Coronavirus updates: Trump to close US-Mexico border; NY, Illinois unleash strict rules; 150 Detroit cops quarantined

President Donald Trump announced new federal actions Friday in efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus and relieve the economic effects of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Tax Day has been moved back to July and U.S. students won't have to take annual state tests this year. California, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania also took bold action to slow the spread of coronavirus.

As COVID-19 continues to dramatically alter lives, the U.S. hit two grim landmarks on Friday — at least 221 deaths and over 17,300 confirmed cases. Worldwide, the death toll has topped 11,200, as Italy saw its biggest one-day increase Friday. There are more than 259,000 confirmed cases around the globe, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard.

Among the measures Trump announced Friday:

• Restricting nonessential travel between the U.S. and Mexico

• Allowing borrowers with federal student loans to be able to pause their payments for two months without interest accruing

• Enacting the Defense Production Act to get critical medical supplies 

The president said, though, he doesn’t see the need for a national lockdown. "I don’t think we’ll ever find that necessary," he said.

Our live blog on the coronavirus is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news. More headlines:

• Half of the hotels in the U.S. could shutter. That's according to Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

• Scientists are in all-out global effort to find a coronavirus vaccine: There are 41 in the works.

• Coronavirus, allergies or flu? Here's the difference between COVID-19 and other illnesses.

• Household essentials are selling out across the country. Here's where to get them.

• Stranded Americans seek US helpamid global lockdown: 'I can't help but feel we are abandoned'

Tax Day deadline moved back

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Friday that the deadline for Americans to file their taxes would be moved back from April 15 to July 15. 

"All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties," Mnuchin tweeted.

Earlier this week, the IRS had deferred the payment deadline to July 15 but had left April 15 filing deadline in place.

US-Mexico border will close for nonessential travel 

The U.S.-Mexico border will be closed to nonessential travel to further help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, Trump announced Friday.

"As we did with Canada, we're also working with Mexico to implement new rules at our ports of entry to suspend nonessential travel," Trump said. "These new rules and procedures will not impede lawful trade and commerce." Trump said that Mexico is also suspending air travel from Europe.

The expected announcement follows the closure of the border between the U.S. and Canada to nonessential travel, which was announced Wednesday. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the closure would happen at midnight Friday.Read more