INFORMS Open Forum

4/6/20 COVID-19 Daily Update

  • 1.  4/6/20 COVID-19 Daily Update

    Posted 04-06-2020 19:40
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    Good evening,

    Please find today's Daily COVID-19 Update below and attached. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

    Best,

    Jeff Cohen

    INFORMS Members In The News

    Member: Anna Nagurney, University of Massachusetts Amherst

    Members: Julie Swann, North Carolina State University

    Members: Pinar Keskinocak, Georgia Tech

    Members: Andrew Ching, Johns Hopkins University and Matthew Osborne, University of Toronto

    Members: Andrew Ching, Johns Hopkins University and Matthew Osborne, University of Toronto

     

    U.S. Federal Policy Update 

    • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted that he spoke last night to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and "urged him to have President Trump appoint a senior military officer to lead government-wide production and distribution of critical medical supplies." Minority Leader Schumer recommended retired Air Force General Paul Selva, retired Navy Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, or former Defense Logistics Agency Director Mark Harnitchek for the position. 
    • President Trump officially sent to the Senate the nomination of Brian Miller to fill the newly-created position of Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery within the Treasury Department. Under this position, he will be responsible for overseeing the $500 billion fund for distressed businesses created by the CARES Act. In parallel, the top four congressional leaders – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy – are working to appoint a five-member oversight commission for the fund. Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer announced his appointment would be Bharat Ramamurti, who was the Deputy Director of Economic Policy for Senator Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign. 
    • Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to House members asking that all documents for the House floor now be submitted electronically. This policy is set to remain in place until April 19th, but the letter noted that this could possibly be extended.
    • The Labor Department has issued guidance on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program – providing up to 39 weeks of benefits for qualifying individuals.
    • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued an interim final rule this morning that "gives individuals and entities that provide services to Medicare beneficiaries needed flexibilities to respond effectively to the serious public health threats posed by the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus."
    • Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) tweeted yesterday about the U.S.'s PREDICT program, which "identified lethal viruses abroad to prevent their spread to the U.S.," and sharply criticized the Trump administration's decision to end the program prior to the coronavirus pandemic. In response, he has "proposed a comprehensive plan to rebuild our global anti-pandemic infrastructure."
    • The U.S. Army announced that they've temporarily suspended basic combat training for recruits because of concerns surrounding the pandemic.

     

    Global Response 

    • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced today that he plans to declare a state of emergency tomorrow for the country's major cities that have been the worst affected by the pandemic.
    • Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced in a video statement that the country will extend its state of emergency until mid-May.
    • United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to the intensive care unit, as his condition has "worsened." 
    • Dubai announced a measure requiring residents of the city to apply for police permits online in order to leave their homes.

     

    State Update

    • Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers officially issued an executive order suspending the state's primary election until June 9th.
    • Yesterday evening, President Trump approved disaster declarations for Mississippi, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. 
    • New York Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the state's closure of schools and nonessential businesses to last until April 29th. He also announced that the fine for breaching state directives will now be $1,000.
    • State officials from Texas said last night that they would start screening travelers entering from Louisiana, requiring drivers to submit a "designated quarantine location." The Texas Department of Public Safety has stated that the agency is planning to carry out unannounced visits to these locations to ensure that travelers are completing the required 14-day isolation period. 
    • California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state will be loaning 500 ventilators to the Strategic National Stockpile.

      
    Economic Update (as of close of the markets)

    • Stocks rose significantly, with all three indices reporting major gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved upwards by 7.7%, the S&P 500 by 7.0%, and the Nasdaq Composite by 7.3%.
    • Financial strategists predicted that these increases were likely due to investor optimism that stay-at-home measures have helped the U.S. and Europe to fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    Latest Impact Data

    • In the United States: Over 362,573 cases and 10,720 deaths in 50 states, 4 territories, and Washington, D.C.
    • Worldwide: Over 1,337,715 cases and 74,223 deaths in at least 204 countries and territories.

     

    In the News



    ------------------------------
    Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA
    Director, Public Affairs & Marketing
    INFORMS
    jeff.cohen@informs.org
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    4-6-20 covid update.pdf   133 KB 1 version