Monday was the first day that the number of U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus grew by more than 500, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. Almost half of the deaths were reported in New York. The previous national high was 446 on Saturday.

With the coronavirus death toll soaring in the United States and health experts warning that “no state, no metro area will be spared” by the outbreak, President Trump steered the nation for an extended shutdown.

Here are some significant developments:

  • Trump pivoted sharply on his warnings about the economic impact of shuttering businesses during the outbreak, declaring Monday that saving American lives is more important. “Well, it’s so bad for the economy, but the economy is No. 2 on my list,” Trump said. “First, I want to save a lot of lives.”
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) discussed Democrats’ plans for a Phase 4 coronavirus measure, which she said would include a focus on infrastructure, protections for front-line workers and funding for the District of Columbia, among other things.
  • Another 812 people have died in Italy, officials said Monday, bringing the country’s total number of deaths to 11,591.
  • The FDA has approved a Trump administration plan to distribute millions of doses of anti-malarial drugs to U.S. hospitals, saying it is worth the risk of trying unproven treatments to slow the disease in seriously ill patients.
  • The governors of Maryland and Virginia and mayor of D.C. issued stay-at-home orders Monday, just about shutting down the Washington region.
  • Trump said Sunday that federal guidance urging social distancing measures will stay in place through April 30, and noted U.S. deaths will probably peak in two weeks. Earlier, two top U.S. health officials, Anthony S. Fauci and Deborah Birx told the president that the U.S. could record up to 200,000 deaths.