12 things to know today about coronavirus

Welcome to The Hill’s daily roundup of coronavirus news.  

Federal health officials today recommended that Americans avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, and President Trump said the outbreak could last into July or August. The announcement of new guidelines comes as many states and cities have announced similar policies, including a near-lockdown of several million people in the San Francisco area.   

Here’s what you need to know today …  

• President Trump on Monday announced new guidelines for Americans in an attempt to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. Trump urged Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and to avoid traveling. He also said the outbreak could last until July or August. Brett Samuels and Morgan Chalfant have all the details from the White House.
• Despite criticism, Trump is giving himself high marks for the administration’s response to the coronavirus, telling reporters he would “rate it a 10.” Morgan has more here.
• On Capitol Hill, jockeying continued around both the second and third waves of a legislative package to fight the virus. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) proposed $750 billion in funding to bolster the economy and fight the virus. Jordain Carney has more.
• House Democratic leaders on Monday also decided to postpone their return to Washington next week, raising questions about how lawmakers will be able to work and vote on new measures. More on that from Mike Lillis and Scott Wong here.
• Governors have been taking the lead in protecting their citizens in the absence of a coordinated federal response. But different states have taken different actions, and while it’s not always along ideological lines, experts say only a coherent national strategy will work to ease the outbreak. The Hill’s Reid Wilson has the full picture.
• Researchers on Monday administered the first dose in a clinical trial for a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The trial vaccine was developed in record time, but even if it shows promise, a full version won’t be available for 12 to 18 months. Nathaniel Weixel has the story.
• The coronavirus panic is continuing to wreak havoc on stocks; the markets took their steepest losses since the 1987 market crash on Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged almost 3,000 points. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite plunged roughly 12 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively. Read Sylvan Lane for more. The president also acknowledged that the economy “may be” sliding into a recession. More on that from Sylvan and Brett here.
• States across the country ramped up closures of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues as part of their efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Most also said they were limiting public gatherings to fewer than 50 people. Get the full roundup from Rebecca Klar here. 
• Meanwhile, six San Francisco-area counties — and nearly 7 million people — are expected to issue a “shelter in place” order Monday, effective for at least the next three weeks. Justine Coleman has more details.
• Lawmakers from Washington state wrote to the Department of Health and Human Services warning that supplies of protective gear are running low for health workers there and calling on the administration to make supplies available from the national stockpile. Peter Sullivan has more.
• And more fallout on the campaign trail. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said he supports a lawsuit aiming to delay the state’s presidential primary until June because of the growing threat of the coronavirus. DeWine has been among the governors taking the most aggressive steps to combat the virus’s spread. More from Reid here.
• More than 3,000 additional cases were announced in Italy, which has been hit particularly hard by the virus, bringing the total to 27,980 cases. John Bowden has more.

One lighter moment to round it out: 

Watch this video of 72-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger at home with his … pets. The former California governor is urging people to stay home and help fight the virus’s spread.