23ABC Midday News: Top Stories for March 16, 2020

We're continuing to follow the very fluid situation involving the coronavirus in California -- and how local agencies are working to prepare for it.

AND I'M ALYSSA FLORES.WE'RE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THEVERY FLUID SITUATIONINVOLVING THE CORONAVIRUS INCALIFORNIA -- AND HOW LOCALAGENCIES ARE WORKING TO PREPAREFOR IT.THOUGH THERE ARE STILL NOCONFIRMED CASES LOCALLY --OFFICIALS ARE TAKING EVERYPRECAUTION IN THE EVENT ITDOES ARRIVE.THE KERN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTOF SCHOOLSOFFICE JUST WRAPPED UP ABRIEFING -- TO ADDRESS THECLOSURE OF CAMPUSES LATER THISWEEK.23ABC'S BAYAN WANG IS AT THESUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLSBUILDING DOWNTOWN -- WITH MOREON WHAT WASDISCUSSED..BAYAN..THAT'S RIGHT MIKE AND ALYSSA..AD LIBREPORTING LIVE..

BAYAN WANG..23ABC CONNECTINGYOU...THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WASALSO ON HANDFOR THIS MORNING'S PRESSCONFERENCE..THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH..MATT CONSTANTINE..ONCE AGAIN STRESSING THAT RIGHTNOW..

THERE ARE "NO"CASES OF COVID-19 IN KERNCOUNTY.IN CALIFORNIA..

THERE HAVE BEEN335 CASES WITH SIX DEATHS AS OFFIVE OCLOCK YESTERDAY.23ABC'S LEZLA GOODEN WAS ALSO ATTODAY'S PRESSCONFERENCE..

AND JOINS US WITHMORE ON THE HEALTHASPECT..LEZLA...THANKS, MATT ALSO SAID THEREHAVE BEEN 30 LOCAL TRAVELERSTHANKS, MATT ALSO SAID THEREHAVE BEEN 30 LOCAL TRAVELERSSO FAR THAT HAVE BEENMONITORED..

WITH 17 NOTREQUIRINGFURTHER OBSERVATION..

ORCOMPLETED THEIR 14 DAY PERIOD.AD LIBALSO NEW THIS MORNING-- COLLEGEBOARD ANNOUNCED IT ISCANCELING THE SAT TEST SCHEDULEDFOR MAY 2.MAKEUP EXAMS SCHEDULED MARCH 28ARE ALSO CANCELED.COLLEGE BOARD SAYS REGISTEREDSTUDENTS WILL RECEIVEREFUNDS.COLLEGE BOARDS SAYS THEY WILL BEAS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE TO GIVESTUDENTS THE BEST CHANCE TO SHOWTHEIR SKILLS AND STAYON THE PATH TO COLLEGE.COLLEGE BOARS HAS NOT YETCANCELED THE JUNE 6 EXAM..WE HAVE A FULL LIST OF THEDETAILS BEHIND EACH SCHOOLDISTRICT'S CLOSURE.YOU CAN FIND A FULL LIST OFUPDATED SCHOOL SCHEDULES ANDCLOSURES --- JUST HEAD TO OURWEBSITE -- TURN TO 23 DOT COM.THERE YOU CAN FIND DISTRICTSTATEMENTS AND MOREINFORMATION ABOUT MEALAVAILABILITY AND CHILD CARE.LET'S CHECK IN NOW WITH 23ABC'SCHIEF METEOROLOGISTELAINA RUSK FOR A FIRST LOOK ATYOUR STORM SHIELDFORECAST.A POWERFUL STORM SLIDING DOWNTHE CALIFORNIACOASTLINE TODAY WILL BRINGSHOWERS THIS MORNING WITHINCREASING RAIN AFTER 11 A.M.WITH A GOOD SOAKING RAINEXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON, AND ACHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMSTOO, THE VALLEY LOOKS TO PICK UPA QUARTER TO HALF AN INCH OFRAIN, WTIH MORE IN THE FOOTHILLSAND MOUNTAINS.

COLD AIR RUSHINGIN WITH THIS STORM THISAFTERNOON WILL DROP THE SNOWLEVEL FROM 5,000 FEET THISMORNING TO 3,000 FEET THISAFTERNOON.

THAT MEANS WE COULDBE SEEING 2-4 INCHES OF SNOWABOVE 3,000 FEET, BRINGING THELIKELIHOOD OF ACCUMULATINGSNOW AT PASS LEVEL THIS EVENINGWHICH WILL LIKELYIMPACT TRAVEL OVER THE 5, THE 58AND THE 178 OVER WALKER'SPASS.

THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILLSEE EVEN MORE SNOW, WITH 4-8INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE ABOVE4,500', WHICH INCLUDESLOCATIONS LIKE BEAR VALLEYSPRINGS, PINE MOUNTAIN CLUBAND ALTA SIERRA.

THE STORMTAPERS OFF A BIT OVERNIGHT, BUTLINGERING SHOWERS AND COLD AIRWILL KEEP THOSEMOUNTAIN ROADS ICY THROUGHTOMORROW MORNING.

AS ARESULT, A WINTER STORM WARNINGIS IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINSABOVE 3,000 FEET THROUGH 5 A.M.TOMORROW.

IN AREAS WHERETHUNDERSTORMS FORM YOU'LL SEEHEAVY LOCALIZED RAIN, SMALLHAIL,GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUDTO GROUNDLIGHTNING.

SPEAKING OF WINDS, ITWILL BE BLUSTERYTHROUGH THE MOUNTAINS WITH GUSTSTO 50 MILES PER HOURTHROUGH THE PASSES AND UP TO 70MILES PER HOUR OVER THEMOUNTAIN PEAKS.

THAT WILL CREATEAREAS OF BLOWING SNOWAT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

AS FORTEMPERATURS,EXPECT HIGHS TO BRIEFLY TOP OUTIN THE LOW TO MID-60S IN THEVALLEY, A RANGE OF 50S IN THEKERN RIVER VALLEY AND KERNDESERT, UPPER 40S IN THETEHACHAPI AREA AND MID-40S INTHE FRAZIER PARK REGION.TAKING A LOOK AT THE DOW..

AHUGE PLUNGE AT THE OPENINGBELL..TRIGGERED THE AUTOMATIC 15-MINUTE TRADING HALT...IT DROPPED 10 PERCENT THEN..ROSE A BIT..

CURRENTLY..THE SPREAD OF THE NOVELCORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TOCLIMB..

ACROSS THE U-S THERE'SNOW MORE THAN 3,000 CASES.SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE CLOSINGLEAVING TENS OF MILLIONS OFSTUDENTS AT HOME.CITIES AND STATES ARE ORDERINGBARS TO CLOSE -- ANDIN SOME AREAS..

RESTAURANTS ASWELL.THERE'S GROWING CONCERN ABOUTTHE HEALTHCAREWORKERS TREATING INFECTEDPATIENTS -- ANDBECOMING INFECTED THEMSELVES.ABC'S TREVOR AULT HAS THELATEST.UNPRECEDENTED CHANGES AREROLLING OUT ACROSS THECOUNTRY-- IN HOPES OF SLOWINGTHE RELENTLESSSPREAD OF THE NOVELCORONAVIRUS--ANTHONY S.

FAUCI/IMMUNOLOG IST:"THE WORST IS YET AHEAD FORUS?

"NATIONWIDE?

AT LEAST 64-THOUSAND SCHOOLSCLOSED?

IMPACTING NEARLY30-MILLIONSTUDENTS... [GFX] FROM LOSANGELES?

TO MILWAUKEE?

TONEW YORK CITY?

THE LARGESTSCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY.[END GFX]SOT DE BLASIO YESTERDAY:"WE DEPEND ON OUR FIRSTRESPONDERS, TRANSITWORKERS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHONEED THEIR KIDSTO BE IN SCHOOL.

// [17:32:47]IT'SGONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ALOT OF FAMILIES."AT AIRPORTS-AMERICANS SHOULDERTO SHOULDER INCRAMMED LINES WAITING HOURS FORMEDICAL SCREENINGS-CONCERNED ABOUT CONTRACTINGCOVID-19BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SOCIALSPACING.ONE NBA ATHLETE WHO CONTRACTEDTHE CORONAVIRUS,SPEAKING OUT ON GMA TODAY.SOT DONOVAN MITCHELL"I THINK THAT'S THE SCARIESTPART ABOUT THIS VIRUS, IS THATYOU MAY SEEM FINE, BE FINE ANDYOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU MAY BETALKING TO WHO THEY'RE GOINGHOME TO." AND AS MORE CONFIRMEDCASES SPREAD HERE AT HOME-OFFICIALS ALREADY FEAROVERWHELMING STRAIN ON THEHEALTHCARE SYSTEM-CUOMO: WE DON'T HAVE THECAPACITY TO BUILD MOREHOSPITALS QUICKLY.

THE ONLY WAYWOULD BE IF THE ARMYCORPS OF ENGINEERS CAME IN,WORKED WITH THE STATES TORETROFIT EXISTING BUILDINGS.

ANUMBER OF HEALTHCARE WORKERSHAVE ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID 19- A NURSE'S UNION INOHIO-DEMANDINGMORE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TOSAFEGUARDAGAINST INFECTED PATIENTS.

SOTDEBORAH ARMS: "WE ARE VERYCONCERNED THAT WHEN THISVIRUS PEAKS, WE HAVE ENOUGH OFTHIS EQUIPMENT FOR OUR NURSESTO CARE FOR OUR PATIENTSPROPERLY"TAG: TBA, TREVOR AULT ABC NEWSNEW YORKWE KNOW YOU HAVE LOTS OFQUESTIONS SURROUNDINGCORONAVIRUS -- SO 23ABC HASTEAMED UP WITH ADVENTISTHEALTH TO HELP YOU GET FACTS.JOIN US TOMORROW AFTERNOON FOR AFACEBOOK LIVEQ&A WHERE EXPERTS WILL ANSWERALL YOUR QUESTIONSDURING OUR LIVESTREAM.THAT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW AT 2P-M ON OUR 23ABCFACEBOOK PAGE.!ADDITIONAL CORONAVIRUSLEGISLATION IS ON THE WAY.SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCHMCCONNELL SAYS HE'S BEENTALKING TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS"ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS."THEY INCLUDE ASSISTING AMERICANSDEALING WITHFINANCIAL HARDSHIPS AND BOOSTINGTHE HEALTHCARESYSTEM.MCCONNELL'S STATEMENT FOLLOWSTHE HOUSE PASSING ASECOND CORONAVIRUS PACKAGE THISWEEKEND.THE HOUSE'S BILL HAS PROVISIONSTHAT INCREASES UNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE AND A NATIONAL PAIDSICK LEAVE PROGRAM.SOME REPUBLICANS, LIKE WISCONSINSENATOR RONJOHNSON, HAVE ISSUES WITH THEHOUSE BILL.JOHNSON SAYS THE PAID SICK LEAVEPROVISION WILL HURT SMALLBUSINESSES.STILL TO COME HERE ON 23ABC NEWS