INFORMS Open Forum

Good evening,

Please find today's Daily COVID-19 Update for October 8th below and attached. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Thank you,
Jeff

INFORMS Members In The News 

• What can we expect from a winter COVID-19 second wave? No one knows for sure, but there is reason for hope and concern (USA Today)

Member: Pinar Keskinocak

• Sheldon Jacobson: Covid-19 vaccine supply chain could be easier than many expect (Trib Live)

Member: Sheldon Jacobson

• The most common vaccine campaign in history (IPP Media)

Member: Julie Swann

Federal Policy Update 

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) told reporters this evening that Democrats will not support standalone stimulus legislation, instead favoring a more comprehensive relief package. She stated that "there is no standalone bill without a bigger bill," adding that Democrats are interested in airline relief and would be "happy to review what that standalone bill would look like as part of a bigger bill." 
• The Labor Department published their weekly unemployment insurance claims report, finding that another 840,000 Americans filed for their first-time benefits last year. 
• The Small Business Administration published a revised Frequently Asked Questions document for clarifications related to their Paycheck Protection Program. 
• U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Alex Azar suggested that every American should be able to have access to a vaccine by March or April of next year.
• Pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Regeneron have both applied for emergency use authorizations for their antibody treatments, but the Food & Drug Administration has confirmed that they "cannot confirm, deny, or comment on product applications."

State Update 

• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) announced that the state reported its largest number of new coronavirus cases since the end of May – with 1,301 new cases.
• New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that as a result of new coronavirus restrictions, the city would be closing a total of 169 schools. 

 

Global Response 

• Amid a large spike in coronavirus cases, the Czech Republic announced that they would implement a series of restrictions for the next two weeks. These restrictions include an 8 PM closure for all restaurants and bars, a closure of all universities and academic institutions, and more.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that they are warning residents to stay at home as much as possible, in order to combat against another wave of coronavirus cases.

Economic Update

• U.S. stocks were on the rise today, with all three indices closing with gains. The Nasdaq Composite climbed by 0.50%, the S&P 500 by 0.80%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 0.43%. 

  

Latest Impact Data 

• In the United States: Over 7,831,271 cases and 217,656 deaths in 50 states, 4 territories, and Washington, D.C.
• Worldwide: Over 36,734,263 cases  and 1,066,335 deaths in at least 204 countries and territories.

 

In the News                

• White House, Congress continue pressing on economic relief package but Pelosi bristles over Trump approach (The Washington Post)
• Pelosi signals no relief for airlines without bigger COVID deal (Politico)
• Coronavirus Hit the U.S. Long Before We Knew (The Wall Street Journal)
• Weekly jobless claims drop to 840,000 in first week of October (The Hill)

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