Economists at Goldman Sachs estimated Thursday some 2.25 million Americans filed for their first week of unemployment benefits this week — the fastest rush of jobless claims in U.S. history. Many of those working outside of their homes report traumatic levels of stress and a dangerous lack of safety equipment.

In San Diego, hospital nurses treating COVID-19 patients are protesting a new policy that allows the use of less-protective surgical masks, instead of more-protective N95 respirator masks, which are in short supply.

In California’s fields, farmworkers, many of whom are immigrants, say they’re caught between the risk of catching the coronavirus and not earning enough to feed their families.

Minnesota and Vermont have classified grocery store clerks as emergency personnel and will offer them free child care.