This is bbc world news america. Reporting from new york, im laura trevelyan. A Record Number of americans have lost their jobs, as the economy reels from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Italy takes a turn for the worse. Theres now growing concern about the rising number of infections in southern italy. Plus, in need of entertainment, with no place to go. How streaming services are filling the gap, for the millions stuck at home. To our viewers on pbs, and to those in the uk and around the globe, welcome to world news america. The us passed a grim milestone today. More than 1,000 people have died
from the coronavirus. 0ne hospital here in new york city has built a temporary morgue on the street. The impact of the virus is overwhelming. More than 3 Million People applied for Unemployment Benefits last week. But the massive stimulus bill passed by the us senate sent the markets soaring. Nada tawfik has more. A Health Crisis and now a Financial One too. In a matter of days, the coronavirus has ended a decade ofjob growth in america. Both my incomes have been taken away from me and i am filing for unemployment today as well. I literally had to go to five different restaurants and lay everyone off. That was about 120 people. When you get the call that you have been made of, that is difficult. Been laid off, that is difficult. You start to question what is your future going to be . More than 3 Million People filed for Unemployment Benefits last week. That is the biggest spike in us history and five times the previous record,
set all the way back in 1982, when 695,000 jobs were lost. The bill is passed. And so relief cant come soon enough. After intense negotiations among republicans, democrats and the white house, the senate last night passed the largest fiscal stimulus package in modern american history. A 2 trillion lifeline to workers, businesses and hospitals. It provides direct Cash Payments to american taxpayers, depending on their income. It extends unemployment aid by 13 weeks and adds 600 per week on top of the usual payments. Including for self employed and gig economy workers. It includes 100 billion for hospitals across the nation and it gives 350 billion in loans to Small Businesses if they keep their workers. And a 500 billion rescue fund for the ha rdest hit industries. The measure now heads to the democrat controlled house for a vote on friday. I feel certain that we will have a strong bipartisan vote. Congressional democrats in the senate and house were able to flip this over from corporate trickle down republican version to bubble up worker first, Families First legislation. The desire to reopen businesses is coming up against the reality that the United States could become the epicentre of the virus. The death toll has now surpassed 1000 people and across the country, more and more states are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. They are coming, they are coming in kansas before a stay at home order went into effect, teachers paraded their students neighbourhoods to say goodbye. Even under the toughest circumstances, americans are finding creative ways to remain upbeat and stay connected. For more on the state of the us economy, im joined byjason furman, chair of the White House Council of economic advisers under president 0bama. Hes now at harvards kennedy
school of government. Thanks school of government. For being with us. Where th jobless thanks for being with us. Where the jobless figures this bad during the Great Depression nearly 100 years ago . We did not have an Unemployment Insurance programme back then. I doubt there was ever a single week that was as bad as 3. 3 Million People that filed for unemployment last week. The issue is, how long does it last . And when the viruses contained, can the economy restart . Those of the opening questions. Everyone knows it is terrible right now. Do you think this to trillion dollar Stimulus Programme well go far enough . I am really encouraged by how quickly congress moved and how large it has. Two weeks ago, i was talking to members of congress who were talking about 100 billion. This legislation came together more
quickly than anything i have ever seen on quickly than anything i have ever seen on the scale in my life. The Unemployment Insurance example you we re Unemployment Insurance example you were talking about, during the great recession, we gave people an extra 25 a week. This legislation gives them an extra 600 a week. So it is a very, very large scale piece of legislation. Well it be enough . I think that is an open question. Does the Us Government have enough tools in its tool box if this goes on . |j think fortunately we have a lot of ability to borrow. At very low Interest Rates and that gives us a lot of tools. We have a central bank thatis lot of tools. We have a central bank that is doing more than it has ever done but if it needs to, it could do more. The question as, the most potent economic question is do we have the tools to contain the virus . Some of that involves social
choices, some of that involves what we invent in terms of antibody tracing testing, therapeutics and ultimately a vaccine. That is the most important question for the economy. Which americans are being hardest hit by economy. Which americans are being ha rdest hit by this . Economy. Which americans are being hardesthit by this . Its millions that lost their job last week and probably many more thatjust could not even get through on the phone lines to claim Unemployment Insurance. You see entire sectors like restaurants, travel and tourism, and the like. But the way economies work as problems dont get contained. When people in one sector ofan contained. When people in one sector of an economy are feeling pain and losing jobs, there is less spending and other sectors of the economy. So with the exception of telecommunication or businesses like that, i dont expect very much of
the economy to be spared by the huge economic damage being done right now. Good the economy bounce back quickly as the president hopes . There are two models. When we have seen there are two models. When we have seen Natural Disasters in a single area, the area tends to have a very disrupted at economy but then the hurricane passes and it bounces right back. The other model is a financial crisis. When you have a financial crisis. When you have a financial crisis. When you have a financial crisis it often takes 5 10 yea rs financial crisis it often takes 5 10 years to get back to where you started. Will this be more like a Natural Disaster or more like a financial crisis . I am almost 50 50 right now. I think we are doing a lot of policies to help us bounce back more quickly, but itjust may be too much to ask an economy that is ripped apart to the degree that errors and so is ripped apart to the degree that errors and so many is ripped apart to the degree that errors and so many others around the world are, to get back on their feet quickly. Thanks for being with us. Thank you. More and more areas of the United States are shutting down to limit the spread of the virus. New yorks governor said social distancing measures might be working here, but 100 people in the state died in the last day. Dr tom frieden served as head of the centers for Disease Control and prevention, and is now president and ceo of resolve to save lives. Hejoins me now. Thank you for being with us. New york City Hospitals being overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. What is your reaction to what were seeing here . This is what we had been feeling and unfortunately we anticipated a week or so ago what we are seeing is the risk of Health Care Facilities being overwhelmed, particularly by the need to care for people who are having trouble breathing. They may need oxygen or ventilators. And tragically Many Health Care workers becoming infected. Thats why its important to do the physical distancing, stay at home and that is a warning, to every city ever in the
world to take this by this very seriously. Because there is no city anywhere in the world that can withstand this kind of huge increase. We need better tools to control it. Right now we are very blunt instrument, stay home. The president is suggesting that counties across america be categorised as high risk or low risk and social distancing be relaxed based on that. What do you make of that plan . Physical distancing does have to be released but we think of the importance is going to be to do that as turning the faucet rather than opening the floodgates. We have to figure out a way to perhaps start with people who are younger and healthier and less likely to get severe illness. Start with the businesses that can more safely open orare businesses that can more safely open or are more critical to Community Well being. And that is something thatis well being. And that is something that is going to be different in different places. We also have the be really clear. The reason for this being in places not only to flatten
the curve and reduce the risk of overwhelming health care. The reason is also to ramp up the capacity of our Health Care System to care for people who have severe illness and our Public Health system to test, contact our Public Health system to test, co nta ct ra ce our Public Health system to test, contact race and isolate people who need it. Do you see any signs that were testing or tracing enough here yet . It is dependent on where you are. If you are in a community that has few cases, you want to get person who has symptoms tested, track every contact, find every person who is elle, make sure they are isolated and quarantine all the contacts. Those who become else will be dont affect others. On the other hand, where we are new york city today, we are strongly discouraging people with mild symptoms were getting tested. Why . Because if you getting tested. Why . Because if you get tested, first off you are using scarce resources , get tested, first off you are using scarce resources, tests, swabs and most importantly Health Care Worker time. You are also potentially
exposing others either while you travel to health care or an health ca re travel to health care or an health care and if youre positive, you will be told to be doing the same thing, stay home. We are telling people in new york city today if you feel ill, dont get care unless you have trouble breathing. If you go into get care you might get infected. That is very different. We hope it will be different in a few weeks or months in new york city when get ahead of the curve and are able to identify and trace contacts but right now, we need to pause on the testing and Contact Tracing of eve ryo ne the testing and Contact Tracing of everyone so we can focus on saving as many lives as possible. Briefly, if you can, how much worse should we be braced for it to get . It takes about five or six days for someone to go from infected to elle and another week or so for them to go from elle to vary else so the people who are severely ill now tragically dying now are really people who were infected about two weeks ago. Therefore, for the next week or two we anticipate tragically seeing
increases until the physical distancing that is begins to take effect and beasts cd creasing numbers. Thank you very much for being with us. Thank you. In italy, the death toll has risen sharply yet again, with more than 600 fatalities reported. And the number of infections is on the rise as well. There are now fears that southern italy could be facing an outbreak, just as the north of the country did. Mark lowen reports. In todays italy, the essentials are food and solidarity. Local associations buy the basics for those in need. Dozens are taking part, doing their bit to get the country through this crisis. Its the first time in italy we live something so hard and difficult, so powerful and difficult situation. This is only way for me to help people, something very basic. They deliver to the elderly and the isolated, acts
of kindness to ease the social and economic emergency. For this virus is grinding italy to a halt. Once buzzing factories forced to close to stop the flow of people. This one of bathroom fittings shuts today. The last of the 130 employees are being sent home. The ovens slowly cooling. The lockdown is containing the outbreak, but it is crushing the economy with it. Translation closing the factory has an awful impact. In the current situation, we understand we have to do it to send the message of hope and to slow the spread of the virus, but we cant shut for too long. The economy cant be stopped. If this continues for months, it would be hard to sustain our business. It is a sacrifice being made for cities like bergamo, the epicentre, where they blessed the urns of 113 victims, grouping together the fallen. Wearing a sash of the italian flag is the mayor, who we reached. With the uk finally emulating the italian lockdown, a warning. Translation britain had the advantage of being two weeks behind italy with the outbreak. They should have used it better. Im afraid borisjohnson lost precious time. There is a risk it could cost many lives. Losing those days could turn out to be a serious mistake. The containment measures may have started to work in northern italy, although there is again today an increase in new infections. But concern in the poorer south and here in the capital but concern is now growing in the poorer south and here in the capital where cases are rising. In rome, this hospital has opened a new coronavirus wing and is already under pressure. The peak hasnt yet been reached here. With crematoria bursting, the army is clearing coffins away. Its that word again they are more used to, war. Man versus virus, and the latter is still winning. Mark lowen, bbc news, rome. Italys agony continues. In other news. Japan has warned coronavirus will become rampant after a surge in tokyo. The country has banned people entering from europe. And the government has set up a task force exploring a possible state of emergency although tokyo says there are no plans for one yet. In the uk, millions of self employed workers will be able to apply for a grant of up to two and a half thousand pounds a month to help thousand pounds a month to help cope with the impact of coronavirus. Thats about 3000. The government came under pressure after announcing aid just for salaried workers. Stepping away from coronavirus news, and us authorities have charged venezuelas president Nicolas Maduro and his senior aides with International Drug trafficking. The state Department Also announced a 15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Washington has long accused maduro of leading a corrupt regime, which he has denied. South korea has done better than most other nations when it comes to combating the virus. Its managed to flatten the curve of new infections, without the tough measures seen elsewhere in the world. The bbcs team in seoul had exclusive access to one of the countrys intensive care units. Laura bicker reports. In every war, a foot soldier needs their armour. This kit is crucial to keep staff safe. Is the air going through 0k . She asks. Now, fully equipped, she can head into the intensive care unit. The two hour shift takes its toll. We saw this nurse emerge drenched in sweat after her turn. Seriously ill covid 19 patients need a lot of care. Theyre on a steady drip of sedation, medication and fluids. Ventilators help supply their lungs with badly needed oxygen. The protective clothing helps keep staff safe, but it also hinders. Translation its hard to hear
and your senses get dull. The hardest thing is communicating. It makes you feel more anxious because of it. There is fear here, but id like to just think of them as our patients. And when you think of it that way, its not that scary. All of the patients struggling to breathe in this icu are over 65. Theyre one of a dwindling number of people who need Critical Care in the country. The benefits of flattening the curve mean theres even time to smile. This is the key to saving lives, according to south Korean Health officials staying ahead of the virus by tracing potentially infected patients and testing them. Thousands of arrivals from europe and many from the us are now being tested to prevent a fresh outbreak. South korea may be breathing a sigh of relief for now, but this crisis is far from over. Laura bicker, bbc news, seoul. Youre watching bbc world news america. Still to come on tonights programme. Understanding the virus. Coronavirus and covid 19 are the terms for our times, but what exactly do we know about the disease . South africa has the highest number of covid 19 cases in africa, with 709 being confirmed. Number of covid 19 cases in africa, the country will begin a 21 day lockdown shortly. Nomsa maseko reports from johannesburg. Many south africans say they are getting used to the new normal. What some have described today as their last day of freedom. They say the good the bad and the ugly. This is the ugliest. We are going to overcome and i pray to god that we dont lose a single life. A lot of people dont listen. Because if one person goes out and comes back with this virus it will spread to the whole entire family. There are snaking queues and shopping complexes across the country. South africans have opted to go out to buy food and other supplies instead of complying with social distancing rules. While people here continue shopping