Anxiety over coronavirus testing reaches a new level as American life comes to a near-halt

The number of cases in the US on Friday climbed to at least 1,920 in 48 states and the nation's capital. At least 41 people have died.

Health officials said the numbers will continue to climb as more tests became available. It wasn't clear, however, how accessible tests would be to members of the public who wanted to be tested.

Some patients have told CNN they are suffering from symptoms associated with the coronavirus and tried to be tested, only to be turned away.

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency and his administration said it was taking more steps to address the crisis and increase the number of available tests.

Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health acknowledged before a congressional committee Thursday the testing system currently in place in the US was not meeting the country's needs. "And that is a failing," he said.

"The idea of anybody getting it (a test) easily, the way people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that," Fauci said. "Do I think we should be? Yes, but we're not."

Vice President Mike Pence has said 4 million more tests would be available by the end of the week.

Friday morning, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the "log jam" in testing was due not to the number of available testing kits, but the lack of laboratories authorized to perform the tests.

"We do have a crisis in testing," Cuomo said. "We're not up to scale."

At least 41 people have died: 31 in Washington state, which has been the epicenter of the outbreak, with at least 457 cases; four in California; two in Florida; one in Georgia; one in Kansas; one in New Jersey and one in South Dakota.

Trump declares national emergency

Trump's emergency declaration will free up $50 billion to help combat the coronavirus.

Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration said it would allow the emergency use of a test developed by Roche and authorized some New York laboratories to test for the virus.

The US Department of Health and Human Services said it would fund two laboratories developing a diagnostic test that could detect the novel coronavirus in approximately one hour. And HHS Secretary Alex Azar designated Adm. Brett Giroir to oversee and coordinate testing efforts.

New York on Friday opened a drive-through testing site in New Rochelle, where officials have imposed a 1-mile containment zone after more than 100 cases were confirmed in about a week.

"You have to make an appointment. You can't just show up," Cuomo told CNN's Kate Bolduan.

With the anxiety and fear surrounding the virus, the governor said, it's not feasible to test just anyone who wants to be assessed.

"We have to prioritize, because we don't have that kind of capacity," he said.

At Colorado's first drive-up facility, residents will need a doctor's note saying they need to get tested, CNN affiliate KMGH reported. Wait times Thursday ranged from three to four hours, the news station said, citing the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.

A suburban Illinois hospital said it also will try drive-through tests, telling residents they would drive up to an ambulance and get tested without leaving their car, CNN affiliate WGN reported.

The testing process, initially conducted by the CDC, has proved faulty. The slow rollout prompted the federal government to approve private labs to conduct their own testing and has so far sent out more than a million tests.

Gatherings are banned, schools are closed

For many Americans, the past 48 hours have felt like uncharted territory as public gatherings were banned, dozens of school districts and universities hit the pause button on classes, sports leagues suspended their seasons and major entertainment venues -- including Broadway and Disney World -- announced a halt in activities.

Across many states, the bottom line: Stay home. And if you have to go out, keep your distance.

Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon became the first states to announce statewide shutdowns of all K-12 schools.

Friday morning, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the San Diego Unified School District -- which together serve more than 750,000 students -- announced they would close for two weeks, beginning Monday.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued guidance to shut down all public and private K-12 schools in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, the state's most populous areas, for the next six weeks.

"Today's decision has a full range of implications from learning plans and childcare, to free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch, just to name a few," Inslee said in a statement. "I anticipate this will cause ripple effects ... but we can't afford not to do it."

A day earlier, Inslee announced a ban on all events with more than 250 people in the state's largest three counties. He has also issued guidance for assisting-living facilities to limit visitors after at least 10 homes reported cases.

The announcement paralleled the one by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who directed events with 500 or more people to be canceled or postponed and announced only "medically necessary visits" will be allowed in nursing homes. Some experts have advised banning all visitors from skilled-nursing facilities nationwide.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he stood by Cuomo's announcement on large gatherings and called the city's rising coronavirus case numbers "striking and troubling." New York City had 42 new cases in a day, he said.

"We don't do any of this lightly. This is difficult," he said at a Thursday news conference. "We know it has a serious, serious impact on a number of businesses ... that's really, really painful for the many, many people who work in that field."

Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin said he asked the governor to issue an executive order to postpone the state's April 4 presidential primary for two months, until June 20. He said coronavirus was "an unprecedented threat and unlike any we have faced."

Among the new patients reported Friday was Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who said he would go into self-quarantine after he was in the same room last weekend as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his entourage. Bolsonaro's press secretary tested positive Thursday for coronavirus.

"I feel completely healthy and strong," Suarez said in a statement. "However, I am doing the responsible thing by working with the County's Health Department to take every precaution to ensure that not only my family is healthy, but everyone I have come in contact with is healthy as well."

Others hit the pause button

Augusta National Golf Club on Friday announced that the Masters will be postponed in response to the outbreak. The year's first major was scheduled to tee off on April 9.

It was one of many cancellations that left the public stunned.

In New York, which reported 328 positive cases, the Broadway League said it is suspending all shows through April 12 "in support of the health and well-being of the theatre public, as well as those who work in the theatre industry."

The NBA is suspending the rest of its season, it said Wednesday, after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the virus. That announcement came shortly after the NCAA announced it would ban public audiences from March Madness games -- then a day later canceled the tournaments altogether.

Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour either canceled events over the coming weeks or suspended their seasons. And NASCAR announced it will hold events without fans for the foreseeable future.

The National Rifle Association also said it is canceling its annual meeting, set to take place next month in Nashville. In 2018, there were more than 85,000 attendees, according to an NRA spokeswoman at the time.

And The Walt Disney Company announced the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida would close through the end of the month, along with Disneyland in California.