Apple and Google reveal more details about smartphone contact tracing

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide is nearing 2 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The death toll is nearly 120,000.

The university revised its count Monday night after previously reporting the number of cases had topped 2 million.

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The U.S. has surpassed Italy as the country with the highest number of coronavirus deaths with 23,423 recorded by Tuesday night and nearly 580,000 cases, according to NBC News figures. Wyoming recorded its first death Monday, meaning all 50 states now have at least one fatality in the pandemic.

After a fall in daily death tolls, Spain and Italy, two countries hard-hit by the virus, were set to begin easing lockdown measures on Monday.

But French President Emmanuel Macron said France's lockdown will extend on until May 11 as the country recorded 574 new deaths Monday.

Here's what to know about the coronavirus, plus a timeline of the most critical moments.

Download the NBC News app for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak.

Jo Ling Kent

10h ago / 10:20 PM UTC

Apple and Google said Monday that engineering and health-focused employees have been working around the clock on new coronavirus tracking technology for two and a half weeks.

The companies hosted a joint press call — a rarity for the tech rivals — and stressed that privacy is paramount for any app used in contact tracing. The lead executives in charge of the effort from both companies emphasized they have designed the Bluetooth technology so individual identities will be anonymized and no locations would be used.  

Both companies also said that anonymized data could be held on government-run servers or stored on a server that is provided by the companies for 14 days. Test results would be stored only on individual devices, which Apple called the most important design aspect. 

Apple and Google say they are currently helping public health officials in the U.S. and around the world build free apps that would deploy this new capability.  The companies would either build a complete app for a state public health authority that would be rebranded or help them design and write their own. In the apps, users would provide consent then disclose a verified positive COVID-19 test or clinical diagnosis.

Laura Strickler

10h ago / 10:01 PM UTC

Ohio requires all nursing homes to notify families of outbreaks

The Ohio Department of Health issued an order requiring long-term care facilities to notify residents and families when a resident or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, governor Mike DeWine announced Monday.

"The Ohio Department of Health had been strongly encouraging facilities to notify families all along, but this order makes this notification mandatory," DeWine said. "Families of long-term care residents have a right to know if individuals at these facilities are sick."

The state will begin listing long-term care facilities with positive COVID-19 cases on its coronavirus website as well.

The federal government The federal government does not require nursing homes to disclose coronavirus infections to the families of healthy residents according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It also does not keep a formal tally of the number of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes or the number of facilities with infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Last week, NBC News tallied more than 2,200 deaths associated with long-term care facilities, based on information from 24 states.

Doha Madani

11h ago / 9:39 PM UTC

First death in Wyoming means all 50 states now report coronavirus fatalities

Wyoming reported its first coronavirus related death on Monday, meaning all 50 states now have at least one fatality in the pandemic. 

The state has 275 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease associated with the virus, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. There are another 98 probable cases.

There have been more than 22,000 deaths in the U.S. arising from the pandemic and more than half a million confirmed positive cases. 

Erika Edwards

10h ago / 10:03 PM UTC

Antibody tests need to be in place for 2nd coronavirus wave, CDC director saysimage

As Americans look toward a return to normalcy after the coronavirus pandemic, a major question will be: Who is immune to the virus? To answer that question, the promise of antibody tests looms large.

These tests are different from the diagnostic tests used to determine whether a person is sick with the virus. Instead, the tests look for the antibodies in a person's blood that the immune system makes in response to an infection.

Read the full story here.

Liz Brown-Kaiser

8h ago / 12:44 AM UTC

Majority say Trump's push to begin NFL season on time was inappropriate, new poll findsimage

A Seton Hall Sports poll released Monday showed that a majority of Americans believe medical experts — rather than President Trump — should decide when the National Football League season begins amid the coronavirus pandemic.

This comes after the president spoke to league commissioners last Saturday, encouraging them to start the NFL season on time — a move that most of the public disapproved of according to this same survey.

Just 36 percent said the president's comments were appropriate.

Read the full story here. 

Kristofer Hivju, Tormund on "Game of Thrones," announces he has recovered from coronavirus

Tim Fitzsimons

12h ago / 8:40 PM UTC

Florida chief on leave for allegedly blaming gay cop's coronavirus death on sexualityimage

Davie police Chief Dale Engle has been placed on administrative leave after officers at his Florida station filed a union complaint alleging that he dismissed their concerns about coronavirus protection measures and blamed the coronavirus fatality of a Broward County deputy sheriff on his sexuality.

Engle allegedly blamed the death of openly gay Broward County Deputy Sheriff Shannon Bennett on a "backstory," claiming he died because he was a "homosexual who attended homosexual events."

Read the full story here. 

Josh Lederman

11h ago / 8:50 PM UTC

Treasury: 80 million Americans will get coronavirus payments this week

About 80 million Americans will get their coronavirus payments this week, and a "large majority" of eligible Americans will get them within the next two weeks, the Treasury Department said. The first payments, which started going out Friday, are going to people who filed 2018 or 2019 tax returns and got their refunds by direct deposit.

The IRS is also set to have a new web portal up and running later this week, called "Get My Payment," where you can check the status of your payment. There will be a feature there where you can enter your bank account information— if the IRS doesn't have it from your 2018 or 2019 refund— so that you can get the payment direct deposited.

Dartunorro Clark and Alex Moe

12h ago / 8:33 PM UTC

House members not expected to return to D.C. until May 4

Members of the House of Representatives are not expected to return to Washington until May 4, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in a statement Monday. 

Hoyer said members will only meet before that date if the House is required to take action on critical legislation, such as a response to the coronavirus pandemic or other key bills. He said members will be given advance notice if they are expected to return to Capitol Hill. 

House members were initially expected to return on April 20. 

Congress has already passed three coronavirus relief bills with overwhelming support. There has been a push in recent weeks for a fourth aid package, but progress has slowed amid a disagreement between Democrats and Republicans over what should be included.

Lucy Bayly

9h ago / 11:34 PM UTC

Dow closes down 325 points as investors brace for brutal earnings week

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day with a loss of around 325 points, as traders digested a historic oil production agreement and prepared themselves for a brutal week of quarterly earnings.

For his part, President Donald Trump now appears more determined than ever to open up the economy with a "big bang" early next month, according to multiple people familiar with the decision-making process.

"I think we are all expecting or planning for May 1," one senior administration official told NBC News. National social distancing guidelines are currently set to expire April 30.

Read the full story here. 

West Coast states to work together on plans to ease lockdowns

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