Market plunge as NYSE plans floor closure
CNN, Marketwatch, and CBS report that as of Monday the New York Stock Exchange will close its trading floor after a trader and a NYSE employee tested positive for the new coronavirus. Trading will be conducted electronically. CNBC reckons Wall Street is in for another tough day with the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures 793 points lower at one point on Wednesday evening. Reuters says that the plunging markets have raised questions over the fate of Boeing’s $4.2 billion deal to buy the jetmaking arm of Brazilian plane maker Embraer.
Italy records highest death toll day
475 people succumbed to coronavirus in Italy on Wednesday, taking the total number of deaths to 2,978. It was the biggest single increase in deaths in a 24-hour period, the BBC, ABC and The Local Italy report. Lombardy was the worst-hit region with 319 deaths. The number of infections in Italy has reached 35,713.
ECB launches asset-purchase programme
European Central Bank boss Christine Lagarde has announced a €750bn emergency package to buy government and company debt across the eurozone in a bid to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. CNN, the BBC and Wall Street Journal report.
Medical staff crisis
Bloomberg says that the toll on medical workers “is an emerging crisis faced by major western countries” and reports on warnings from China that a lack of protection for doctors is a repeat of mistakes made there at the outbreak of the crisis.
Schools to close in England
In what The Guardian says is the first countrywide shutdown in modern British history, schools in England will close indefinitelyas of Friday. The BBC and Daily Mail report that facilities will remain open for children of health workers and others on the frontline. A national voucher scheme will ensure tha children eligible for free school lunches still receive a meal.
London could face lockdown
Meanwhile, London could face stricter lockdown measures than the rest of the UK, the Evening Standard, Financial Times, The Sun and The Guardian report. The British capital has reported 953 cases of coronavirus and according to headlines in The Telegraph and Daily Mail is considered a “city of superspreaders”.
US-Canada border closed
The United States and Canada closed their shared border to “non-essential traffic” in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, Reuters, USA Today and CBS report.
US and China in diplomacy battle
In what Reuters called an “escalation in a bitter war of words” between the United States and China over blame for the coronavirus, president Donald Trump talked about America’s “war against the Chinese virus” on Wednesday. China had earlier revoked the accreditations of several correspondents for US media outlets. CNBC says the WHO intentionally gave the virus a generic name to avoid stigmatising a country or particular group.
Asians bring coronavirus home
Meanwhile, the BBC, Financial Times, Reuters and Business Insider report that several Asian countries were experiencing a second coronavirus wave as citizens returned home. Although China reported no new domestic cases on Thursday, there were 34 new cases among people recently returned to the country.
Playboy stops printing
After the cancellation of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, a further sign that the coronavirus is serious came when Playboy announced its Spring issue, published this week, would be the last printed magazine of 2020. The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter have more.
New Zealand passes abortion bill
New Zealand's parliament has passed a bill decriminalising abortion, the New Zealand Herald, the BBC and The New York Times report. The new law allows women to terminate up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Katy Perry wins plagiarizing appeal
The Guardian reports that pop star Katy Perry has won an appeal against a 2019 court ruling that she plagiarized a song by Christian rapper Marcus Gray for her 2014 hit “Dark Horse”.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts