Monday, March 23, 2020 | View in browser

Good morning.

Welcome to another week of the coronavirus outbreak. We’re covering the stalemate in Congress over its response, growing doubts about the Tokyo Olympics, and what to do when you’re stuck at home.

By Chris Stanford

What it will take to stop the coronavirus

If the U.S. is to repeat the success of countries like China and South Korea in containing the epidemic, health experts say it will require extraordinary coordination and money from leaders as well as near-total cooperation from the public.

Our health reporter Donald McNeil writes: “If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make all Americans freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart, epidemiologists say, the whole epidemic would sputter to a halt.”

Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.

In other developments:

■ President Trump said major disaster declarations were underway for California, New York and Washington, the three states hardest hit by the virus. With more than 15,000 confirmed cases, New York State now accounts for roughly 5 percent of the world’s total tally.

■ Senate Democrats blocked action on a nearly $2 trillion government rescue package, which they said failed to adequately protect workers or impose strict enough restrictions on bailed-out businesses. Another vote is scheduled for this morning.

■ In a partial reaction to the political stalemate, global markets fell again today. Here are the latest updates.

■ Mr. Trump has declined to use his authority to commandeer private industry to produce medical supplies, counting instead on a market-driven response. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York appealed on Sunday for the federal government to take over distribution of critical goods.

■ Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan suggested today that the Summer Olympics in Tokyo might need to be postponed, hours after Canada and Australia threatened to boycott the Games. The International Olympic Committee has said it will decide within four weeks whether to delay or scale down the event.

■ Nearly 70 drugs may be effective in treating the virus, researchers reported. Some medications are already used to treat other diseases, and repurposing them may be faster than trying to invent a new drug, the scientists said.

■ A lost or reduced sense of smell and taste has emerged as a telltale sign of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

■ Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, became the first senator to test positive for the virus. He went about his routine for days after being tested.

■ Germany barred public gatherings of more than two people, except for families, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was going into isolation because her doctor had tested positive for the virus.

“The Daily”: Today’s episode is about the pandemic’s effects on the Democratic presidential primary.

The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter — like all of our newsletters — is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.

The New York Times

How the virus spread

Many of the first known coronavirus cases clustered around a market in Wuhan, China, but by the time officials locked down the city of 11 million and acknowledged that the illness could spread among humans, it was too late: Outbreaks had already been seeded around the world.

Our data journalists analyzed the movements of hundreds of millions of people to show why the most extensive travel restrictions in human history haven’t been enough to stop the outbreak.

Background: We also looked back at a century of epidemics, including the 1918 Spanish Flu and Ebola, to give context to the current one.

Scott Kelly undergoing astronaut training inside a simulator in Russia in 2015. Bill Ingalls/NASA, via Associated Press

What to do when you’re isolated

Being healthy and stuck at home is a best-case scenario right now — but that doesn’t mean cabin fever isn’t real.

Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, offered advice on isolation from his year on the International Space Station: Follow a schedule, pace yourself with work, make sure to leave time for fun activities — he watched “Game of Thrones” twice — and go outside if you can (but leave at least six feet between you and others).

Here are other tips:

■ Make little occasions special. A Seattle psychologist dresses up with her husband and children for a “family date night,” and plants a garden with her daughters.

■ Follow your favorite writers. Many authors are using social media to engage with their fans, offering readings, art classes and other activities.

■ Start bringing movement into tiny moments. It doesn’t take fancy equipment — or any equipment — to exercise at home.

■ Have a virtual happy hour with your friends. Try to ask a question that’s not about the virus, like: What is the most hilarious thing you’ve seen that distracted you from the current situation?

■ Listen to these podcasts, which will make you laugh, calm down or dance.

■ What’s the organizational expert Marie Kondo up to while working from home? Tidying, of course.

■ Our Travel desk is compiling its first reader-generated “36 Hours” column. Submit your ideas for spending a weekend wherever you are.

If you have 8 minutes, this is worth it

Religion and the pandemic

Minzayar Oo for The New York Times

Religion is a solace for billions of people grappling with the outbreak. “In times of hardship, fear or panic,” an Egyptian pilgrim said, “either you think, ‘How can God do this to us?’ or you run to Him for protection and for guidance, to make it all make sense.”

But communal gatherings, the keystone of so much religious practice, are now a clear threat to public health. Above, a Buddhist temple in Myanmar.

Here’s what else is happening

Political clash in Israel: Citing a threat to democracy, opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Supreme Court to block what they described as a power grab under the guise of combating the coronavirus.

Afghan peace deal: Amid fears that an agreement could fall apart, Afghan government officials spoke with Taliban delegates over Skype to discuss details of a prisoner release that is a part of the deal.

Andrea Mantovani for The New York Times

Snapshot: Above, the Place de la Concorde in Paris last week during what would normally be a morning rush hour. The Times asked dozens of photographers to capture images of once-bustling public spaces.

Metropolitan Diary: In this week’s column, discussing a “horrible” rock band, dreaming of a secret life and more reader tales of New York City.

What we’re watching: This video on Twitter. “It’s a bunch of Italian mayors and local leaders lashing out at people who are not obeying the decrees demanding that people stay at home,” writes Jason Horowitz, our Rome bureau chief, who has covered the coronavirus pandemic even through his own quarantine. “I did love this.”

Now, a break from the news

Cook: This leek, mushroom and goat cheese tart is something that “someone with whom you vector might enjoy,” writes Sam Sifton, our Food editor.

Watch: Without live sports to cover, a rugby commentator has turned to narrating everyday life in London.

Listen: The video for Lil Yachty’s single “Oprah’s Bank Account” is a nine-minute comedy sketch featuring Drake and DaBaby. Our critics discuss it and eight other new songs.

Smarter Living: Smart speakers are most often asked to play music on command, but they can do a lot more. Here’s how to get the most out of them.

And now for the Back Story on …

Working from home

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the systems that keep our lives running. Add to that the pressures of working (and keeping a job) in an increasingly precarious economy.

Those strains, felt across the world, were echoed in text exchanges between the editor of our gender initiative, Francesca Donner, and Corinne Purtill, a journalist in Los Angeles. They have five children between them.

Kim Murton

Francesca: “First things first: How do you maintain a sense of control when you’re WFH? Is there a daily routine? Do you get dressed every day?”

Corinne: “All good questions. If you take away one key point from this conversation, it should be this: Put on pants. Real pants. Every day.”

That was not Corinne’s only resonant piece of advice. “Days home with small children should be approached like airplane flights with small children,” she wrote. “Whatever it takes to get through it, do it, as long as they’re safe and not hurting anyone. We’re going to have to stretch some of our rules here.”

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Chris

Thank you
Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about the coronavirus pandemic and the Democratic presidential primary.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Ivan the Terrible or Peter the Great (four letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• The Instagram account of NYT Parenting, our site for child-rearing advice, has more than 77,000 followers.