More than one-quarter of Americans ordered to stay home

 The governors of New York, Illinois and Connecticut Friday joined California and Pennsylvania in shutting down most businesses to contain the spread of coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases in the US jumped past 19,300. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the executive order taking effect on Sunday night only exempted workers considered “essential ” in such places as food stories, pharmacies and take-out restaurants. At least 250 Americans  have died of the disease to date in most states of the Union, John Hopkins University lists the worst hit as Washington (83), New York (46), California (24),  Louisiana (14), Georgia (13), New Jersey (11), Florida(10) and the rest in single digits.