The coronavirus pandemic has dominated headlines for the better part of 2020. Keep up to date by checking this live blog every day for major updates related to COVID-19 and its impact on the world economy, U.S. markets and the health of the global population.
All times are in Eastern Daylight Time.
The Latest News On Coronavirus: UK confirmed #coronavirus cases rise 26% to 1,950 in past 24 hours
March 17, 11:51 a.m.: UK confirmed #coronavirus cases rise 26% to 1,950 in past 24 hours
UK confirmed #coronavirus cases rise 26% to 1,950 in past 24 hours pic.twitter.com/RfgUrXMUwD
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 17, 2020
March 17: Trump Administration Pitches $850-Billion Coronavirus Stimulus Package
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will ask Senate Republicans for an $850-billion stimulus package on Tuesday intended to tackle the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
This plan includes roughly $50 billion for the struggling airline industry, the newspaper said.
March 17, 4:22 a.m.: Volkswagen confirmed on Tuesday that its European plants are preparing for a shutdown of at least two weeks, mainly led by supply-chain constraints amidst coronavirus outbreak.
The carmaker confirmed that 31 of its 33 Chinese production sites were back up-and-running. The company refused to issue a precise outlook for 2020, saying, "it is virtually impossible to issue a reliable forecast."
March 17, 3:26 a.m.: France Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday that the country's measures to help companies and employees fight the coronavirus storm would cost €45 billion. Also, ammunition would include €300 billion of French state guarantees for bank loans to businesses.
Mr. Le Maire added that the French government was assuming the economy would narrow down by almost 1% in 2020, instead of growing more than 1% as earlier estimated.
March 17, 2:00 a.m.: U.S. drugmaker Pfizer has signed a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE to co-develop a potential vaccine for the coronavirus using BioNTech's mRNA-based drug development platform, the companies said on Tuesday.
March 17, 12:23 a.m.: Thailand recorded 30 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the total to 177, an official from the Ministry of Public Health said. He further added that Eleven of the new cases are connected to a crowded boxing match that saw a large number of coronavirus cases, while other cases are those that worked closely with foreigners.
March 17, 12:19 a.m.: Amazon.com announced that it would hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the U.S. in order to handle the rising online orders. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, many consumers have turned to the web to meet their needs.
Like Amazon, U.S. supermarket chains Albertsons, Kroger and Raley's have sought new hires to staff busy sections and fulfill online orders.
March 17, 12:17 a.m.: Tesla CEO Elon Musk told its employees in an email that they don't have to come to work if they're sick or concerned about the coronavirus. To his knowledge, Musk said that no Tesla employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
"Much is made of public gatherings, but please be cautious of family gatherings, too," he said. "What is relatively harmless to a child can be dangerous to grandparents."
March 16, 11:45 p.m.: Japan's economy narrowed at a 7.1% annualized rate in October-December with economists expecting another contraction in the current period.
According to the Reuters Tankan survey, Japanese business confidence plunged to decade lows in March amid the coronavirus outbreak. The sentiment index at manufacturers fell to minus 20 in March from minus 5 in the previous month, while the service-sector gauge dropped 25 points to minus 10, the poll showed. A negative figure means pessimists outnumber optimists.
March 16, 11:18 p.m.: As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe and more governments lock down borders, there is a clear shift in the epicenter with cases outside China surpassing those inside it.
The central Chinese city of Wuhan that was the former epicenter where the viral illness was first detected in December, was down to just one new case on Tuesday. Overall, China reported 21 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, 20 of them imported.
China this week relaxed travel restrictions in Hubei, sending thousands of workers back to long-shuttered factories.
March 16, 11:06 p.m.: According to the state planner, China’s economy will return to normal in the second quarter as government support measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic take effect.
Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also told reporters during a briefing that China has ample policy tools and will roll out relevant measures at an appropriate time.
March 16, 9:47 p.m.: In response to the wide impact of the coronavirus epidemic, the Philippines became the first country to halt its stock, bond and currency trading effective Tuesday, until further notice. The virus has infected at least 140 people in the Philippines and killed a dozen.
The US-listed exchange-traded fund that tracks the Philippine market plunged 19.5% on Monday after the bourse announced it was shutting.
March 16, 9:14 p.m.: As the coronavirus spreads rapidly across the U.S., The House unanimously passed a revised coronavirus emergency bill sending it to the Senate to take it up. The Senate could take up The House's multi-billion package as early as Tuesday.
March 16, 9:33 p.m.: Amid the battle to combat the coronavirus outbreak, New Zealand has announced a $12.1 billion (representing 4% of GDP) economic rescue package. A major share of $5.1 billion will be for wage subsidies for affected businesses in all sectors and regions, effective Tuesday.
A dedicated $500 million fund for health was also announced. It includes extra intensive care capacity and equipment for hospitals, support for GPs and primary care and improving video conferencing and telehealth consultations.
March 16, 7:46 p.m.: To combat the coronavirus outbreak, the California Legislature approved up to $1 billion in new spending on Monday and further suspended work for the next month amid efforts to contain the illness.
Lawmakers agreed on Monday to stay away until April 13, the first unexpected work stoppage in 158 years. But legislative leaders in either chamber can decide to reconvene, and they can extend the recess if necessary.
March 16, 4:00 p.m.: President Trump has advised to not hold gatherings of more than 10 individuals for the next 15 days. He also said the economy might already be in a recession and that the CDC has recommended people stop visiting bars and restaurants, but he didn't go as far as to mandate that they shut down.
March 16, 2:45 p.m.: Actor Idris Elba announces he has tested positive for COVID-19
This morning I tested positive for Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing No panic. pic.twitter.com/Lg7HVMZglZ
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 16, 2020
March 16, 2:00 p.m.: The MLB has announced it is suspending opening season:
MLB statement pic.twitter.com/kQ2YqEkBH1
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) March 16, 2020
March 16, 12:56 p.m.: Coronavirus vaccine test opens as U.S. volunteer gets first shot, according to The Associated Press.
March 16, 9:30 a.m.: Trading was halted at the market open as the S&P fell down 7% and triggered a ciruit breaker.
March 16, 8:51 a.m.: Health and Human Services has suffered a cyber attack, according to Bloomberg.
"The attack appears to have been intended to slow the agency’s systems down, but didn’t do so in any meaningful way, said the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss an incident that was not public"
March 16, 4:24 a.m.: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday that the government would create a $4 billion anti-crisis fund to shield its economy from the coronavirus epidemic.
He further added that new support measures would include tax breaks for tourism and airline companies and that Russia would expand its preferential loans program for businesses.
Russia may miss its growth targets this year as a sharp drop in the oil price, the country's main export, has led the ruble sinking to four-year lows against the dollar.
March 16, 4:00 a.m.: With retail, manufacturing sectors facing rising input costs, an outbreak of coronavirus is estimated to cost the Egyptian economy $6.4 billion in the first quarter.
Tourism, aviation and real estate sectors were impacted the most, according to Abdel El Moneem El Sayed, Chairman of Cairo Centre for Economic and Strategic Studies.
"If the economic impact spills over into the second quarter, this figure is expected to double," he further added.
March 16, 3:03 a.m.: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday revealed a year-over-year dip of 13.5% in China industrial output for January - February, during the coronavirus outbreak. It's the fastest pace of decline in three decades, which reflects greater damage than the global financial crisis.
China’s jobless rate rose to 6.2% in February, compared with 5.2% in December and the highest since the official records were published.
March 16, 3:00 a.m.: New York and Los Angeles city mayors ordered restaurants, gyms, theaters, bars and movie theaters closed in an effort to contain the epidemic. Only via delivery or take-out options would be available for selling food.
Separately, New York City would shut the U.S. largest public school system as early as Tuesday, sending over 1.1 million children home. MGM resorts announced that all Las Vegas casinos would be closed until further notice.
March 16, 1:30 a.m.: After the U.S. interest rate cut overnight, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) decided on additional easing measures at a policy board meeting on Monday amid coronavirus outbreak.
BOJ decided to raise the annual corporate bond purchase target by ¥2 trillion and to introduce a new corporate loan plan.
March 16, 1:15 a.m.: Turkey Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Monday that the country had recorded 12 new cases making it the highest daily rise since it announced its first case last week.
March 16, 12:34 a.m.: While Google is still working on a coronavirus screening and tracking website, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) Bing team has already launched a web portal for tracking COVID-19 infections worldwide.
The COVID-19 Tracker, accessible at bing.com/covid, currently lists 168,835 as total confirmed cases, 84,558 active cases, 77,761 recovered cases and 6,516 deaths.
March 16, 12:07 a.m.: A clinical trial for a vaccine against the coronavirus will begin on Monday at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. The first participants (45 young, healthy volunteers) will be funded by the National Institutes of Health, and it would take 12 to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine.
At the same time, Israeli scientists are on the verge of developing a vaccine themselves, The Jerusalem Post reported. They have been for the last four years already developing a vaccine against infectious bronchitis virus, which affects poultry.
March 15, 11:15 p.m.: Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google has partnered with the U.S. government to launch a nationwide website on Monday dedicated to coronavirus health information, education, prevention, and local resources.
Also, Alphabet's life sciences company Verily is collaborating with the California Governor's office, federal, state and local public health authorities to launch a pilot of a COVID-19 testing website in the San Francisco Bay Area Monday. The pilot program will begin in the Bay Area because it has the highest volume of known cases.
March 15, 10:25 p.m.: The hardest hit in European countries, Italy recorded 368 new coronavirus deaths - its largest number of fatalities in a day since the start of the outbreak.
March 15, 9:44 p.m.: The Financial Services Forum, which represents eight of the nation's largest banks, agreed to stop buying back their own shares through the second quarter.
Amidst the coronavirus epidemic, the banks said that they would focus on supporting individuals, small businesses and the broader economy through lending and other important services. The eight banks, which include JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC), had earlier decided to repurchase $119 billion of shares in the four quarters.
March 15, 9:35 p.m.: The Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe made a statement that "the bank stands ready to purchase Australian government bonds in the secondary market to support the smooth functioning of that market, which is a key pricing benchmark for the Australian financial system."
March 15, 9:13 p.m.: In the early stages of the 2020 Democratic debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, coronavirus dominated with the White House hopefuls portraying to be better equipped to handle the crisis than President Donald Trump.
March 15, 6:56 p.m.: With 14 new cases of the coronavirus in Australia's capital Victoria reported overnight, a state of emergency has been declared to contain the spread. Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and South Australia also declared a state of emergency as total cases in the continent stand at 300.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the national 14-day isolation sanction for all travelers into Australia.
March 15, 5:14 p.m.: The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to 0-0.25% amid coronavirus pandemic.
March 15, 3:53 p.m.: According to Public Health England (PHE), every four in five are expected to contract the coronavirus in the U.K. With the epidemic rising, almost 80% of the population is estimated to be infected in the next 12 months. It may lead to 7.9 million (15% of the population) people requiring hospitalization lasting until next spring.
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, says, " it will dip in the summer, towards the end of June, and come back in November, in the way that usual seasonal flu does. I think it will be around forever, but become less severe over time, as immunity builds up.”
March 15, 2:20 p.m.: President Trump tested negative for the novel coronavirus. “Last night, after an in-depth discussion with the President regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed,” Sean Conley, the physician to the president, said in a statement released by the White House. “This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative.”
March 15, 9 a.m.: Nike (NYSE: NKE) will close its retail stores across the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand through March 27.
March 14, 5 p.m.: Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) will shorten hours at its retail outlets and also suspend yoga classes and run clubs.
March 14, 12:31 p.m.: President Trump, at a Saturday White House press conference, says he has been tested for the coronavirus and the test will be completed in the next few days.
The Trump administration also confirmed it will be adding Ireland and the U.K. to the list of countries on the coronavirus travel ban.
March 14, 11 a.m.: Apple announced it will be closing all retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27.
March 13, 3:33 p.m.: President Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus. The emergency declaration will make $50 billion available for states, Trump said from the White House Rose Garden The money can be used for a variety of needs, such as paying for tests, supplies, vaccination and extra help from medical workers, he said.
March 13, 1:32 p.m.: Louisiana becomes first state to postpone Democratic primary.
#BREAKING Louisiana 1st US state to postpone Democratic primary over virus: official pic.twitter.com/hKPEo4QOEt
— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 13, 2020
March 13, 11:07 a.m.: President Trump announced he will hold a press conference at the White House at 3 p.m. EST to address the coronavirus pandemic.
I will be having a news conference today at 3:00 P.M., The White House. Topic: CoronaVirus!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2020
March 13, 10:06 a.m.: The PGA has cancelled The Masters and has posted a statement to their official Twitter account.
Statement from Chairman Ridley:
"Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone @TheMasters, @anwagolf and @DriveChipPutt National Finals."
Full details at https://t.co/FX2AN1MLsY pic.twitter.com/Z2DjS5TYdG
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 13, 2020
March 13, 9:10 a.m.: The FDA has granted "emergency use" to a new coronavirus test that could prove to be up to 10-times faster than current tests, as reported by Bloomberg.
Also, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has reopened all its stores in China as cases of the virus steadily decline.
March 13, 3:48 a.m.: Kenya’s Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe announced that the first case of the coronavirus has been confirmed in the country, reported Reuters. The patient, who was diagnosed March 12, had traveled to Kenya from the U.S. via London.
Kagwe said that the government has taken preventative measures and is monitoring the patient who is stable, reported Standard Media. They are also in the process of tracing all the people who’ve been in contact with the patient.
March 13, 2:45 a.m.: Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announced on Friday that he tested positive for the coronavirus.
March 13, 2:08 a.m.: Google reported that an employee from one of its South India offices, in Bengaluru, has been confirmed positive with COVID-19. Employees from the office have been requested to work from home.
March 13, 12:50 a.m.: China's Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, has recorded five new cases on Friday with no locally transmitted infections in the rest of the country, reported ABS-CBN News.
National Health Commission reported that for the second time in a row, the count is less than 10 with the previous day recording 8 cases. "Broadly speaking, the peak of the epidemic has passed for China," commission spokesman Mi Feng said, according to Reuters.
March 12, 10:00 p.m.: Italy's Civil Protection Agency said that the country's death toll from the coronavirus has surged 23% to 1,016 in the past 24 hours, with a total of 5,113 people infected.
March 12, 5:38 p.m.: The opening race of the 2020 Formula One season, Grand Prix in Melbourne scheduled for Sunday, has been canceled amid rising coronavirus fears.
McLaren pulled out of the race after a member of its crew tested positive for coronavirus while in Melbourne.
March 12, 4:45 p.m.: Disneyland (NYSE: DIS) California and California Adventure will close through April starting Saturday.
March Madness has been officially cancelled.
Turner Sports and CBS Sports Joint Statement on Cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament: pic.twitter.com/pBpzxUs5fL
— March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) March 12, 2020
March 12, 3:00 p.m.: The U.S. Federal Reserve announced a new plan to pump $1 trillion in additional liquidity into the financial system.
“These changes are being made to address highly unusual disruptions in Treasury financing markets associated with the coronavirus outbreak,” the Fed said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
March 12, 1:35 p.m.: The National Hockey League said it is pausing its 2019-20 regular season due to coronavirus concerns, with 189 games remaining.
March 12, 1:15 p.m.: Intercontinental Exchange Inc (NYSE: ICE), which owns the NYSE, adopted early precautions to preempt the spread of the coronavirus. It called off tours, blocked visitors and cancelled the traditional executive bell-ringing.
March 12, 12:30 p.m.: Dr Robert Redfield, head of CDC, has committed the department to cover the full cost of testing and isolation for any and all Americans regardless of insurance.
March 12, 12 p.m.: The Big 10 has cancelled the remainder of the Big Ten tournament
The Big Ten Conference announced today that it will be canceling the remainder of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, effective immediately.
The Big Ten Conference announced today that it will be canceling the remainder of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, effective immediately.https://t.co/MeQMNScXKQ
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) March 12, 2020
March 12, 11:15 a.m.: Coronavirus expert Dr. Fauci and CDC head Dr. Redfield testify before House
March 12, 11 a.m.: Joe Biden To Address Coronavirus From Hometown
Biden plans to deliver a speech Thursday from his hometown in Wilmington, Del., on the coronavirus pandemic, an effort to show leadership on an issue that has become central to the campaign while President Trump faces criticism for having played down the severity of the global crisis.
March 12, 9 a.m.: Carnival Corp’s (NYSE: CCL) Princess Cruises has taken the initiative and announced a voluntary pause of worldwide cruises for 60 days due to the coronavirus spread.
Princess Cruises says it plans to be back in operation by May 11.
March 12, 7 a.m.: The global coronavirus pandemic is likely to be over by June, according to Zhong Nanshan, the Chinese government’s senior medical adviser.
Also: What You'll Need To Have At Home In Case Of Quarantine
March 11, 9:31 p.m.: The NBA suspends its season until further notice after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus.
March 11, 9:14 p.m.: Actor Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife Rite have contracted the coronavirus.
March 11, 9:05 p.m.: President Donald Trump declared a 30-day travel ban from Europe to the United States, effective March 13.
March 11, 4:45 p.m. ET: NCAA President Mark Emmert said NCAA Division I basketball tournament games will be played without fans in the arenas.
March 11: The World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus as a pandemic. The organization defines a pandemic as a disease that has become widespread around the world. WHO is "deeply concerned" by the "spread and severity" of the virus, said director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom.
All The Major Events Canceled By Coronavirus
The Latest: The Latest: MLB and NHL Suspends Seasons
Also: Sandler Joins Chorus Of Entertainers To Postpone/Cancel Tours
Adam Sandler decided to postpone his March tour dates. The will offer refunds, but promised that tickets will still be honored at a later date if they are not returned.
Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus has called off a trip to Australia; Madonna shows in Paris have been cancelled after French authorities banned large gatherings; Pearl Jam postponed its U.S. and Canada tour.
For the latest on events cancelled due to coronavirus, go here.
How Coronavirus Has Grown In The U.S.
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 17
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 13
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 12
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 11
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 10
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 9
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 6
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 5
Below is a snapshot of confirmed COVID-19 cases in North America as of March 4. Screenshot courtesy of Johns Hopkins University.
