U.S. coronavirus death toll rises

COVID-19 has breached Capitol Hill. U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and Ben McAdams, D-Utah, became the first two members of Congress to join a growing list of public figures to test positive for the virus. By Thursday midday, Johns Hopkins University reported that U.S. cases had soared past 10,000 as the death toll topped 150.

Which other well-known patients have gone public? Actors Idris Elba, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson were among the first to announce they tested positive. The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets said Wednesday it tested the entire team and found out Kevin Durant and three other players had the new coronavirus. The Utah Jazz and its traveling staff also underwent testing after player Rudy Gobert contracted the illness. Several other actors, athletes, and public figures have said they have it, and some are asking why it seems so much easier for celebrities to get tested.

Dig deeper: Read my report in Compassion on how ministries are scrambling to contain COVID-19 among the homeless.