How the Outbreak Is Changing Life for American Workers and Businesses
The sudden drop in spending in response to COVID-19 could result in a bigger blow to the global economy than the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, TIME senior economics correspondent Alana Semuels reports. JP Morgan economists have predicted that the U.S. economy could shrink by nearly 2% in the first quarter and as much as 10% in the second quarter.
Economic activity has significantly slowed as officials are asking the public to stay home and limit interactions with others or, in some cases, even “shelter in place.” While some major businesses are pledging to continue paying their hourly employees regardless of whether they can work, many workers and business owners across the country are being hit hard—facing layoffs, slashed hours and an inability to pay off debt and bills.
Rose Mendez works as a server at a restaurant in New York City, rents out her second bedroom on Airbnb and takes on extra gigs as a performer to make ends meet. Now, she is among the many Americans who are suffering. “Anyone who hustles like me has zero income right now,” she tells Semuels. And income is not the only concern on workers’ minds, Semuels says. In many cases, being laid off or losing hours could also mean losing health insurance benefits.
The Trump Administration is weighing a stimulus package that could include a $1,000 one-time payment to Americans. “A stimulus won’t stop the recession,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, says. “But it will have a lot to say about the severity of the decline and the type of recovery we have.” Read more here.
TODAY’S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide surpassed 200,000 as of this afternoon, and the death toll has increased to more than 8,000. This morning, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced all schools in the country will close as of Friday, and did not say how long they would remain shuttered. Officials in the U.K. have faced criticism that the government has been slow to respond to the virus.
During a press briefing earlier today, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Africa should “prepare for the worst.” South Africa has seen a significant uptick over the course of a few days and is now reporting 116 cases of COVID-19, but most other sub-Saharan African countries have reported less than half a dozen cases.
Here are all the countries that have reported at least one COVID-19 case:
In the U.S., all 50 states have now reported at least one case, after West Virginia confirmed its first COVID-19 patient yesterday afternoon. U.S. deaths related to COVID-19 have surpassed 100. In an attempt to limit spread, the U.S. announced this morning that it reached an agreement with Canada to restrict non-essential travel across the border. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the measures would be in place “as long as we feel they need to last,” and that trade will not be impacted.
Meanwhile, San Francisco’s “shelter in place” orders went into effect yesterday, and in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said residents should also prepare for a similar order (though state Governor Andrew Cuomo said that such a directive would require state approval, which he has no plans to give).
Here’s where COVID-19 has spread in the U.S.:
All numbers are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of March 17, 8 PM eastern time.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
China Is Not Back to Normal, No Matter What the Government Says
TIME East Asia correspondent Charlie Campbell writes from Shanghai about what life is like in China. Though officials there have said the country has returned to normal, Campbell offers a different perspective. Read more here.
COVID-19 Could Affect U.S. Courts ‘For Months and Years’
Courts across the country have suspended jury duty and postponed criminal and civil trials as a result of COVID-19. But suspending trials means having to reschedule, and could lead to an overwhelming backlog of cases. Read more here.
Tuesday’s Primary Election Debacle: Poll Workers Didn’t Show Up
COVID-19 continues to impact nearly every sector of society, and the 2020 election is no exception. During Tuesday’s primary elections in Florida, Arizona and Illinois, some poll workers didn’t show up for duty. Read more here.
Why Is All the Toilet Paper Gone?
The U.S. is experiencing something of a toilet paper crisis. If you’ve wondered about the psychology of hoarding T.P., here’s some insight: “If people did not find the food that they wanted, they could buy other food,” a psychologist says. “For toilet paper, there are no substitutes.” Read more here.
How to Stay Physically and Mentally Healthy If You’re Stuck at Home
Health reporter Jamie Ducharme has some tips if you—like us at TIME—are working from home. Exercise, a balanced diet and a good night’s sleep are especially crucial during a pandemic, she writes. Read more here.
How Fear Can Spread Like a Virus
Eva Holland, author of Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear, writes for TIME about how COVID-19 fear can spread just as fast as the virus itself, and the science behind it. “Our fear is a finely calibrated alarm system, more like a smoke detector than a disease,” she writes. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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