(CNN)Governors on Thursday extended stay-at-home guidelines and called for more testing to fight the coronavirus, ahead of President Trump's expected guidelines to help states loosen those recommendations.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will extend its social distancing plan through at least May 15. And he issued an executive order requiring people to wear a mask in public situations.
Where All 50 States Stand on Reopening
Six other Northeast states extended stay-at-home orders to May 15, as well.
Trump has signaled a desire to "reopen" the economy May 1.
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More than 641,000 people have tested positive in the US with at least 31,590 deaths linked to the virus, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. About 4,811 deaths were reported Wednesday alone.
It's unclear whether the latest death toll includes probable cases. Federal health officials have said they'll start including probable cases, which meet clinical criteria for symptoms and evidence of Covid-19 -- but with no lab test confirming the disease.
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Thursday morning, new figures showed another 5.2 million Americans filed for their first week of unemployment benefits in the period ending April 11, according to the US Department of Labor.
In total, 22 million people have filed first-time claims since mid-March as the pandemic forces businesses to close and lay off workers.
Also Thursday, the Small Business Administration says it has run out money for the Paycheck Protection Program.
"The SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding," a notice on the SBA's website reads. "Similarly, we are unable to enroll new PPP lenders at this time."
With the $349 billion emergency small business lending program out of funds, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Democrats will reconvene Thursday on a package to increase funding immediately.
Business leaders and governors warn persistent testing shortfalls could hamper any effort to reopen the country.
Trump said Wednesday the nation had "passed the peak on new cases" and was ready for a new set of federal recommendations on how to reopen certain parts of the country. He acknowledged that some states would be able to open more quickly than others. He insisted his chief concern was the safety and health of Americans.
Still, he said there were risks inherent in keeping the country shut down.
"There has to be a balance," he said. "You know, there's also death involved in keeping it closed."
When to get back to work?
In New York State, hospitalization, ICU admission and intubation rates are all down, Cuomo said.
"The good news is we can control the virus ... we can control the spread" through continued, concerted efforts, he said.
Before social distancing mandates are relaxed, experts say that increased coronavirus testing will have to be conducted nationwide to track how much the virus has penetrated communities and enable officials to separate those who are infected.
Statements about extending efforts came from state and local leaders in California, Minnesota, Connecticut and Washington, DC.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers extended his state's stay-at-home order to May 26, while loosening some restrictions on businesses.
New Jersey will keep public schools closed until at least May 15, Gov. Phil Murphy announced at a press conference.
"We will not be able to open our schools or start sports back up for at least another four weeks." Murphy said. "if we all keep pulling and working together I hope it will put me in a position that in a months time to make a different announcement."
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also called rapid testing the key to determining when emergency restrictions can be lifted. "We need to build the equivalent of a fire brigade," he said.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said his city will likely not permit public sporting events and concerts until next year.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the creation of the "Resilient Louisiana" task force, which will work toward the reopening of the state's economy.
Edwards says experts will make recommendations on how to reopen businesses in a way that adequately protects public health.
Former Vice President Joe Biden called choosing between reopening the economy and ending the pandemic a "false choice" Thursday morning. In an interview on MSNBC, Biden -- the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee -- was asked by Joe Scarborough what he would say to those who want to go back to work as soon as possible.
"I'd say we should not send you back to work until it's safe to send you back to work," Biden said. "This is a false choice. The way you revive the economy is you defeat the disease."
Protesters rally against restrictions in two states
Medical experts have emphasized that the key to fewer coronavirus cases is for people to practice social distancing. As a result, all but seven states are under stay-at-home orders from their governors.
But in at least two states, protesters rallied against the social distancing mandates, calling them a violation of individual freedoms.
In Lansing, Michigan, vehicles jammed several streets around the Capitol in a protest organized by conservative groups against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
"It's time for our state to be opened up. We're tired of not being able to buy the things that we need," Brenda Essman of Kalamazoo told CNN affiliate WLNS. "We need to open our businesses."
And in Raleigh, North Carolina, demonstrators gathered outside the state legislative building Tuesday to protest the state's stay-at-home order, CNN affiliate WRAL reported. Police officers told them they were defying social distancing rules by standing too close together, and asked them to disperse. Most left.
Michigan is one of the hardest-hit states with nearly 2,000 deaths reported while North Carolina has had 135.
Companies report changes in testing
Some commercial lab companies say they've seen some recent decline in demand for coronavirus tests following weeks of increases.
Quest Diagnostics said demand declined in recent days, allowing the company to wipe out the remnants of its coronavirus test backlog. Its average turnaround time is now less than two days.
Another company, Eurofins USA, said its labs have excess testing capacity, in part because many hospitals are now testing in-house. A company spokesperson said another contributing factor is some of its labs have been denied entry into some insurance plan networks.
CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Kevin Liptak, Lauren Fox, Phil Mattingly, Joe Sutton, Dave Alsup, Andy Rose and Ben Tinker contributed to this report
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