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China closes its borders to most travelers to stave off a second wave. With domestic cases on the decline, starting midnight tonight 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.
Singapore threatens prison for people who break social distancing rules. Under updates to its infectious diseases law, from today until April 30, anyone who sits less than a meter (3 ft.) next to someone in a public space, or stands in line less than a meter away from someone, can be fined up to S$10,000 ($6,990), jailed for up to six months, or both.
Tokyo prepares for a weekend lockdown. The Japanese capital saw a surge in confirmed cases this week, and experts warned of a potentially explosive rise as more than half of the new cases could not be traced. However, prime minister Shinzo Abe said the situation does not yet call for declaring a state of emergency.
Queensland goes to the polls. The Australian state is pushing ahead with the vote tomorrow, with the state’s chief health officer saying there’s “no risk” to people voting even as medical professionals urged a postponement due to the coronavirus crisis. Meanwhile, prime minister Scott Morrison said starting by midnight Saturday, all arrivals to Australia will be quarantined in hotels in the city of entry for two weeks.
Donald Trump receives new coronavirus recommendations. Based on the latest data, the US president’s advisers will outline next steps in the fight to combat the pandemic and restart the economy. The US now has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world. Separately, Trump signed into law an act that increases US support for Taiwan internationally, a move that will likely anger China.
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The pandemic economy
EU leaders clashed over the bloc’s coronavirus economic response. Over an hours-long virtual summit, the 27 member states struggled to issue a joint statement as Spain and Italy rejected the draft plan as too weak. Italy and eight other countries want the creation of so-called “coronabonds,” but Germany balked at the concept of shared debt.
India’s central bank slashed rates. Indian stocks and bonds rallied after the Reserve Bank of India reduced the benchmark rate by 75 basis points, bringing it to 4.4%. The bank also extended the repayment schedule for banks and other lending institutions by three months.
The US House votes on the stimulus bill. After the Senate unanimously passed the $2 trillion relief package late Wednesday, House members are expected to approve it with strong bipartisan support before it’s sent to Trump for final approval.
Quartz membership
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
Taiwan should be allowed to join the World Health Organization. The country is barred from the global health agency because China, seeing the island as part of its own territory though the Communist Party has never ruled over it, refuses it membership. Taiwan has handled the coronavirus pandemic remarkably well, but its continued exclusion from the WHO poses a global risk.
Surprising discoveries
A naked man crashed a Norwegian school’s online video lesson. He was able to gain access and expose himself to several children after correctly guessing the conference link.
Neanderthals collected seafood. An excavated cave on the coast of Portugal revealed ancient deposits of fish, crabs, and mussels.
Chefs are giving cooking lessons on Instagram Live. With their establishments closed, restaurateurs are connecting with their patrons and fans online.
This waffle maker turns batter into Lego-shaped blocks. You can stack the fluffy bricks into a fun syrup-soaked towers.
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.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, secure virtual classrooms, and quarantine wardrobes to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS or Android and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was written by Mary Hui and edited by Isabella Steger.