Welcome to Tuesday's Overnight Health Care.

President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE's health advisers laid out a grim death toll for the coronavirus Tuesday and warned that the public should prepare to maintain social distancing measures for at least the next 30 days.

There are at least 181,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., including 3,606 deaths, as of Tuesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. Those numbers mean the U.S. has passed China in official coronavirus deaths.

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We'll start with the sobering statistics...

US surpasses China in official coronavirus deaths

The United States passed a grim milestone on Tuesday as it overtook China in the official death count from the coronavirus.

The United States now has 3,415 deaths from the virus, surpassing China's figure of 3,309, according to a tracker from Johns Hopkins University.

Caveat: It's important to note that there are significant doubts about the accuracy of China's figures.

For example, Bloomberg News reported late last week that social media photos of thousands of urns to hold the ashes of the dead in Wuhan, China, were raising questions about whether the death toll there is much higher.

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Still, the mounting death toll in the United States underscores how severe the pandemic has become in the country.

Read more here.

And the White House says the toll could get much higher...

White House projects grim death toll from coronavirus

President Trump's top health advisers said Tuesday that models show between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could die from the novel coronavirus even if the country keeps stringent social distancing guidelines in place.

Without any measures to mitigate the disease's spread, those projections jump to between 1.5 and 2.2 million deaths from COVID-19.

The data was used to highlight why social distancing measures should be kept in place for at least the next 30 days.

"This is tough. People are suffering. People are dying. It's inconvenient from a societal standpoint, from an economic standpoint to go through this, but this is going to be the answer to our problems," said Dr. Anthony Fauci Anthony FauciTrump disputes CDC director on vaccine timing, says 'he made a mistake' Trump health officials grilled over reports of politics in COVID-19 response Biden says to trust scientists on COVID-19 vaccine, not Trump MORE, a member of the White House coronavirus task force.

"Let's all pull together and make sure as we look forward to the next 30 days, we do it with all the intensity and force that we can," he added.

The Trump administration has urged people to avoid restaurants and bars, bypass discretionary travel, and work from home if possible while avoiding gathering in groups of more than 10 people. Several states have issued orders limiting movement outside the home to essential activities only.

Such restrictions have dampened the economy but Fauci said now is not the time to take the foot off the accelerator by telling people to return to their daily lives.

Read more here.

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Trump urges Americans to prepare for what's ahead

The president on Tuesday sought to gird the nation for a grim reality that will set in as the coronavirus pandemic stretches to every corner of the United States.

"I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead," Trump said at a White House news briefing. "We're going to go through a very tough two weeks, and then hopefully, as the experts are predicting ... you're going to start seeing some real light at the end of the tunnel."

"But this is going to be a very painful, a very, very painful two weeks," he added.

More on Trump's stark remarks here.

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Trump says he would not have acted differently on coronavirus without impeachment

President Trump said Tuesday that he would not have acted differently or more quickly in addressing the coronavirus if he weren't impeached by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

"I don't think I would have done any better if I had not been impeached," Trump told reporters in the White House briefing room Tuesday evening. "I don't think I would have acted any differently, or I don't think I would have acted any faster."

Trump was asked whether impeachment diverted his or his team's attention from the coronavirus, after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (R-Ky.) earlier Tuesday blamed Democrats for distracting the federal government from the outbreak because of the push to impeach the president.

Trump first answered that impeachment "probably" took up some of his attention but later insisted that he wouldn't have acted differently in response to the coronavirus.

More on Trump's remarks here. And more on McConnell's comments here.

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The 2020 angle

Americans are coming to grips with the fact that there will be no quick end to the coronavirus crisis -- a realization that will shake up the 2020 presidential race in profound ways. President Trump has sought to shift expectations in recent days, acknowledging that the de facto shutdown of the nation's economy will last longer than he had originally hoped and that the death toll will likely climb far higher.

But Democrats are by no means guaranteed to reap a political dividend from Trump's performance, even though the president underplayed the severity of the crisis in its early days -- and has been widely criticized in the media for doing so. The Hill's Niall Stanage on how the political world is grappling with the outbreak.

More from the administration

Trump leans on businesses in coronavirus response

Trump rejects opening ObamaCare special enrollment period amid coronavirus outbreak: report

Trump reviews Pelosi on morning TV: 'She wasn't bad'

Trump speaks with network service providers on coronavirus response

Trump administration tells hospitals ventilators can be shared among coronavirus patients

Fauci: Coronavirus mitigation measures can't be loosened

FDA authorizes new two-minute test for coronavirus

Treasury, SBA provide information on new small-business loan program

Pentagon has not yet sent 2,000 ventilators due to lack of shipment location

The Memo: Concerns grow over political pressure on coronavirus experts

Meadows joins White House in crisis mode

Why is the virus spreading? The CDC has some new insight...

CDC head: Up to 25 percent of those with coronavirus never show symptoms

As many as 25 percent of people with the coronavirus may never show symptoms, says Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield.

In a Tuesday interview with NPR, Redfield said that COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, spreads "far easier" than the flu, in part because it appears people can spread the virus up to 48 hours before they feel sick, if they even show symptoms at all.

"This helps explain how rapidly this virus continues to spread across the country because we have asymptomatic transmitters and we have individuals who are transmitting 48 hours before they become symptomatic," he said.

Why it matters: Because there is still not widespread testing for COVID-19 in the U.S., it's not known how many people actually have it.

Read more here.

More from the CDC: People with underlying conditions at greater risk of serious complications from coronavirus

New data from the CDC show that people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes and lung disease are more likely to become seriously ill or die if they contract the novel coronavirus.

About 78 percent of coronavirus patients who were admitted to intensive care units had at least one underlying health condition, CDC said.

The most common conditions were diabetes, chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease, but the agency also found a higher risk among smokers and people with hypertension, renal disease and coronary artery disease.

The critical message: People of any age with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk if they contract the virus.

More on that here.

Meanwhile in Congress...

Infrastructure bill gains new steam as coronavirus worsens

The coronavirus and its devastating effect on the economy is giving an old idea new traction with leaders in both parties: trillions of dollars in infrastructure spending.

President Trump on Tuesday called for $2 trillion in new public works programs as a national economic lifeline, backing an idea promoted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPowell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy Overnight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (D-Calif.) just a day earlier. Rank-and-file lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have quickly joined the chorus, framing infrastructure as a commonsense strategy for creating jobs amid mass layoffs sparked by the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Infrastructure has been on Capitol Hill's back burner for almost a year, after a brief and acrimonious White House meeting between Trump and Democratic leaders in May ended with the president lashing out at Pelosi and storming out of the room.

More on how the outbreak has opened the door for infrastructure spending.

Read more: Trump backs infrastructure bill as next phase of coronavirus relief

But... McConnell is not yet on board...

McConnell hits brakes on next economic stimulus package

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hit the brakes Tuesday on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) plan to move ahead with a fourth stimulus package that would include major infrastructure spending and other Democratic priorities.

"I think we need to wait a few days here, a few weeks, and see how things are working out," McConnell said on "The Hugh Hewitt Show."

"Let's see how things are going and respond accordingly," he added. "I'm not going to allow this to be an opportunity for the Democrats to achieve unrelated policy items that they would not otherwise be able to pass."

Read more here.

More from Congress

Democrats press Mnuchin to defend $2T coronavirus stimulus IG

McConnell launches ad touting role in passing coronavirus relief

Rick Scott calls for congressional probe into WHO over coronavirus response

New York representative to deploy with National Guard as part of coronavirus response

Maxine Waters unleashes over Trump COVID-19 response: 'Stop congratulating yourself! You're a failure'

And there was an important ruling in the courts...

Appeals court allows Texas to ban abortions during pandemic

A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that Texas can temporarily enforce a ban on abortions as part of its coronavirus response.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on a ruling from a lower court that had blocked Texas from enforcing the ban. State officials argue the ban is intended to conserve medical supplies for health workers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. But abortion rights advocates say states are using the pandemic as an excuse to block access.

In a 2-1 opinion, the appeals court ruled that the order from the lower court be stayed until an appeal from Texas is considered. The two judges who ruled in favor of a stay were nominated to their posts by President Trump and former President George W. Bush.

"The temporary stay ordered this afternoon justly prioritizes supplies and personal protective equipment for the medical professionals in need," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Tuesday.

Reaction from Planned Parenthood, which brought the lawsuit: "No other form of health care is being targeted this way -- only abortion," said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Don't be fooled: Gov. Abbott's use of his executive order to ban abortion has nothing to do with health or safety."

Read more here.

From states and cities:

New York City coronavirus death toll surpasses 1,000

New York City has released 900 inmates in response to coronavirus pandemic

DC mayor says she won't enforce stay-at-home order with heavy hand

California governor reports 6,932 coronavirus cases

Maryland's GOP governor: 'Just not true' when Trump says coronavirus testing problems over

Massachusetts governor extends stay-at-home advisory through May 4

Coronavirus cases in Louisiana spike by more than 30 percent in 24 hours

Louisiana pastor charged with misdemeanor for holding services despite coronavirus

From outside the US:

France reports nearly 500 new coronavirus deaths, highest single-day increase

Italy reports 837 new coronavirus deaths

India, Thailand, Germany warn of punishment for coronavirus misinformation on April Fools' Day

More tidbits:

'Pod Save America' host urges networks not to air Trump coronavirus briefings

Construction continues despite rising concerns over coronavirus

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo says he's tested positive for the coronavirus

Snowbirds in limbo as coronavirus upends travel plans

What we're reading

Test makers are moving fast, but the coronavirus may be moving faster (Stat News)

The legal scholar who shaped Trump's coronavirus response defends his theory (Vox)

Wartime Production Law Has Been Used Routinely, but Not With Coronavirus (New York Times)

What explains Covid-19's lethality for the elderly? Scientists look to 'twilight' of the immune system (Stat News)

State by state

New York, 'still in search of the apex,' sees another spike in coronavirus cases (NPR)

Pennsylvania gives $8 million to keep for-profit hospital open through April (Modern Healthcare)

New Jersey reports 18,696 coronavirus cases; 267 deaths (Fox 29)

Texas governor issues social distancing order through April, closes schools until May 4 (KXAN)

Colorado's decision to shut down ski resorts over coronavirus seems obvious now. Should it have come sooner? (Denver Post)