Virus Outbreak, ADVISORY

Around the country, across industries and occupations, millions of jobless Americans are straining to afford the basics now that an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits has expired. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are struggling to work out an agreement that would provide some federal jobless aid. Even if they do reach a deal, the amount is likely to be less than $600. By the time the money starts flowing, it could be too late for many Americans who are already in dire straits. Says Liz Ness, a laid-off worker in New Orleans: “My worst nightmare is coming.”

The AP plans the following coverage today of the virus outbreak. For up-to-the minute information, visit AP Newsroom’s coverage hub Find AP Virus Alerts here

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VIRUS OUTBREAK: Around the country, across industries and occupations, millions of Americans thrown out of work because of the coronavirus are straining to afford the basics now that an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits has expired. SENT; developing. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT: Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week, evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired. SENT: 850 words, photos.

FINANCIAL MARKETS: Stocks closed higher on Wall Street Thursday after a report showed the pace of layoffs across the country is slowing, though it remains incredibly high. SENT: 860 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIGRANT CHILDREN: More than 2,000 unaccompanied children have been expelled from the United States since March under an emergency declaration enacted by the Trump administration, which has cited the coronavirus in refusing to provide them protections under federal anti-trafficking and asylum laws. SENT: 1190 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRANCE-TESTING TROUBLES: With virus cases rising anew, France is struggling to administer enough tests to keep up with demand. One reason: Many testing labs are closed so that their staff can take summer vacation. SENT: 900 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS: The rival sides in bumpy congressional negotiations on a huge COVID-19 relief package are trading public broadsides rather than potentially constructive concessions. At the same time, they’re hurtling toward a self-imposed end-of-the-week deadline for an agreement they appear increasingly likely to miss. SENT; developing.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-OHIO GOVERNOR: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, an early advocate among Republicans of wearing masks and other pandemic precautions, tested positive Thursday for the coronavirus just ahead of a planned meeting with President Donald Trump. SENT; developing.

NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper believes President Donald Trump does not have a clear plan to address the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 770 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NYC COVID CHECKPOINTS: Travelers arriving in New York City by car and train are being reminded to quarantine for two weeks if they have been to states with high rates of coronavirus infection. SENT: 580 words, photos.

ELECTION 2020-CONVENTIONS: Democratic challenger Joe Biden has joined President Donald Trump in scrapping plans to accept his party’s presidential nomination in a convention extravaganza. Neither campaign has announced an alternative to the Democrats’ original plans for Milwaukee and the Republicans’ shifting plans spanning Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida. SENT; developing.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-POSTAL SERVICE: A Democratic senator says he is launching an investigation into changes at the U.S. Postal Service that are causing delays in deliveries across the country. SENT: 600 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA SURGE-HOSPITAL: When California was anticipating a spring surge in coronavirus cases, it turned an old NBA arena and practice facility in Sacramento into a field hospital prepared to take hundreds of patients. In the first week just one patient arrived. The pace never increased, and the 250 assembled medical workers — physicians, nurses, pharmacists and administrative staff — found themselves wondering what to do. SENT: 970 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA: California has stopped removing or adding to a list of counties facing more restrictions on businesses and schools as it tries to resolve a technical problem with the state’s coronavirus testing database, health officials said Wednesday.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECUADOR-GUAYAQUIL: Ecuador’s biggest city, Guayaquil, was a pandemic hellscape of makeshift morgues, hundreds dying at home, bodies left in the street. The city later stabilized, sending medical teams and equipment elsewhere in Ecuador and taking in virus patients from outside the city. SENT: 630 word, photos.

NKOREA-VIRUS LOCKDOWN: North Korea says it is quarantining thousands of people and shipping food and other aid to a city locked down over coronavirus concerns. The emergency response and a stream of propaganda glorifying its virus efforts raise concerns that North Korea may be getting worried about a big outbreak. SENT: 820 words, photos. WIth VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA: Roundup of developments from throughout Asia.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTRALIA: More than 250,000 people were thrown out of work in Melbourne on Thursday. Those whose jobs are deemed essential need government-issued permits to travel the near-empty streets of a virtual ghost town to get to their jobs. SENT: 910 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-SCHOOLS: Is it safe for schools to reopen during the pandemic? It depends on how widespread COVID-19 infections are in the community and the safety measures the school takes. SENT: 410 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-POEMS FOR PORTSMOUTH: A newsletter that updates residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, about the coronavirus pandemic is moving some readers to tears, thanks to weekly contributions from the city’s poet laureate. SENT: 660 words, photos.

ALSO:

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRAVEL: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday revised its travel advisory information. Previously, the agency told U.S. travelers to avoid all nonessential international travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it says such travel is fine — but only to about 20 locations. SENT: 200 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-PIPELINE CLEANING: A Canadian company says two people working on the Keystone XL oil pipeline have tested positive for the coronavirus in northern Montana, but work on the project will continue. SENT: 370 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CUBA ECONOMY: With its airports closed to commercial flights and its economy tanking, Cuba has launched the first in a series of long-promised reforms meant to bolster the country’s struggling private sector. SENT: 560 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GERMANY: Germany will require people arriving from countries deemed high risk, such as the United States, to take coronavirus tests starting this weekend, the health minister said Thursday, as the country recorded its highest daily tally of new infections in three months. SENT: 480 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN: The British government says it won’t be using 50 million face masks it bought for medics during the coronavirus outbreak because of concerns they might not be safe. SENT 500 words, photos.

BOY-MASK-SPIT: A Florida man was arrested after confronting a child wearing a mask at a restaurant and spitting in his face when the boy refused to take it off, police said. SENT: 200 words.

INTERACTIVES/GRAPHICS:

-US cases county-by-county. Embed code can be found in Coverage Plan. A static graphic also will be available in AP Newsroom.

-State trends (table): Trends in new cases and positivity rates for each U.S. state over the past 14 days.

-Case count (table): Searchable table of confirmed cases, including recoveries and deaths, by country, updated each hour.

-Interactive breakdown of unemployment filings by state with time scale for each (going back as far as 2000)

-Virus Europe Spread (map): An auto updating European map tracking the total confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths from coronavirus.

Additional graphics and interactives include:

- Flattening the Coronavirus Curve (Chart): Chart compares the cumulative cases over time in some of the hardest hit countries by coronavirus.

-Virus Global Spread (table): Table of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Table also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.

-Virus Global Spread (Map): Map of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Map also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.

-Virus US State Map: State by state count of confirmed cases in the U.S.

-Virus US State Table: Table tracks the number of cases, recoveries and deaths for the US including its territories.

-Status of Cases Worldwide: Auto-updating once a day, this chart tracks the levels of active cases and deaths from COVID-19 around the world over time.

PHOTOS:

AP photos have moved from Britain, Germany, Algeria, Philippines, India, Japan, China, various US, Latin America locations.

VIDEO:

AP video has moved from Germany, Japan, Lebanon, Philippines, Nigeria, France, Israel, various US, Latin America locations.