US Domestic News Roundup: U.S. health expert Fauci: 'Now is no time to back off'; Chicago jail reports 450 coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. health expert Fauci: 'Now is no time to back off'

The top U.S. infectious disease expert warned on Friday that even though hard-hit spots like New York are showing positive results in the battle against coronavirus, it is too early to relax restrictions on Americans. The warning from Dr. Anthony Fauci came as the Trump administration's top economic officials said on Thursday they believe the U.S. economy could start to reopen for normal business in May, despite health experts' urging for continued social distancing measures to defeat the coronavirus.

New York City hires laborers to bury dead in Hart Island potter's field amid coronavirus surge

New York City officials have hired contract laborers to bury the dead in its potter's field on Hart Island as the city's daily death rate from the coronavirus epidemic has reached grim new records in each of the last three days. The city has used Hart Island to bury New Yorkers with no known next of kin or whose family are unable to arrange a funeral since the 19th century.

Exclusive: Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, in solitary confinement

Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, has been placed in solitary confinement at a federal prison in New York state where he is serving time for violating campaign finance laws, according to his lawyer and two sources familiar with the matter. Cohen, 53, was transferred on Wednesday to a Special Housing Unit at Otisville Federal Correctional Institution, a disciplinary section of the prison, the sources said.

U.S. coronavirus deaths top 15,000: Reuters tally

U.S. deaths due to coronavirus topped 15,700 on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, although there are signs the pandemic might be nearing a peak. U.S. officials warned Americans to expect alarming numbers of coronavirus deaths this week, even as an influential university model on Wednesday scaled back its projected U.S. pandemic death toll by 26% to 60,000.

Chicago jail reports 450 coronavirus cases among staff, inmates

Some 450 inmates and staff have tested positive for coronavirus at Chicago's largest jail, county corrections officials said on Thursday, representing one of the nation's largest outbreaks of the respiratory illness at a single site so far in the pandemic. The surge of cases at Cook County Jail marks the latest flare-up of COVID-19 at jails and prisons in major cities across the United States, where detainees often live in close quarters.

Explosion rocks Valero Meraux, Louisiana, refinery: local TV

An early morning explosion rocked Valero Energy Corp's 125,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Meraux, Louisiana, refinery on the east side of New Orleans, a New Orleans television station reported. One person may have been injured in the fire, WWL-TV in New Orleans reported, quoting a local fire chief. Firefighters from St. Bernard Parish were with the Valero's refinery fire department in battling the blaze.

Coronavirus forces Americans to find Easter fun at least 6 feet apart

Easter is a special holiday for 6-year-old Nora Heddendorf. It's a day when she loves to get dolled up in a fancy dress and shiny shoes, and have fun with family and friends hunting for brightly colored eggs. This year the coronavirus pandemic has forced her to adapt. She will accessorize her Easter outfit with a white paper mask, blue disposable gloves, and a container of disinfectant wipes. And after hearing that her New Jersey town's annual egg hunt may be canceled, she came up with the idea of a "rock hunt."

Trump family loses bid to move marketing scam lawsuit to arbitration

A federal judge in Manhattan rejected an effort by U.S. President Donald Trump and his adult children to send a lawsuit accusing them of exploiting their family name to promote a marketing scam into arbitration. In a Wednesday night decision concerning the American Communications Network, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield accused the Trumps of acting unfairly by seeking arbitration after first obtaining "the benefits of litigating in federal court," including the dismissal of a racketeering claim.

Some abortions may proceed in Texas during pandemic, judge rules

A U.S. judge on Thursday said some abortions can continue in Texas while the state battles the coronavirus pandemic, dealing a new legal setback to officials attempting to dramatically restrict access to the medical procedure. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin said Texas officials violated the U.S. Constitution by classifying abortion providers as covered by a state order that required postponement of non-urgent medical procedures to preserve hospital beds and equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some defiant U.S. churches plan Easter services, ignoring public health guidelines

A handful of holdout U.S. churches plans to hold in-person services on Easter Sunday, saying their right to worship in person outweighs public health officials' warnings against holding large gatherings during the coronavirus outbreak. Most U.S. churches are expected to be closed on Sunday, and a broad majority of observant Americans are expected to follow authorities' recommendations to avoid crowds to limit the spread of the potentially lethal COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.