Why People Are Asking Others to Wait to Buy Groceries amid Coronavirus – and Why It Might Be Bad

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More than 3 million Americans filed for unemployment the week of March 21 amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has also spurred a surge in requests for food assistance. According to the Los Angeles Times, the third week of March saw over 20,000 more people in California apply for the programs than during the same week in 2019.

As of Wednesday morning, there are at least 189,472 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. — the most worldwide — with at least 3,966 people having died from coronavirus-related illness domestically, according to a New York Times database. Johns Hopkins is reporting 887,067 confirmed cases globally, with 44,264 deaths.

President Donald Trump has extended social distancing guidelines to April 30 in an attempt to continue to “slow the spread” of COVID-19 throughout the U.S., he announced on Sunday. He had previously expressed a desire to reopen the country by Easter.

However, Trump, 73, told reporters on Sunday that his Easter comment “was just an aspiration,” adding that he hopes the U.S. will “be well on our way to recovery” by June 1.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.

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