March 30 coronavirus news

By Amy Woodyatt, Julia Hollingsworth, Ben Westcott, Adam Renton, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 11:41 p.m. ET, March 30, 2020

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9:54 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

Treasury Secretary suggests there could be hazard pay for first responders

From CNN's Betsy Klein

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin suggested there will be a fourth stimulus package to handle the effects of coronavirus, which could include hazard pay for first responders, as the President suggested earlier today.

“I think I agree with the President. I think that makes a lot of sense,” Mnuchin told Fox Business of potential hazard pay, adding that it will be “definitely something we will put in the next bill.”

The negotiation team is not yet working on a fourth bill, he said, noting that the Treasury Department is “working around the clock” to get the third stimulus programs up and running, but “We’re ready to work with Congress if we need more enhancements or additional funds.”

He added, “If we run out of money and this is a huge success, we will absolutely go back to Congress and ask for more money.”

Mnuchin reiterated that this will be a rough quarter and the administration is “sympathetic” to those who have lost their jobs.

“I think we’re going to have a rough quarter because we’ve shut down major parts of the economy,” he said.

He said loans through the Small Business Administration should be available starting on Friday, and documents and instructions will be released “later today,” calling it a “very simple process.”

9:50 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

US stocks start strong after last week's spike

From CNN’s Matt Egan

US markets opened solidly in the green on Monday, building on last week's spike.

Here's how the markets opened today:

The Dow gained 215 points, or 1%
The S&P 500 advanced 1.4%
And the Nasdaq climbed 1.5%

Some context: The rally comes after the markets fell sharply Friday but still enjoyed historic gains for the week. The Dow skyrocketed 12.8% last week — its best since June 1938. The S&P 500 finished up 10.3%, the strongest since March 2009.

The oil market remains in disarray. US oil prices tumbled 6% to $20.25 a barrel, leaving them on track for the lowest close since 2002.

9:46 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

New York City mayor says US Navy hospital ship docking soon is "amazingly important"

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the US Navy Hospital Ship Comfort — which is expected to dock in the city today — will be provide a “morale boost” to the people.

“The fact the Navy is here, the military is here to help new York City in our hour of need, that is amazingly important to this city” he told Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.”

“What a shot in the arm to be able to see our military here to help us in such a powerful way. It’s very poignant and moving for all of us. We need the help,” he added.

About the Comfort: The ship will help ease the burden on hospitals treating coronavirus patients. It will be used to relocate shore-based patients undergoing treatments that are not coronavirus-related.

It contains 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, radiology services, a medical lab, pharmacy, optometry lab, a CAT-scan and two oxygen producing plants, according to the Navy.

Watch more:

9:34 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

The government is responsible for ensuring hospitals have supplies, White House coronavirus coordinator says

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard

Federal, state and local governments have the responsibility of ensuring that hospitals are receiving the supplies they need to respond to the US coronavirus crisis, Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Monday morning.

"It is our job collectively — the state and local governments along with us — to ensure that the hospitals are receiving the supplies they need," Birx told Gayle King during an appearance on “CBS This Morning.”

She continued: "What's really important here is to look at all aspects of the supply chain. What does each hospital have and how are they being supplied? Are they being supplied by the private sector or are they relying on the pre-movement of the stockpile that went into warehouses."

"The hospitals are too busy to define what they need," she said.

9:23 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

The Netherlands records 93 more deaths from coronavirus

From CNN's Mick Krever

At least 93 people have died of coronavirus in the Netherlands in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 864, according to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.

Some context: This is a decrease in the trend from recent days.

9:18 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

NFL stadium construction continues after worker tests positive for coronavirus

From CNN's Stella Chan

Construction progress on the SoFi Stadium is seen on Wednesday, February 26, in Inglewood, California. T Greg Beacham/AP/FILE

Construction of Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, the future home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers teams, will continue after a worker tested positive for coronavirus.

“The worker was assigned to an isolated, material pre-assembly area outside the building. The individual had not at any time entered the building or used any of its common areas. All equipment that may have been used by the worker is being disinfected. Workers who were in contact with the individual has been identified and contacted,” according to a statement from Turner AECOM Hunt, the joint venture overseeing construction of the Inglewood stadium.

The indoor, 70,000-seat venue is expected to open this July.

9:02 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

Trump says White House is looking at a way to give health care workers hazard pay

From CNN's Maegan Vazquez

President Trump said the White House is evaluating how to provide some health care workers hazard pay, given that some of them don’t qualify for a stimulus check.

“We are looking at that and we’re looking at that as an amendment or something,” Trump said this morning on “Fox and Friends."

He added that “the percentage of them having a problem is relatively high, even when they have the equipment … these are really brave people. Actually they are warriors in a sense. No, we are looking at different ways of doing it, primarily through the hospitals.”

8:49 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

New York City is building a field hospital in Central Park

A Samaritan's Purse crew works on building an emergency field hospital equipped with a respiratory unit in New York's Central Park across from the Mount Sinai Hospital, Sunday, March 29. /Mary Altaffer/AP

A 68-bed field hospital is being constructed in New York City's Central Park to accommodate additional coronavirus patients, Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday.

It will be operational by tomorrow.

The Central Park Conservancy is also working with Mt. Sinai Hospital and Samaritan’s Purse to build the hospital, de Blasio said.

Here's what it looks like:

8:28 a.m. ET, March 30, 2020

New York State has more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths, state official says

From CNN’s Mark Morales

New York State has more than 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths as of this morning, a state official tells CNN. That is up from 965 deaths on Sunday, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

The governor’s call for "all hands on deck" in the state experiencing the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in the US has turned out more medical staff, a surge in medical supplies and a hospital in Central Park expected to be operational tomorrow.