Major US states implement Coronavirus stay-at-home directives

Major states in the United States are implementing stay-at-home directives as the coronavirus death toll nationwide stands at over 250.

Four US states - California, New York, Illinois and Connecticut - have demanded that their citizens stay home to slow the spread of coronavirus infections, with New Jersey planning to join them.

The five US states are home to 84 million people combined, comprising nearly a quarter of the entire US population and account for nearly a third of the nation’s economy.

There are over 19,200 confirmed cases in the US, spanning all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and the disease has, so far, killed at least 258 people, according to ABC News' count.

US facing blood shortage as donation sites shutter

Meanwhile, the country is facing blood shortage as donation sites shutter amid the increasing number of confirmed coronavirus cases.

Many places where blood donation might take place, such as campuses and libraries, are presently closed as the medical sector finds its blood supplies running out.

The American Red Cross said as of 19 March over 5,000 of its blood drives were canceled in the country over coronavirus crisis, resulting in almost 170,000 fewer donations.

Over 80% of donated blood collected from the Red Cross comes from drives at areas closed for social distancing - workplaces, schools, and college campuses.

“Right now, American Red Cross faces a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak,” the organization said. “This blood shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or patients fighting cancer.”

“This could lead to mortality,” said Dr Jennifer Andrews, director of the blood bank at Vanderbilt University medical center and pediatric hematologist. “This could kill our patients.”

Coronavirus drives up demand, pay for temporary US nurses

As the number of coronavirus patients is expected to rise markedly with some hospital staff under quarantine after being exposed to the virus, there is a shortage of temporary nurses.

Hospitals are offering to pay as much as double for those who can fill in to make it worth it for them.

“A lot of hospitals have closed down other units, and scrambled staff to triage patients coming in for testing and for other purposes,” Alan Braynin, chief executive at staffing firm Aya Healthcare said.

New York and Connecticut hospitals are in need of hundreds of temporary nurses, said Dan Weber, head of clinical innovation at staffing firm Trusted Health.

“Washington state has been in crisis for a while. We continue to see an uptick there in emergency room and now clinic jobs - they need people to staff things like phone trees and triage centers,” Weber said.

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