Coronavirus cases top 1-million globally
NBC's Tracy Potts has the latest on efforts to curb the spread in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC News) - Confirmed COVID-19 cases have now topped 1-million globally, with nearly a quarter of that number in the United States.
The federal government is expected to issue new guidelines advising all Americans to cover their face with a mask or scarf when in public in a further effort to prevent the spread of the disease.
The move is designed to protect those who aren't infected from those who are, but aren't yet showing symptoms.
"Don't get a false sense of security that that mask is protecting you exclusively from getting infected," White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Deborah Birx warns.
Health care workers still on the job are stressed, with protective gear and equipment nearly gone.
"We have about six days of ventilators in our stockpile," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.
President Trump is skeptical.
"Hospitals have three ventilators and they get by with it," he said. "Now they want thousands of ventilators. Can you send us 40,000 ventilators? No one has ever heard of a thing like this."
Democrats are urging the president to not wait for volunteers and use the Defense Production Act to force more companies to ramp up production of personal protection equipment and even more ventilators.
