Nearly 3,000 sailors aboard a US aircraft carrier where the coronavirus has spread will be taken off the ship by Friday, Navy officials said Wednesday as they struggle to quarantine crew members in the face of an outbreak, AP reports. So far, fewer than 100 of the nearly 5,000 sailors assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, now docked in Guam, have tested positive for the virus, but the Navy is moving sailors into various facilities and probably will begin using hotel rooms in the coming days. Navy leaders are talking with government officials in the U.S. territory to identify rooms for the crew members. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, however, made it clear that while several thousand will leave the ship, other sailors will remain on board in order to continue to protect the ship and run critical systems. US President Donald Trump resists calls for national stay-at-home order US President Donald Trump is resisting calls to issue a national stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the new coronavirus despite his administration’s projections that tens of thousands of Americans are likely to be killed by the disease. One by one, though, states are increasingly pushing shutdown orders of their own, AP reports. Trump said earlier this week that he and members of his administration had discussed issuing a stay-at-home order but it was pretty unlikely for now. The White House later released sobering new projections that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans will likely succumb to the coronavirus even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained. On Wednesday, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Mississippi added or expanded their stay-at-home orders. In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Make a contribution - The Guardian Here is a summary of US news from the last few hours: Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi issued stay-home orders. The Republican governors of those states — especially Ron DeSantis of Florida — had drawn criticism for not taking decisive action as the number of cases in the southern states rose. Officials announced “enhanced counter-narcotics operations” in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean during the Coronavirus Task Force briefing. The US has intelligence that drug trafficking efforts may pick up as countries turn inward to focus on the pandemic, according to Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump said that the federal government is considering districting domestic travel between coronavirus hotspots, but isn’t anticipating a nationwide shelter-in-place mandate. During another lengthy coronavirus briefing, the president often meandered, boasting about the souther border wall and hearkening back to “caravans... marching through Mexico. New York reported more than 83,000 cases of coronavirus and 1,941 deaths. Governor Andrew Cuomo also announced the closure of all New York City parks after residents failed to respect social distancing guidelines. The vice president compared the coronavirus situation in the US to Italy, which has seen the highest number of deaths linked to the virus. Italy has already reported more than 13,000 coronavirus fatalities, and that number continues to climb. The Dow dropped nearly 1,000 points as US markets continue to suffer amid the pandemic. Unemployment claims are also expected to jump in tomorrrow’s report after many major employers announced layoffs this week. Bernie Sanders called on Wisconsin to delay its presidential primary, which is scheduled to take place next week. Wisconsin Democrats and civil rights advocates have already sued the state to press officials to ease absentee voting requirements for the primary. The Pentagon is looking into sourcing and providing as many as 100,000 military-style body bags for civilian use, according to Bloomberg News. Bloomberg reports: The Pentagon is looking into buying more bags and will draw some initially from a stockpile of 50,000 it maintains, according to two people familiar with the request. The move is a somber counterpoint to the Pentagon’s highly-praised deployment of two hospital ships to New York and Los Angeles to help alleviate pressure on regional hospitals overburdened by the pandemic. The Defense Logistics Agency’s Troop Support unit manages the Pentagon’s stockpile of the green nylon, 94-inch by 38-inch body bags that are typically distributed to war zones. The unit has been in contact with the current contractor to assess its manufacturing capabilities but hasn’t yet placed a formal order, according to one of the people. Yesterday, the White House projected that as many as 240,000 Americans could die from Covid-19, even if distancing meaures and other public health interventions are put in place. The US Energy Department on Wednesday urged Saudi Arabia and Russia to calm oil markets after the kingdom’s crude supply rose to a record of more than 12 million barrels per day even as oil demand falters on the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reports. “Boosting production during this time of an unprecedented loss in global demand is frustrating, and does not represent the kind of deliberative planning we would like to see from partners, and does not advance our shared interest in stable markets,” said spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes. She said Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette is talking with his counterparts in major oil-producing nations to try to stabilise the markets. Another iconic New York City landmark is being converted into a temporary hospital to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, joining Central Park. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home to the US Open, will relieve some of the pressure on one of the state’s hardest hit hospitals, Elmhurst in Queens. It’s expected to open next week to treat Covid-19 patients who aren’t in need of intensive care. The facility is projected to hold 350 patients. Hello and welcome to a new coronavirus pandemic live blog. It looks likely that confirmed cases globally will reach one million today. The US accounts for more than 210,000 cases currently, and Italy, with the next highest has just over half this number, at 110,000. Spain has also passed the 100,000 mark. American officials also reportedly believe China has been deliberately underreporting the total number of cases and deaths. Stay with us for the most important developments as they happen. You can contact me with news, tips or questions on Twitter @helenrsullivan. Known global cases pass 900,000. According to data collected by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, 932,605 people around the world have become infected, 46,413 of whom have died. They also count 193,031 people who have recovered. US intelligence accuses China of playing down crisis. American officials reportedly believe China has been underreporting the total number of cases and deaths. The conclusions of a classified report from the intelligence community to the White House were revealed to Bloomberg by three anonymous officials who declined to detail its contents. Trump said that the federal stockpile of personal protective equipment is nearly empty. “It is,” he said. “Because we’re sending it directly to hospitals.” Earlier, CNN reported that the “Strategic National Stockpile is deploying the last round of shipments in its inventory, depleting the bulk of its protective gear.” The US states of Florida, Georgia and Mississippi issued stay-home orders. More than 280m people in at least 36 US states, as well in several dozen counties the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are now being told to stay home. Key UN climate talks, Cop26, that were due to take place in Glasgow in November have been postponed until 2021, it has been announced. The UN’s climate change chief, Patricia Espinosa has also called Covid-19 the “most urgent threat facing humanity”, The UK’s Ministry of Defence is calling up about 3,000 reservists to help with its pandemic response. That brings the number of armed forces personnel helping manage the crisis to about 23,000. Director of WHO “deeply concerned”. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director of the WHO, has said he was “deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection”. UK death toll passes 2,300. The UK government has confirmed hundreds more deaths in hospitals, taking the total to 2,352. However, figures from the Office for National Statistics have already revealed that dozens more people have been dying as a result of the pandemic in care homes and other settings. Britons warned against complacency as figures continue to rise. People in the UK have been urged to stay at home as a recent acceleration in the number of cases being reported comes alongside data that suggest people are out and about in their cars more. New York City death toll passes 1,000. Deaths from the coronavirus reached 1,096 in New York City as an emergency field hospital opened in Central Park. Data released by the city’s health department showed the virus was having a disproportionate effect in certain neighbourhoods, mainly Brooklyn and Queens. Germany extends distancing measures. Physical distancing measures have been extended in Germany until at least 19 April, and will be re-evaluated on the Tuesday after Easter, Angela Merkel has said. Austrian unemployment jumps to highest level since 1946. Unemployment in Austria has jumped by 66% to the highest level since records began in 1946, despite a government bid to avoid mass lay-offs. Growth in Italy’s death toll slows. Another 727 people have died in Italy, taking the total to 13,155. That represents the smallest increase since 26 March. Spain passes 100,000 confirmed cases. Spain has crossed the threshold of 100,000 confirmed cases, health officials have said. According to official figures, it has had more cases than any country except Italy and the US.