Good morning, Quartz readers!
Here’s what you need to know
All essential workers in England can get tested for the coronavirus. About 10 million key workers, and members of their households, will be able to schedule a test on a new government website starting today.
The EU agreed on an economic rescue plan. A €1 trillion ($1.1 trillion) emergency fund will be set up, and €540 billion in financial support will be released through existing mechanisms from June 1. Leaders will discuss details of how to fund the longer term recovery plan on May 6.
A German court tries an alleged ISIS jihadist. Judges in Frankfurt will hear the case of an Iraqi man accused of genocide and murdering a Yazidi child slave. He also faces charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and human trafficking.
Meghan Markle’s privacy case goes to court in London. The Duchess of Sussex sued publisher Associated Newspapers over the Mail on Sunday’s publication of one of her private letters. She is seeking aggravated damages for the misuse of private information.
Sweden’s Gothenburg cut its twin city ties with Shanghai. The country’s second-largest city axed its 34-year-old agreement, the latest Swedish city to end its twin city relationship with China. The move comes days after the country shuttered the last of its Confucius Institutes.
A Gilead drug test seems to have flopped. An accidentally published draft summary detailed that the pharmaceutical giant’s remdesivir drug failed to improve coronavirus patient conditions, causing the firm’s shares to tumble more than 4%.
Game on?
⚾️ Fans are staying up past their bedtimes for Taiwanese baseball.
🏈 An all-remote NFL draft is expected to smash viewership records.
⚽️Germany’s soccer leagues said they’re ready to resume matches next month.
🏁And these street racers aren’t waiting for anyone to start their engines.
Charting the price of Brent
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil received all the attention this week after its price went negative for the first time ever. But its international counterpart, Brent crude oil, has also seen a historic decline this year—in April alone, the price dropped around 35%. Unfortunately for Indian motorists, that has not translated to cheaper prices at the pump.
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- Just as Greece began to move out of a decade-long economic crisis, the coronavirus outbreak forced a nationwide shutdown. That’s made delivery workers essential, but vulnerable, in cities like Athens.
- The world’s reliance on Chinese pharmaceuticals has long been a concern, albeit one that had largely been seen as an acceptable trade-off. Covid-19 could change that calculus.
We’re obsessed with typhoid mary
The original super-spreader. New York City cook Mary Mallon was the source of multiple typhoid outbreaks and was detained for decades due to misconceptions about asymptomatic spread. Her role in the early 20th-century epidemic illustrated the precarious balance between individual liberty and public welfare. The Quartz Daily Obsession thinks that sounds awfully familiar.
You asked about delivery safety
“How are we any safer exposing ourselves to delivery people who have exposed themselves to all the dangers of a grocery store?” – Ross C.
Because it’s delivery week at Quartz, this is a question that’s been on our collective hivemind. You’re absolutely correct, Ross, that delivery workers are at a higher risk of infection than those who are able to stay home. That’s one of the reasons we asked 10 of the most popular food-delivery services if their workers can take paid sick leave.
As to whether your delivery person can get you sick, the CDC says that coronavirus generally spreads through respiratory droplets, which is why masks are now recommended. When it comes to the goods they deliver, the CDC says, “It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, like a packaging container, that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
So while there’s no such thing as perfect safety, handwashing after handling delivered goods is probably a safe bet. And of course, tip your people well—after all, they’re putting themselves in respiratory harm’s way so you don’t have to.
✉️ Do you have a burning question about how coronavirus is changing the world?
Surprising discoveries
A city in Japan is cutting tens of thousands of flowers. Authorities in Saitama are making the floral sacrifice to deter crowds from gathering.
Tom Hanks sent a Corona brand typewriter to a boy in Australia… The eight-year-old had been bullied for his name, Corona.
…and someone turned a typewriter into a drum machine. The 90-year-old Remington, connected to a computer running music production software, now spits out catchy tunes.
India’s released prisoners have to check in on WhatsApp and Google Maps. Those granted parole to ease overcrowding in Delhi jails will have to share their live location with authorities.
There may be a healthier way to brew coffee. A new study says filtered coffee prevents heart attacks, while unfiltered methods like French presses worsen cholesterol.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, filtered coffee, and musical typewriters 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.