For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.

April 4 In US, lockdowns 'making a difference' Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a White House briefing that mitigation efforts like social distancing are helping in the country.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's started testing to see if healthy people previously had the coronavirus, which could help the agency figure out how prevalent the virus has been and whether a significant number of people have had it without actually getting sick.

Shifts in Europe Spain moved past Italy as the European country with the largest number of coronavirus infections: 124,870 Spanish cases versus 124,630 Italian infections as of Saturday afternoon Pacific Time.

"With the masks it's going to be really a voluntary thing … I'm choosing not to do it," Trump said.

Gavin Newsom warned that the peak of coronavirus cases in California will arrive during the first few weeks of May, based on current modeling.

Coronavirus treatment will be free for everyone in the US, Pence said, and 1.4 million tests have now been performed across the country.

April 2 Americans aren't doing enough to flatten the curve Social distancing effectively prevents new coronavirus cases, but some Americans aren't taking the president's guidelines seriously, the White House warned Thursday.

Deborah Birx, a doctor advising the administration during the COVID-19 pandemic, noted that the curve depicting infections over time in parts of the US has been steep, which indicates the coronavirus isn't under control.

The president on Friday will announce plans to pay for uninsured coronavirus patient care  The White House has declined to re-open Obamacare health coverage enrollment to help people afford medical bills without going bankrupt.

Instead, Pence on Thursday said President Donald Trump will soon announce plans to directly reimburse hospitals for expenses related to uninsured coronavirus patients.

The money likely will come from a $100 billion fund set up to help hospitals during the pandemic, Pence said.

He said Trump will make a decision about the plan on Friday. .

Global coronavirus cases surpass 1 million Coronavirus cases globally have reached the 1 million milestone, with more than 50,000 deaths worldwide.

Trump invokes Defense Production Act In addition to using the legislation last week to compel GM to make ventilators, Trump has announced invoking the Act to ensure manufacturers including General Electric, Hill-Rom, Medtronic, ResMed, Royal Philips, and Vyaire Medical can "secure the supplies they need to build ventilators needed to defeat the virus." More than 100,000 ventilators are being built right now or soon to be started, Trump said during the White House coronavirus task force briefing.

As the unemployment figures were released on Thursday morning, the number of US coronavirus cases had topped 216,000.

March 31 White House warns of heavy possible death toll in US.

As many as 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die from the coronavirus pandemic even with measures like social distancing, a model presented by the White House showed.

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator.

Even with social distancing showing some positive results, though, President Donald Trump warned it's "going to be a very bad two or three weeks." The US federal government has nearly 10,000 ventilators, a key piece of medical equipment for treating the respiratory problems caused by COVID-19, but it's withholding most of them now.

The US has tested 1 million samples for the coronavirus and has ramped up its testing capacity to 100,000 samples a day, US President Donald Trump said at the White House's daily briefing.

The administration also said that the US has developed 20 different emergency testing options and that tomorrow Abbott Laboratories will begin shipping a rapid test that can return a positive result in as quickly as five minutes. .

Andrew Cuomo said he hadn't had any conversations with Trump about such a move.

Separately, Cuomo said the death toll in the state had reached 728, with the total number of cases climbing above 52,000.

New York City itself has over 29,000 cases, with more than 500 deaths as of Saturday morning, officials said.

March 27 5-minute virus test gets OK from FDA Under an emergency-use authorization, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a coronavirus test that can offer results within minutes.

Abbott said it plans to begin distributing the test next week and will increase manufacturing to 50,000 tests per day, the news agency reported.

A week ago, the FDA approved a coronavirus test with a detection time of about 45 minutes.

Trump signs up GM and Boeing Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to force General Motors to make ventilators, he said during a coronavirus task force briefing.

US House passes $2 trillion stimulus package The House of Representatives approved a $2 trillion relief bill meant to respond to economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, his office announced.

Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.

Within hours, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced his positive test.

Following medical advice, I was advised to test for #Coronavirus.

I‘ve tested positive.

March 26 Trump pushes new guidance as US tops global cases The US now has the most coronavirus cases globally at around 82,400, surpassing China's 81,700.

"Our country has to go back to work," he said during a White House coronavirus task force briefing.

Trump also spoke to G20 world leaders, including Germany, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, India and Saudi Arabia, as well as organizations like the UN, European Commission, WHO, World Bank and the IMO, to discuss how each are dealing with the pandemic.

US crosses 1,000 deaths The number of COVID-19 deaths in the US has reached 1,046, the Johns Hopkins University tracking site reported Thursday morning, and the number of cases has surpassed 69,000.

Worldwide, the number of deaths has hit 21,100 and the number of cases has topped 463,000.

Four senators were absent because they have either tested positive for coronavirus or are self-isolating.

Prince Charles tests positive, self-isolates in Scotland Prince Charles, the 71-year-old heir to the British throne, has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a spokesperson for the royal family.

Prince Charles tested positive for coronavirus and is displaying "mild" COVID-19 symptoms.

March 24 Senate, White House agree on $2 trillion stimulus package US senators and the White House reached a deal to deliver a nearly $2 trillion stimulus package, according to The New York Times.

We have a deal," said Eric Ueland, White House legislative affairs director, at approximately 10 p.m.

The remarks came during a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon, where Trump added that coming soon to hospitals around the nation are medical supplies including 8 million respirators, 14 million masks, 2.4 million face shields, 1.9 million surgical gowns, 13.5 million gloves and more than 4,000 ventilators. 

Speaking further on the Easter plan during the White House briefing Tuesday afternoon, Trump conceded that some sections of the country may have to be opened one at a time

March 23 Trump says US will be open for business 'soon' During a White House briefing, President Trump said the US "wasn't built to be shut down," and he is hoping local data can be used to advise areas of when they can "cautiously" resume normal activities

Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said self-collected nasal swabbing is going to be made available later this week at clinics and drive-through sites

Trump is also pushing an anti-malaria drug to be used in coronavirus tests, saying distribution of the drug, hydroxychloroquine, will begin tomorrow in New York City

Five Florida spring breakers test positive Five University of Tampa students have tested positive after traveling for spring break, the college tweeted

Amazon to begin delivering test kits Amazon will be delivering and picking up coronavirus test kits in Seattle, with the program part of the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) backed by the Gates Foundation

If a person tests positive after the test kit is analyzed, they will be contacted by a health care worker

Ben McAdams, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, was hospitalized on Friday after experiencing a "severe shortness of breath." McAdams said Sunday that  he's feeling better and expects to be released once doctors determine it's appropriate

March 22 Weinstein reportedly tests positive Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a report by Deadline

GameStop backflips on decision to stay open Days after defending its decision to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic, claiming it was providing "essential retail," video game giant GameStop is closing stores to customers

"This is an unprecedented time and each day brings new information about the COVID-19 pandemic," George Sherman, GameStop's CEO, said in a press release announcing the change

Gillon McLachlan, AFL CEO, said it would be an understatement to call the coronavirus pandemic "the most serious threat to our game in 100 years." At the earliest, the AFL will continue its season in June, but a decision on its fate will not be made until the end of April. 

Rand Paul, a Republican of Kentucky, has tested positive for coronavirus

Paul is the first US senator to test positive for the virus

Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19

German Chancellor Angela Merkel in quarantine German Chancellor Angela Merkel has entered quarantine after being told that a doctor who gave her a pneumonia vaccine Friday has tested positive for coronavirus