before you can even think about going into a phase one. And then things relax a little as you go into phase two and relax a little and you go into phase three. Reporter a source familiar with the phone call between President Trump and georgia Governor Brian Kemp says the conversation was amicable, but the president asked the governor if he could limit the businesses reopening until may 1st. Overnight kemp defending his plan on twitter saying he appreciates the president s leadership, but adding, our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public Health Officials. We will continue with this approach to protect the lives and livelihoods of all georgians. Hovirus deaths in georgia arent expected to peak until this sunday. This map from the university of washington shows when each state should begin lifting restrictions. The green states suggesting sometime in may. But the data shows georgia should not lift restrictions until june 8th or later. Listen, if people dont want to go, martha, they dont have to. Reporter Small Business owners now facing tough choices as they wait for t the fo roll second loan relief program. And that may still not be enough. Former starbucks Ceo Howard Schultz predicts businesses will likely need 1 trillion in relief. And i estimate, and this could be conservative, that at least 30 of americas Small Businesses and independent restaurants will permanently close as a result of not having an economic bridge to a vaccine. That is the issue. Reporter john douglas, owner of this barbershop in atlanta, says despite their urgent need to get back into business, opening tomorrow is too risky. I was excited. Then i had to sit back, calm down, relax, and just realize that its probably not the right time. Reporter in the meantime, the director of the cdc is clarifying what he said about a second wave of the virus possibly being worse later this year, saying he was misquoted. The president downplaying the risk of a major resurgence during flu season, but then he was seemingly contradicted by dr. Fauci moments later. Hes talking about a worstcase scenario where you have a big flu and you have some corona. If it does come back, its not going to come back and ive spoken to 10 different people, not going to be like it was. Also, we have much better containment now. We will have coronavirus in the fall. I am convinced of that. Reporter as for when to reopen, a poll out this morning finds 80 of americans think these strict shelterinplace measures are worth it to protect against the virus, and 80 of people surveyed said they can handle staying at home for another month. Kenneth, mona . Megan, thank you. The former head of a Government Agency fighting the virus is asking for a whistleblower investigation into his removal. Dr. Rick bright says hes the victim of political retaliation because he refused to back a drug favored by President Trump. Terry moran reports. Reporter dr. Rick bright, who led the key federal agency thats developing drugs and a vaccine to fight the coronavirus, is suddenly out of his job, and hes speaking out. Bright says he was abruptly removed from his post this week because he claims he insisted on rigorous sciencebased vetting of hydroxychloroquine, the antimalaria drug embraced by President Trump. I think its something that could be really incredible, were having good things happening with it. Reporter dr. Bright in a statement he released after being transferred to another agency declared, i am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus science, not politics or cronyism, has to lead the way. Bright says he defied directives to push the antimalaria drug, saying it was being promoted by the administration as a panacea but clearly lacks scientific merit. The Veterans Administration tried it on covid19 patients and researchers say it may lead to a higher death rate. Trump and his allies have hyped the drug repeatedly to the apparent dismay of dr. Anthony fauci, whos called the evidence for its use anecdotal. When fauci tried to answer a question from a reporter earlier this month, he was pushed aside by the president. He answered that question 15 times. Our thanks to terry there. Heres what President Trump said when asked about dr. Bright and his claims. Ive never heard of him. If the guy says he was pushed out of a job, maybe he was, maybe he wasnt, id have to hear the other side. I dont know who he is. Brights attorneys are calling his removal, quote, retaliation plain and simple. They are seeking to have him reinstated while the case is investigated. Tyson foods has indefinitely suspended operations. About 200 workers at the facility in waterloo, iowa have tested positive. All 2,800 employees will be paid during the closure despite several major Food Processing plants being closed. The Food Industry Association Says the nations food supply is in no danger of running out. Today marks day one of coronavirus testing for all frontline workers in los angeles. Even if those workers dont show symptoms. It will cover health care, grocery workers, first responders. And the navy has delayed moving crew members back on to the roosevelt. Crew members keep testing positive for the coronavirus. About 16 of the nearly 5,000 sailors are infected. The roosevelt has been docked in guam for more than three weeks. A small car in phoenix gave police a run for their money. Officers spent part of suspect in that smart car you see there. The car for two hit speeds over 80 miles per hour. The news helicopter taking in the video had trouble keeping it started at suburblbt. E specs evly he fac d eryeerea scofriendly car is these. And the gas mileage there, you can go forever and ever. No one was hurt, so we can laugh about this one, right . Yes. Someone could have been, obviously, a very serious thing. I guess did he think he was herbie the love bug . Remember that movie . I do remember that movie. No, i dont think so. In the spirit the nfl draft is happening tonight, could have gotten a linebacker to run into and it knock it over. Oh, okay. I was thinking a linebacker in a white bronco . Oh, okay, all right. Were going to move on. Coming up, the new warning about pets and the Novel Coronavirus after two cats test positive. Later in the skinny, guess who turned 2 years old . The celebration for britains prince louis and the photographer behind this picture. Plus how pops superstar Whitney Houston is set to get her own biopic. The worldclass music producer whos behind the project. S now. 9. 95. Whats with all the 9. 95 notes . Its about a Life Insurance plan with options starting at 9. 95 a month. Been seeing it on tv. We talked about getting more Life Insurance. Remember how much your brothers funeral cost . man yeah, his funeral expenses were a real eyeopener. North of 8,500. Exactly. man but we could get it at our age with my medical history . I feel 25 here and here, but the mirror says otherwise. Dont worry. We cant be turned down for any health reason. I think we should call to see for ourselves, dont you . If youre age 50 to 85, call now about colonial penns number one most popular whole Life Insurance plan. It has an affordable rate starting at 9. 95 a month. You cannot be turned down because of your health. No medical exam, no health questions. Your acceptance is guaranteed. And this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. So call now for free information, and youll also get this free beneficiary planner. male announcer and this free prescription savings card that can help you save up to 80 on prescription drugs. Breathe freely fast, with vicks sinex. My congestions gone. I can breathe again ahhhh i can breathe again ughh vicks sinex. Breathe on. I was told to begin my aspirin regimen, blem. And i just didnt listen. Until i almost lost my life. My doctors again ordered me to take aspirin, and i do. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Listen to the doctor. Take it seriously. We are tracing Severe Weather overnight thats produced nearly two dozen tornados killing at least five people in texas and oklahoma and one in louisiana. One especially destructive twister hit the small town of madill, oklahoma, knocking out all of the towns electricity. A new study examines who is bearing the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak, and its confirming much what was we knew about preexisting Health Issues with some new information. Heres abcs steve osunsami. Reporter american doctors are getting good information on who is hurt the most after getting sick with the coronavirus. Its patients like sean evans in suburban atlanta. Hes a diabetic. After coming down with covid19, he now needs a new kidney and regular dialysis. Just so people know, this is kind of the way i take dialysis right now. This is a port in my chest that goes directly to my heart. Reporter the study looked at 5,700 sick patients and found that nearly 57 were already struggling with high blood pressure. Nearly 42 were dealing with obesity. Nearly 34 were diabetic. They also found men were more likely to die. Harold jenkins came close to dying in a south georgia hospital and was on a ventilator in the icu. He is also diabetic. Ive seen a lot of things. Im a vietnam veteran. Done a lot of things. And this pandemic is something else. Reporter scientists believe covid19 targets blood vessels, so patients with pulmonary damage from high blood pressure, for example, could suffer more. There was hope that the malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, might help treat sick patients but the early results are disappointing. Whats showing promise are blood plasma infusions from people who have already beaten the virus, and a drug called remdesivir, originally used to treat ebola. I was feeling a lot better. I think that remdesivir gave the kick start to turn the corner. Reporter Clinical Trials are under way for those two treatments. While final results arent yet in, early results look promising. Steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. All right, steve, thank you. When we come back, the starstudded event only jersey could pull off. The skinny is next. The skinny is next. Skinny just gimme the skinny skinny just gimme the skinny time now for the skinny starting with a starstudded event just for jersey. The jersey for jersey benefit for pandemic relief featured some of the garden states biggest names including jon bon jovi, tony bennett, danny devito, whoopi goldberg, and kelly ripa. It was kicked off by the boss himself, bruce springsteen, alongside his wife patti. Big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams well meet me in a land of hope and dreams they dont call him the boss and mrs. Boss for nothing. Wow, who knew new jersey had so many stars . Another jersey star who made an appearance last night apparently managed to make his bed since saturday nights one world concert, charlie puth. In a world news now investigation, we found bunched up on the floor there some dirty clothes. See, he tried it. He tried. He did the what only the eyes can see cleanup. You said you didnt know jersey had so many stars . Right now the garden state is in a collective like what . Doing it with that thick accent that im afraid to do because i dont want anybody from jersey coming after me. Thats why i didnt say thats why i didnt give you a little jersey. We love you. We love you, from south jersey to north jersey to down the shore. He did it. Next to the nfl romance for the ages, tom brady and rob gronkowski. The two former new england patriots, now current tampa bay buccaneers, were hamming it up for the camera again in a spoof video. Whoo whoo a little tired. T there, of course thats not exactly how it happened, but Something Like it, right . Is that the gronk conk . The conch shell . I like that. Next to an update from our skinny im going to do this right, yall. Next to an update from our skinny fierce desk. With this years annual met gala postponed, vogue magazine has teamed up with none other than billy porter himself for a new instagram challenge. And the category is, iconic met gala lux. Theyre asking ordinary mortals just like us to recreate our favorite red carpet ensembles from past met galas fr hom the met gala challenge is apparently already building steam. I cant wait to see what you all come with. What are you doing . Im not coming with anything. The Kim Kardashian skintight classic wet look . Im going to let you have it. The cool part is people already do this after the met gala, they dress up their kids or just take some sheets and pretend to recreate. Maybe ill do the pillow challenge. Next to the big news Whitney Houston fans have been waiting for. Music producer clive davis is working with the estate of the late superstar to recreate a biopic titled i wanna dance with somebody. The writer behind the queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is working on a screenplay for a bee gees movie. Theres no release date yet but im sure theres arguments breaking out about whos going to play whitney. Now to adorable snaps from across the pond. Britains prince louis turns 2 years old today, where has the time gone . To mark the occasion his proud parents, Prince William and duchess kate, have released a series of photos showing the world how much hes grown. The royal couple saved a bundle on the photographer because it was kate herself who was snapping the shots. The little guy caught in a pose painting rainbows to celebrate britains doctors and nurses on the front lines of the covid19 pandemic. He looks just like his brother. Mummy whipped out the camera, mummy, she whipped out the camera, said i got this, boo. Coming up, keeping your pets safe from the coronavirus. Nooooo. Noooo. Nooooo. Yeeeesss. Quick, the quicker picker upper bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand. Hey look, i got it. Bounty, the quicker picker upper. Welcome back. So what we know about the coronavirus seems to be changing day by day. This morning were hearing yet another new warning. Our own will ganss is here now with more. Good morning, will. Good morning, mona, kenneth. Its happened in other parts of the world, but never here in america. This morning we have more information about how coronavirus is affecting our household pets. For the first time in the u. S. , the coronavirus is affecting the fourlegged members of our families. The cdc announcing on wednesday that cats in two separate homes in new york state have tested positive for covid19. The cat presented with symptoms of upper respiratory infection. So sneezing, coughing, watery nose, nasal discharge and eye discharge and lethargy. Reporter in this case the cats owner testing positive too. In the second case, none of the human members of the family have tested positive, so how did it happen . Possibly an increased risk if they were an indoor outdoor cat, so exposed to outside environment, to other people. Reporter the good news . The cat that i have been dealing with is completely back to normal health and was just sick with some mild symptoms for a few days. Reporter and dr. Fauci saying pet owners dont need to panic. Theres no evidence that the virus is transmitted from a pet to a human. Now obviously, is that impossible . I mean, biologically, anything is possible. Reporter so the cdc issuing recommendations for keeping your family safe. Fur babies included. Dont let pets interact with people from outside households. Keep your pets indoors. Maintain social distancing while going on walks. And avoid dog parks or public places. All of this coming as more big cats have tested positive for coronavirus. The bronx zoo announcing seven positive cases in four more tigers and three lions. The zoo saying in a statement, we tested the tigers and lions out of an abundance of caution, adding, all eight cats continue to do well, they are behaving normally, eating well, and their coughing is greatly reduced. A couple of things to remember here. The tests used on animals are not the same as the human tests, so theyre not taking resources away from human patients. Other silver linings, though, all animal cases seem to be more mild, and all these felines are expected to make full recoveries. Just fascinating thremmons a. Because people need to protect the pets as well. Right, a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief, though, that right now theres no evidence of that. Yeah, got to protect the kitties, all the pets. Thanks, will, appreciate it. Breaking news in america this morning, an up close view of violent storms tearing across the south. A disaster declared overnight. The death toll rising. The new images coming in and where the storms are heading next. The battle to reopen. President trump for the first time saying he disagrees with georgias decision to reopen barber shops, gyms and Bowling Alleys. The fallout this morning. Plus, the new statement from Senate Majority leader mitch mcconnell. His message to states facing financial ruin because of the virus. A bombshell accusation from the official in charge of finding a Coronavirus Vaccine. Why he claims he lost his job for defending science. And what his supervisors are now saying. Plus, the growing debate over whether schools really need