A Caltrans freeway sign reads: "Wash your hands, Stay healthy, Avoid COVID-19" in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for all bars, wineries, nightclubs and brewpubs to close in the nation's most populous state. Also Sunday, he urged seniors and people with chronic health conditions to isolate themselves at home in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/John Antczak)
Terry Spencer and Teresa Crawford
The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don’t get together and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed.
Governors were closing restaurants, bars, and schools as the nation sank deeper into chaos over the crisis. Travelers returning home from overseas trips were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, causing them to be crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have been urging people to avoid.
In a sign of the impending economic gloom on the horizon, the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest ra
