Updated at 5 p.m. ET

The United States has now begun its first week of widespread school closures and restrictions on restaurants, bars and other businesses, with the COVID-19 pandemic remaking daily life for millions of Americans. And the White House added new recommendations Monday, calling for millions of people to work from home and to home-school their children if that’s possible.

People who work in service industries now face the prospect of weeks without pay, while others are working from home. Businesses are watching for ripple effects of unexpected slowdowns and cancellations — and hoping to weather what will likely be a prolonged disruption to normal life.

“This is the defining global health crisis of our time,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday. “The days, weeks and months ahead will be a test of our resolve, a test of our trust in science and a test of solidarity.”

Tedros added, “Crises like COVID-19 tend to bring out the best and worst in humanity.”

Trump announces new guidelines

President Trump’s administration laid out several new recommendations for dealing with the coronavirus Monday, calling on families to keep their children home from school if they can and urging people not to congregate in groups larger than 10 people. The new guidelines also urge people nationwide to avoid eating and drinking in restaurants and bars, and to cut out discretionary travel.

The White House guidelines are to be in effect for 15 days. As he unveiled them, Trump stressed that they apply to everyone — even young and healthy people who aren’t the most at-risk for complications from the virus.

“If everyone makes this change, or these critical changes and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation,” Trump said in a news conference at the White House. He added, “And we will defeat the virus and we’re going to have a big celebration all together.”

“With several weeks of focused action, we can turn the corner and turn it quickly,” the president said, adding, “A lot of progress has been made.”

The work to develop a vaccine, he added, is ongoing, with clinical trials now under way.

After Trump announced the guidelines, he was asked how long it would be until the U.S. turns a corner in controlling COVID-19. Trump said he has frequently asked health experts that question, himself.

“It seems to me that if we do a really good job… people are talking about July, August – something like that. So it could be right in that period of time, where it, I say it washes through,” he said, making a wave gesture with his hand.

When the president was asked if the restrictions on public life will remain in place until mid-summer, he replied, “We’ll see what happens, but they think August — could be July, could be longer than that.”

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