Historic U.S. First: All 50 States Under Major Disaster Declaration; Navajo Nation Enacts Weekend Curfew For 250,000 Members

The Hill: All 50 States Under Disaster Declaration For First Time In US History 
All 50 states are under a major disaster declaration for the first time in U.S. history, after President Trump approved Wyoming’s declaration Saturday. Within 22 days, Trump declared a major emergency in all 50 states and most territories through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The final disaster declaration occurred on the same day U.S. surpassed Italy to become the country with the most deaths from the virus. (Coleman, 4/12)

CNN: The Navajo Nation Is Under A Weekend Curfew To Help Combat The Spread Of Coronavirus 
The Navajo Nation enacted a 57-hour curfew over the holiday weekend in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus among its more than 250,000 members. As of Saturday, there were 698 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 24 deaths, among members of the Navajo Nation living in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer said in a news release. (Silverman, 4/12)

Stateline: The South May See The Largest Share Of Coronavirus Misery
It looks increasingly likely the South will endure more death and economic loss from COVID-19 than any other region in the country — and not just because Southern governors were slow to shut down businesses and order people to stay at home. Southern poverty rates are high, social welfare programs spotty and health care infrastructure threadbare. Last year, 120 rural U.S. hospitals closed their doors; 75 of them were in the South. (Vestal, 4/13)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus May Have Been In California Earlier Than Thought 
A man found dead in his house in early March. A woman who fell sick in mid-February and later died. These early COVID-19 deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area suggest that the novel coronavirus had established itself in the community long before health officials started looking for it. The lag time has had dire consequences, allowing the virus to spread unchecked before social distancing rules went into effect. (St. John, 4/11)

CNN: Seven People In Santa Cruz Fined $1,000 Each For Violating Stay-At-Home Order 
The cost of going out on a Saturday night just keeps going up and up. For seven visitors to Santa Cruz, California, the bill came to $7,000 in fines for violating local shelter-in-place, or SIP, guidelines. They “came from Fremont to get some ‘essential’ drinks,” Police Chief Andrew Mills tweeted. “If you are not from Santa Cruz and you put our community at risk, you will get a ticket. #shelterinyourowntown.” (Moshtaghian and Croft, 4/12)

Kaiser Health News: Battling A Pandemic Across 4,750 Square Miles And 10 Million People
Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s top health official, is in the hot seat as the COVID-19 pandemic exacts its rising toll. With over 10 million residents, the county is by far California’s largest, and it has the most confirmed coronavirus cases. Ferrer, who has been director of the Department of Public Health for three years, leads a daily press briefing in which she tries to keep up morale while dutifully reciting the latest sobering statistics. (Wolfson, 4/13)

KQED: How To File For Unemployment In California During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Some Californians who are missing work because of the novel coronavirus can access benefits, including unemployment.Benefits are not only for people who have been laid off, they also apply to caregivers, those who are quarantined and workers whose hours have been reduced. Additionally, President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that extends unemployment insurance to independent contractors, self-employed and gig economy workers. (Sarah, 4/11)

Houston Chronicle: Ruling Puts Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order Barring Bail For Certain Inmates Back In Play 
The Texas Supreme Court has stayed a ruling that blocked an executive order prohibiting judges from releasing inmates during the pandemic on personal bonds if they’ve been accused or convicted of a violent crime. The high court’s decision on Saturday effectively gives Gov. Greg Abbott the ability to enforce the order in contention, although that is not permanent. Responses from both the governor and the plaintiff, which includes 16 Harris County misdemeanor judges and several criminal defense organizations, are due Monday morning, according to notifications from the court. (Ketterer, 4/11)

CNN: NYPD Loses 20th Member To Covid-19 
A New York Police Department traffic enforcement agent died as a result of Covid-19, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Sunday, bringing the number of virus-related deaths on the force to 20. Agent William Hayes, an Army veteran, had been with the department for nearly 31 years, Shea said in a tweet.”Our prayers are with his loved ones & colleagues today and every day,” Shea tweeted. (Waldrop, 4/12)