As orders to shelter in place spread across the United States, the number of coronavirus cases hit 207,000 globally on Wednesday, including 7,300 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, the global death toll has topped 8,200 with ABC News reporting 108 deaths in the United States.

The virus, first reported in China, has swept across Asia and now has sparked outbreaks in Europe and the United States.

The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic. In the United States, President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency.

Shelter in place

City curfews and orders to “shelter in place” are spreading across the United States as governments cope with the spread of coronavirus.

Seven San Francisco Bay communities were among the first to unveil shelter-in-place orders for up to three weeks, and New York City officials are considering it, media outlets report.

Shelter in place orders call for people to stay in their homes except to go to work, conduct essential business for their family or to seek medical care.

The move comes at a time when the government is suggesting people avoid crows of 10 or more. As a result, many cities and counties are restricting restaurants and cafes to take out and delivery service only.

Hospital bed shortage predicted

Italy has been one of the hardest hit countries (with 31,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19), leading to reports of a hospital bed shortage that is expected to happen in the United States as well.

Shortages in the U.S. will likely start in late March, and the situation could become a crisis by mid-April, according to a study by Array-Architects, a health care strategy developer.

“Even if hospitals were to cancel all elective surgeries, the analysis suggests that there will be no available beds in intensive care units (ICUs) in the U.S. by the end of April, and beds in medical-surgical units will reach full occupancy by mid-May,” Array said in a March 16 memo.

“If the virus spreads faster than the model projects, or if hospitals do not cancel elective cases, these capacity deadlines may be even closer. .... The model validates fears that a shortage of beds may occur unless efforts to expand hospital capacity are implemented immediately.”

IRS moves to ease deadline to pay taxes

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday the federal government will push back the federal deadline to pay your taxes by 90 days to ease the “financial bite” of the virus on the U.S. economy, according to MarketWatch.com.

The deadline to file taxes is still April 15.

The plan, as reported by CNBC.com, is to “give filers 90 days to pay income taxes due on up to $1 million in tax owed.”

The federal government would not apply interested or penalties on the overdue money, CNBC reports.

Checks for Americans?

President Donald Trump has proposed an economic package that could approach $1 trillion, including “checks sent to the public within two weeks,” McClatchy News reported Tuesday.

Federal officials have not said how much the checks would be worth, but “the White House said said it liked GOP Sen. Mitt Romney’s idea for $1,000 checks,” McClatchy said.

The Washington Post reports some Democratic senators “are pushing a measure to disburse $2,000 checks to everyone under a certain income threshold (and) checks for an additional $1,500 if the health and economic emergencies continue.”

TIPS TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CORONAVIRUS

There’s no vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, and experts say one may be months away from mass production.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest avoiding close contact with people who are sick, avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, staying home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

The agency also advises washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

The CDC does not advise that healthy people wear face masks, but says they should be worn by coronavirus patients to help avoid spreading the illness.

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Coronavirus briefing: Worldwide cases top 200,000 and other updates for March 18."