INFORMS Open Forum

Good evening,

Please find the daily COVID-19 update for today, March 30th, below and attached. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Jeff

INFORMS Members In The News

• How Fast Can The U.S. Go Back To Work? (Forbes)
• A New Texas COVID-19 Pandemic Toolkit Shows the Importance of Social Distancing (UT News)
• Medical supply chains are fragile in the best of times and COVID-19 will test their strength (Fairfield Citizen)
• Zero to 1,000 in 25 days: The story of coronavirus in NC is far from over, experts say (The Charlotte Observer)
• A New York hospital is treating two patients on a device intended for one (Washington Post)
• 'Only 2 Left in Stock! Order Now!' Bur Does That Really Work? (Wall Street Journal)
• Can't go to the doctor? You already own a powerful medical device (Fast Company)

U.S. Federal Policy Update 

• President Donald Trump announced in the White House Coronavirus Task Force's briefing last night that the administration will extend the federal guidance on social distancing – through April 30^th. President Trump stated that these plans would be finalized tomorrow, and the task force would likely be releasing a strategy tomorrow evening based on the findings. 
• The FDA announced today that they are officially expediting the review process for coronavirus testing. This "unprecedented action" from the FDA "revises the process to allow labs to begin testing prior to FDA review of their validation data."
• Over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration also officially gave emergency authorization for drugs (traditionally used for malaria treatment) to be distributed and used for coronavirus treatment. The guidance states that while the two drugs "are not FDA-approved for treatment of COVID-19," they are "currently recommended for treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in several countries."
• House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) announced today that the committee is postponing their FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act markup, which was originally scheduled for April 30^th. This postponement was in order to comply with the aforementioned social distancing extension. The new markup will take place at date to be announced soon.
• House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced today that the House is not scheduled to reconvene until April 20^th, but members will be given "sufficient notice" if the "House is required to take action on critical legislation related to the coronavirus response or other legislative priorities."

 

Global Response

• The British government announced today that they would allocate 75 million pounds to help airlines "fly home tens of thousands of stranded British travelers where commercial flights are no longer possible."
• The Tokyo Olympics – which were originally set to begin on July 24^th, 2020 – were officially postponed to start on July 23^rd, 2021.

 

State Update

 

• President Trump issued a memorandum of support for the Governors of Connecticut, Illinois, and Michigan to use National Guard units, and directed FEMA "to fund 100% of the emergency assistance activities associated with preventing, mitigating, and responding" to the pandemic response in these three states.
• President Trump also approved disaster declarations for Alabama and Kansas today, along with approvals yesterday for D.C., Georgia, Oregon, and Connecticut. 
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced today that he would establish "safer at home" rules for southeastern counties in the state – suggesting that residents stay home as much as possible. These guidelines will apply to Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties.
• D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a stay-at-home order today, which will go into effect on Wednesday and will last through April 24^th.
• Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued a stay-at-home order, which will go into effect at 8 PM today. This will stay in place until the emergency declaration is over, and violators could be punished with misdemeanor charges. 
• Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued a similar stay-at-home order, which will stay in effect until June 10^th.

  

Economic Update (as of the close of markets)

• Stocks were on the rise today, with all three indices reporting overall gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 3.2%, the S&P 500 by 3.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite by 3.6%. 

Latest Numbers

• In the United States: Over 156,391 cases and 2,897 deaths in 50 states, 3 territories, and Washington, D.C.
• Worldwide: Over 759,800 cases and 36,674 deaths in at least 171 countries.

 

In the News (3/30/20) 

• From distraction to disaster: How coronavirus crept up on Washington (Politico)
• Democrats eye major infrastructure component in next coronavirus package (The Hill)
• Dow gets a nearly 700-point boost as Wall Street nears the end of a historically bad quarter (Washington Post)
• The Fed Transformed: Powell Leads Central Bank Into Uncharted Waters (Wall Street Journal)

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Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA
Director, Public Affairs & Marketing
INFORMS
jeff.cohen@informs.org
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