vox--2020-03-08--Sen. Elizabeth Warren makes a surprise appearance on SNL

Saturday Night Live ’ s Kate McKinnon has been praised for her spot-on impression of Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the past few months .
But Saturday night , she got the opportunity to give her impression the ultimate test : Playing the senator opposite the real Warren .
The show ’ s cold open began with McKinnon as Fox News host Laura Ingraham , complaining about the coronavirus .
She began her monologue by accusing Democrats of creating panic around the virus to discredit President Donald Trump , saying , “ The left continues to wage its deceitful , dishonest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump.
” She then ridiculed Democrats for stockpiling groceries and other necessities — referencing recent reports of stores selling out of items like water and canned goods because of people ’ s panic-fueled shopping .
She introduced a clip she said would prove her point : but instead of a viral video of people clearing out toilet paper in Costco , a video of Vin Diesel driving off an Abu Dhabi skyscraper in Furious 7 played .
Cecily Strong joined McKinnon , playing Judge Jeanine Pirro , and further dismissed the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t at risk of infection , “ especially not our viewers , who skew elderly , are in bad health , live cloistered together in homes specifically for sick people , and have smoked their entire lives.
” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has , of course , noted that demographic is most at risk of coronavirus infection .
Strong ’ s Pirro was followed by a quick segment with Mikey Day ’ s Donald Trump Jr. and Alex Moffat ’ s Eric Trump .
While the elder son tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the situation , Moffat remained clueless throughout the entire sequence , which ended with the younger son sticking a used thermometer from the park in his mouth .
And last but not least , McKinnon brought Darrell Hammond as Chris Matthews on the show , introducing him as the newest member of the Fox News family .
When Hammond ’ s Matthews complimented McKinnon ’ s looks , then apologized — a reference to accusations of decades of sexist behavior that fueled Matthews ’ s departure from MSNBC in real life — McKinnon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you want — it ’ s Fox.
” The real highlight of the show , however , came when McKinnon announced a special interview with Warren , who just dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary .
However , McKinnon didn ’ t interview herself — it was the real senator who appeared onscreen .
When asked about her post-primary life , Warren made a playful jab at the questions of electability that followed her during her entire campaign .
“ I ’ m doing just fine , my friends and family have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ ve been calling nonstop , asking , ‘ Are you okay ?
What do you need ?
Were you electable ?
’ ” The show took the time to highlight one of the most memorable moments of Warren ’ s campaign : her sharp attacks against Mike Bloomberg during each of his two presidential debate appearances .
McKinnon introduced a video from one of the debates , but what actually played was a viral video of the senator ’ s dog Bailey holding on to a stolen burrito in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistake , ” Warren said she was the dog and Bloomberg was the burrito .
Later in the skit , Warren highlighted her debate performances one more time : “ Not only did I not accept money from billionaires , I got to give one a swirly on live TV , ” she said .
SNL also didn ’ t shy away from a question on the minds of many Democratic voters right now : Who will Elizabeth Warren endorse ?
To that , Warren replied , “ It ’ s tough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times and endorse them both , ” referencing how the publication endorsed both her and Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
And now that she ’ s off the campaign trail , Warren said she had more free time to dedicate to fun hobbies like “ prank calling big banks , drag racing Subarus , and avoiding Twitter.
” As Warren began her closing comments , McKinnon joined her , impersonating the senator one last time .
Dressed in the same blue blazer and hairstyle as Warren , McKinnon thanked the senator for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that she ’ d still be around .
“ I ’ m not dead , I ’ m just in the Senate , ” she said .
Although the cold open ended there , Warren made sure to spend a bit more quality time of-screen with her SNL double :

Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon has been praised for her spot-on impression of Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the past few months. But Saturday night, she got the opportunity to give her impression the ultimate test: Playing the senator opposite the real Warren.
The show’s cold open began with McKinnon as Fox News host Laura Ingraham, complaining about the coronavirus. She began her monologue by accusing Democrats of creating panic around the virus to discredit President Donald Trump, saying, “The left continues to wage its deceitful, dishonest, and frankly gay smear campaign against President Trump.”
She then ridiculed Democrats for stockpiling groceries and other necessities — referencing recent reports of stores selling out of items like water and canned goods because of people’s panic-fueled shopping. She introduced a clip she said would prove her point: but instead of a viral video of people clearing out toilet paper in Costco, a video of Vin Diesel driving off an Abu Dhabi skyscraper in Furious 7 played.
Cecily Strong joined McKinnon, playing Judge Jeanine Pirro, and further dismissed the coronavirus. Strong said most people aren’t at risk of infection, “especially not our viewers, who skew elderly, are in bad health, live cloistered together in homes specifically for sick people, and have smoked their entire lives.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has, of course, noted that demographic is most at risk of coronavirus infection.
Strong’s Pirro was followed by a quick segment with Mikey Day’s Donald Trump Jr. and Alex Moffat’s Eric Trump. While the elder son tried to highlight his dad’s handling of the situation, Moffat remained clueless throughout the entire sequence, which ended with the younger son sticking a used thermometer from the park in his mouth.
And last but not least, McKinnon brought Darrell Hammond as Chris Matthews on the show, introducing him as the newest member of the Fox News family. When Hammond’s Matthews complimented McKinnon’s looks, then apologized — a reference to accusations of decades of sexist behavior that fueled Matthews’s departure from MSNBC in real life — McKinnon replied, “You can say whatever you want — it’s Fox.”
The real highlight of the show, however, came when McKinnon announced a special interview with Warren, who just dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary. However, McKinnon didn’t interview herself — it was the real senator who appeared onscreen.
When asked about her post-primary life, Warren made a playful jab at the questions of electability that followed her during her entire campaign.
“I’m doing just fine, my friends and family have been so supportive,” she said. “They’ve been calling nonstop, asking, ‘Are you okay? What do you need? Were you electable?’”
The show took the time to highlight one of the most memorable moments of Warren’s campaign: her sharp attacks against Mike Bloomberg during each of his two presidential debate appearances. McKinnon introduced a video from one of the debates, but what actually played was a viral video of the senator’s dog Bailey holding on to a stolen burrito in his mouth. Rolling with the “mistake,” Warren said she was the dog and Bloomberg was the burrito.
Bailey legit just swiped someone’s burrito. pic.twitter.com/MWr6ZeiJa2 — Gabrielle Farrell President Warren 2020 (her/s) (@FarrellGabriell) March 5, 2020
Later in the skit, Warren highlighted her debate performances one more time: “Not only did I not accept money from billionaires, I got to give one a swirly on live TV,” she said.
SNL also didn’t shy away from a question on the minds of many Democratic voters right now: Who will Elizabeth Warren endorse? To that, Warren replied, “It’s tough. Maybe I’ll just pull a New York Times and endorse them both,” referencing how the publication endorsed both her and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
And now that she’s off the campaign trail, Warren said she had more free time to dedicate to fun hobbies like “prank calling big banks, drag racing Subarus, and avoiding Twitter.”
As Warren began her closing comments, McKinnon joined her, impersonating the senator one last time. Dressed in the same blue blazer and hairstyle as Warren, McKinnon thanked the senator for her work, but Warren made it clear that she’d still be around.
“I’m not dead, I’m just in the Senate,” she said.
Although the cold open ended there, Warren made sure to spend a bit more quality time of-screen with her SNL double:


vox--2020-03-09--Brands like Clorox, Netflix, and Campbell are benefiting from the coronavirus. Most companies aren’t

Brands like Clorox, Netflix, and Campbell are benefiting from the coronavirus. Most companies aren’t.

Reports about the consumerist boom brought on by the novel coronavirus are everywhere .
Yes , people are stocking up on things like hand sanitizers , face masks , and household disinfectants , in addition to washing their hands more often ( which could lead them to buy more soap ) , but Covid-19 — which has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and poses a threat to human lives , especially in cities where outbreaks are rampant — could , despite appearances , be really bad for business .
Empty store shelves and TikToks of frantic stockpiling aside , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose revenue .
On top of that , this will undoubtedly affect workers , especially those in the service industry who are less likely to have paid time off if they ’ re sick .
As Vox ’ s Matthew Yglesias wrote of the stock market ’ s recent meltdown , “ Markets [ were ] down because events abroad imply bad business conditions are coming in the near future.
” Covid-19 doesn ’ t have to get significantly worse in the US to impede the economy ( although health officials say it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerge ) .
If people start going out less or if the government encourages “ social distancing ” to reduce the likelihood of an outbreak , that ’ s going to hurt companies across many sectors — from mom-and-pop restaurants and film distributors to major airlines and the alcohol industry .
( Corona beer might have a marketing dilemma on its hands , but the spirits business is more worried about how coronavirus will stall imports and alcohol production . )
Then there ’ s the issue of the global supply chain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect ” from supply chain disruption , which would slow down the production of familiar American goods , from Diet Coke to iPhones to Baby Yoda toys .
The scope of a supply chain disruption has yet to be determined because , as Elisabeth Braw pointed out in Foreign Policy , “ no CEO actually knows his or her companies ’ complete supply chain , ” adding that “ the suppliers have suppliers of their own , who may , in turn , even have a third layer of suppliers.
” To put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a coronavirus-impacted country for production or has a significant overseas customer base , the outbreak could have a substantial negative impact on its sales and manufacturing .
For years , experts have said that modern life has put us more at risk of a global outbreak , due to increased urbanization and population growth .
The outlook isn ’ t great for most companies at this point — in the short or long run .
Sequoia Capital , Silicon Valley ’ s biggest venture capital firm , has declared the disease the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In business-speak , black swan refers to a rare , unforeseen event that carries potentially severe consequences ) .
As the global spread of coronavirus continues , a handful of brands appear to be , at least in the short term , uniquely profiting from Americans ’ disease and quarantine preparation , such as antiseptic labels , medical suppliers , canned food brands , and at-home entertainment companies .
Meanwhile , conventions , sporting events , concerts , movie theaters , and basically any place where people congregate are taking hits — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fallout .
People are worried about germs .
They ’ re turning to Purell , Lysol , Clorox , and other disinfectant products .
In the midst of the growing coronavirus threat , American has quickly focused on a new enemy : germs .
Hand sanitizer , cleaning wipes , and other disinfectant products are “ flying off shelves , ” according to several news reports .
The Environmental Protection Agency released a list of antimicrobial products in early March that are effective against Covid-19 , which includes Lysol , Clorox , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , people have been scrambling to stockpile household goods .
Shares for Clorox were also on the rise in late February alongside two drugmakers developing potential treatments for the disease , Bloomberg reported .
A Clorox spokesperson told Vox in an email that the company has increased production of disinfecting products based on increased customer interest in its wipes .
Purell is also seeing a spike in demand , a spokesperson confirmed , adding that it has experienced “ several demand surges in the past during other outbreaks , and this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not unprecedented.
” Hand sanitizer , in all its antiseptic glory , has turned into something of a holy grail product , as Sabrina Maddeaux wrote for The Goods .
Here are some eye-opening stats she pointed out : Consumer demand for hand sanitizer has grown by 1,400 percent from December to January ; local Walmarts , pharmacies , and Bath & Body Works are sold out ; and packs of Purell bottles on Amazon are either unavailable or marked for hundreds of dollars .
( Gojo , Purell ’ s parent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not set retail prices to consumers ” but “ feels strongly that there is no place for price gouging.
” ) As demand for these products soar , household cleaning brands are either vaguely referring to coronavirus or steering clear of mentioning it at all .
Companies are aware they should be cautious , Adweek reported , as the Food and Drug Administration is hyper-aware of any product advertising that isn ’ t backed by a clinical study .
These brands “ don ’ t need more demand creation , ” Allen Adamson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told Adweek .
“ They ’ re already having to run factories 24/7 to keep up with demand.
” Coronavirus is changing how and what people eat The restaurant industry at large is bracing for declining sales and a pivot to delivery options in the coming weeks , as more people are choosing , or being forced , to eat at home .
“ It is going to fundamentally shift the attitudes that the majority of Americans have toward that convenience , ” Alex Garden , CEO of the food technology company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference in early March .
Even Starbucks has predicted a sales drop from its China-based franchises , and has stopped allowing customers to use personal cups .
Chinese food businesses — especially restaurants in Chinatowns across the country — have been on the frontlines of a sales decline , as tourism from China has slowed significantly .
Xenophobia , racism , and general concerns about the coronavirus have also hurt Chinese restaurants , and as Eater reported , owners say misinformation and baseless fears circulating on social media have contributed to the drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported in February that New York City ’ s three main Chinatowns have experienced a 50 to 70 percent drop in business , according to local workers and owners .
From San Francisco to Philadelphia , foot traffic has also declined in these cultural hubs , leading some restaurants to start offering delivery options , in the hopes of appealing to stay-at-home customers .
MarketWatch , and certainly the restaurant industry , is predicting that demand for food and grocery delivery will grow if the outbreak takes a turn for the worse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes of GrubHub , InstaCart , and UberEats — but not necessarily for service workers , the people who cook , serve , and deliver food , who often work without paid sick leave .
Drivers for Uber and Lyft , who are independent contractors , have reportedly been scrubbing down their cars “ inch by inch , ” the Washington Post reported .
American delivery companies , including Instacart and Postmates , have introduced a program of “ contactless delivery , ” which was first implemented in Wuhan to reduce risks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person ’ s front door or a location they requested in advance to minimize human contact .
Meanwhile , grocery stores across the country are seeing a spike in sales , and nonperishable food brands like Campbell are benefiting from the bump , as shoppers stock up on their “ pandemic pantries.
” Campbell is treating the growth in demand as it would a storm or a natural disaster , the Wall Street Journal reported , in case of any port or factory closures .
As the coronavirus case count in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ll have to self-quarantine for a brief period , and have been buying up staple foods and cases of water .
( If a person in your household is sick , drinking water from a bottle is more sanitary than from a cup or a reusable water bottle that ’ s less frequently washed . )
The homebody economy is booming ( or its stocks are , at least ) The term “ homebody economy ” was invoked by The Goods ’ reporter Kaitlyn Tiffany in 2018 to describe the phenomenon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to stay at home , lounge in bed , and do what society likes to call “ Netflix and chill.
” That demographic of the stay-at-homers , at least in 2020 , has changed , as people of all ages and genders are encouraged to rest up if they feel ill .
While the broader market is tumbling , stocks for the homebody economy , which include the video-conferencing service Zoom , the fitness equipment maker Peloton , and technology companies like Netflix , are rising , Yahoo Finance reported .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In other words , stocks fall not because bad things have happened to companies but because there is good reason to believe that bad things will happen in the future.
” Rising stocks might not be an accurate indicator of how these companies will perform in the long run ( or if people are buying more Netflix subscriptions ) , but it does reveal that investors think Zoom ’ s , Netflix ’ s , or Peloton ’ s short-term outlook is bright and profitable .
Then , of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providers .
Amazon , the largest virtual marketplace in the US , is a company that ’ s arguably poised to benefit the most from the pandemic .
Its workers aren ’ t .
According to data Vox received from Helium 10 , a software suite for Amazon sellers , nine of the top 10 keywords being searched on Amazon.com are coronavirus-related .
Shoppers are mostly searching for N95 respirators , medical face masks , and hand sanitizer .
Recode ’ s Jason Del Rey also found that in Amazon ’ s health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , top items included a three-pack of “ anti-dust ” masks , Clorox and Lysol Wipes , and “ immune support ” gummies .
As more and more people stay home , they ’ re likely turning to Amazon to order whatever they need because , well , the e-commerce giant can get it to their front door in a day ( if they have Prime ) , although the service appears to be overwhelmed with orders and is experiencing delivery delays .
Speedy delivery is terrible for the environment and burdens warehouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world is on the verge of a pandemic , the cost of one-day shipping seems to be a problem most shoppers wouldn ’ t prioritize .
Amazon is also actively working to stop scams and prevent merchants from price-gouging , but the cost of high-demand items is still increasing marginally .
The coronavirus has disrupted social gatherings , conferences , and major cultural events People are clearly hesitant to leave their house — not to mention their city — as the outbreak threatens to disrupt everything from conferences to major sporting events .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease , people are grappling with the safety of crowded events , and it ’ s increasingly looking like few people want to take the risk .
Since January , airlines have been suspending routes left and right , offering fee waivers for trip changes and cancellations .
The International Air Transport Association said airlines are set to lose anywhere from $ 63 billion to $ 113 billion in revenue if Covid-19 continues , a prediction that suggests the outbreak could disrupt the industry as significantly as the 9/11 terror attacks or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a contagious disease , people are grappling with the safety of crowded events Film releases have been pushed back , musicians and performers are scrapping concerts and tours , and major cultural events , like the Cannes Film Festival , are at risk of being canceled .
A series of high-profile companies , including Facebook , Twitter , Netflix , and Apple , have cancelled or withdrew from major tech conferences , signaling how high-profile companies are not willing to risk employees ’ well-being .
On Friday afternoon , Austin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SXSW festival had been canceled by executive order , bringing the direct economic loss of major tech events to over $ 1 billion .
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are months away , but the International Olympic Committee is preparing for the possibility of a fan-free Olympics .
Within recent months , sporting events without fans have grown increasingly common .
The New York Times reported that the World Health Organization has begun discussing screening measures for the Olympics , in addition to a worst-case scenario without any fans present — just athletes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition , qualifying events for the Games have already been postponed or canceled , which further complicates the process of selecting athletes who will get to compete .
At this rate , the coronavirus outbreak looks like it could upend the most basic aspects of our daily lives .
Americans are commuting , eating , and interacting with one another differently .
Still , the disease won ’ t affect everyone equally , although our futures are intertwined .
As Elizabeth Spiers wrote at the Daily Beast , “ For those with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market disruption , and a threat to the economy — and by extension , their wealth .
For those without , the crisis is existential and immediate.
” The wealthy are preparing differently , moving to safe homes abroad and flying private jets , while lower-income people — dependent on the nature of their jobs , health care plans ( if they have one ) , and living situations — are more constrained to their day-to-day realities .
Already , public health , business , travel , and even the entertainment industry have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A handful of brands and products might briefly benefit from Americans ’ new purchasing habits as they buckle down for the worst , but there ’ s so much we still don ’ t know about the coronavirus and its potential economic fallout , for China and the rest of the world .
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Reports about the consumerist boom brought on by the novel coronavirus are everywhere. Yes, people are stocking up on things like hand sanitizers, face masks, and household disinfectants, in addition to washing their hands more often (which could lead them to buy more soap), but Covid-19 — which has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and poses a threat to human lives, especially in cities where outbreaks are rampant — could, despite appearances, be really bad for business.
Empty store shelves and TikToks of frantic stockpiling aside, most businesses and brands are primed to lose revenue. On top of that, this will undoubtedly affect workers, especially those in the service industry who are less likely to have paid time off if they’re sick.
As Vox’s Matthew Yglesias wrote of the stock market’s recent meltdown, “Markets [were] down because events abroad imply bad business conditions are coming in the near future.” Covid-19 doesn’t have to get significantly worse in the US to impede the economy (although health officials say it’s likely that more cases will emerge). If people start going out less or if the government encourages “social distancing” to reduce the likelihood of an outbreak, that’s going to hurt companies across many sectors — from mom-and-pop restaurants and film distributors to major airlines and the alcohol industry. (Corona beer might have a marketing dilemma on its hands, but the spirits business is more worried about how coronavirus will stall imports and alcohol production.)
Then there’s the issue of the global supply chain. Financial analysts have predicted a “ripple effect” from supply chain disruption, which would slow down the production of familiar American goods, from Diet Coke to iPhones to Baby Yoda toys. The scope of a supply chain disruption has yet to be determined because, as Elisabeth Braw pointed out in Foreign Policy, “no CEO actually knows his or her companies’ complete supply chain,” adding that “the suppliers have suppliers of their own, who may, in turn, even have a third layer of suppliers.” To put it simply, if a business relies on a coronavirus-impacted country for production or has a significant overseas customer base, the outbreak could have a substantial negative impact on its sales and manufacturing.
For years, experts have said that modern life has put us more at risk of a global outbreak, due to increased urbanization and population growth. The outlook isn’t great for most companies at this point — in the short or long run. Sequoia Capital, Silicon Valley’s biggest venture capital firm, has declared the disease the “black swan of 2020” (In business-speak, black swan refers to a rare, unforeseen event that carries potentially severe consequences).
As the global spread of coronavirus continues, a handful of brands appear to be, at least in the short term, uniquely profiting from Americans’ disease and quarantine preparation, such as antiseptic labels, medical suppliers, canned food brands, and at-home entertainment companies. Meanwhile, conventions, sporting events, concerts, movie theaters, and basically any place where people congregate are taking hits — and that’s just the beginning of the fallout.
People are worried about germs. They’re turning to Purell, Lysol, Clorox, and other disinfectant products.
In the midst of the growing coronavirus threat, Americans have quickly focused on a new enemy: germs. Hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and other disinfectant products are “flying off shelves,” according to several news reports. The Environmental Protection Agency released a list of antimicrobial products in early March that are effective against Covid-19, which includes Lysol, Clorox, and Purell branded items, but for weeks, people have been scrambling to stockpile household goods. Shares for Clorox were also on the rise in late February alongside two drugmakers developing potential treatments for the disease, Bloomberg reported.
A Clorox spokesperson told Vox in an email that the company has increased production of disinfecting products based on increased customer interest in its wipes. Purell is also seeing a spike in demand, a spokesperson confirmed, adding that it has experienced “several demand surges in the past during other outbreaks, and this is on the higher end of the spectrum but not unprecedented.”
Hand sanitizer, in all its antiseptic glory, has turned into something of a holy grail product, as Sabrina Maddeaux wrote for The Goods. Here are some eye-opening stats she pointed out: Consumer demand for hand sanitizer has grown by 1,400 percent from December to January; local Walmarts, pharmacies, and Bath & Body Works are sold out; and packs of Purell bottles on Amazon are either unavailable or marked for hundreds of dollars. (Gojo, Purell’s parent company, said that it “does not set retail prices to consumers” but “feels strongly that there is no place for price gouging.”)
As demand for these products soar, household cleaning brands are either vaguely referring to coronavirus or steering clear of mentioning it at all. Companies are aware they should be cautious, Adweek reported, as the Food and Drug Administration is hyper-aware of any product advertising that isn’t backed by a clinical study. These brands “don’t need more demand creation,” Allen Adamson, founder of the marketing firm Metaforce, told Adweek. “They’re already having to run factories 24/7 to keep up with demand.”
Coronavirus is changing how and what people eat
The restaurant industry at large is bracing for declining sales and a pivot to delivery options in the coming weeks, as more people are choosing, or being forced, to eat at home. “It is going to fundamentally shift the attitudes that the majority of Americans have toward that convenience,” Alex Garden, CEO of the food technology company Zume Inc., said at a restaurant conference in early March. Even Starbucks has predicted a sales drop from its China-based franchises, and has stopped allowing customers to use personal cups.
Chinese food businesses — especially restaurants in Chinatowns across the country — have been on the frontlines of a sales decline, as tourism from China has slowed significantly. Xenophobia, racism, and general concerns about the coronavirus have also hurt Chinese restaurants, and as Eater reported, owners say misinformation and baseless fears circulating on social media have contributed to the drop in customers. The New York Times reported in February that New York City’s three main Chinatowns have experienced a 50 to 70 percent drop in business, according to local workers and owners.
From San Francisco to Philadelphia, foot traffic has also declined in these cultural hubs, leading some restaurants to start offering delivery options, in the hopes of appealing to stay-at-home customers.
MarketWatch, and certainly the restaurant industry, is predicting that demand for food and grocery delivery will grow if the outbreak takes a turn for the worse. That’s good news for the likes of GrubHub, InstaCart, and UberEats — but not necessarily for service workers, the people who cook, serve, and deliver food, who often work without paid sick leave. Drivers for Uber and Lyft, who are independent contractors, have reportedly been scrubbing down their cars “inch by inch,” the Washington Post reported. American delivery companies, including Instacart and Postmates, have introduced a program of “contactless delivery,” which was first implemented in Wuhan to reduce risks. Food couriers will drop off orders at a person’s front door or a location they requested in advance to minimize human contact.
Meanwhile, grocery stores across the country are seeing a spike in sales, and nonperishable food brands like Campbell are benefiting from the bump, as shoppers stock up on their “pandemic pantries.” Campbell is treating the growth in demand as it would a storm or a natural disaster, the Wall Street Journal reported, in case of any port or factory closures. As the coronavirus case count in the US grows, people are increasingly worried they’ll have to self-quarantine for a brief period, and have been buying up staple foods and cases of water. (If a person in your household is sick, drinking water from a bottle is more sanitary than from a cup or a reusable water bottle that’s less frequently washed.)
The homebody economy is booming (or its stocks are, at least)
The term “homebody economy” was invoked by The Goods’ reporter Kaitlyn Tiffany in 2018 to describe the phenomenon of (generally) young women who like to stay at home, lounge in bed, and do what society likes to call “Netflix and chill.” That demographic of the stay-at-homers, at least in 2020, has changed, as people of all ages and genders are encouraged to rest up if they feel ill. While the broader market is tumbling, stocks for the homebody economy, which include the video-conferencing service Zoom, the fitness equipment maker Peloton, and technology companies like Netflix, are rising, Yahoo Finance reported.
The stock market is forward-looking, Yglesias wrote. “In other words, stocks fall not because bad things have happened to companies but because there is good reason to believe that bad things will happen in the future.” Rising stocks might not be an accurate indicator of how these companies will perform in the long run (or if people are buying more Netflix subscriptions), but it does reveal that investors think Zoom’s, Netflix’s, or Peloton’s short-term outlook is bright and profitable.
Then, of course, there are the e-commerce sites and delivery providers. Amazon, the largest virtual marketplace in the US, is a company that’s arguably poised to benefit the most from the pandemic. Its workers aren’t. According to data Vox received from Helium 10, a software suite for Amazon sellers, nine of the top 10 keywords being searched on Amazon.com are coronavirus-related. Shoppers are mostly searching for N95 respirators, medical face masks, and hand sanitizer. Recode’s Jason Del Rey also found that in Amazon’s health and household category as of March 5, top items included a three-pack of “anti-dust” masks, Clorox and Lysol Wipes, and “immune support” gummies.
As more and more people stay home, they’re likely turning to Amazon to order whatever they need because, well, the e-commerce giant can get it to their front door in a day (if they have Prime), although the service appears to be overwhelmed with orders and is experiencing delivery delays. Speedy delivery is terrible for the environment and burdens warehouse and delivery workers, but when the world is on the verge of a pandemic, the cost of one-day shipping seems to be a problem most shoppers wouldn’t prioritize. Amazon is also actively working to stop scams and prevent merchants from price-gouging, but the cost of high-demand items is still increasing marginally.
The coronavirus has disrupted social gatherings, conferences, and major cultural events
People are clearly hesitant to leave their house — not to mention their city — as the outbreak threatens to disrupt everything from conferences to major sporting events. Faced with the spread of a contagious disease, people are grappling with the safety of crowded events, and it’s increasingly looking like few people want to take the risk.
Since January, airlines have been suspending routes left and right, offering fee waivers for trip changes and cancellations. The International Air Transport Association said airlines are set to lose anywhere from $63 billion to $113 billion in revenue if Covid-19 continues, a prediction that suggests the outbreak could disrupt the industry as significantly as the 9/11 terror attacks or the Great Recession.
Faced with the spread of a contagious disease, people are grappling with the safety of crowded events
Film releases have been pushed back, musicians and performers are scrapping concerts and tours, and major cultural events, like the Cannes Film Festival, are at risk of being canceled. A series of high-profile companies, including Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and Apple, have cancelled or withdrew from major tech conferences, signaling how these companies are not willing to risk employees’ well-being. On Friday afternoon, Austin’s mayor, Steve Adler, announced the SXSW festival had been canceled by executive order, bringing the direct economic loss of major tech events to over $1 billion.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are months away, but the International Olympic Committee is preparing for the possibility of a fan-free Olympics. Within recent months, sporting events without fans have grown increasingly common. The New York Times reported that the World Health Organization has begun discussing screening measures for the Olympics, in addition to a worst-case scenario without any fans present — just athletes, sports officials, and broadcasters. In addition, qualifying events for the Games have already been postponed or canceled, which further complicates the process of selecting athletes who will get to compete.
At this rate, the coronavirus outbreak looks like it could upend the most basic aspects of our daily lives. Americans are commuting, eating, and interacting with one another differently. Still, the disease won’t affect everyone equally, although our futures are intertwined. As Elizabeth Spiers wrote at the Daily Beast, “For those with means, the virus is primarily a market disruption, and a threat to the economy — and by extension, their wealth. For those without, the crisis is existential and immediate.”
The wealthy are preparing differently, moving to safe homes abroad and flying private jets, while lower-income people — dependent on the nature of their jobs, health care plans (if they have one), and living situations — are more constrained to their day-to-day realities.
Already, public health, business, travel, and even the entertainment industry have felt the outbreak’s ripple effects. A handful of brands and products might briefly benefit from Americans’ new purchasing habits as they buckle down for the worst, but there’s so much we still don’t know about the coronavirus and its potential economic fallout, for China and the rest of the world.
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vox--2020-03-09--Songs to wash your hands by: Memes are an unexpected ally in the fight against coronavirus

As the novel coronavirus ( a.k.a .
Covid-19 ) spreads , plenty of exploitative scheming and misinformation has proliferated online — but the internet has also become a crucial tool for sharing important , legitimate facts about the outbreak , including scientific info , travel updates , and news on the death toll and spread .
Naturally , there have also been plenty of memes .
But due to a combination of unprepared governments , delays in testing for the coronavirus , xenophobia , and general public confusion , meme-makers are treating the threat a little less flippantly than they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent past .
So far , viral goofs about the coronavirus have contained strong messages on everything from racism and wearing surgical masks to the risks of touching your face and shaking people ’ s hands .
Above all , they sound a frequent chorus about the importance of maintaining good hygiene and preventive health behaviors .
Unlike the bout of ” World War 3 ” memes that emerged in January amid fears about tensions between the US and Iran , coronavirus memes have largely been devoid of alarmism , ironic or otherwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , using humor that ’ s positive in tone .
The overarching theme of the memes is that , even amid a worldwide health crisis , it ’ s possible to properly prepare and take health precautions — a unique and encouraging contrast from the usual tack of the sardonic jokester internet .
Coronavirus memes are mostly promoting correct information and healthy alternative behaviors Many coronavirus memes are doing their part to quash misinformation .
Despite persistent media coverage explaining that wearing a face mask isn ’ t necessary if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , many people have nonetheless purchased masks — causing shortages in places where they ’ re needed , like hospitals .
Consequently , several memes have emphasized that the most effective precautionary behavior is practicing good hand hygiene and staying away from other people if you ’ re sick .
Among some Asian cultures , masks have historical significance and are often worn as routine etiquette .
Americans have frequently misunderstood the cultural purpose of such masks , and because the coronavirus originated in China , the outbreak has stoked an accompanying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people assuming incorrectly that people wearing masks in public must be sick .
Messages downplaying these xenophobic beliefs have come in a variety of formats , from viral comics to cross-stitches ; on social media , governmental organizations and public figures instructing people to wash their hands and “ stop buying masks.
” The award for most creative coronavirus PSA undoubtedly goes to the Vietnamese officials who took the popular 2017 pop song “ Ghen ” and evolved it into a catchy informative music video , titled “ Gen Cho Vy , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Ghen Co Vy ” has become so popular , it spawned a whole TikTok dance challenge , thanks to popular Vietnamese dancer Quang Dang , who choreographed it with a few hand-washing dance moves built in : Other memes have promoted adopting other preventive routines during the outbreak — particularly greeting alternatives to hand-shaking , for the very good reason that hand-to-hand contact is one of the most common ways viruses are transmitted .
The urge to minimize shaking hands has led to lots of proposed alternatives , most notably the elbow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN TikTok video : The concept of greeting people without touching them has since become a meme all its own .
One variant , the “ Wuhan Shake , ” is a viral form of ankle-bumping .
Many Star Trek fans have been ready for this moment for decades , as evidenced by the popularity of one greeting meme in particular : And anyone who ’ s not with these hygiene ideas will be duly shamed .
That includes you , “ Sweet Caroline ” fans !
What ’ s great about so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s warm , upbeat , lively , and entertaining .
Fun elbow-bump memes are a far cry from the global panic we ’ ve all been conditioned to expect from years of apocalyptic outbreak scenarios depicted in movies and on TV .
Of course , the recommended behavioral changes aren ’ t always easy to follow , especially when it comes to one in particular : face-touching .
No one can stop touching their face , but memes are helping us try One of the most frequently recommended health tips to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid touching your face .
But as this widely shared clip from the 2010 outbreak movie Contagion reminds us , that ’ s almost impossible to do : If you ’ re one of the people who struggle to reduce your face-touching , you ’ re not alone : Perhaps frequent meme reminders can help keep our hands away : But the most prominent theme yet is where coronavirus memes are doing their best work .
Hand-washing may already be the meme of the year Could the basic act of hand-washing itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance of hand-washing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus are already among the year ’ s best : Among the more popular hand-washing meme variants are the ones that remind people how to clean up like Lady Macbeth : Even Shakespearean acting troupes have gotten in on the Macbeth gag , while also spreading helpful hand-washing instructions : A more recent , less bloodthirsty inspiration to head to the sink involves Eric , a popular character from Netflix ’ s Sex Education : The image of the actor who plays Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash their hands has even found its way into schools : Among the most popular musical flavors of the hand-washing meme are suggestions for songs to sing to make sure wash your hands for the amount of time health experts recommend — a whole 20 seconds .
There ’ s even a lyrics generator for better hand-washing .
It ’ s perhaps a sign of the strange times we ’ re in that these coronavirus memes have skewed toward the positive when they could have easily gone in a more dire direction .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , traded in heavy irony , while memes about the 2014 Ebola outbreak were largely dominated by 4chan users sharing damaging , racist “ jokes ” about death and conspiracy theories .
By stark contrast , coronavirus memes have generally emphasized behavioral changes and information-sharing ( while also lamenting how hard it is to stop touching your face ) .
Instead of spreading the message that we ’ re all going to get sick and die , coronavirus memes are downright reasonable , even borderline cheerful .
The coronavirus is a serious threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely using humor to cope , a memetic focus on prevention methods has provided welcome bits of levity — and important information — during a growing crisis .

As the novel coronavirus (a.k.a. Covid-19) spreads, plenty of exploitative scheming and misinformation has proliferated online — but the internet has also become a crucial tool for sharing important, legitimate facts about the outbreak, including scientific info, travel updates, and news on the death toll and spread.
Naturally, there have also been plenty of memes. But due to a combination of unprepared governments, delays in testing for the coronavirus, xenophobia, and general public confusion, meme-makers are treating the threat a little less flippantly than they did during other global scares of the recent past. So far, viral goofs about the coronavirus have contained strong messages on everything from racism and wearing surgical masks to the risks of touching your face and shaking people’s hands. Above all, they sound a frequent chorus about the importance of maintaining good hygiene and preventive health behaviors.
Unlike the bout of ”World War 3” memes that emerged in January amid fears about tensions between the US and Iran, coronavirus memes have largely been devoid of alarmism, ironic or otherwise. They’re often straightforwardly informational, using humor that’s positive in tone. The overarching theme of the memes is that, even amid a worldwide health crisis, it’s possible to properly prepare and take health precautions — a unique and encouraging contrast from the usual tack of the sardonic jokester internet.
Coronavirus memes are mostly promoting correct information and healthy alternative behaviors
Many coronavirus memes are doing their part to quash misinformation. Despite persistent media coverage explaining that wearing a face mask isn’t necessary if you’re not already sick or treating someone who is, many people have nonetheless purchased masks — causing shortages in places where they’re needed, like hospitals.
Consequently, several memes have emphasized that the most effective precautionary behavior is practicing good hand hygiene and staying away from other people if you’re sick.
Among some Asian cultures, masks have historical significance and are often worn as routine etiquette. Americans have frequently misunderstood the cultural purpose of such masks, and because the coronavirus originated in China, the outbreak has stoked an accompanying climate of anti-Asian hostility, with many people assuming incorrectly that people wearing masks in public must be sick. Messages downplaying these xenophobic beliefs have come in a variety of formats, from viral comics to cross-stitches; on social media, governmental organizations and public figures instructing people to wash their hands and “stop buying masks.”
The award for most creative coronavirus PSA undoubtedly goes to the Vietnamese officials who took the popular 2017 pop song “Ghen” and evolved it into a catchy informative music video, titled “Gen Cho Vy,” a pun on “coronavirus”:
“Ghen Co Vy” has become so popular, it spawned a whole TikTok dance challenge, thanks to popular Vietnamese dancer Quang Dang, who choreographed it with a few hand-washing dance moves built in:
Other memes have promoted adopting other preventive routines during the outbreak — particularly greeting alternatives to hand-shaking, for the very good reason that hand-to-hand contact is one of the most common ways viruses are transmitted. The urge to minimize shaking hands has led to lots of proposed alternatives, most notably the elbow bump, as demonstrated in this official UN TikTok video:
The concept of greeting people without touching them has since become a meme all its own.
One variant, the “Wuhan Shake,” is a viral form of ankle-bumping.
People in China found another way to greet since they can't shake hands.
The Wuhan Shake.
I love how people can adapt and keep a sense of humor about stressful situations. pic.twitter.com/P8MSfOdJ2H — •*¨*•.¸¸✯*･ Ꮙ •*¨*•.¸¸✯*¨ (@V_actually) February 29, 2020
Many Star Trek fans have been ready for this moment for decades, as evidenced by the popularity of one greeting meme in particular:
I hate to say this - I’m not much of a germophobe myself - but we might want to work on a personal greeting that doesn’t involve physical contact. pic.twitter.com/GTCgTBZENX — Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) March 2, 2020
Live longer and prosper. pic.twitter.com/iQ4gPtXT3Z — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 5, 2020
And anyone who’s not with these hygiene ideas will be duly shamed. That includes you, “Sweet Caroline” fans!
NEIL DIAMOND: touching hands
CDC: no don’t touch hands
NEIL DIAMOND: reaching out
CDC: please avoid that
NEIL DIAMOND: TOUCHING YOU-
CDC: everyone is Boston is doomed — actioncookbook (@actioncookbook) February 28, 2020
What’s great about so much of this viral message-spreading is that it’s warm, upbeat, lively, and entertaining. Fun elbow-bump memes are a far cry from the global panic we’ve all been conditioned to expect from years of apocalyptic outbreak scenarios depicted in movies and on TV.
Of course, the recommended behavioral changes aren’t always easy to follow, especially when it comes to one in particular: face-touching.
No one can stop touching their face, but memes are helping us try
One of the most frequently recommended health tips to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus is to avoid touching your face. But as this widely shared clip from the 2010 outbreak movie Contagion reminds us, that’s almost impossible to do:
This scene from the (excellent) film Contagion is highly relevant to this Twitter moment https://t.co/XFsxeqY3D1 — Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) February 28, 2020
If you’re one of the people who struggle to reduce your face-touching, you’re not alone:
me, thinking about not touching my face pic.twitter.com/0nB1IquVRA — Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) March 2, 2020
CDC: As a precaution against #Coronavid19 avoid touching your face.
MY FACE CONSTANTLY: pic.twitter.com/nzYTtdC6pp — Liz Wasser (@TheLizWasser) March 1, 2020
covid prep tips: stop touching your face
people who wear glasses: pic.twitter.com/2QUAU87be0 — ᴘᴀᴘᴇʀʙᴇᴀᴛssᴄɪssᴏʀs ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ (@paperbeatstweet) March 2, 2020
Working on not touching my face :) pic.twitter.com/qfyNdrDReh — Hannah (@McBBQSauce) March 5, 2020
Perhaps frequent meme reminders can help keep our hands away:
when u see some body touching their face pic.twitter.com/841DYnqoZd — darth™ (@darth) February 29, 2020
But the most prominent theme yet is where coronavirus memes are doing their best work.
Hand-washing may already be the meme of the year
Could the basic act of hand-washing itself be a meme? Jokes about the importance of hand-washing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus are already among the year’s best:
Protect yourselves from Coronavirus with this easy acronym:
C lean your hands
O pen hands and clean them
R emove germs from hands
O pen hands etc as above
N eat
A nd tidy hands
V erify hands are clean
I s your hands clean?
R emove hand germs
U ndirt your hands
S tay clean handed — Todd 'Papi' Carlos (@TheToddWilliams) February 28, 2020
Among the more popular hand-washing meme variants are the ones that remind people how to clean up like Lady Macbeth:
Wash your hands like you convinced your husband to murder the rightful king and you can't get the blood off. — M (@MelanieMoore) February 28, 2020
Even Shakespearean acting troupes have gotten in on the Macbeth gag, while also spreading helpful hand-washing instructions:
Public health tip: If you aren't sure how long to wash your hands, just remember Lady Macbeth's speech! #ShakespeareSavesLives #coronavirus #WashYourHands pic.twitter.com/aXy3xXlpmv — Shakespeare Theatre Company (@ShakespeareinDC) March 3, 2020
A more recent, less bloodthirsty inspiration to head to the sink involves Eric, a popular character from Netflix’s Sex Education:
the poet the poem pic.twitter.com/mwYEYP6ODx — will bettelheim (@numz7) January 22, 2020
The image of the actor who plays Eric, Ncuti Gatwa, reminding people to wash their hands has even found its way into schools:
you're in my school bathrooms pic.twitter.com/eKgpCv1UNb — fauxnutro (@tafkatt) February 5, 2020
Among the most popular musical flavors of the hand-washing meme are suggestions for songs to sing to make sure wash your hands for the amount of time health experts recommend — a whole 20 seconds.
Parts of K-Pop songs to wash your hands to that are approximately 20+ seconds long. pic.twitter.com/IDRzGJGcfi — On This Day in K-Pop (@onthisdaykpop) March 3, 2020
Suggestion of something to sing while washing your hands: pic.twitter.com/YUMmo3gC3G — Rachael Krishna (@RachaelKrishna) March 5, 2020
You're supposed to wash your hands for 20 sec, which is the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. But I'm tired of singing Happy Birthday and you probably are too, so I've done the very important public service of compiling other songs with roughly 20 sec choruses to sing: — Jen Monnier (@JenMonnier) March 2, 2020
It's gonna take a lot to wash germs away from you
It’s something that a fifth of a hundred seconds could do
I bless the sink down in my bathroom
Gonna take some time to do the things we need to do (ooh, ooh) — Shayla Bradley (@shaylariane) March 2, 2020
For all those who love 90s hits. New songs for hand washing! #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/Y639bcPymf — Alison (@AlisonObrPhD) March 7, 2020
There’s even a lyrics generator for better hand-washing.
It’s perhaps a sign of the strange times we’re in that these coronavirus memes have skewed toward the positive when they could have easily gone in a more dire direction. World War 3 jokes, for example, traded in heavy irony, while memes about the 2014 Ebola outbreak were largely dominated by 4chan users sharing damaging, racist “jokes” about death and conspiracy theories. By stark contrast, coronavirus memes have generally emphasized behavioral changes and information-sharing (while also lamenting how hard it is to stop touching your face). Instead of spreading the message that we’re all going to get sick and die, coronavirus memes are downright reasonable, even borderline cheerful.
The coronavirus is a serious threat, of course. But instead of merely using humor to cope, a memetic focus on prevention methods has provided welcome bits of levity — and important information — during a growing crisis.


vox--2020-03-09--Will coronavirus cause a global recession? We still don’t know.

Share All sharing options for : Will coronavirus cause a global recession ?
We still don ’ t know .
Well , that was bad .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 2,000 points on Monday , over growing fears about the novel coronavirus outbreak and oil prices .
Markets in Europe and Asia also tumbled , in one of the worst weeks for stocks since the 2008 financial crisis .
This is just the latest grim economic news .
The spread of Covid-19 , as the disease is formally known , is unsettling supply chains , sapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into chaos , freaking out the stock markets , and intensifying fears of a global recession .
There ’ s still so much we don ’ t know about the coronavirus , which makes the potential economic fallout extremely uncertain , for both China and the rest of the world .
It is also difficult to completely isolate one factor — in this case , a virus outbreak — from everything else happening in the world that can rattle the markets or strain economies .
So how deep , lasting , or widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to predict .
But it ’ s clear from how wildly markets are reacting , and from the responses of governments — just last week , the Federal Reserve cut interest rates — that the world is bracing for a potential coronavirus-linked downturn .
( Vox ’ s Matt Yglesias explains here what governments can do about it . )
China makes up a much larger share of the world economy than it did in 2003 , when SARS , another illness caused by a type of coronavirus , broke out .
Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other manufacturers and companies around the world are already admitting they ’ re feeling the negative effects of the virus .
So too are industries tied to travel and tourism .
Airlines , cruise lines , hotels ; they all take a hit during outbreaks due to travel bans and warnings , and general fears — real or hyped — about contagion .
“ It ’ s a potential threat to the global economy as it goes on longer , ” Rohan Williamson , a professor of finance at Georgetown University ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month .
Supply chains can deal with disruptions for a few weeks , relying on supplies they have saved in house .
But if it continues past that , he said , “ It becomes a little more troubling.
” The stock market sure is nervous .
Here ’ s why .
As of March 9 , more than 100,000 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed worldwide .
The virus has now spread to other parts of Asia , Europe , South America , and the United States .
Nearly 4,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , the epicenter of the outbreak .
The fear that coronavirus will continue to spread and impact the global economy looks to be the main reason for the economic jitters .
The coronavirus could prove to be deadlier than it currently is ; the fatality rate is around 2 percent , but that could change .
It could also prove to be the opposite , if more people are found to have mild cases .
The coronavirus could become a pandemic ; it could also taper off .
Government intervention could dull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response could do the opposite .
The stock market isn ’ t the economy , but it ’ s a signal that investors are worried about the economic outlook for the coming year because of the virus .
Basically , they ’ re predicting that the coronavirus will continue to spread and cause more disruptions , depress demand , and maybe cause a global slowdown .
This is especially true in industries that cater to travel and tourism , which are being hammered by the outbreak .
This has been made worse by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South by Southwest ( SXSW ) festival in Austin , usually a boon to the local economy — and fears that will be replicated in the US and around the world .
The fight between Saudi Arabia and Russia over oil production that sparked a dip in oil prices Monday has compounded fears of a broader slowdown .
Right now , investors don ’ t know for sure that a global slowdown is going to happen — no one does — but they ’ re preparing as if it will .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if good news starts breaking , it could swing in the other direction .
Williamson said the stock market volatility is driven by this uncertainty .
“ As an investor you ’ re trying to say , here ’ s this virus .
What ’ s going to be the reaction with the worst case , if things get really bad ?
” he said .
“ So your response is going to be ‘ prices drop , ’ because you ’ re going to say , ‘ I don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if things go really bad [ in ] a few months .
So I will sell it right now.
” Investors are preparing for the worst , and some companies and analysts have changed their forecasts for earnings this year .
For example , Goldman Sachs revised its earnings growth estimates to zero for US companies .
“ US companies will generate no earnings growth in 2020 , ” Goldman Sachs ’ s chief US equity strategist , David Kostin , said in a note to clients in February .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likelihood that the virus becomes widespread.
” Businesses are already taking a hit , but how bad it gets will depend on how long this lasts Apple is one of those companies that have revised down their projections for this quarter .
Nike , too , is expected to have a grim quarter .
Companies like Nike and Apple also get a bit of a double whammy .
“ These are two companies that manufacture a significant amount of their products in China , but they also sell a significant amount of products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab , told me .
Factories in China were already operating with smaller staffs or delays because of the Lunar New Year .
Then came the coronavirus emergency , which saw many factories shuttered .
Even as some factories in unaffected areas of the country try to restart production , travel restrictions made it difficult for people to get to work .
And because everything is happening so slowly , it is going to take time for these manufacturers to scale back up .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory , you have to spend 14 days in quarantine .
We have some longtime workers that haven ’ t even returned , ” a worker in a Chinese factory told NPR earlier this month .
Then there is the retail side .
Government-mandated lockdowns in several cities in China have kept people off the streets — and therefore out of shops , restaurants , hair salons , theaters , and so on .
Many simply closed .
Apple closed its stores and corporate headquarters and though has now reopened about half its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Starbucks shut down 2,000 stores in China , about half of its total locations , though it too has started to resume operations by the end of last month .
Pretty much all businesses that rely on China as part of their supply chains or have big retail presences within the country face similar challenges .
Luxury fashion brands in particular , which depend heavily on Chinese buyers , are taking a hit .
A report from the investment management firm Bernstein found that the coronavirus could end up costing the luxury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in sales in 2020 , Business Insider reports .
And while big-name brands get the attention , smaller manufacturers might be even less resilient to the shock .
For instance , sellers on Amazon , who often rely on cheap Chinese products , are getting pummeled , with dwindling stock to sell .
“ I don ’ t think the Amazon platform has seen such a massive amount of inventory problems as we are about to see , ” Patrick Maioho , who sells kitchen products on Amazon and advises on manufacturing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February .
Then there are the airlines , which some experts say could lose as much as $ 100 billion , and all the other businesses that rely on tourism : hotels , casinos , cruises , tour companies , and more .
Chinese tourists are some of the world ’ s biggest spenders , and travel restrictions , quarantines , and closed borders are making tourism increasingly difficult , to say nothing of visitors to China .
And as the virus spreads , this problem is being replicated elsewhere : Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban across its country on Monday , barring all travel that isn ’ t essential for work or emergencies .
Its tourism industry is expected to be hit , hard .
All this means that many industries will likely have a bad start to 2020 .
But although it may not be a satisfying answer , how bad it will be depends on how long — and how far — the coronavirus continues to spread .
Right now , much of the economic pain is centered in China , and on companies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But as cases tick up in Europe and the United States start to balloon , that pain will be spread around .
“ I think we should expect that every country will see cases , and the duration of infection could go on for months — I don ’ t think we have an end period , necessarily , ” Jennifer Nuzzo , an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , told me last month .
So is this going to cause a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new coronavirus will cause a global recession .
The short answer is that it definitely could .
Here again , though , whether it will — and if it does happen , how bad it might be — depends on when the coronavirus emergency is resolved .
A recession is generally defined as two back-to-back quarters of negative economic growth , usually measured by gross domestic product ( GDP ) — that is , the total value of final goods and services produced within a certain period ( in this case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Experts I spoke to said that China ’ s GDP will probably suffer pretty badly this first quarter , and since it makes up about 17 percent of the global economy , that ’ s not great news .
China ’ s estimated GDP growth for the first quarter of 2020 was about 6 percent .
“ The vast majority of all economists and others looking at China — and what we know about the virus so far — are expecting , best-case scenario for Q1 in China , zero .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that right there is going to hurt global GDP to the extent China ’ s that big , ” Frederick said .
What happens in China will have ripple effects outward to the rest of the world .
The Eurozone countries are definitely bracing , as its GDP only grew 0.1 percent at the end of last year , so any shock could likely push it toward negative growth .
The US does have one of the world ’ s strongest economies right now , so it ’ s a bit more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year , and experts say it might do a bit worse at the start of 2020 than it did last quarter , but is unlikely to see negative growth , at least for now .
Of course , the big question is how long does this coronavirus outbreak go on ?
If the coronavirus isn ’ t contained and these trends continue , the likelihood of a global recession increases .
It ’ s also important to remember that the coronavirus is just one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the global economy , like trade wars .
“ As it gets more and more severe and infects more and more people , the impacts become greater and greater , and the countries that are teetering on recession already anyway will be right there , ” Williamson said .
Experts I spoke to cautioned that if governments respond appropriately and this outbreak is blunted , the worst-case scenario will probably be avoided .
That doesn ’ t mean it will be averted equally around the world , or even in all industries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But when it comes to the global economy , the theme for now is “ don ’ t panic.
” This is better news for companies like Apple that make durable goods , but could be bad news for services like restaurants or cruises or hotels , which will have a harder time making up the lost revenue , Frederick , the vice president of trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab , told me .
He explained that if you wanted to , say , buy an iPhone or a washing machine or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to because of a supply shortage , or a store closing , you might be okay waiting to buy that product later once it ’ s available again — provided that the economic shock is temporary enough that you still have a job and money to spend .
But if you normally go to a coffee shop every day or if you hit the casino every weekend , and now you can ’ t because of the coronavirus , once things get back to normal , you ’ re not all of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits to make up for that .
Even if the coronavirus doesn ’ t cause a recession , it could transform the global economy in subtler ways The coronavirus outbreak has definitely exposed vulnerabilities for companies , especially those that rely heavily on China for their supply chains and products .
This may force companies to cut some of their dependence on China , something that already started to happen because of President Donald Trump ’ s trade war .
That almost certainly doesn ’ t mean abandoning China altogether , but rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect against major crises that dramatically impact one country or one region more than others .
That also does not necessarily mean more manufacturing will come back to the United States , as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently claimed , but it means companies will likely be looking elsewhere .
And even for companies that aren ’ t really dependent on China , it ’ s still a good reminder that no one knows when or where the next pandemic or crisis might happen .
But one thing is certain : There will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So preparing now is a good idea .

Editor’s note, April 21: There have been significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic since this story was last updated. For our most up-to-date coverage, visit our coronavirus hub.
Well, that was bad. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 2,000 points during the month of March, over growing fears about the novel coronavirus outbreak and oil prices. Markets in Europe and Asia also tumbled, in one of the worst weeks for stocks since the 2008 financial crisis.
This is just the latest grim economic news. The spread of Covid-19, as the disease is formally known, is unsettling supply chains, sapping sales of some products, throwing travel into chaos, freaking out the stock markets, and intensifying fears of a global recession.
Related A simple guide to the vaccines and drugs that could fight coronavirus
There’s still so much we don’t know about the coronavirus, which makes the potential economic fallout extremely uncertain, for both China and the rest of the world. It is also difficult to completely isolate one factor — in this case, a virus outbreak — from everything else happening in the world that can rattle the markets or strain economies.
So how deep, lasting, or widespread any economic fallout will be is hard to predict. But it’s clear from how wildly markets are reacting, and from the responses of governments — the Federal Reserve cut interest rates just on March 3 — that the world is bracing for a potential coronavirus-linked downturn. (Vox’s Matt Yglesias explains here what governments can do about it.)
China makes up a much larger share of the world economy than it did in 2003, when SARS, another illness caused by a type of coronavirus, broke out. Now, companies like Apple and Nike and other manufacturers and companies around the world are already admitting they’re feeling the negative effects of the virus.
So too are industries tied to travel and tourism. Airlines, cruise lines, and hotels all take a hit during outbreaks due to travel bans and warnings, and general fears — real or hyped — about contagion.
“It’s a potential threat to the global economy as it goes on longer,” Rohan Williamson, a professor of finance at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, told me in February. Supply chains can deal with disruptions for a few weeks, relying on supplies they have saved in house.
But if it continues past that, he said, “It becomes a little more troubling.”
The stock market sure is nervous. Here’s why.
As of March 12, more than 125,000 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed worldwide. The virus has now spread to other parts of Asia, Europe, South America, and the United States. Over 4,500 people have died, most in mainland China, the original epicenter of the outbreak.
The fear that the coronavirus will continue to spread and impact the global economy looks to be the main reason for the economic jitters.
The coronavirus could prove to be deadlier than it currently is; in early March, the WHO estimated the fatality rate to be around 3.4 percent, but that could change. It could also prove to be the opposite, if more people are found to have mild cases. The coronavirus is now officially a pandemic, but it could also taper off in the near future. Government intervention could dull the effects in populations; a bungled response could do the opposite.
The stock market isn’t the economy, but it’s a signal that investors are worried about the economic outlook for the coming year because of the virus. Basically, they’re predicting that the coronavirus will continue to spread and cause more disruptions, depress demand, and maybe cause a global slowdown.
This is especially true in industries that cater to travel and tourism, which are being hammered by the outbreak. This has been made worse by cancellations of major events — think the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, usually a boon to the local economy — and fears that will be replicated in the US and around the world.
The fight between Saudi Arabia and Russia over oil production that sparked a dip in oil prices has compounded fears of a broader slowdown.
Right now, investors don’t know for sure that a global slowdown is going to happen — no one does — but they’re preparing as if it will. They’re reacting to fears now, but if good news starts breaking, it could swing in the other direction.
Williamson said the stock market volatility is driven by this uncertainty. “As an investor you’re trying to say, here’s this virus. What’s going to be the reaction with the worst case, if things get really bad?” he said. “So your response is going to be ‘prices drop,’ because you’re going to say, ‘I don’t want to be the one holding the security if things go really bad [in] a few months. So I will sell it right now.”
Investors are preparing for the worst, and some companies and analysts have changed their forecasts for earnings this year. For example, Goldman Sachs revised its earnings growth estimates to zero for US companies.
“US companies will generate no earnings growth in 2020,” Goldman Sachs’s chief US equity strategist, David Kostin, said in a note to clients in February. “We have updated our earnings model to incorporate the likelihood that the virus becomes widespread.”
Businesses are already taking a hit, but how bad it gets will depend on how long this lasts
Apple is one of the companies that have revised down their projections for this quarter. Nike, too, is expected to have a grim quarter.
Companies like Nike and Apple also get a bit of a double whammy. “These are two companies that manufacture a significant amount of their products in China, but they also sell a significant amount of products to China,” Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab, told me.
Factories in China were already operating with smaller staffs or delays because of the Lunar New Year. Then came the coronavirus emergency, which saw many factories shuttered. Even as some factories in unaffected areas of the country try to restart production, travel restrictions made it difficult for people to get to work. And because everything is happening so slowly, it is going to take time for these manufacturers to scale back up.
“Even if you came back to the factory, you have to spend 14 days in quarantine. We have some longtime workers that haven’t even returned,” a worker in a Chinese factory told NPR earlier this month.
Then there is the retail side. China instituted government-mandated lockdowns in several cities, which kept people off the streets — and therefore out of shops, restaurants, hair salons, theaters, and so on.
Many simply closed. Apple closed its stores and corporate headquarters and though has now reopened about half its stores again by the end of February. Starbucks shut down 2,000 stores in China, about half of its total locations, though it too had started to resume operations by the end of February.
Pretty much all businesses that rely on China as part of their supply chains or have big retail presences within the country face similar challenges.
Luxury fashion brands in particular, which depend heavily on Chinese buyers, are taking a hit. A report from the investment management firm Bernstein found that the coronavirus could end up costing the luxury market as much as $43 billion in sales in 2020, Business Insider reports.
And while big-name brands get the attention, smaller manufacturers might be even less resilient to the shock. For instance, sellers on Amazon, who often rely on cheap Chinese products, are getting pummeled, with dwindling stock to sell.
“I don’t think the Amazon platform has seen such a massive amount of inventory problems as we are about to see,” Patrick Maioho, who sells kitchen products on Amazon and advises on manufacturing in China, told the Wall Street Journal in February.
Then there are the airlines, which some experts say could lose as much as $100 billion, and all the other businesses that rely on tourism: hotels, casinos, cruises, tour companies, and more. Chinese tourists are some of the world’s biggest spenders, and travel restrictions, quarantines, and closed borders are making tourism increasingly difficult, to say nothing of visitors to China.
And as the virus spreads, this problem is being replicated elsewhere: Italy, for example, placed a travel ban across its country on March 4, barring all travel that isn’t essential for work or emergencies. Its tourism industry is expected to be hit, hard.
All this means that many industries will likely have a bad start to 2020. But although it may not be a satisfying answer, how bad it will be depends on how long — and how far — the coronavirus continues to spread.
Right now, much of the economic pain is centered in China, and on companies that rely on China for parts or products. But a And as cases in Europe and the United States tick up, that pain will be spread around.
“I think we should expect that every country will see cases, and the duration of infection could go on for months — I don’t think we have an end period, necessarily,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told me in February.
So is this going to cause a global recession?
Everyone wants to know if the new coronavirus will cause a global recession. The short answer is that it definitely could. Here again, though, whether it will — and if it does happen, how bad it might be — depends on when the coronavirus emergency is resolved.
A recession is generally defined as two back-to-back quarters of negative economic growth, usually measured by gross domestic product (GDP) — that is, the total value of final goods and services produced within a certain period (in this case, usually a quarter of a year).
Experts I spoke to said that China’s GDP will probably suffer pretty badly this first quarter, and since it makes up about 17 percent of the global economy, that’s not great news. China’s estimated GDP growth for the first quarter of 2020 was about 6 percent.
“The vast majority of all economists and others looking at China — and what we know about the virus so far — are expecting, best-case scenario for Q1 in China, zero. Many are expecting negative GDP in Q1, so that right there is going to hurt global GDP to the extent China’s that big,” Frederick said.
What happens in China will have ripple effects on the rest of the world. The eurozone countries are definitely bracing, as the eurozone’s GDP only grew 0.1 percent at the end of last year, so any shock could likely push it toward negative growth.
The US does have one of the world’s strongest economies right now, so it’s a bit more protected. The US’s GDP grew 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, and experts say it might do a bit worse at the start of 2020 than it did last quarter, but is unlikely to see negative growth, at least for now.
Of course, the big question is how long does this coronavirus outbreak go on? If the coronavirus isn’t contained and these trends continue, the likelihood of a global recession increases. It’s also important to remember that the coronavirus is just one factor, which might exacerbate other strains on the global economy, like trade wars.
“As it gets more and more severe and infects more and more people, the impacts become greater and greater, and the countries that are teetering on recession already anyway will be right there,” Williamson said.
Experts I spoke to cautioned that if governments respond appropriately and this outbreak is blunted, the worst-case scenario will probably be avoided. That doesn’t mean it will be averted equally around the world, or even in all industries or labor forces, of course. But when it comes to the global economy, the theme for now is “don’t panic.”
This is better news for companies like Apple that make durable goods, but could be bad news for services like restaurants or cruises or hotels, which will have a harder time making up the lost revenue, Frederick, the vice president of trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab, told me.
He explained that if you wanted to, say, buy an iPhone or a washing machine or a car but weren’t able to because of a supply shortage, or a store closing, you might be okay waiting to buy that product later once it’s available again — provided that the economic shock is temporary enough that you still have a job and money to spend.
But if you normally go to a coffee shop every day or if you hit the casino every weekend, and now you can’t because of the coronavirus, once things get back to normal, you’re not all of a sudden going to make multiple trips or visits to make up for that.
Even if the coronavirus doesn’t cause a recession, it could transform the global economy in subtler ways
The coronavirus outbreak has definitely exposed vulnerabilities for companies, especially those that rely heavily on China for their supply chains and products. This may force companies to cut some of their dependence on China, something that already started to happen because of President Donald Trump’s trade war.
That almost certainly doesn’t mean abandoning China altogether, but rather distributing or diversifying supply chains to better protect against major crises that dramatically impact one country or one region more than others.
That also does not necessarily mean more manufacturing will come back to the United States, as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently claimed, but it means companies will likely be looking elsewhere.
And even for companies that aren’t really dependent on China, it’s still a good reminder that no one knows when or where the next pandemic or crisis might happen. But one thing is certain: There will be another one at some point. So preparing now is a good idea.


vox--2020-03-09--Italy puts the entire country under travel restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus

Italy is now restricting travel across the entire country , an unprecedented move by the government as it furiously tries to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Italy is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe , and the country is struggling to contain the virus : The number of cases in Italy has surpassed 9,000 , and at least 450 people have died .
On Monday evening , Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he was extending a ban on travel already in place in northern Italy to now cover all of the country — more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars all personal travel that isn ’ t for essential work , or for health or family emergencies .
All public gatherings , including weddings and funerals , are also banned , and sport events are suspended .
Theaters , gyms , ski resorts , and discos are shut down .
Last week , Italy closed all schools until March 15 .
On Monday , Conte said that order would be extended almost a full month , until April 3 .
The dramatic measures , which Conte is calling the “ I Stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect Tuesday morning .
Conte said Italy was facing a national emergency and needed to take these measures to stop the spread of the virus and to prevent hospitals from being overloaded .
“ This is the moment of self-responsibility , ” he said , after announcing the travel ban in the north .
Previously , people across Italy were being told to stay at least one meter away from others at bars , cafes , and in supermarkets .
Those “ social distancing ” measures are meant to thin crowds and stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who experience symptoms of the coronavirus had been instructed to stay home altogether .
But with public events canceled and even more restrictive travel measures are in place , all of Italy is essentially a “ red zone ” now .
Riots also broke out in prisons across the country over the weekend and into Monday after facilities banned family visits and restricted leave applications , leaving at least six dead .
Many of the incarcerated are concerned that they would be particularly vulnerable should the virus spread in prison .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy as it struggles to curtail the coronavirus .
Initially , draft measures leaked on Sunday before the government ’ s formal announcement to impose a quarantine in northern Italy , causing confusion and anger among local leaders .
It also sparked mass panic , as people in the north rushed to board trains or get in cars to head to other parts of Italy to avoid the new restrictions .
Northern Italy , which is the country ’ s economic center , attracts workers from southern Italy .
In Puglia , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the north would also face quarantine restrictions .
Now , of course , everyone is looped into this latest decree .
The extension of this order to the entire country about 24 hours after the initial order underscores the challenges of imposing such severe restrictions in a democratic country like Italy .
Chinese authorities put into place strict quarantine and travel restrictions , but Italy , as Conte said , is much more dependent on the public taking “ self-responsibility ” through social distancing and limiting movement .
Conte urged Italians not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get around the restrictions .
Some prominent Italian figures used the hashtag # iostoacasa ( “ I ’ m Staying Home ” ) on Twitter to encourage people to abide by the new rules .
Italy ’ s extraordinary measures highlight the urgency of slowing the coronavirus spread The rollout of Italy ’ s new measures marks a turning point for a country that ’ s struggling to contain the spread of coronavirus .
And it ’ s not even clear that this extraordinary order will do enough to slow the contagion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leader of Italy ’ s Democratic party ( which is part of the governing coalition ) , has tested positive — leading to fears about spread and exposure in the government .
The latest directive also puts into perspective just how damaging the outbreak will be on Italy ’ s already fragile economy .
Italy ’ s government will provide a 7.5 euro stimulus ( about $ 8.5 billion ) — “ shock therapy ” — to deal with the fallout from the virus , but uncertainty prevails .
The hardest hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Milan as its capital , and Veneto , home to Venice , together account for about a third of Italy ’ s GDP .
This more expansive quarantine put even more pressure on businesses , to say nothing of tourism and travel to the region .
The mass quarantine is also raising fears about the potential economic impact across the eurozone .
The European Central Bank meets Thursday , and everyone is waiting to see what interventions it may make to try to stave off a recession within the bloc .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe , but the virus is spreading throughout the continent .
So far , the European Union has resisted calls to completely seal off Italy ’ s borders , though neighboring countries have increased border checks .
Some leaders , specifically Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis , have been more forceful in calling on the EU to ban travelers in Italy .
Some of the continent ’ s right-wing populists have also exploited the coronavirus as a rallying cry to seal its borders and bar migrants .
Matteo Salvini , a right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in February that the government had underestimated the coronavirus by “ allowing the migrants to land from Africa , where the presence of the virus was confirmed.
” ( As of March 4 , there have been just 11 confirmed cases in Africa , according to the World Health Organization . )
But the rapid spread of the coronavirus is shattering the sense that it can be contained by borders .
Italy is trying to slow the outbreak , but it ’ s unlikely it can deal with the coronavirus , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation and coordination from the rest of the EU .

Italy is now restricting travel across the entire country, an unprecedented move by the government as it furiously tries to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Italy is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, and the country is struggling to contain the virus: The number of cases in Italy has surpassed 9,000, and at least 450 people have died.
On Monday evening, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he was extending a ban on travel already in place in northern Italy to now cover all of the country — more than 60 million people. This effectively bans all personal travel that isn’t for essential work, or for health or family emergencies.
All public gatherings, including weddings and funerals, are also banned, and sport events are suspended. Theaters, gyms, ski resorts, and discos are shut down. Last week, Italy closed all schools until March 15. On Monday, Conte said that order would be extended to include almost a full month, until April 3.
The dramatic measures, which Conte is calling the “I Stay Home” decree, will go into effect Tuesday morning. Conte said Italy was facing a national emergency and needed to take these measures to stop the spread of the virus and to prevent hospitals from being overloaded. “This is the moment of self-responsibility,” he said, after announcing the travel ban in the north.
Previously, people across Italy were being told to stay at least one meter away from others at bars, cafes, and in supermarkets. Those “social distancing” measures are meant to thin crowds and stop people from spreading the virus, though people who experience symptoms of the coronavirus had been instructed to stay home altogether. But with public events canceled and even more restrictive travel measures are in place, all of Italy is essentially a “red zone” now.
Riots also broke out in prisons across the country over the weekend and into Monday after facilities banned family visits and restricted leave applications, leaving at least six dead. Many of the incarcerated are concerned that they would be particularly vulnerable should the virus spread in prison.
This has been an intense few days for Italy as it struggles to curtail the coronavirus. Initially, draft measures leaked on Sunday before the government’s formal announcement to impose a quarantine in northern Italy, causing confusion and anger among local leaders.
It also sparked mass panic, as people in the north rushed to board trains or get in cars to head to other parts of Italy to avoid the new restrictions. Northern Italy, which is the country’s economic center, attracts workers from southern Italy. In Puglia, for example, officials said those returning from the north would also face quarantine restrictions. Now, of course, everyone is looped into this latest decree.
The extension of this order to the entire country about 24 hours after the initial order underscores the challenges of imposing such severe restrictions in a democratic country like Italy. Chinese authorities put into place strict quarantine and travel restrictions, but Italy, as Conte said, is much more dependent on the public taking “self-responsibility” through social distancing and limiting movement.
Conte urged Italians not to “try and be clever” to get around the restrictions. Some prominent Italian figures used the hashtag #iostoacasa (“I’m Staying Home”) on Twitter to encourage people to abide by the new rules.
Italy’s extraordinary measures highlight the urgency of slowing the coronavirus spread
The rollout of Italy’s new measures marks a turning point for a country that’s struggling to contain the spread of coronavirus. And it’s not even clear that this extraordinary order will do enough to slow the contagion.
Prominent politicians, including Nicola Zingaretti, the leader of Italy’s Democratic party (which is part of the governing coalition), has tested positive — leading to fears about spread and exposure in the government.
The latest directive also puts into perspective just how damaging the outbreak will be on Italy’s already fragile economy.
Italy’s government will provide a 7.5 euro stimulus (about $8.5 billion) — “shock therapy” — to deal with the fallout from the virus, but uncertainty prevails. The hardest hit areas in the northing, including Lombardy, with Milan as its capital, and Veneto, home to Venice, together account for about a third of Italy’s GDP. This more expansive quarantine put even more pressure on businesses, to say nothing of tourism and travel to the region.
The mass quarantine is also raising fears about the potential economic impact across the eurozone. The European Central Bank meets Thursday, and everyone is waiting to see what interventions it may make to try to stave off a recession within the bloc.
Italy is so far the hardest hit in Europe, but the virus is spreading throughout the continent. So far, the European Union has resisted calls to completely seal off Italy’s borders, though neighboring countries have increased border checks. Some leaders, specifically Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, have been more forceful in calling on the EU to ban travelers in Italy.
Some of the continent’s right-wing populists have also exploited the coronavirus as a rallying cry to seal its borders and bar migrants. Matteo Salvini, a right-wing populist and anti-immigrant politician in Italy, said in February that the government had underestimated the coronavirus by “allowing the migrants to land from Africa, where the presence of the virus was confirmed.” (As of March 4, there have been just 11 confirmed cases in Africa, according to the World Health Organization.)
But the rapid spread of the coronavirus is shattering the sense that it can be contained by borders. Italy is trying to slow the outbreak, but it’s unlikely it can deal with the coronavirus, or the economic fallout from it, without cooperation and coordination from the rest of the EU.