COVID-19 4/1 UPDATE

COVID-19 4/1 Update

Globally Total cases – 887,067 Total deaths – 44,264

In the United States Total cases – 190,740 Total deaths – 4,127

Government

Please see attached for two documents put together by the Monument team around the UI benefits and SBA loans provisions in the CARES Act, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Administration • The White House will formally reissue nationwide coronavirus guidelines today after President Trump — faced with dire models showing up to 200,000 American deaths and polls indicating support for and calamitous scenes at New York hospitals — determined another 30 days were necessary to avert disaster. o Not all of Trump's advisers support the decision, and some have privately questioned the models his health advisers used to convince him the distancing efforts were necessary, multiple people familiar with the matter said. o Trump faced intense pressure from business leaders and some conservative economists to reopen some parts of the country before ultimately deciding against it. o There has been internal debate over whether to ease the social distancing efforts. Some aides recommended the President only extend them another 15 days, but health advisers argued a month was necessary, people familiar with the discussions said. Trump told aides it would be better to ease the guidelines earlier than expected rather than have to extend them again. o The guidelines are expected to last until April 30. • Almost all members of the White House coronavirus task force agree that Americans should begin wearing face coverings in public to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and could issue formal guidance soon, CNN reports, citing people familiar with the matter. o The recommendation may be for “courtesy masks,” not masks that are needed by health-care workers o President Trump signaled he was open to the idea during Tuesday’s briefing o Earlier: White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said the guidance on masks is still hypothetical • US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams confirmed during an appearance on Good Morning America today that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “taking another look” at whether healthy people should wear masks to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. o “Initially, the CDC, the World Health Organization and my office recommended against the general public wearing masks based on the best available science at the time in terms of whether or not it prevented the wearer from catching coronavirus,” Adams told ABC’s Robin Roberts. • Dr. said he would "lean towards" recommending that the general public wear face masks "if we do not have the problem of taking away masks from the health care workers who need them.” • Vice President Mike Pence said that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking at the issue of masks "as a protective measure" for all Americans "right now." o He said that the White House task force will make a recommendation on that to President Trump. o On the timing of that recommendation, Pence told CNN's Wolf Blitzer during an interview today, "We'll bring those recommendations to the President at the appropriate time • President warned Americans that the country faces “a very tough two weeks,” as his top public health officials revealed an estimate that as many as 240,000 Americans could die from the coronavirus outbreak. o “This is going to be a painful two weeks,” Trump said Tuesday at a White House briefing. “Our strength will be tested, our endurance will be tried.” o The information helped persuade Trump to back away from his wish to possibly begin easing “social distancing” guidelines and extend them until April 30, despite the damage those tactics have done to the U.S. economy. • , the top public health official coordinating the coronavirus task force, revealed the data -- the same information that propelled Trump to retreat from ambitions to urge Americans back to work by Easter. She cited an estimate that U.S. deaths would be between 100,000 and 200,000 even with the most stringent mitigation measures in place. o During the briefing, a slide was displayed showing one projection where even with efforts by communities to mitigate the virus, deaths could reach as high as 240,000. • Birx and Anthony Fauci, the leading scientists on the White House coronavirus task force, have said that several public studies bolster their belief the virus could exact an even greater death toll in the coming weeks. • Vice President Mike Pence said the worst of the coronavirus for the United States could be over by early June if all guidelines are followed. o “I hope people look at what happens if all of us continue to do our part, and that is by some time in early June, we could well have the coronavirus largely behind us as a nation, reopen our country, put America back to work,” Pence told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. • Treasury Dept and Small Business Administration begin effort with banks and lenders to distribute funds to small businesses under the economic stimulus bill, according to statement. o Depts expect to have program up and running by April 3 so businesses can go to participating lenders, banks, credit unions and apply for a loan and be approved on the same day • President Donald Trump called on Congress to provide $2 trillion for U.S. infrastructure, seizing on the coronavirus outbreak to try once again to advance one of his longest-standing priorities. o Trump said in a tweet on Tuesday that timing is good for a massive infrastructure bill -- a measure to fund construction and repairs of roads, bridges, railroads or other public works projects -- because interest rates are close to zero. Trump has long advocated for an infrastructure plan but has never settled on how to finance it. • President Donald Trump will hold a call Tuesday with telecom giants including Verizon Communications Inc., as wireless and internet service providers experience significant new strains on their networks while Americans telework their way through the coronavirus outbreak. o In addition to Verizon, internet providers including Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. were invited to participate, according to two people familiar with the call. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. • Treasury Dept and IRS today launch Employee Retention Credit to encourage businesses to keep workers on their payroll, with a 50% refundable tax credit of up to $10,000 in wages. o State and local governments and small businesses who take Small Business Loans are not eligible, according to Treasury • The Federal Reserve is acting as central banker to the world by seeking to provide the global financial system with the dollar liquidity it needs to avoid seizing up. o In its latest measure to combat the economic fallout from the coronarvirus pandemic, the Fed said Tuesday it was establishing a temporary repurchase agreement facility to allow foreign central banks to swap any Treasury securities they hold for cash. That’s yet another step beyond the actions it took in the 2008 financial crisis. • SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee will host a meeting via video conference on April 2 in response to challenges small businesses face in dealing with the Covid- 19 pandemic, the agency says in a statement. o Meeting set for 12pm-1:30pm time will be webcast live • Federal Trade Commission received 7,800 virus-related complaints from consumers, double the number a week ago, agency says in a statement. o Top categories of complaints relate to travel and vacation, online shopping, mobile- texting scams, and government- and business-imposter scams • The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announces efforts Tuesday to make the processing of home loans easier during the coronavirus crisis. o Fannie and Freddie will allow desktop appraisals on new construction loans, and grant flexibility to borrowers in demonstrating that construction has been completed, FHFA says in a statement o Borrowers can provide documentation, rather than inspections, to get renovation disbursements • President Trump said that there are almost 10,000 ventilators being “held back” from distribution because “the surge is coming.” o “We also are holding back quite a bit. We have almost 10,000 ventilators that we have ready to go. We have to hold them back, because the surge is coming and it's coming pretty strong and we want to be able to immediately move it into place without going and taking it, so we're ready to go," Trump said. o Trump previously said he thinks it would be difficult to get equipment back from states and redistributed once they have been issued to hospitals • The US Army has begun calling up members of the Individual Ready Reserve on a voluntary basis in order to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus — another sign that the US military is seeking to bolster its medical capability as the pandemic continues to spread. o "On March 29, Human Resources Command sent messages regarding the voluntary recall to nearly 10,000 members of the (Individual Ready Reserve) with specific medical skills," Lt. Col. Emmanuel Ortiz told CNN in a statement. "Protecting our citizens from the coronavirus is a vital call to action. We need the help of many of our Individual Ready Reserve medical professionals. They possess valuable training, education, skills and talents necessary to win this fight." • Despite having committed to transferring 2,000 ventilators in military stocks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services to fight the coronavirus, none of the ventilators have been shipped by the Department of Defense because the agencies have not asked for them or provided a shipping location, the Pentagon’s top logistics official said Tuesday. o In order to ship the badly needed equipment, the Defense Department has to have a location from civilian authorities who have to decide where the items are most needed. o “There was discussion with HHS on where to send them. And then they said hey wait, we’re trying to take a look at the demand that’s required, and so we were asked to just wait while there was just some sorting through on that. And I won’t speak on behalf of them, but we were in a position to provide 2,000,” said Lt General Giovanni Tuck. • The US federal prison system will move to a heightened state of lockdown as it fights the spread of coronavirus behind bars, the Bureau of Prisons announced. o Beginning Wednesday, inmates will be confined to their cells for a two-week period, with exceptions for certain programs and services like mental-health treatment and education. o Limited group gatherings -- like access to prison stores, laundry, showers and the telephone -- will be "afforded to the extent practical," the agency said. • The Pentagon on Monday approved a Department of Homeland Security request for additional personnel on the southern border to help DHS cope with potential coronavirus related issues, a US defense official told CNN. o The number of additional troops is expected to be about 540. The US military personnel will be performing similar missions to those currently being performed by forces on the US-Mexico border. • A U.S. Navy captain’s dramatic plea to evacuate most sailors from an aircraft carrier struck by the coronavirus was tamped down by an admiral who called for a more gradual rotation of crew members off the ship that’s sidelined in . o Citing an “ongoing and accelerating” danger on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Captain Brett Crozier sent his Navy superiors a memo pleading, “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die.” He called for removing all but a skeleton crew off the carrier, where sailors are in close quarters, so that they can be isolated and tested. • A Russian military plane loaded with medical equipment took off from outside of Moscow Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin offered Donald Trump help for the U.S. battle with coronavirus. • China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths it’s suffered from the disease, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the White House, according to three U.S. officials. o The officials asked not to be identified because the report is secret and declined to detail its contents. But the thrust, they said, is that China’s public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete. Two of the officials said the report concludes that China’s numbers are fake. • Trump will participate in a call at 2:30 p.m. with military families on the response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to the White House. • Speaking at his daily coronavirus briefing last night, Trump said low rates would allow the country to borrow cheaply to finance spending on any infrastructure plans being floated for a fourth coronavirus legislative package. He said none of the funds should go toward environmental initiatives called for in the Democrats’ Green New Deal. • Due to continued circumstances related to COVID-19 and newly-issued guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have determined to extend the temporary postponement of Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) hearings scheduled through Friday, May 1, 2020. All presently scheduled hearings will be rescheduled. The Departments will continually review conditions related to COVID-19 and will make further determinations as necessary in order to ensure that all MPP hearings can proceed as expeditiously as possible when appropriate. • Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would give companies a 90-day grace period on paying tariffs, people familiar with the plans told POLITICO. The move would come after business groups and lawmakers have pleaded for tariff relief for weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic that has hit the U.S. economy. o Not all tariffs, though: Administration officials who have been wrangling over different versions of a tariff relief proposal have settled on one that would not apply to tariffs on Chinese goods or the Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Retaliatory duties on imports from the European Union as a result of the Airbus dispute would also remain in place. o Trump's order would cover most-favored nation tariffs that apply to the full range of imports on a global basis. • Trump admin.’s coronavirus task force is examining USAID shipments to countries requesting personal protective equipment for the virus outbreak, Politico reports citing people involved in the discussions. o Admin. has placed a moratorium on overseas shipments of USAID’s stockpiles of gear, asking that the equipment be sent to the U.S. instead, Politico says, citing other officials • U.S Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said on the “Today” show that he has been in talks with the head of the national stockpile to come up with a "better way" for states to access the ventilators that are needed to treat some of the sickest Covid-19 patients. • The Trump administration will not reopen enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act despite the coronavirus outbreak, a White House official said on Tuesday night. o The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said last week that it was considering such a move. o Americans who don’t currently have coverage may see if they qualify for “special enrollment periods” if they’ve lost their job or have been subject to other life-changing circumstances, a CMS representative said then. • Small businesses could begin tapping into the $350 billion small business lending program that Congress established to fight widespread business closings and layoffs as soon as Friday. • Current regulations can excuse delays beyond a contractor’s control and allow for “equitable adjustment,” or payment requests, to companies for difficulties caused by schedule slips, Acting Pentagon Pricing and Contracting Director Kim Herrington says in March 30 memo. • The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today announced that distribution of economic impact payments will begin in the next three weeks and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. However, some seniors and others who typically do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the stimulus payment. (HERE) • The Treasury Department is delaying tax payment due dates for wine, beer, distilled spirits, tobacco products, firearms, and ammunition excise taxes, to provide flexibility for businesses that have been negatively affected by COVID-19. HERE) • On Sunday, the Food and Drug Administration issued a revised Emergency Use Authorization to allow the large-scale use of a system created by Battelle Memorial Institute to decontaminate used N95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic. (HERE) • HHS and FEMA are working with multiple partners that include healthcare systems, academic institutions, professional medical societies, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine to develop crisis standards of care strategies for ventilator support when resources are limited. (HERE) • Secretary DeVos, along with several senior Department officials, held a conference call today with higher education leaders to provide an update on the Trump Administration’s whole-of- government response to the coronavirus national emergency. (HERE) • The U.S. Department of Transportation today issued a show cause order proposing parameters for initially implementing the authority granted to the Secretary of Transportation by Sections 4005 and 4114 of the CARES Act(HERE) • EPA will temporarily allow manufacturers of certain already-registered EPA disinfectants to obtain certain active ingredients from any source of suppliers without checking with the agency first. (HERE) • At the request of FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teams are evaluating facilities for possible conversion into alternate care facilities as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (HERE)

Capitol Hill

• Democrats want any “phase four” coronavirus relief bill to boost funding for community health centers, broadband and clean water as well as roads and bridges, Speaker Nancy Pelosi tells reporters. o “We need to invest in our infrastructure to address some of the critical impacts and vulnerabilities that have been laid bare by the coronavirus,” she says o Democrats’ plan will include provisions from earlier “Buy American” infrastructure plan o Plan includes $10b for community health centers o “Our goal is to ensure that there is a community health center within commuting distance of every American,” Rep.James Clyburn, the third highest ranking House Democrat, tells reporters • Pelosi last week raised the prospect of infrastructure legislation as part of the next round of fiscal stimulus, and President Trump on Tuesday called for $2 trillion in spending on U.S. roads, bridges and tunnels • The Trump admin. should end sanctions against Iran as the country battles the Covid-19 outbreak, Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, Sen.Bernie Sanders and almost 30 other Democratic lawmakers say in letter to President Trump. o “In a particularly troubling development, the Trump administration levied additional sanctions against Iran on March 18,” according to statement • Senate Democrats call on Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin to provide every tool available to a new inspector general who will oversee hundreds of billions in aid to curb economic fallout from the coronavirus. o “This oversight authority was critical for gaining support for your request for over $500 billion to aid struggling companies, states, municipalities, and other troubled entities,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Sherrod Brown and Ron Wyden write in letter to Mnuchin o Several White House aides were unhappy that Mnuchin agreed to the oversight in the first place, according to two people familiar with the matter • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Ro Khanna tell U.S. Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza that start-up businesses should be considered in Trump admin. regulatory guidance when implementing the $2T coronavirus relief package. o Pelosi and Khanna, who both represent the San Francisco Bay area, say Silicon Valley is home to thousands of startups alone; they want the administration to issue guidance on how the Paycheck Protection Program would help such companies • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Tuesday asked the company about its data collection and encryption practices. "The millions of Americans now unexpectedly attending school, celebrating birthdays, seeking medical help, and sharing evening drinks with friends over during the Coronavirus pandemic should not have to add privacy and cybersecurity fears to their ever-growing list of worries," Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan. • The House passed a bill (H.R. 6322) yesterday by unanimous consent that would preserve Veterans Affairs Department benefits for additional students who can’t complete their courses due to Covid-19. It would expand on similar legislation enacted March 21 (Public Law 116-128), authorizing payments or extending eligibility periods for students who participate in work-study or vocational rehabilitation programs, are affected by school closures, or can’t take courses online. o The measure — backed by House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D- Calif.), ranking member Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), and several veterans groups — is similar to language in a sweeping coronavirus response package (H.R. 6379) that House Democratic leaders released last week. • Democrats are urging the Interior Department to close the Grand Canyon and other national parks to visitors, in order to deter people from crowding in parks and disregarding social distancing guidelines. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt earlier this month stopped charging entrance fees and closed certain facilities and spaces within the parks, but he did not shutter the parks themselves • Congressional Democrats are also pushing to have the Federal Reserve take over the rescue of state and local debt markets, cutting the Treasury Department out of the decision-making. The central bank is expected to announce a new emergency facility to support municipal debt, part of the $2 trillion stimulus approved last week. It had the backing of progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans alike. They’re urging the Fed and Treasury to move quickly • Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan tells CNBC he spoke with President Trump a couple of days ago about the fourth stimulus bill. He said president is supportive of it, and their talks focused on infrastructure component of it. He also said coronavirus bill should also focus on bringing manufacturing and supply chain back to the U.S. o Adds war bonds also worth considering • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls on President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act for workers and patients who need ventilators and other equipment to combat the coronavirus epidemic. o Trump could also make an executive order so seniors don’t have to make a co-payment for prescription drugs, Pelosi says at digital town hall on health care • The Trump administration should stop charging companies for oil, gas and coal extracted from federal lands amid the coronavirus pandemic and a global crude glut, ten senators argued Tuesday. o Reducing, delaying or suspending federal royalty payments would help U.S. energy producers that “face unprecedented challenges, putting hundreds of thousands of jobs, reliable and affordable energy sources, and our national energy security at risk,” the senators led by John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said in a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt o Other signers include Sens. John Cornyn, Bill Cassidy, Dan Sullivan and Kevin Cramer o Senators also urge Interior to consider lease term extensions and suspension of production requirements “to help preserve existing energy leases throughout this tumultuous time” • Congressional Democrats are pushing to have the Federal Reserve take over the rescue of state and local debt markets -- cutting the Treasury Department out of the decision-making. o The central bank is expected to announce a new emergency facility to support municipal debt, part of the $2 trillion stimulus approved last week. It had the backing of progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans alike, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mike Crapo. They’re urging the Fed and Treasury to move quickly. • President Trump should give hazard pay to nurses, doctors, FEMA, workers in distribution centers and grocery stores, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says in a tweet. • House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal is asking the Treasury Department and Social Security Administration to find a way for seniors, veterans and others not required to file tax returns to get their stimulus payments without needing to file additional paperwork. o “My fellow Ways and Means Democrats and I have been inundated with calls from concerned senior citizens regarding their ability to receive the economic impact payments,” Neal said in a statement • Democratic Rep. Max Rose of N.Y. will deploy to the National Guard on Wednesday to work at Staten Island facilities to assist in coronavirus response efforts, according to a statement from his office.

State/Local

• Gov. David Ige said violators of a mandatory quarantine in the state could face up to year in prison and a $5,000 fine. The mandate went into effect just after midnight in Hawaii and requires residents and visitors traveling between any of the state’s islands to self-quarantine for 14 days. o The mandate requires travelers to fill out an inter-island declaration form. Essential functions, such as those traveling for medical or health care, are not subject to self- quarantine, but travelers must wear masks and follow social distancing requirements. • Over the next few weeks, Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia will deploy the National Guard to help long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes in Georgia with Covid-19 cases. o The National Guard will help implement infection control protocols and enhance sanitation methods in hopes of mitigating exposure to the vulnerable residents, the governor said in a press release. • North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a press conference this afternoon that he signed an executive order to prohibit utility companies from shutting off services for people unable to pay for gas, electric, water and waste water. o Services cannot be shut off for next 60 days, Cooper said. • Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a travel advisory Tuesday asking everyone entering the state to self-quarantine for 14 days even if they have no symptoms of the novel coronavirus. o The advisory does not apply to essential workers, including in the healthcare and food supply industries. • Maine Gov. Janet Mills issued a "stay healthy at home" directive today that requires people living in Maine to stay at home at all times, unless for an essential job or an essential personal reason, according to a release from the governor’s office. o The executive order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on April 2 and will last until at least April 30. o The governor also mandated a series of other new restrictions, including prohibiting the use of public transportation unless for an essential reason and mandating the continued termination of classroom or other in-person instruction until at least May 1. • West Virginia Governor Justice announced that West Virginia’s Primary Election, originally scheduled for May 12, has been moved to Tuesday, June 9, a delay of 27 days. The governor also extended state school closures to April 30, • Stay-at-home orders extended through May 3 for the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and the city of Berkeley, according to joint statement from the jurisdictions. o More time needed to slow virus spread; previous order set to expire on April 7: statement o Order accompanies indefinite statewide stay-at-home order issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom • Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Tuesday that the city will be providing $100 million in low-interest loans through Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund to support the city's small businesses that are losing revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic. o The fund was set up to provide immediate stopgap relief to thousands of small businesses in Chicago. • Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said today that the national strategic stockpile is empty. o Lamont said the state has received 50 ventilators from the federal government, but said, “Now, we are on our own.” o Lamont said Connecticut still needs more personal protective equipment and supplies, saying he felt like a general sending soldiers into battle without proper protection. • Based on modeling in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom says the peak number of cases in hospitals throughout the state will come in mid-May. o Preparations for a potential surge of 50,000 needed hospital beds are underway with an expectation that about 10,000 of those beds will be in intensive care units, requiring ventilation support. • Wisconsin is moving forward with plans to hold its primary election next Tuesday, creating a chaotic scenario that's left state and local election officials scrambling to hold a primary in the middle of a pandemic. o Wisconsin elections officials are trying to keep up as absentee ballots surge, poll workers drop out and supplies are in short demand a week away from a primary in which in-person voting is still set to proceed — despite Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order and 1,351 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state as of this afternoon. • Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a state-wide executive order requiring all Texans to minimize non-essential gatherings and in-person contact with people who are not in the same household. o The executive order called Essential Services and Activities Protocols is essentially a stay- at-home order aimed at minimizing the spread and transmission of Covid-19. o The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. local time on April 2 and will end on April 30, Abbott said. • Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he will sign a proclamation later this week extending the state's stay-at-home order until April 30. • While Californians are under stay home orders and businesses are closed, about 1.6 million people have filed for unemployment, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at a press conference today. o More than 150,000 people filed for unemployment on Monday alone, the governor said. • Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has added seven additional counties to the stay-at-home order, making it now 33, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said at a press conference today. o The stay-at-home order for the counties is in effect until April 30.

International • The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, billed as the “biggest celebration of arts and culture on the planet,” has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Executive Shona McCarthy said in a statement. o It had been scheduled for August. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was “a heart-breaking decision” during her address to the Scottish Parliament today. • Japan will extend an entry ban to foreign nationals from 73 countries and regions, including the US, Britain and Canada, in its latest attempt to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. o The Japanese government made the announcement after a coronavirus task force meeting today. Notably, the list includes most European countries and all parts of China and South Korea. It will take effect on Friday until the end of April. o The government is also asking all Japanese nationals returning from overseas to self- quarantine for two weeks and to refrain from using public transportation. • Muslims planning on attending the upcoming Islamic Hajj pilgrimage should put their plans on hold due to coronavirus, the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mohammad Saleh bin Taher said on state television on Tuesday. • Fifteen days into the confinement period, the French police and gendarmerie -- the military police -- have done 5.8 million checks to see if people have a valid reason for being out and about, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on French TV LCI Wednesday morning. • Hong Kong has ordered the closure of all beauty parlors, clubhouses, nightclubs, karaoke rooms and mahjong centers from Wednesday as the city steps up measures to combat a second wave of coronavirus cases • The Canadian government is spending $1.4 billion to “support diagnostic testing and to purchase ventilators and protective personal equipment, including for bulk purchases with provinces and territories. • Portuguese airline TAP Air Portugal has temporarily laid off 9,000 employees — about roughly 90% of its workforce — grounding most of its operations to a halt, a spokesperson for the company told CNN on Tuesday. o According to the spokesperson, 90% of the company’s 10,000 strong workforce will be suspended from work for a period of 30 days starting on April 2. Under a government- supported scheme, those workers will still continue to receive two-thirds of their salaries. The suspension can be extended after those 30 days. • Cuban officials announced Tuesday the country will suspend all international commercial flights to help combat the spread of coronavirus across the island. Foreign ships will also be required to leave the country. o The additional measures come one week after Cuba implemented a 30-day lockdown, restricting tourists and setting up strict quarantine measures for citizens returning to the country. o Cuba will also suspend this year’s May Day parade, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on national TV on Tuesday, to avoid further spread of the virus. • German chancellor Angela Merkel announced today that the federal government and Germany's sixteen states have agreed to extend the country’s social distancing measures until April 19 to curb the spread of coronavirus. • Pakistan has extended its nationwide lockdown by two weeks, until April 14, the country's National Coordination Committee on Covid-19 announced today. o Domestic and international flights will not resume during this time. However, from Thursday until April 11, Pakistan International Airlines will run special flights to get Canadian and British citizens out of the country.

Private Sector • Kroger supermarket chain announced today it would pay staff members who are still working during the coronavirus epidemic a $2 an hour "hero bonus." o The extra pay will apply to all hours worked between March 29 to April 18 and will be distributed weekly to ensure staff members have extra cash. o It will apply to all front-line grocery, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center staff. • Carnival Corporation is seeking at least $6 billion to weather an unprecedented crisis that has decimated business, after coronavirus outbreaks aboard its cruise ships killed several passengers and sickened hundreds more. • The Kennedy Center says even with $25m in stimulus funds and a $10m line of credit, it is set to run out of cash as soon as July if changes aren’t made to counter financial fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. o The Kennedy Center says the $25m it received in stimulus funds is being spent on employee compensation, artist contracts, deep cleaning, rent, information technology, other administrative expenses • Food bank and soup kitchen operators struggling to meet overwhelming demand say they’re grateful for $450 million in the new coronavirus-aid package, but a boost in federal nutrition benefits could go further. o The Covid-19 stimulus measure that President Donald Trump signed into law Friday appropriated an extra $450 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides free food to low-income households through local agencies such as food banks. Anti-hunger advocates say the support is welcome but does little to address issues like a decline in volunteers and surge in demand. • The sale of President Trump’s hotel in Washington D.C. has been halted amid the collapse in the commercial real estate market because of the coronavirus epidemic, Washington Post reports. o Sale of Trump’s lease to Old Post Office Pavilion has been paused as the industry recovers • Hyundai Motor Group has provided two of its training institutes as treatment centers for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms. And Samsung, the world’s largest maker of smartphones, TVs and memory chips, has sent its manufacturing experts to mask-producing firms to increase output without adding new equipment. • Chris Cuomo, who has been leading CNN’s nightly coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, has tested positive for the infection, according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, his older brother. • Retailers Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant and Neiman Marcus will furlough staff as the companies extend store closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. • JCPenney is the latest major retailer to furlough thousands of employees, joining Macy's, Kohl's and the Gap. o The department store said it has made the "difficult decision to temporarily furlough the majority of store hourly associates." o JCPenney also said a "significant portion" of its corporate employees will also be placed on leave. The company had about 90,000 employees as of February 1. o Affected employees will continue to receive the company-provided healthcare. • expressed doubts Tuesday that the Democratic National Convention could go on as planned this summer in Milwaukee, citing continued concerns about containing the coronavirus outbreak. o “It’s hard to envision that,” the Democratic front-runner said in an interview on MSNBC. “Again, we should listen to the scientists.” • The famous Wimbledon tennis tournament has been canceled, organizers announced today. • Customers will no longer be able to buy the coveted N95 face mask from Home Depot or its website, the company announced in a statement. o The home improvement company issued a “stop sale” of the masks that involves redirecting all shipments to hospitals, health-care providers and emergency responders. • Hobby Lobby reopened its craft supply stores in several states across the United States this week, defying orders from several governors shutting down all “nonessential businesses.” o Although the craft supplies giant had shuttered its locations in states like Colorado, Ohio and Wisconsin in March, the company’s executives repeatedly sent memos to store managers insisting they do otherwise, according to Business Insider.