Honeywell said Sunday it will expand its manufacturing operations at a Rhode Island factory to produce millions of N95 disposable masks for medical personnel who are caring for coronavirus patients.
Why it matters: The company said it is hiring 500 additional workers and moving equipment to its Smithfield, Rhode Island, facility, which already produces safety glasses and goggles as well as protective face shields.
After days of intense negotiations, talks between Capitol Hill leaders and the White House over a Phase 3 stimulus package to fight the coronavirus broke down on Sunday, leading to a failed cloture vote meant to move the bill forward.
Why it matters: The emergency legislation, which is expected to be one of the largest and most expensive stimulus packages in American history (it could grow beyond $2 trillion), would deliver desperately needed aid to American families, small businesses and corporations hit hardest by the virus.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told "Axios on HBO" that he is not focused on cutting costs in the face of the coronavirus crisis, but instead aiming to meet "new demand" for Microsoft Teams and other Office applications as more employees work from home.
Why it matters: Tech companies like Microsoft are taking on central new roles in keeping government, business and education up and running as offices shut down to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald insisted in an "Axios on HBO" interview that his company did the right thing when it came to shutting down cruises earlier this month, despite criticism from some health experts who say it should have happened sooner.
Why it matters: Carnival has generated controversy for continuing to sail cruise ships after a CDC recommendation that all Americans defer cruise travel. Its Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was carrying hundreds of infected passengers, was held at sea for weeks before finally being able to dock in early March.
Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald says he is not looking for a coronavirus bailout from Congress or the Trump administration and insists his company did the right thing in waiting to shut down cruises earlier this month.
The main priority is keeping checks coming to Carnival's 150,000 employees, Donald said in an interview with "Axios on HBO," but he's unsure how long the company can continue.
The "Axios on HBO" interview with China's ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai had tense moments.
What they're saying: At one point, during an exchange about allegations of torture from former Muslim detainees in Xinjiang camps, Cui said it would not be productive to keep discussing such matters. At another point, he accused Axios of insulting the Chinese Communist Party and equated the Party with the Chinese people.
In a rare interview, China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, told "Axios on HBO" that he stands by his belief that it's "crazy" to spread rumors about the coronavirus originating from a military laboratory in the United States.
Why it matters: Cui called this exact conspiracy theory "crazy" more than a month ago on CBS' "Face the Nation." But that was before the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian, began publicly promoting the conspiracy.
Syria reported its first case of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, according to state media.
Why it matters: The actual number of cases in Syria is likely far higher, especially considering its proximity to Iran — the site of one of the worst outbreaks in the world. Syria faces unique challenges in attempting to curb the spread of the virus, with the country having been ravaged by a civil war for the past nine years.
The German government is banning public gatherings of more than two people to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, stopping just short of confining people to their homes Bloomberg reports.
Driving the news: Chancellor Angela Merkel is in quarantine after coming in contact with a doctor who tested positive for the virus.
Emirates, one of the largest long-haul airlines in the world, retracted its announcement Sunday temporarily suspending all passenger flights, now saying it will defer "most" routes due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The big picture: Airlines have been reducing flights at unprecedented rates in order to stop the spread of the virus and as a result of low demand.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that "all Americans deserve the blunt truth" and that the current trajectory of the coronavirus outbreak suggests it will be "a lot worse" in April and May.
Driving the news: De Blasio ripped into President Trump for his response to the outbreak in New York City, claiming he "will not lift a finger to help his hometown." The mayor called on the military to be mobilized and for Trump to use the Defense Production Act to produce medical supplies like ventilators.
Three western counties in Minnesota are examining whether to transform a vacant prison facility into a medical center to treat coronavirus patients, AP reports.
The big picture: Every part of the U.S. is at risk for a severe shortage of hospital beds as the coronavirus pandemic worsens, according to several academic and scientific models. Prison owner CoreCivic said it would provide the facility free of charge for the state, which has less than 150 cases.
Classified Chinese government data suggests that one-third of coronavirus cases in the country were asymptomatic "silent carriers," according to the South China Morning Post, the English-language paper in Hong Kong.
Why it matters: Because of the high number of asymptomatic cases, China and South Korea started testing people who had close contact with a patient — regardless of whether they had flu-like symptoms.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that inaction by the federal government has forced state governments to compete “against each other” for coronavirus supplies.
Why it matters: Hospitals around the United States are running out of medical equipment, including masks, gowns, gloves and ventilators — all of which are necessary both to protect health care workers and to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the New York Times that he tries to be diplomatic when forced to contradict President Trump on the facts of the coronavirus outbreak.
What he's saying: “I’ve been telling the president things he doesn’t want to hear. I have publicly had to say something different with what he states. It’s a risky business. But that’s my style. ... I say it the way it is, and if he’s gonna get pissed off, he’s gonna get pissed off. Thankfully, he is not. Interestingly.”
Apple, GM and Tesla are among the U.S. firms diversifying from their specialist areas to help deliver essential medical supplies like masks and ventilators to assist in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
Why it matters: Testing capacity for COVID-19 has expanded in the U.S., as demand for medical equipment increases. Leading medical associations expressed concern in a letter to President Trump Saturday that "there will not be enough medical supplies, including ventilators, to respond to the projected COVID-19 outbreak."
Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) announced at a news conference Saturday night a mandatory 14-day quarantine order for all travelers newly arrived in the state — effective midnight Thursday.
Why it matters: "This mandate is the first of its kind in the nation," Ige said of the order, which both returning residents and nonresidents must comply with. Hawaii now has 48 cases, per the state health department. With most linked to travel, "it is critical that we further mitigate the spread of the virus by both residents and visitors who are coming from out-of-state," Ige said. He implored travelers to postpone their visits.
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) is in a critical condition in hospital with pneumonia that's not related to the novel coronavirus, per a statement Saturday evening by his chief of staff, Betsy Arnold Marr.
Details: He was hospitalized last Friday in a serious condition with "complications of pneumonia from a traumatic rib fracture that occurred after falling during a run," Arnold Marr said. "Unfortunately, Congressman DeSaulnier’s condition has deteriorated and he is in critical condition," the statement added. "The doctors are doing everything they can to care for the Congressman." He tested negative for COVID-19.
Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative for the novel coronavirus, a spokesperson said on Saturday.
Catch up quick: Pence said he elected to test for COVID-19 after a member his office tested positive on Friday. "Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual," Katie Miller, Pence's press secretary, said on Friday.
