1 Coronavirus Confusion Reigns As Two Lawmakers Self-Quarantine
Whether you’re panicked about coronavirus/COVID-19, or taking a more measured approach, one thing is clear: there’s a lot of confusion on how people should be responding. From word on the street to official news channels, there doesn’t seem to be a unified message for average Americans on how to proceed. Still, a few famous Americans – Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar – are self-quarantining due to exposure to an infected person. It seems the lawmakers were exposed at the recent CPAC convention which has drawn upwards of 19,000 attendees in previous years. Interestingly? President Trump is not. According to reports, he was also in close contact with CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp...who was also exposed. Where are we with COVID-19? There are currently 554 cases across the United States – with 22 patients succumbing to the illness. At last check, the numbers stood at just over 110-thousand people infected by the virus globally – and nearly four-thousand dead. On the plus side, more than 62-thousand have recovered. So what SHOULD Americans do to both prepare and just deal? The U.S. Surgeon General is urging people to take a common sense approach. On CNN's State of the Union, Dr. Jerome Adams says that most people will be "fine," adding "life can't stop." Still, he notes older people and those with other medical conditions should rethink travel on things like cruise ships and airplanes. A senator whose state is dealing with the coronavirus isn't happy with the Trump Administration. Speaking to CBS' “Face The Nation,” Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy says the administration wasn't prepared for the virus and he specifically mentioned coronavirus testing. The Democrat ripped White House mistakes on the topic as "unforgivable." Meanwhile... The Grand Princess cruise ship, which has 21 people with the coronavirus onboard, will arrive in the Port of Oakland today. California Governor Gavin Newsom says the port is being prepared and secured with the entire process to remove the 35-hundred passengers and crew expected to take two to three days. Newsom said the port was picked in part because of its close proximity to Travis Air Force Base. As for our neighbors overseas...The Italian government is locking down entire sections of the northern part of the country, restricting movement for a quarter of the population – 16-million in all – in a fight to contain the COVID-19. Included in the quarantined red zone is the Italian business capital of Milan and landmark tourist destinations such as Venice, which will be on lock down until April 3rd. And yes, funerals and cultural events are all banned under the measures. Italy has the third largest number of coronavirus cases. China is first, South Korea is second. ONE MORE THING! Costco is putting a stop to free food samples because of the coronavirus outbreak. The move follows Trader Joe's recent changes to its policy about samples. The chain now requires employees to provide a new plate when a customer wants a sample rather than keeping plates of samples out and waiting.
2 Stock Futures Signal Downturn In Market Today
Wall Street will likely continue to be plagued by the coronavirus when the markets open this morning. Dow futures tanked over a thousand points in pre-market trading yesterday – with futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also down over four-percent. Here’s the thing – it’s not just about coronavirus. Oil prices dropped after major oil producing countries failed to reach a deal on prices amid the downturn in travel because of the respiratory illness. What’s all this mean? That the powers that be are acting so that we don’t have a complete crash. “These things are all designed to stop a market panic and cause a bit of a pause in trading,” says Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital Investors. “It can have the perverse effect of increasing the downward pressure on other markets, particularly until the U.S. market opens.”
3 SXSW Canceled Due To Coronavirus Fears
A lot of events have been canceled due to coronavirus fears, and one of the biggest ones happened over the weekend when the city of Austin, Texas announced that this months’ South by Southwest conference was being called off. “Based on the recommendation of our public health officer and our director of public health, and after consultation with the city manager, I have gone ahead and declared a local disaster in the city,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “And associated with that, have issued an order that effectively cancels SXSW for this year.” At a press conference Adler added, “It’s really unfortunate to be canceling SXSW, it’s tied to who we are in this city, and I look forward to the next iteration of SXSW when it comes.” The music and film festival was set to take place March 13th to 22nd. This is the first time in the festival’s 34-year history that it’s been canceled. Ahead of the official cancelation several Hollywood and Silicon Valley companies, including Amazon Studios, Apple, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter and Starz, had already canceled plans to attend.