(Bloomberg) — Countries across the globe weighed the timing for easing restrictions, as the CDC said the outbreak has stabilized across the U.S. and other hot spots showed slower rates of infections.
U.S. governors formed coalitions to plan for the reopening of their economies, setting up a potential clash with President Donald Trump, who insisted he alone has that authority. Trump defended his record on the virus in a combative display during a White House briefing.
France extended its lockdown as the health ministry said the country is in a “high plateau” phase.
Key Developments
- Coronavirus Tracker: Global cases surpass 1.92 million; deaths top 119,000. An error with Johns Hopkins University data falsely reported the global case count had risen above 2 million earlier.
- Governors team up on reopening, rebuffing Trump
- Macron says France was underprepared
- Spain reports smallest number of new infections since March 20
- Doctors come under attack in India as coronavirus stigma grows
Hong Kong Has No Immediate Plan to Resume School (10:56 a.m. HK)
It is “difficult to tell” how long schools will remain suspended in Hong Kong, Education Secretary Kevin Yeung said in a Bloomberg TV Interview. Yeung said he is confident to hold university entrance exams starting April 24 as planned.
Lobbyists, Consultants Sue U.S. for Covid Cash (10:44 a.m. HK)
A group representing political consultants, pollsters and lobbyists sued the U.S. government for a slice of the $2.2 trillion Covid-19 bailout pie. The American Association of Political Consultants says it’s unconstitutional for its members to be excluded from the small business loans provided by the CARE Act, which Congress passed last month in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The group says its members should be granted access to $349 billion in “forgivable loans” provided under the Paycheck Protection Program. The program excludes various businesses including non-profits, strip clubs and those “primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities.”
Australia Business Confidence Drops to Lowest Ever (9:44 a.m. HK)
Australian business confidence plummeted in March to the lowest level in the history of the survey as shutdowns designed to stem the spread of coronavirus sent the economy into a tailspin.
A gauge of sentiment slid to -66 from -2 in February, the biggest drop on record, National Australia Bank Ltd. said. The conditions index — which measures hiring, sales and profits — slumped to -21 from 0
China Reports 89 Cases, No Deaths (8:38 a.m. HK)
China reported 89 additional confirmed coronavirus cases on April 13, with 86 of them from abroad, according to a statement from the country’s National Health Commission. No new deaths were reported.
The country reported 54 asymptomatic cases. It has 1,005 asymptomatic coronavirus cases under medical observation. China has a total of 82,249 confirmed coronavirus cases.
Trump Defends His Coronavirus Record With Anger (8:35 a.m. HK)
U.S. President Donald Trump declared “everything we did was right” and angrily denounced media reports suggesting his administration had failed to adequately ramp up coronavirus testing or the production of medical supplies in a testy press conference Monday at the White House.
Trump, who said he was frustrated by the reports questioning his administration’s response to the crisis that has left more than 20,000 Americans dead and millions unemployed, played a campaign-style video defending his record and highlighting instances where media and medical analysts downplayed the threat posed by the coronavirus.
Mnuchin Says 80 Million to Get Virus Aid by Wednesday (7:22 a.m. HK)
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said 80 million taxpayers should receive coronavirus relief payments by Wednesday and that the government is accelerating assistance to businesses as well.
The Treasury secretary announced the payments at a White House news conference, along with progress the Small Business Administration has made in processing loans from the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program. Both relief programs were created in the $2.2 trillion stimulus President Donald Trump signed last month.
Trump Hopes to Reopen Country ‘Ahead of Schedule’ (7:20 a.m. HK)
U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration will issue guidance within days for governors who want to begin relaxing social-distancing practices to curb the coronavirus outbreak, and said he hopes to reopen the country “ahead of schedule.”
Australia Many Weeks Away From Relaxing Rules (6:17 a.m. HK)
Australia is looking to parts of industry that can be restarted without creating greater health risks as the National Cabinet prepares to meet Thursday to discuss restrictions.
“It’s a real trade-off, getting the best value of the restrictions that you can lift and at same time not put the health situation at greater risk,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program, pointing to agribusiness and manufacturing as examples. He said he hoped to move to less-restrictive measures, but said the nation was still many weeks away.
U.S. Census Delayed at Least Three Months (5:30 p.m. NY)
The once-per-decade U.S. census will be delayed by at least three months as the coronavirus pandemic hinders in-person data collection from households. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced field operations will be delayed until June 1, and that in turn would delay completion of the count until Oct. 31. He asked Congress Monday to grant his department a 120-day extension of statutory deadlines as a result of the outbreak.
Massachusetts Joins Northeastern Reopening Plan: Cuomo (5:12 p.m. NY)
Massachusetts has joined an effort by northeastern U.S. states to coordinate on a plan to reopen their economies, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a tweet. New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island are also part of the initiative.
U.S. Confirmed Cases Rise 5.6% (4 p.m. NY)
U.S. cases rose 5.6% from the day before to 572,169 by Monday afternoon, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg News. That was lower than the 7.4% average daily increase over the past week but slightly higher than the 5.4% increase on Sunday. Deaths rose 7.3% to 23,070. New York’s cases rose about 3.3%, but the rate was about half of what it was a week ago.
