Update on the latest news, sports, business and entertainment at 11:20 p.m. EDT

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles mayor urges everyone to wear masks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has recommended that the city’s 4 million people wear masks when going outside amid the spreading coronavirus. Garcetti on Wednesday said people in the nation’s second-largest city who are performing essential tasks such as food shopping should wear homemade, non-medical face coverings, or even bandannas, as people in other countries hard-hit by the COVID-19 virus have done. But Garcetti says residents shouldn't use medical-grade masks, which are needed for healthcare workers. He also says people should still stay home as much as possible.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GRAND CANYON

Grand Canyon National Park closes to visitors amid pandemic

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Grand Canyon National Park has closed indefinitely to visitors, joining other national parks seeking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The park made the announcement Wednesday. Staff at the Grand Canyon had been shutting down visitors services piecemeal as the federal government initially rebuffed the park's request to shutter completely. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said he finally approved the park's request at the recommendation of a local health official. Grand Canyon spokeswoman Joelle Baird said the closure is a relief to a lot of people in the park and to community members. The park said this week that a resident who worked at a lodge tested positive for COVID-19.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK

New York state's virus deaths jump to more than 1,900

NEW YORK (AP) — The number of coronavirus deaths in New York state more than doubled in 72 hours to 1,941. And Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that projections show the outbreak worsening through the month. The governor said he would close New York City playgrounds to slow the spread of the virus, leaving green spaces open. And he said overburdened hospitals in hard-hit downstate areas have begun transferring patients north to the Albany area. New York City's Health Department reported late Wednesday that nearly 1,400 people have died of the virus in the city.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPREAD WITHOUT SYMPTOMS

More evidence indicates healthy people can spread virus

NEW YORK (AP) — More evidence is emerging that coronavirus infections are being spread by people who have no clear symptoms. The findings complicate efforts to gain control of the pandemic. A study by researchers in Singapore is the latest to estimate that around 10% of infections are sparked by people who are infected but not yet showing symptoms. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reacted to the recent research Wednesday by changing how it defines the risk of infection for Americans. The agency now says anyone exposed to the disease may be a considered a carrier, whether that person has symptoms or not.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL ECONOMY

UN: Pandemic could shrink global economy almost 1% in 2020

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says the global economy could shrink almost 1% this year due to the new coronavirus, a sharp reversal from the pre-pandemic forecast of 2.5% growth. A report issued Wednesday by the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs warns that the decline could be even deeper if restrictions on economic activities extend into the third quarter and if fiscal stimulus efforts don't support income and consumer spending. By comparison, it says, the world economy contracted 1.7% during the global financial crisis in 2009. The report says negative effects of current economic restrictions in richer developed nations will soon spill over into developing countries, which will see lower trade and investment.

HOSPITAL SHIP-TRAIN ATTACK

Feds: Man intentionally derailed LA train near hospital ship

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a train engineer intentionally drove a speeding locomotive off a track at the Port of Los Angeles because he was suspicious about the presence of a Navy hospital ship docked there amid the coronovirus crisis. The locomotive crashed through a series of barriers before coming to rest more than 250 yards from the U.S. Navy Hospital Ship Mercy on Tuesday. Nobody was hurt. The U.S. Department of Justice says Eduardo Moreno was charged with one count of train wrecking. It wasn't known if he has an attorney. Authorities say Moreno said he was suspicious of the Mercy and believed it had an alternate purpose related to COVID-19.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP-TRAVEL

Trump considers limits on domestic travel to virus hot spots

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is weighing grounding domestic flights between coronavirus hot spots as he ramps up efforts to try to contain the pandemic's spread. Trump told reporters at a White House briefing Wednesday that he was worried about the impact on already-struggling airlines but is considering the move nonetheless. The comments came a day after Trump warned the nation to brace for a “hell of a bad two weeks,” with 100,000 to 240,000 coronavirus deaths now projected, even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained. Limited flights continue to run between cities like New York and Detroit, though passenger counts have plummeted nationwide.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CRUISE SHIPS

Coast Guard: Cruise ships must stay at sea with sick onboard

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has directed cruise ships to prepare to treat any sick passengers and crew on board while being sequestered “indefinitely" offshore during the coronavirus pandemic. The new rules outlined in a memo are required for ships in the district that covers Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Puerto Rico. They also come with a stiff warning: Any foreign-flagged vessels “that loiter beyond U.S. territorial seas" should try first to medically evacuate the very sick to the countries where they are registered. The Coast Guard says shore-side facilities are stressed and patients may be more comfortable being treated onboard.

AP-VIRUS-OUTBREAK

'A battlefield behind your home': Deaths mount in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the federal stockpile is nearly depleted of personal protective equipment used by doctors and nurses to safeguard themselves from the rapidly spreading coronavirus. The president says “difficult days are ahead for our nation” and that the nation is “going to have a couple of weeks ... that are going to be horrific.” Meanwhile scientists offered more evidence Wednesday that the coronavirus is spread by seemingly healthy people who show no clear symptoms. That led the U.S. government to issue new guidance warning that anyone exposed to the disease can be considered a potential carrier.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-RURAL HOSPITALS

Rural areas fear spread of virus as more hospitals close

CARROLLTON, Ala. (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic couldn't come at a worse time for rural communities across the U.S. that have lost their hospitals. Nearly 200 small-town hospitals have closed nationwide since 2005, often forcing residents to drive much farther for health care. Last year was the worst yet for shutdowns, and officials say hundreds more rural hospitals are endangered by the pandemic. That's because moneymaking procedures like elective surgeries are being delayed and resources diverted because of the viral outbreak. More than 46 million people live in rural areas, and the government says they are generally in poorer health than city dwellers.

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