TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2020 AS OF 4:00 PM EST
The total number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has surpassed 1.4 million worldwide, with more than 386,000 cases in the United States (US) — of whom approximately 20,000 are reported as recovered.
Johns Hopkins 2019-nCoV Map of Global Cases: Source
Surges in Cases in the US Call for Increased Precautions
The US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams offered somber warnings as he braced Americans for the worsening of the pandemic. “It’s going to be our 9/11 moment,” the Surgeon General said. “It’s going to be the hardest moment for many Americans in their entire lives, and we really need to understand that if we want to flatten that curve and get through to the other side, everyone needs to do their part.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance to recommend the general public use cloth face coverings when in public — particularly in areas with higher community-based transmission — to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Take action to slow the spread of #COVID19 by wearing a cloth face covering in public spaces, keeping at least 6 feet of physical distance, & frequently washing your hands. Make a cloth face covering from a t-shirt, scarf or cloth napkin. Learn how at https://t.co/H5k6whHYrn pic.twitter.com/h3EsuK4RiD
— CDC Emergency (@CDCemergency) April 6, 2020
New York State reported 731 new coronavirus deaths on April 6, 2020 — marking its biggest single day increase in new fatalities. Governor Cuomo said while there might be a plateau in hospitalizations in New York, he cautioned, “This is a projection. It still depends on what we do, and what we do will affect those numbers.” He continued to caution that it is critical to maintain social distancing measures and has implemented increased fines for violating social distancing protocols, carrying a maximum amount of $1,000.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) is using its power over monetary policy to cushion the economic fallout into a recession from COVID-19. “The Federal Reserve is really throwing out all the stops in an effort to contain a health crisis from becoming an economic or financial crisis,” said Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst for Bankrate.com. “Issue No. 1 for the Fed is to get the plumbing of financial markets working properly again.” As of Sunday, April 4, the Fed announced it will step in to help support the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). With soaring unemployment filings (a two-week total of 10 million as of April 3, 2020), many experts caution that unemployment could continue to climb to reach historic levels.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned France faces its deepest recession since the end of World War II. “The worst growth figure in France since 1945 was -2.2 percent in 2009, after the financial crisis of 2008. We will probably be very far beyond -2.2 percent” this year, Minister Le Maire told a Senate panel. French officials have said the lockdown will last until at least April 15, 2020.
Photo: Many small businesses have closed as a result of COVID-19. Source
Global Lockdowns on the Rise
“We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us,” Queen Elizabeth II said in a Sunday, April 5 address to the United Kingdom (UK). The 93-year-old monarch offered a message of hope and support to a country locked down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, promising the nation that it would rise to the challenge and overcome the outbreak. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently being treated for COVID-19, and was admitted to the ICU on April 6, 2020.
Citing a sharp rise in domestic violence amid global COVID-19 lockdowns, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on governments around the world to make addressing the issue a key part of their response to the pandemic. “For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes,” he said, appealing “for peace at home — and in homes — around the world.”
The Hagerty Team will continue providing information and updates on current events and disasters affecting the nation.
STAY UPDATED AND LEARN MORE HERE:
- John Hopkins University’s Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases Map
- CDC Guidance on Cloth Face Coverings
- 2019 Novel Coronavirus Situation Updates by CDC
- World Health Organization Coronavirus Information
- Hagerty Consulting Quarantine and Isolation Workshops
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