Coronavirus pandemic in the US

Los Angeles County is expected to remain under some sort of stay-at-home order for months, according to Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

She said “with all certainty,” the order will be extended another three months. Restrictions will continue to be lifted, while the order remains, Ferrer explained.

She went on to say that “there’s no way” the extension would be lifted “unless there’s dramatic change in ... this virus and the tools we have at hand.”

Los Angeles County’s current order holds until May 15, but the stay-at-home order in California is open-ended.

Watch here:

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that he is honoring people’s First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and has given permission for outside services of more than 10 people if there is social distancing. 

Where the state stands: North Carolina started its first phase of reopening on May 8 — the same day the stay-at-home order expired.

Retail stores where allowed can expand capacity to 50%. Child care facilities opened for children of working parents or those looking for work and gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed outdoors.

US stocks closed sharply lower on Tuesday, continuing a string of back-and-forth moves in recent days.

Stocks whipsawed this week, fueled by concerns over reopening the economy and weak data points such as the steep decline in consumer price inflation.

Here's where the markets closed on Tuesday:

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, announced today that the state has seen 4,014 new cases of Covid-19, the most new cases in the state in a 24-hour period. 

There have also been 144 additional deaths, Ezike said.

This brings the total state count to 83,021 cases, including 3,601 deaths.

The state of Ohio is now reporting that 22% of its 1,436 reported Covid-19 related deaths are from its long-term care facilities.

In response, Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran announced changes to the state's testing policy. The changes will prioritize nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, and officials will be more aggressive in their work with those facilities.

According to Corcoran, there are about 115,000 Ohioans currently living in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities.

The Ohio Department of Aging today also launched free, daily check-in phone calls for adults 60 years old and older. The calls, which are not just in long-term care facilities, will confirm they are ok and offer support, Director Ursel McElroy announced. 

California lawmaker Lorena Gonzalez condemned Elon Musk for going forward with reopening production in Tesla’s Alameda County facility, defying orders to stem coronavirus spread.

Musk has threatened to move Tesla’s headquarters and possibly manufacturing facilities out of California.

Gonzalez said it’s unacceptable for Musk to react the way he has since Tesla’s partnership with the state has provided a lot of benefits for the company.

Gonzalez added, “I think we should all be outraged that a billionaire who has gotten so much from their partnership in California, but continues to put workers in unsafe positions, continues to union bust, continues to wave his middle finger at California.”

Gonzalez also criticized President Trump and officials in his administration, who have come out in support of Musk.

“He’s talking about something he’s nowhere near. He can’t control a coronavirus outbreak in the White House, how are we to be sure that all of these workers aren’t going to be exposed in the manufacturing plant in the county ” she said, alluding to White House staffers who have tested positive for coronavirus.

Gonzalez has been critical of Musk’s actions for days now and even tweeted this on Saturday:

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Delaware will begin a “rolling re-opening” of farmers markets starting this Friday, Gov. John Carney said in his coronavirus briefing Tuesday.

“There is a sense of community pride around farmers markets that includes supporting our local economy and our family farms” Carney had said in a statement released by the Delaware Department of Agriculture yesterday.

“Agriculture contributes $8 billion to Delaware’s economy, and we’ve permanently preserved 25% of Delaware’s farmland so that agriculture will continue to be the backbone of our economy,” Carney said earlier this year during the state’s Agriculture Week in January. 

The state’s phased reopening of the economy is expected to begin on June 1.

California has conducted more than 1 million coronavirus tests, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a tweet on Tuesday.

"We must continue to ensure everyone has access to COVID-19 testing -- regardless of their zip code," the tweet continued.

In an effort to continue to expand testing, the Office of the Governor of California account tweeted that the California Department of Consumer Affairs and the California Board of Pharmacy will issue waivers that allow pharmacists to order FDA-approved coronavirus tests.

Read Newsom's tweet:

Los Angeles County’s stay-home orders will with all certainty be extended for the next three months to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer predicted Tuesday during a Board of Supervisors meeting, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Ferrer’s comments came as the county board debated whether to extend its temporary ban on evictions for one to three months and one day before the county reopens beaches to the public for physical activities.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom first issued a statewide stay-home order, including Los Angeles, effective on March 19, but on Friday allowed the loosening of some restrictions around businesses.

Local jurisdictions in the state, however, still retain the ability to enforce stricter health orders as needed to reduce coronavirus infections.