In a sea of vacant parking lots covering much of Waco, the Lowe’s home improvement store at Franklin Avenue and New Road stood as an island of bustling commerce on Saturday before last. Despite the threat of COVID-19, exhortations to stay hunkered down at home and to maintain social distancing when venturing out, Lowe’s was abuzz, even as skies threatened and then delivered on the threat of heavy rains and street flooding here and there.
Apparently, folks are seeking treatment for cabin fever by pursuing ingredients to tackle that long-postponed list of honey-do’s.
“We’re selling a little bit of everything: lumber, Sheetrock, fence pickets. We’re staying busy,” said Jon Vanwinkle, a four-year employee at Lowe’s who now supervises the lumber department. “We have the normal contractors coming in, but we’re seeing a lot of new faces. I’m guessing that with offices closed, people are deciding to take care of home projects.”
“Oh, absolutely,” said a voice on the line at Keith Ace Hardware, 9701 Salem Way, when asked if sales had picked up as the coronavirus makes its presence felt. She recited the list of merchandise, even those not routinely associated with hardware stores, attracting the most attention. The rundown included plants, lawn and garden supplies, paint and fixer-upper necessities.
Though swamped, the stores continue to take precautions that include additional cleaning and constantly wiping down surfaces, she said.
Circle Hardware Supply, on La Salle Avenue a short walk from Magnolia Table, has been stocking and restocking with “random gloves, random masks and, every once in a while, toiler paper, spray disinfectant, paper towels, bleach, anything people are looking for to make their homes safe, closing manager Kelli Breedlove said, well before closing time.
Circle Hardware is tailoring its product mix to demand, Breedlove said.
Then there are the regulars, the businesses with accounts at Circle Hardware, including apartment maintenance crews replenishing their supplies of lumber, PVC pipe, light bulbs, even garbage disposals, she said.
At Orscheln Farm & Home, Bagby Avenue and South Valley Mills Drive, manager Shelly Wittman said she has noticed a run on animal feed, including dog food, and on cleaning supplies, firearms and ammunition. Not surprisingly, with spring producing showers and high grass, she is selling lawn mowers, parts for mowers and lawn chemicals at a rapid clip, Wittman said.
“All last week the craziness was here,” she said. “It picked up about when the scare started, then leveled a little bit.”
She said she is making do with short staffing as employees with compromised immune systems are staying home.
April Morris, office secretary at Westview Nursery on North Valley Mills Drive, said customers are taking advantage of curbside pickup and home delivery to maintain social distancing.
“People call in, let us know what they want, and we get it together for them,” Morris said. “They come inside and pay, one person at a time.”
It also delivers within a 5-mile radius of Waco at no charge.
GreenLife Nursery and Landscaping owner Brett Boyd told a different story when asked about the fortunes of his decades-old greenhouse on New Road.
“We’re down 50%,” he said matter of factly. “A lot of people are scared, fearful of where their next check is coming from. Back in 2008, money got scarce, and customers got scarce. This past Monday, a lot of people were out in their yards, which would have happened with our without the coronavirus, because it was coming off the first semi-nice weekend in a long time. Weather is a huge factor in this business, and it’s been awfully wet. We had 11 inches of rain in February, and totals are above normal in March.”
Boyd said he would not speak for his competitors in the market.
“But in the course of business, I drive by and see their places two or three times a week. … My traffic doesn’t look right but neither does theirs.”
Building permits
The coronavirus and its implications have dampened a multitude of activities, but construction companies and contractors continue to secure permits to build, remodel and reroof, according to the Central Texas chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
Proof lies in the impressive lineup from the seven days through Wednesday, as outlined in the association’s newsletter:
Zinkpower has secured a $15 million permit to build a galvanizing plant at 7401 Mars Drive, with locally owned Mitchell Construction getting the job. Zinkpower’s investment will total $32 million, and it will fill 100 positions.
An estimated $1.04 million will be spent converting warehouse space to office space at 711 Venture Drive, according to a permit.
KDK Group has secured a $300,000 permit to create a sleep lab at 2324 Marketplace Drive, near Central Texas Marketplace.
Perryman & Wilson has taken out permits to build seven one-story duplexes at 3229 Belmont Drive, near Interstate 35 in South Waco.
A $1.2 million permit has been issued for a replica of the Second Presbyterian Church built in 1894 at 510 N. 13th St. The church building, which now is owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines, has been partially demolished, with salvaged materials to be used in the replica.
Greater Waco Chamber conference call
In a related matter, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce will host a teleconference at 1 p.m. Monday for general contractors to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their industry, according to the Associated General Contractors newsletter.
Chamber leadership will provide an update on “rapidly emerging state and federal business financing and workforce policies.” Participants will be able to ask questions and voice concerns.
The call-in number is 254-244-5885, and callers who encounter difficulty are encouraged to keep calling because of possible high demand.
The massive $2.2 trillion relief bill President Donald Trump signed into law Friday allows for $367 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses, according to a summary by the chamber. Businesses with up to 500 employees could be eligible for up to $10 million in small business interruption loans, depending on their average monthly expenses, in addition to several other loan and grant programs.
Gas prices
Travel options continue to dwindle, but getting there is a bargain.
GasBuddy.com announced Friday the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded just slipped to less than $2 nationally for the first time since March 23, 2016, settling in at $1.99 from coast to coast.
“In the last week, 99-cent prices have shown up at various times in Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Missouri,” according to the press release.
Drops of 25 to 65 cents per gallon could be forthcoming, the report states.
“World demand for oil has plummeted virtually overnight while domestic demand for gasoline continues to fall off a cliff with more states implementing shelter-in-place orders,” GasBuddy head petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said in the press release.
Photos: Scenes from across America as nation responds to coronavirus pandemic
A woman wearing a mask stops to read coronavirus safety tips along an almost empty Tidal Basin lined with cherry blossoms that are about to peak, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Florida
Kelli Rizza cleans the bar before closing the doors of McSorley’s Beach Pub at 5 o’clock on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Fort Lauderdale Fla. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, released a statement saying that all bars and nightclubs throughout Florida will close for the next 30 days. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Brynn Anderson
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
A conductor waits for customers to embark a train at Grand Central Terminal, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in New York. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it is facing a “financial calamity” as ridership on subways and commuter rail lines has nose-dived as people stay home to avoid the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Mary Altaffer
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Missouri
A pedestrian crosses a nearly empty Kiener Plaza Park Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in St. Louis. Activity in downtown St. Louis was light Tuesday as businesses curtailed operations and encouraged employees to work from home if possible in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Jeff Roberson
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
Mike Mastrian, Director of the Senate Radio and Television Gallery, cleans down the podium before a news conference with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Susan Walsh
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington Daily Life
Desmond Peskowitz, 7, of Takoma Park, Md., pours a stream of water on his head from his boot, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, as he plays a game he called “champagne fight,” inspired by Formula 1 Racing, with his mother Kathleen Caulfield, and sister Erin Peskowitz, 4, in Rock Creek Park in Washington. Desmond’s school is closed due to coronavirus precautions, and his mother said the park was their “PE class” today. “I don’t worry as much about germs when they’re outside,” says Caulfield, “the touching seems to be less when kids play outdoors.” (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Nightlife
A woman walks through a lightly trafficked Times Square in New York, Monday, March 16, 2020. Bars and restaurants will become takeout-only and businesses from movie theaters and casinos to gyms and beyond will be shuttered Monday night throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut because of the coronavirus, the states’ governors said. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Seth Wenig
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
The Oculus at the World Trade Center’s transportation hub is sparsely occupied, Monday, March 16, 2020 in New York. Millions of Americans have begun their work weeks holed up at home, as the coronavirus pandemic means the entire nation’s daily routine has shifted in ways never before seen in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Mark Lennihan
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Florida
Dr. Jana Cua, left, is swabbed as she is tested for COVID-19 at the Doris Ison Health Center, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Miami. The testing is being provided by Community Health of South Florida, Inc. The vast majority of people recover from the new coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, most people recover in about two to six weeks, depending on the severity of the illness. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Lynne Sladky
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New Jersey
A man walks his dog on a mostly empty street before the start of a 10 p.m. curfew in Hoboken, N.J., Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Hoboken has instituted a citywide curfew that began Monday and will be in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. It requires all residents to remain in their homes, barring emergencies. Starting Tuesday it also ordered its 55,000 residents to isolate at home for a week. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Seth Wenig
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
A woman wearing a mask walks through a terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
People walk past a convenient store where the latest cover of a magazine is stuck on a pillar outside of it on Sunday, March 15, 2020, in New York. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Americans to cease hoarding groceries and other supplies, while one of the nation’s most senior public health officials called on the nation to act with more urgency to safeguard their health as the coronavirus outbreak continued to spread across the United States. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Wong Maye-E
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Prep Sports
The Auburn fan section got creative by placing paper plate faces on the seats during the Class 1C boys high school basketball tournament championship game against Ogallala at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Saturday, March 14, 2020, in Lincoln, Neb. Crowds were limited to staff and immediate family due to concerns over the coronavirus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
CHRIS MACHIAN
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Missouri
Teresa Patton, a night custodial supervisor with the Fort Zumwalt School District, sprays a bleach disinfectant in the classrooms of Progress South Elementary in O’Fallon, Mo., Thursday, March 12, 2020. With the introduction of the coronavirus the district purchased three additional machines to clean 2 million square feet of space inside the district’s buildings. Students are scheduled to return Monday from break. (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Robert Cohen
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Nevada
A couple walks along a usually busy Fremont Street after casinos were ordered to shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Trump
President Donald Trump departs after a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Washington, with Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Seema Verma and Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
A patient wears a protective face mask as she is loaded into an ambulance at The Brooklyn Hospital Center emergency room, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in New York. Anticipating a spike in coronavirus patients, New York City-area hospitals are clearing out beds, setting up new spaces to triage patients and urging people with mild symptoms to consult health professionals by phone or video chat instead of flooding emergency rooms that could be overrun. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
John Minchillo
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Florida Beaches
Visitors enjoy Clearwater Beach, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Beachgoers are trying to keep a safe distance from each other by keeping a space of 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) between family groups to help protect from the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington Daily Life
A street car operator wears a face mask as he drives on H Street in Northeast Washington, Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington Daily Life
With the Washington Monument in the background, people run by cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Illinois
The sun sets behind the FAA Control Tower at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Chicago. The FAA closed the air traffic control tower at Midway International Airport, at 5 p.m Tuesday, after some workers there tested positive for the new coronavirus. Air traffic control operations for Midway will be temporarily moved to another FAA facility as the towers is being cleaned and disinfected. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Charles Rex Arbogast
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak US
Judie Shape, center, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, but isn’t showing symptoms, presses her hand against her window after a visit through the window and on the phone with her daughter Lori Spencer, left, and her son-in-law Michael Spencer, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle. In-person visits are not allowed at the nursing home, which is at the center of the outbreak of the new coronavirus in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Ted S. Warren
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak National Parks
In this March 5, 2020, photograph, visitors relax on a gypsum dune in White Sands National Park at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Most national parks are open as a refuge for Americans tired of being stuck at home because of the coronavirus. Entry fees have been eliminated, but many parks are closing visitor centers, shuttles and lodges to fight the spread of the virus. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
David Zalubowski
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
Laurie Kuypers, a registered nurse, reaches into a car to take a nasopharyngeal swab from a patient at a drive-through COVID-19 coronavirus testing station for University of Washington Medicine patients Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Seattle. The appointment-only drive-through clinic began a day earlier. Health authorities in Washington reported more COVID19 deaths in the state that has been hardest hit by the outbreak. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Elaine Thompson
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington Daily Life
A man and woman embrace in front of a flight departures board at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., Tuesday, March 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Patrick Semansky
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak
People wait for an H-E-B grocery store to open Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Spring, Texas. Grocery store executives and city officials reassured the community, on Monday, that plenty of food will be available in their stores and urged people not to stockpile groceries amid coronavirus concerns. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
A woman wears a mask as she commutes during rush hour on a subway, Tuesday, March 17, 2020 in New York. The subway is normally crowded but many people are staying home out of concern for the spread of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Mark Lennihan
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Elections
A polling place worker uses gloves outside of the Boca Raton Library during the Florida primary election, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Boca Raton, Fla. As Florida officials try to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the state’s voters headed to the polls to cast ballots in the Democratic presidential primary. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Julio Cortez
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak California
A man looks toward the skyline from Bernal Heights Hill in San Francisco, Monday, March 16, 2020. Officials in six San Francisco Bay Area counties issued a shelter-in-place mandate Monday affecting nearly 7 million people, including the city of San Francisco itself. The order says residents must stay inside and venture out only for necessities for three weeks starting Tuesday in a desperate attempt by officials to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Jeff Chiu
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
Bartender Cassandra Paris takes farewell a shot at an early closing time at 169 bar with patrons Monday, March 16, 2020, in New York. New York leaders took a series of unprecedented steps Sunday to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including canceling schools and extinguishing most nightlife in New York City. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
John Minchillo
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Trump
Reporters raise their hands to ask President Donald Trump questions during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Trump
President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, in the Brady press briefing room at the White House, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Rhode Island
A customer looks through the window while waiting for her food as workers inside Rebelle Artisan Bagels fill online orders to hand to waiting customers outside after the restaurant closed their doors to dine-in service Monday, March 16, 2020, in Providence, R.I. State officials on Monday ordered restaurants and bars to end dine-in service as the total number of cases of the new coronavirus in the state has risen to 21. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
David Goldman
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
A woman wearing a mask walks goes through security at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
Tyler Baldwin mops the floor after closing for the night at the Taproom at Pike Place, Sunday, March 15, 2020 where he works as a bartender in Seattle. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday night that he would order all bars, restaurants, entertainment and recreation facilities in the state to temporarily close to fight the spread of coronavirus, as Washington state has by far the most deaths in the U.S. from the disease. Baldwin said he closed more than an hour early Sunday after he heard the announcement. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Ted S. Warren
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak US New York
Tourists wear face masks as news about the coronavirus is seen in a reflection off a glass surface in Times Square in New York on Sunday, March 15, 2020. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Americans to cease hoarding groceries and other supplies, while one of the nation’s most senior public health officials called on the nation to act with more urgency to safeguard their health as the coronavirus outbreak continued to spread across the United States. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Wong Maye-E
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Trump
Vice President Mike Pence points to a question as he speaks during a briefing about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
A couple walks close together among a light crowd as the Lincoln Memorial is reflected in the mostly drained reflection pool, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
Zhili Sun, practices tai chi under a blooming cherry tree while wearing a mask, Sunday, March 15, 2020, along the tidal basin in Washington. Sun, who is from China, says he was visiting his son in the U.S. when COVID-19 struck and has been unable to get home. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
APTOPIX Trump Virus Outbreak
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room at the White House, Saturday, March 14, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Louisiana Schools
School Resource Officer Donald Lee locks the gates of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School for Science and Technology, after all the students left, in New Orleans, Friday, March 13, 2020. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday closed K-12 public schools across the state for roughly a month and banned gatherings of more than 250 people in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. He said he also planned to postpone the presidential primary until June.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Gerald Herbert
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
A video display with a message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reads “Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands” on the Gallery Place Metro subway train platform in Washington, Friday, March 13, 2020, to inform commuters on how to combat the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Carolyn Kaster
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
Andre of Washington, D.C., rides the escalator up at the Metro subway Congress Heights train station in Washington, Friday, March, 13, 2020. He wears two face masks and gloves to protect his children and grandchildren from the coronavirus. He doesn’t want to bring it home. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Carolyn Kaster
APTOPIX Trump Virus Outbreak
LHC Group’s Bruce Greenstein elbow bumps with President Donald Trump during a news conference about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden at the White House, Friday, March 13, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina project manager Amy Jackson adjusts her face mask as healthcare providers dress in protective suiting, Friday, March 13, 2020, in Charleston, S.C., as they get ready to open the hospital’s drive-through tent for patients who are being tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus at the Citadel Mall parking lot. The vast majority of people recover from the new coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, most people recover in about two to six weeks, depending on the severity of the illness. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
MIC SMITH
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
National Guard personnel stand at attention as they wait for patients to arrive for COVID-19 coronavirus testing facility at Glen Island Park, Friday, March 13, 2020, in New Rochelle, N.Y. State officials have set up a “containment area” in the New York City suburb, where schools and houses of worship are closed within a 1-mile radius of a point near a synagogue where an infected person with coronavirus had attended events. State officials stress it is not a lockdown. The vast majority of people recover from the new coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, most people recover in about two to six weeks, depending on the severity of the illness. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
John Minchillo
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Missouri
Stacy Loggins, a janitorial supervisor for Metro, wipes down the interior of a bus with disinfectant Thursday, March, 12, 2020, at a Metro facility in St. Louis. Metro cleaners have been asked to be sure to change towels frequently and wear two pairs of gloves as they perform cleaning tasks. (Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
Christian Gooden
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak College Baseball
Players with the University of Missouri baseball team wait in the baggage claim area of Chicago’s Midway Airport Thursday, March 12, 2020, only to arrive in Chicago and then get notified that the team’s SEC Conference opener with Alabama Friday, had been canceled. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Charles Rex Arbogast
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak ACC Basketball
Mike Lemcke, from Richmond, Va., sits in an empty Greensboro Coliseum after the NCAA college basketball games were cancelled at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday, March 12, 2020. The biggest conferences in college sports all canceled their basketball tournaments because of the new coronavirus, seemingly putting the NCAA Tournament in doubt. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
Ben McKeown
— HIDE VERTICAL GALLERY ASSET TITLES —
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Florida
Empty chairs sit on the beach, Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. Florida’s largest county inched closer to economic shutdown as Miami-Dade County’s mayor ordered all beaches, parks and “non-essential” commercial and retail businesses closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s order Thursday allows several businesses to remain open, including health care providers, grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants and banks. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Lynne Sladky
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
A worker wears a protective face mask and gloves while cleaning the sidewalk in the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York, Thursday, March 19, 2020. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tightened work-from-home rules Thursday as confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to climb in New York, an expected jump as testing becomes more widespread. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
John Minchillo
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Texas
A line of cars stretches over two miles as people wait to enter a drive-thru testing site for COVID-19 at United Memorial Medical Center Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Houston. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David J. Phillip
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Washington
In this aerial drone photo, workers erect a temporary field hospital for use by people unable to isolate and recover from COVID-19 in their own homes on a soccer field Thursday, March 19, 2020, in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline, Wash. The field hospital will provide up to 200 beds, according to a city website, and will house “people exposed to, at risk of exposure, or becoming ill with the novel coronavirus.” (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Elaine Thompson
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
A woman adjusts the face mask of a child along the streets in the East Village neighborhood of New York, on Thursday, March 19, 2020. In a matter of days, millions of Americans have seen their lives upended by measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Wong Maye-E
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak New York
The Manhattan bridge is seen in the background of a flashing sign urging commuters to avoid gatherings, reduce crowding and to wash hands in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on Thursday, March 19, 2020. In a matter of days, millions of Americans have seen their lives upended by measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Wong Maye-E
APTOPIX Virus Outbreak Missouri Daily Life
Aliyah Mosby is silhouetted against the sunset as she walks at the Liberty Memorial Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. Mosby was taking advantage of warm weather on the first day of spring to get some fresh air as most of the community isolates to limit the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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