COVID-19 CLIFF NOTES: 03.25.2020 ⋆ 715Newsroom.com

Here we are into our week, and no doubt this will bring a new set of information to dissect when it comes to the Coronavirus pandemic. But, as we are taking each day together we will let you know the latest, laid out in simple form. Your Covid-19 Cliff Notes are here.

As we follow the latest of the world pandemic, there is a lot (A LOT!) of information to digest, we will break it down from the larger (World) scope and work our way in here to Eau Claire and our own back yard and day to day lives. Trying to outline the basics and keep the information accurate, bite size, and easy to follow.

First of all, COVID19 is the name given to COronaVIrus Disease 2019, for the year that it was first detected. Now that we have that established we will look at the latest cliff notes.

WORLD: The World Health Organization says the spread of COVID-19 is picking up speed as more than 365-thousand cases have been confirmed. The director of WHO says it’s possible to “change the trajectory” but countries must do rigorous testing. Experts say social distancing measures were an important way of slowing down the spread of the virus, but call that more of a “defensive measures” that won’t defeat the disease. The WHO chief said he will ask leaders this week to work together to boost production of protective equipment and avoid export bans to continue combating COVID-19.

Of the 367-thousand confirmed coronavirus cases globally, there have been 101-thousand recoveries and just over 16-thousand deaths. Italy makes up nearly half of the death toll.

NATIONAL: The Senate has reached a deal with the White House on a two-trillion dollar economic stimulus package. A deal was announced early this morning that will provide economic relief for businesses, laid-off workers, and families affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It’s estimated that over half the U.S. population is under some form of shelter-in-place or business closure because of the pandemic.

President Trump says there will be “suicides by the thousands” if the nation continues social distancing and Americans remain out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump said he wants the economy opened up and “raring to go by Easter.” Trump’s comments came despite experts at the CDC estimating the coronavirus will kill anywhere from 200-thousand to one-point-seven million Americans without serious social distancing.

STATE: If you don’t stay at home for the next month, Wisconsin’s top public health official says tens of thousands of people could get sick and more than a thousand could die. Department of Health Services boss Andrea Palm yesterday predicted that if people ignore Governor Tony Evers’ ‘Safer at Home’ order, 22-thousand people would get sick with the coronavirus in the next two weeks and 15-hundred people would die. As of yesterday, 457 people in Wisconsin are sick with the coronavirus. Just five have died. Palm said people need to take the governor’s order seriously. That order starts today.

LOCAL: The coronavirus count in Eau Claire County is up to five cases. City-County health director Lieske Giese said she does not believe that people are getting sick from community spread in Eau Claire. Giese said there are no deaths in the county. She is urging people to take Governor Evers’ Safer at Home order seriously.