March 27 coronavirus news

By Jessie Yeung, James Griffiths, Steve George, Amy Woodyatt, Mike Hayes and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 8:04 a.m. ET, March 28, 2020
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5:20 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Detroit police chief tests positive for coronavirus

From CNN's Stephanie Gallman

Detroit Police Chief James Craig, center, speaks to the media at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters in Detroit on November 21, 2019.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig, center, speaks to the media at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters in Detroit on November 21, 2019. David Guralnick/Detroit News/AP

Detroit Police Chief James Craig has tested positive for coronavirus, Mayor Mike Duggan said during a news conference Friday.

Duggan also said 39 Detroit police officers have tested positive for the virus, and 468 are in quarantine. Duggan said Craig is at home and has not been hospitalized.  

4:25 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

How much will I receive from the stimulus bill?

From CNN's Sean O'Key and Katie Lobosco

Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty
Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty

Congress just passed a $2 trillion stimulus bill to address the growing economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Included are direct payments to many Americans. Individuals are eligible for up to $1,200 and couples would receive up to $2,400 — plus $500 per child.

But the payments would start phasing out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000. The amount would then be reduced by $5 for every additional $100 of adjusted gross income, and those making more than $99,000 would not receive anything. The income thresholds are doubled for married couples.

Income would generally be based on one's 2019 or 2018 tax returns.

The money will likely be deposited directly into individuals' bank accounts — as long as they've already authorized the IRS to send their tax refund that way over the past two years. If not, the IRS would send out checks in the mail.

The White House has said they hope to begin distributing cash quickly, but it may take weeks before the bulk of payments go out.

4:27 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

US stocks close lower, but post historical weekly gains

From CNN’s Anneken Tappe

Kearney Ferguson/NYSE via AP
Kearney Ferguson/NYSE via AP

US stocks finished the session in the red on Friday, but that didn’t keep major indexes from posting one of their best weeks ever after a monstrous rally between Tuesday and Thursday.

Here's where things stand:

  • The Dow closed 915 points, or 4.1%, lower. It recorded its best week since June 1938, gaining 12.8%.
  • The S&P 500 finished down 3.4%, for a weekly gain of 10.3% — its best since March 2009.
  • The Nasdaq Composite fell 3.8%. On the week it’s up 9.1% — its best performance since March 2009.

Remember: As stocks settle after the trading day, levels might still change slightly.

4:21 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Illinois governor says Trump's comments about ventilators could be "deadly"

From CNN's Hollie Silverman

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said President Trump's comments about ventilators during a television appearance Thursday could be "deadly."

Pritzker said that Trump questioned whether more ventilators were needed during an appearance the same day the US reported more cases than China and Italy.

"At worst the comments are deadly," Pritzker said.

He said his state is still working to obtain more personal protective equipment and supplies, including ventilators, at the recommendation of epidemiologists and doctors on the front lines of the pandemic.

4:11 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Trump invokes the Defense Production Act on General Motors to supply ventilators

From CNN's Matthew Hoye

Alex Brandon/AP
Alex Brandon/AP

President Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act for the first time, requiring General Motors to supply ventilators.

"Today, I signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use any and all authority available under the Defense Production Act to require General Motors to accept, perform, and prioritize federal contracts for ventilators," Trump said in a statement.

Some context: US automakers have come to the rescue when the nation has faced supply shortages during wartime in the past. Ford built heavy bomber airplanes and GM built amphibious assault craft, among other things. So it seems only natural that, in the rush to address the critical shortage of ventilators in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic, automakers would again be among the first to answer the call to help.

Last week, Trump tweeted that automakers have the green light to make ventilators, although he stopped short of issuing formal orders to do so under the Defense Production Act at that time.

Nevertheless, Ford, GM, Toyota and Tesla, which have all temporarily shut down their factories in recent weeks, have pledged to help.

But switching from cars to ventilators is not so easy. Ventilators are complex machines that use sophisticated software and specialized parts, and companies that seek to manufacture them face several hurdles — including intellectual property rights, the need for specially trained workers, regulatory approvals and safety considerations.

4:15 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Illinois reports 488 new cases of coronavirus

Nam Y. Huh/AP
Nam Y. Huh/AP

At least 488 new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Illinois Friday, bringing the state total to 3026 cases, a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health said.

Eight new deaths were reported, bringing the number of deaths to 34, the release said.

Patients with confirmed cases range in age from under 1 to 99, according to the release.

About 86% of fatalities are in those older than 60, the release said.

4:10 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Army Corps of Engineers will convert Chicago convention center to treat coronavirus patients

From CNN's Ryan Browne

Shutterst
Shutterst

The Army Corps of Engineers said it will convert a Chicago convention center to treat 3,000 coronavirus patients.

The head of the Army Corps of Engineers said Friday that the military is working to convert the Chicago McCormick Place convention center into a hospital capable of treating some 3,000 coronavirus patients.

“What we’re doing in McCormick—we basically got turned on by FEMA to do a $75 million build,” Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite told reporters at the Pentagon Friday.

“Our goal is to have that one done somewhere around the 24th April,” he said, adding that the new hospital will be treating some 3,000 patients and that those patients will all be coronavirus related.

“All Covid...I did not think we could meet the Covid standard in a big building but my engineers are telling we think we’ve got the capability to do that,” Semonite said.

The Army Corps of Engineers will not be treating coronavirus patients at the Javits center in New York

4:03 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Disneyland and Walt Disney World will remain closed "until further notice"

From CNN's Richard Davis

David McNew/AFP/Getty Images
David McNew/AFP/Getty Images

Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida will remain closed until further notice, according to a statement from The Walt Disney Company. 

Disney previously announced theme park closures through the end of March.

On Friday, the company also announced that it would extend paying hourly parks and resorts cast members through April 18. 

“The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains The Walt Disney Company’s top priority,” the company said
4:05 p.m. ET, March 27, 2020

Coronavirus cases triple in Los Angeles in past 6 days

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg

Damian Dovarganes/AP
Damian Dovarganes/AP

Coronavirus cases in Los Angeles have more than tripled in the past six days, going from 409 at the beginning of the week to 1,465 on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference Friday, Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted that limited testing has been done so far in Los Angeles.

She said that she expects to see cases double every four days for the next two to three weeks.