There’s a lot going on. Here are today’s COVID-19 updates that you should know.
Your daily dose of hope
The Federal Reserve on Monday announced a package of programs designed to steady the US economy, including purchasing Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities to support “smooth market functioning,” and establishing new lending programs that will provide up to $300 billion.
Apple is donating millions of N95 masks to healthcare professionals in the US and Europe. Telsa, General Motors, and Ford are working on plans to produce ventilators and other medical equipment.
Several states, including New York, California, and Illinois, are temporarily loosening their liquor laws by allowing restaurants and bars to sell liquor to go. One bar in Oakland, Calif., reportedly sold out of the bottled tiki drinks it had produced on Friday within two hours.
Medical researchers report that an old technique involving the collection of antibodies from those who have recovered from COVID-19 is showing promise in helping fight the spread of the disease.
Cybersecurity professionals are banding together to defeat cybercriminals intent on exploiting people’s pandemic fears.
News you need to know
India placed millions of its residents, including those in New Delhi and Mumbai, under lockdown until March 31. More than 1.5 billion people across the globe have been told to stay home in an effort to fend off the spread of COVID-19, according to the Associated Press.
In the US, Michigan and Massachusetts are the latest states to order people to stay at home. Michigan’s restrictions take effect Tuesday and goes to April 13; Massachusetts’ stay at home order lasts until April 7.
The number of initial jobless claims filed in the US jumped fourfold to 281,000 last week, but is expected to soar into the low millions when updated figures are released Thursday.
Health officials report that loss of smell and taste could be symptoms of coronavirus
As of 12:48 p.m. EST, there are 354,677 confirmed COVID-19 globally, and 15,436 deaths. Italy has recorded the most deaths, 5,476. These numbers were reported by John Hopkins University of Medicine.
Data point of the day
Stay informed on data, thought leadership, and business-related updates surrounding COVID-19 HERE.
Quote of the day:
“No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away.”― Haruki Murakami
