Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. In grim milestone, United States logs world's highest coronavirus death toll

The United States surpassed Italy on Saturday as the country with the highest reported coronavirus death toll, recording more than 20,000 deaths since the outbreak began, according to a Reuters tally. The grim milestone was reached as President Donald Trump mulled over when the country, which has registered more than half a million infections, might begin to see a return to normality. Broad coronavirus testing crucial in lifting restrictions: U.S. experts

The United States needs to ramp up testing for the coronavirus as the White House considers when and how to lift stay-at-home restrictions and lockdowns triggered by the pandemic, U.S. health experts said on Sunday. More than 2 million tests have been done in the country so far, but the tests are not available to many who need them, said Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. 'Here Comes the Sun' gets U.S. hospitals through dark days of pandemic

The most powerful medicine being used to bolster the morale of New York area healthcare workers at the epicenter of the U.S. novel coronavirus crisis may well be music. Daily infusions of upbeat songs from The Beatles' classic "Here Comes the Sun" to the theme from the hang-tough movie "Rocky" are being pumped through hospital public address systems to boost the spirits of nurses, doctors and support staff. New York City mayor orders public schools shut for rest of school year; Cuomo says it's his call

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Saturday public schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year as the city battles the novel coronavirus outbreak. "Having to tell you that we cannot bring our schools back for the remainder of this school year is painful, but I can also tell you it is the right thing to do," he told a news conference. Canada coronavirus deaths rise by more than 12% to 674: public health agency

The number of people killed by the coronavirus in Canada rose by more than 12% to 674 in a day, official data posted by the public health agency showed on Sunday. By 11:00 eastern time (1500 GMT), the total number of those diagnosed with the coronavirus had risen to 23,719. The respective figures at the same time on Saturday were 600 deaths and 22,559 positive diagnoses. Americans spend grim Easter Sunday at home as COVID-19 deaths near 22,000

Americans spent a glum Easter Sunday largely confined to their homes by the still-raging coronavirus pandemic as the U.S. death toll neared 22,000, with more than half a million confirmed cases nationwide. With 42 states imposing strict stay-at-home orders most churches were shuttered, although many erected crosses outside or even offered drive-through services conducted by priests, pastors or ministers wearing latex gloves and surgical masks. Coronavirus forces U.S. churches to offer Easter Sunday services unlike any before

U.S. church leaders peppered their Easter homilies with references to the coronavirus on Sunday, in masses held online, on television and even in parking lots to people sheltering in cars to maintain social distancing during the pandemic. For the world's largest Christian population, the coronavirus pandemic has meant observing an Easter Sunday unlike any Americans have lived through before. U.S. officials hopeful about May 1 target date for reopening U.S.

The Trump administration views May 1 as a target date for relaxing stay-at-home restrictions across the United States, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Sunday, but he cautioned that it was still too early to say that target would be met. "We see light at the end of the tunnel," he told ABC's "This Week." However, there were many factors to take into account in finally determining when it would be safe to lift restrictions, he said. Trump likes virus briefings, some advisers worry he likes them too much

Cooped up in the White House, President Donald Trump sees the coronavirus briefings as his main outlet of the day, a reminder for Americans that he is in charge of managing the greatest crisis of a lifetime. Plus, the ratings are good. Some advisers, however, would prefer a less-is-more approach. They have quietly recommended he not spend so much time at the briefings to avoid being distracted from the challenge at hand and bickering with reporters. Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic

Smithfield Foods, the world's biggest pork processor, said on Sunday it will shut a U.S. plant indefinitely due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees and warned the country was moving "perilously close to the edge" in supplies for grocers. Slaughterhouse shutdowns are disrupting the U.S. food supply chain, crimping availability of meat at retail stores and leaving farmers without outlets for their livestock.