This is literally a matter of life and death.

That's not a overly rhetorical statement.

Now state health officials ordering a containment zone a circle with a one mile radius centred around a local synagogue with a rabbi and other congregants have tested positive in closing the majority of cases in the city for the next two weeks, several schools, houses of worship and other large institutions closed.

Small businesses like restaurants and food stores still open.

It is very important to clarify that this is not an exclusion or quarantine zone.

No one is prohibited from entering or leaving the area.

The National Guard will deploy to help clean necessary buildings deliver supplies to residents in the zone.

I really can't believe that it happened.

I've never experienced anything like this, local officials urging calm, saying the guard will not be establishing military like checkpoints.

Many of the cases linked to a New Rochelle resident and his family.

Ah, lawyer hospitalized in critical condition with underlying health issues.

His wife and two Children have also tested positive.

Hundreds here, who may have been in contact with the infected residents already have self quarantine.

I think there's a lot of confusion right now, especially cause we're not really wear What's going on joining us now from New Rochelle.

What's the plan to test residents who live inside that zone?

Well, Esther, even some of the residents of self quarantine say they have not been tested yet.

So the plan is to bring a mobile satellite lab here to test people on the spot and get results almost immediately so they can understand the extent of the problem.

Officials have long warned that more testing will very likely reveal more cases of the virus, so the numbers here may very well go up.

All right.

Ron Allen tonight Thank you.

As this crisis ripples across the country, a wave of new precautions from school closures, tomb or major events canceled as that cruise ship docked in California continues to unload this sick, and those who could be ill.

Miguel Almaguer, now with more from Oakland, escorted by emergency teams in full HAZ mat suits.

The sick and elderly are among the first to finally disembark the Grand Princess cruise ship.

But the nightmare at sea extending to shore as more than 2400 passengers will now spend two weeks in quarantine.

Some move to military bases.

This was kind of disheartening because, you know, we got bills to pay.

We got a family to take care of.

Passenger carry coal Stowe has stage four cancer and has already missed one chemo session now in quarantine.

She doesn't know how she'll get treatment next.

I'm hoping that the cancer isn't rolling well.

This other potential problem exists in Washington state and unfolding crisis at the Life Care Nursing Home, the epicenter of the outbreak, 55 confirmed cases and 71 others showing symptoms as two separate nursing homes report additional deaths.

The spread in the community is probably much wider than the testing suggest today.

There's probably as many as 1100 cases on dhe six weeks from now.

That number could be in excess of 70,000 with the number of confirmed cases and deaths nationwide.

Climbing more states are declaring emergencies.

Many Americans taking their own precautions.

A rideshare driver creating a protective bubble in Los Angeles.

One restaurant taking temperatures at the door, turning away anyone with a fever.

So many people think this is a death sentence, and it's just not Mark Jorgensen and his wife tested positive for the virus.

There's really no reason to panic over this.

Your odds of getting it are small, and if you do get it, your odds of recovery are very great.

But tonight, hospitals and government agencies are taking no chances as scenes like this play out at sea and on shore.

The official number of Corona virus cases on the ship behind me remains at 21 but doctors expect that number to rise less.

And Miguel life around us continues to change.

I know there's late word tonight about Mork colleges canceling classes.

What do you know about that?

Well, Lester, just yesterday we told you many classes have been canceled for the week or even a month, but we're now learning.

Some universities are actually shutting down for the semester, officials say.

Expect more outbreaks and more clusters of the illnesses, but that in general, most people recover quickly.

Good to know Miguel, thank you.

And tonight the virus is causing serious and growing disruptions for the nation's airlines.

Several announcing more flight cancellations and big, constant airfares.

Here's Tom Costello.

It's an all out effort to convince airline passengers that planes are clean and safe in a video release.

Delta unveiling a new fogging disinfectant that disinfectant sticks the surfaces as soon as it's applied.

It's highly effective against many communicable diseases, including Corona viruses.

The Corona virus effect has been fast and devastating for the airlines planes half empty with business and families canceling travel plans, the CEO of Delta Airlines today said they'll have to park some planes.

We have seen a 25 to 30% decline in net bookings and are prepared for it to get worse.

Delta, American and United all cutting back on both U.

S.

And international flights.

The CEO of Southwest now says the Corona virus is having a greater impact on travel than 9 11 9 11 wasn't an economically driven issue for travel.

It was MLLE or Fear, quite frankly, and I think that that's really what's manifested this time The nation's airlines insists America is still open for business, with airlines dropping airfares well into the summer.

New York to Atlanta, 46% cheaper San Francisco to New Orleans, 60% off L.

A.

To Denver, down 73%.

We've seen a shift in demand away from international destinations toward more domestic destinations, while U S airlines are waving take a change in cancellation fees.

Congress's warning.

Most travel insurance does not cover Corona virus cancellations because the threat was known as a mid January Lester.

All right, Tom Costello.

Thank you.

And as the Trump administration deals with this crisis, it's giving a very sharp eye on Wall Street.

After some wild swings today, the Dow finally closing up more than 1100 points, making up some ground Kristen Welker Reports on the White House is response over President Trump, trying to calm fears during a visit to Capitol Hill.

We're doing a great job with the president's message coming as he personally pitched Republican senators on his ideas to bolster the economy, according to administration and Senate sources.

Among the measures floated AH payroll tax cut through the end of the year and expanding paid leave great unity with Republican.

And while some Republicans have traditionally opposed cutting the payroll tax cut because those taxes fund Social Security today, some seem to signal they be open to it.

Well, I think the package should be negotiated.

But the president could be on a collision course with Democrats who argue a tax cut would not help everyone.

We can only support an initiative that puts families first and not trickled down solutions.

The president did not provide specific information about how much the plan would cost or when it will be finalized on Lee, saying he'll announce more details soon.

Lester Kristen Welker at the White House Thank you.

And now that situation in Italy.

It's a country on an unprecedented, locked down officials taking that dramatic step to try and stop the spread of Corona virus, leading to remarkable scenes tonight, Iconic tourist landmarks deserted.

NBC's Matt Bradley has details tonight the famous sweet life in Italy now facing perhaps its toughest test, with Corona virus deaths jumping to 631 now over 10,000 testing positive nationwide.

Officials placing an entire nation of 60 million people in lock down restaurants and bars deserted, ordered closed after 6 p.m. People mandated to keep it least the re feet away from anyone else or face up to three months in jail.

The people are allowed to go to work, and public transportation is still running.

Now.

Iconic landmarks are eerily empty.

This whole area should be filled with tourists, but every place from the Coliseum to hear at the Trevi Fountain normally barely be able to walk here.

Italy's government hopes to follow China's lead, where tonight there is good news in the country where the Corona virus originated three months ago.

That outbreak now controlled enough.

The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, visited Wuhan today.

The World Health Organization says most patients get mild symptoms and recover in two weeks.

Nearly 3/4 of China's 80,000 patients have now recovered.

With the number of cases and deaths and China dropping, the world is watching to see whether these tough tactics could help halt the spread of this deadly disease.

The Italian prime minister said earlier tonight that he could impose even stricter rules muster an entire country in lock down Matt, Thank you, we'll be right back in 60 seconds with my look inside a lab trying to develop a defense against this virus and the new warning tonight for families with loved ones in nursing homes.

Tonight I want to take you to the front lines in the fight against Corona virus inside one of the many pharmaceutical companies racing to develop vaccines and treatments and offering some reason for hope.

In a lab north of New York City, there is palpable anticipation that a defense against even treatment four Corona virus is close at hand.

We are optimistic because we've done this approach to treat many human diseases seven different diseases.

The company, Regeneron, is in a global race among pharmaceutical companies to tackle Corona virus.

Okay, so if you take a look under the microscope, scientists here are creating pseudo corona virus, meaning the virus minus its ability to replicate, allowing them to leverage what they believe is their secret weapon.

Mice housed in these protective structures whose immune systems have been genetically altered to mimic those of humans.

The brainchild of George Accomplice, with the idea being that you could challenge these mice with any disease, potentially get an immune cure in a typical vaccine like the flu shot.

For example, the injection contains a small amount of the virus to cause your body to develop antibodies against it, but that could take weeks.

In this case, Regeneron essentially exposes the mice to the pseudo corona virus.

They then create the antibodies that, when delivered to humans, provide immediate protection.

They are in the process of testing each and a body to how well it blocks the virus.

Over the course of the next several weeks, they will choose the best ones.

Create this cocktail, put it in these cell lines that can be scaled up into these giant vats and off to the races.

It's the same process where General on brought to the fight against Ebola on antibody treatment that dramatically boosted survival rates in Africa.

Having even the possibility of producing something that can change the course of this epidemic is extremely exciting.

The company is targeting human testing by late summer and is optimistic enough that it plans to simultaneously began producing 200,000 preventive doses per month.

So I called up a medication or a vaccine that some people would call this a passive vaccine that is way vaccinate the mice and taking the important protein, the anybody funda mice and giving it to a person.

It's a vaccine in the sense that it's used to prevent the disease, but also at higher doses.

It can be used as a therapeutic, something to treat the disease.

And, you know, the pharmaceutical industry has been under fire for drug prices.

It's just going to be affordable once it's produced.

Yes, it doesn't do anybody any good in this kind of setting or any kind of serious health setting not to make your products affordable.

Regeneron's approach is just one of many promising developments in an all hands on deck effort by biotech companies.

This is probably the biggest moment for our industry in terms of everybody in the industry wanting to do the right thing.

They want to make a difference to people, and they want to show the world.

The vaccine, if approved, would offer several months protection from the virus and would likely be made available to healthcare workers first.

To get some perspective on where we are in this crisis, let me bring in our chief medical correspondent, Dr John Torrez.

It was only a few months ago we were talking about how deadly the flu season is.

It kills more than the Corona virus.

So why is this virus so much more worrisome?

Lester?

Both the flu in Corona virus or respiratory illnesses?

They have similar symptoms, and they can both be deadly.

But the big difference here is that we know the flu we have a vaccine for and medications that work well.

And we know that the fluid seasonal we'll start to wind down come summer.

But when it comes to the Corona virus, it's still mostly a mystery.

We don't have any treatments.

It appears to be more deadly than the flu, especially in the elderly, and it continues to spread faster than we expected.

The hope is that will also be a seasonal virus.

But Lester Onley time will tell what we don't know that could be so disturbed.

All right, Doctor.

Thank you.

Tonight.

Unprecedented recommendations from the nursing home industry to keep out the Corona virus by curtailing family visits as more Americans worry about their loved ones.

Sam Brock has the story tonight at the Morse Life Health Systems in West Palm Beach.

The moment you enter the building, new steps to protect the vulnerable elderly.

We must take every precaution to ensure their safety.

And they're expecting that from us nationwide.

The nursing care industry leaders today issuing new recommendations to strictly limit visits, straining all staff and contractors, even discouraging social visits by family in France.

Arthur and Nolan Agler are heartbroken at the prospect they might not be able to see their family for the Passover holiday.

I'd rather not see them if there's even any trouble.

I'd rather they stay home, be safe, and we talked on the phone every night.

There's an emptiness.

In Portland, Oregon, Bonnie Poland can't visit her husband, Gerald, who's suffering from Parkinson's.

I feel very close to tears, a great deal of time because I don't know what's happening to him.

I worry about him terribly, experts say.

For the 2.5 million Americans who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, the risk is just too high.

This is not the common cold.

This is not influenza.

It's much more serious in the elderly.

Are you nervous about the Corona virus?

I am not nervous because we are taking every step possible short term precautions in order to save families in the long run.

Sam Brock, NBC News, West Palm Beach, NBC News fans Thanks for checking out our YouTube channel subscribed by clicking on that button down here and click on any of the videos over here to watch the latest interviews show highlights and digital exclusives.