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Coronavirus cases topped 500,000 with the US leading the way. Over 81,000 people in the US are now known to have contracted Covid-19, more than China, Italy, or any other global hotspot. The latest edition of Quartz’s Coronavirus: Need to Know newsletter examines the global reach of the pandemic.
China temporarily banned most travelers to stave off a second wave. With domestic cases on the decline, China will no longer accept most foreign citizens into the country, even those with residence visas. Only diplomatic, emergency, and certain high-skilled visa holders will be allowed entry.
Tokyo citizens were told to stay home. There are concerns that Japan’s coronavirus outbreak is rapidly worsening—at least 40 new cases were reported in the capital’s largest Covid-19 spike—so Tokyo’s governor asked residents to stay inside starting this weekend through April 12.
US markets left historically awful unemployment figures in the dust. Major stock indexes registered a third-straight day of gains, with the Dow marking its largest 72-hour spike since the 1930s. That’s despite a record-breaking 3.3 million new unemployment claims. That exuberance may be due, at least in part, to Senate passage of a historic $2 trillion aid package.
Huawei launched its Google-free flagship phone. The company is moving full steam ahead with its 5G-enabled, AI-heavy P40 smartphone. These are the first top-of-the-line Huawei handsets shipped without Google apps due to US trade restrictions, more of which may soon be on the way.
Millions are expected to observe Earth Hour this weekend. The annual “lights out” event slated for Saturday night is taking place while one-third of the global population is under some sort of movement restriction due to the pandemic.
A grounded world
Coronavirus-hit airports are on the brink of failure. As global airlines line up for government handouts, airports the world over fear being overlooked in their own time of crisis.
International students are stuck. The US is home to about 1.1 million international students, and a clear majority of universities have told them to leave campus housing. The others left the choice to students. Here’s what different colleges are saying now.
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Changing the pitch. Y Combinator, the prestigious Silicon Valley accelerator, was forced to move its recent demo day online. Like so many other things that coronavirus has affected, it could permanently change the way startups raise money.
Experts from McKinsey & Company can help you manage any crisis. Five tried-and-tested methods will help you prepare for whatever comes next.
Quartz daily obsession
The people who know the least are often convinced they know the most. The Dunning-Kruger helps explain why we all have blind spots of unearned confidence, and how that can be an important (if embarrassing) part of the learning process. The Quartz Daily Obsession absolutely and positively is the expert on this subject.
Matter of debate
What are you going to wear after this apocalypse? Most people are in t-shirts and sweatpants these days, with sales of comfortable loungewear on the rise. Women wore pants more regularly after World War II hurried them into the workforce, so we can reasonably expect a shift toward functional simplicity when this crisis is over.
Surprising discoveries
Social distancing could save the US $8 trillion. The calculations hinge on the “value of statistical life.”
It is also great for your physical health. Social distancing slows the spread of diseases other than coronavirus.
There’s a patron saint of epidemics. Her name is Saint Corona and she’s about to get her big moment.
Home bakers have created an international yeast shortage. Shelves are empty, but stores say it’s temporary.
A 500 million-year-old worm offers a key to evolution. The organism is the earliest ever recorded with “bilateral symmetry”: its blueprint is in everything from dinosaurs to humans.
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