Current Events in April 2020

Gas prices went down this week, but the rate of decline has slowed, even though the price of oil has fallen off a cliff.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $1.78 a gallon, four cents less than last Friday. At this time a year ago the average price was $2.84 a gallon. The average price of premium gas is $2.43 a gallon, five cents less than a week ago. The average price of diesel fuel is $2.48 a gallon, down three cents from last week.

On Monday, the futures price of oil for May delivery fell past zero to negative $38. Because of a nationwide economic shutdown, demand for gasoline plunged and producers were running out of places to store their oil.

Oil prices recovered later in the week but are still at levels not seen in more than a decade. Demand for gasoline this week remains low but has stabilized, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

While the national average is just below $1.80 a gallon, many stations around the country are selling fuel for below $1 a gallon.

“One in four U.S. gas stations is selling gas for $1.49 or less,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “Even with regional refinery rates dropping, we will continue to see gas prices decrease though potentially at a slower rate than the past few weeks.”

The states with the most expensive regular gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• Hawaii ($3.22)

• California ($2.78)

• Washington ($2.49)

• Oregon ($2.44) 

• Nevada ($2.35)

• New York ($2.20)

• Arizona ($2.17)

• Utah ($2.08)

• Alaska ($2.07)

•  Pennsylvania ($2.06)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Wisconsin ($1.19)

• Oklahoma ($1.38)

• Ohio ($1.39)

• Michigan ($1.43)

• Kentucky ($1.45)

• Arkansas ($1.45)

• Indiana ($1.46)

• Iowa ($1.49)

• Missouri ($1.49)

• Mississippi ($1.52)

• Kansas ($1.52)

The Small Business Administration (SBA) -- working in cohort with the Department of the Treasury -- is trying to dam up the hole in public trust that was created when $365 million included in the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) found its way into the coffers of publicly traded companies and left a throng of true “small businesses” out in the cold.

In its new guidance released Thursday, the SBA drew boundaries to keep its “ready, fire, aim” blunder from happening again. Step one was wordsmithing the finer points of the program. 

“A borrower must certify on the Borrower Application Form that the borrower is eligible to receive a PPP loan, and that certification means that the borrower is a small business concern” the agency stated. 

The business also has to have 500 or fewer employees whose principal place of residence is in the United States.

Large companies take advantage

Among the public companies making off with millions of dollars in initial PPP loan money were businesses that are anything but small. A MorganStanley alert listed nearly 50 well-heeled companies that probably didn’t really need the extra cash. Here are a few that made the list:

• DMC Global -- a metal-working concern -- grabbed $6.7 million even though its market cap is over $400 million; 

• Potbelly Sandwich Shop -- which has 6,000 employees, 474 locations, and rang up $409 million in 2019 -- received a $10 million loan; and 

• ZAGG, a company whose main product -- InvisibleShield, a protective cover for consumer electronics -- brought in more than a half-billion in revenue last year, walked away with $9.4 million in loan money. 

Send our money back in two weeks, please

The SBA leaned on large, public companies that got their hands on first-round funds to return the money and let real small businesses use it.

The SBA sent out a signal that any large public company that tapped the PPP before the new rule change should do the right thing and return the relief loan it took -- and do it in the next two weeks. 

“Any borrower that applied for a PPP loan prior to the issuance of this guidance and repays the loan in full by May 7, 2020 will be deemed by SBA to have made the required certification in good faith,” the SBA said. 

“I think you’ve seen some pretty shameful acts by some large companies to take advantage of the system,” Howard Schultz, former Starbucks chairman and CEO, told CNBC. The better thing to do, Schultz insists, is that the government act “as a backstop for the banks to give every small business and every independent restaurant a bridge to the vaccine. And that is the money and the resources to make it through.”

A new study out of New York estimates that 13.9 percent of residents in the state have had COVID-19. The antibody testing study was based on random testing of 3,000 people at grocery stores and shopping locations across 19 counties in 40 localities in New York. 

The preliminary results of the study were released Thursday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who explained that nearly 14 percent of study participants were found to have developed the antibodies to fight the virus at some point and recovered.

“What we found so far is that the state-wide number is 13.9 percent tested positive for having the antibodies,” he said. “They were infected three weeks ago, four weeks ago, five weeks ago, six weeks ago, but they had the virus, they developed the antibodies and they are now recovered.”

Largest concentration in New York City

New York City residents accounted for the largest number of people with positive antibody test results, at 21.2 percent. Long Island had the second-highest concentration of antibody-positive and recovered individuals at 16.7 percent. In Westchester, 11.7 percent of the tests came back positive. In the rest of the state, just 3.6 percent of people tested positive. 

Cuomo said the study represents a “significant data set,” but he acknowledged that the results could be off because “these are people who were out and about shopping.” It also doesn’t account for those who died in their home. 

“They were not people who were in their home, they were not people isolated, they were not people who were quarantined who you could argue probably had a lower rate of infection because they wouldn’t come out of the house,” he said. 

An infection rate of 13.9 percent would mean that 2.7 million people would be infected statewide. Additionally, it would mean that the death rate from coronavirus may be lower than some estimates, Cuomo said.

To date, roughly 2.6 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19. However, the actual numbers are believed to be higher due to unreported cases and testing shortages. 

"Enough tests are not available anywhere," Cuomo said at a press conference, adding that more tests are needed in prisons, nursing homes, and throughout the state. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 843,981 (826,248)

Total U.S. deaths: 46,859 (45,153 )

Total global cases: 2,659,557 (2,594,724)

Total global deaths: 185,494 (179,778)

USC study: COVID-19 death rate significantly lower

While the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) cited above may seem large, two California studies suggest cases of the virus are an order of magnitude higher, meaning the death rate from the virus is actually a fraction of the official estimate of between 1 percent and 2 percent.

A study by USC and the Los Angeles County Health Department confirmed the findings of a smaller Stanford study showing 80,000 residents of Santa Clara County have or have had COVID-19, not the 1,962 cases counted by Johns Hopkins. That means the 94 deaths attributed to the virus make for a fatality rate of .001 percent, not the 4.7 percent “official” death rate.

Similar results were found in Los Angeles County, where the estimated number of infected people is between 221,000 and 442,000, not the 16,449 that are officially confirmed.

“We haven’t known the true extent of COVID-19 infections in our community because we have only tested people with symptoms, and the availability of tests has been limited,” said lead investigator Neeraj Sood, a USC professor of public policy at USC Price School for Public Policy and senior fellow at USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. “The estimates also suggest that we might have to recalibrate disease prediction models and rethink public health strategies.”

Second round of small business loans already gone

Congress hasn’t even given final approval to the second round of funding for emergency loans for small businesses, but bank groups say the money has already been allotted to borrowers. The Consumer Bankers Association says the majority of the $310 billion in the pending legislation is already spoken for.

The initial $349 billion contained in the CARES Act was gone within two days, with some publicly traded restaurant chains getting large loans before small businesses could get their applications in. 

Meanwhile, the Small Business Administration issued new guidance today to make it harder for  big publicly traded companies to access the next round of funding in the popular loan program.

Gilead is betting on its own coronavirus treatment

Clinical trials of Gilead Science’s experimental drug remdesivir are still underway, but the pharmaceutical giant is reportedly in full production of the drug. The move has raised eyebrows since large companies don’t normally take that kind of risk.

It’s led some industry analysts to conclude that Gilead is very confident that remdesivir will be an effective treatment for the most severe effects of the coronavirus. Anecdotal evidence has raised hopes. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial may be concluded before the end of May.

Publix helping two ways

Supermarket chain Publix saw two problems and will try to help out with one solution. Farmers are discarding milk and produce because the market has nearly collapsed with the closing of schools around the country. At the same time, people are lining up at food banks.

The company plans to purchase fresh produce and milk to assist farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and donate these products directly to Feeding America member food banks in its market area. 

The initiative will support Florida produce farmers, southeastern dairy farmers, and the growing number of families looking to Feeding America for fresh fruits, vegetables, and milk during the coronavirus pandemic.

26 million jobs lost

The Labor Department reports that there were 4.4 million initial claims for unemployment benefits in the last week, meaning more than 26 million people have been thrown out of work since the economy went into shutdown mode. That more than wipes out the total number of jobs created since the Great Recession.

Even though it’s a staggering number, unemployment claims have declined from their record highs during the first two weeks of the shutdown. The latest number is a decline of 810,000 from the previous week.

Around the nation

• Louisiana: Governor John Bell Edwards says all state residents must wear a mask for the indefinite future. The government said there won’t be exceptions for young children and people with breathing problems. 

• Vermont: Georgia has gotten all the attention, but it’s not the only state lifting restrictions on some aspects of daily life. Vermont is also opening up some businesses in the state while maintaining social distancing regulations.

• Nevada: The state gaming commission has issued guidance for reopening casinos. Establishments must submit a detailed plan that includes the re-opening date and time and, if the re-opening process is phased in at larger operations, specific dates and times for each area.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has placed a massive strain on America’s health care system, and that strain may continue once the virus is under control. In particular, the U.S. may need a lot more doctors.

A survey of physicians conducted by Merritt Hawkins, a physician search firm, in collaboration with The Physicians Foundation, documented the physical and emotional toll treating COVID-19 patients is taking.

While it suggests that a number of post-COVID-19 changes are coming, perhaps the most significant finding is that 18 percent of doctors plan to retire, temporarily close their practices, or opt-out of patient care. The U.S. may need to train more doctors to take their place.

The survey also found the coronavirus has led to a huge increase in the number of physicians who are using telemedicine to treat patients remotely. Nearly half -- 48 percent -- are using video technology now, an increase of only 18 percent before the pandemic began.

Other findings in the survey include:

• 38 percent of physicians are seeing COVID-19 patients

• 60 percent of physicians who are not seeing COVID-19 patients are willing to do so

• 21 percent of physicians have been furloughed or experienced a pay cut

• 14 percent plan to change practice settings as a result of COVID-19

• 30 percent who are treating COVID-19 patients are feeling great stress but will continue to see patients

Transformative impact

"The impact on physicians from COVID-19 is going to be transformative," said Travis Singleton, executive vice president of Merritt Hawkins.  "The way patients access physicians and how and where physicians practice will fundamentally change." 

With so many physicians indicating they will either leave medicine or change their practice settings, that could mean rapid change for health care. Singleton says the findings should be of particular concern to U.S. hospitals that are already struggling with physician shortages and rapid turnover.

"Once the pandemic has been contained there will be a backlog of procedures and pervasive COVID-19 testing,” Singleton said. “Physician re-engagement and retention will be of even more importance." 

For patients, it likely means a higher probability that office visits with a doctor will be reduced or eliminated in the future. Singleton says the main takeaway is that telemedicine, widely used during the pandemic, may be much more common in the future.

Health officials said Tuesday that the first U.S. death caused by the novel coronavirus took place weeks earlier than previously thought. 

The earliest coronavirus-related death was initially believed to have taken place on February 29 in Kirkland, Washington. However, in March, health officials unearthed two February 26 deaths tied to the virus. 

The latest discovery suggests that the virus was around and spreading for longer than initially realized. The realization also means that the stay-in-place orders should remain in place, according to Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health officer. 

Timeline of outbreak pushed back

Cody told the Washington Post that her county’s shelter-in-place directive was “definitely the right call” given that each severe COVID-19 case hints at a larger number of infections. 

“Every time when I see someone in the ICU or someone who dies, what that says to me is that represents many more infections,” she said.

Stay-at-home orders are “a very blunt tool,” she said. However, “it’s an effective way of slowing the spread and if you already have significant levels of circulation of the virus, that’s really your best and only tool.”

Protestors and state officials have been pushing back on stay-at-home orders, with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announcing plans to allow businesses to reopen this Friday with “minimum operations.” President Trump has fueled efforts by people protesting stay-at-home orders, tweeting "LIBERATE MICHIGAN! ... LIBERATE MINNESOTA! ... LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" 

Jeff Smith, a physician and the county executive in Santa Clara, told the Post that he “sincerely and deeply” hopes that the message gets across to Americans that we “cannot relax shelter-in-place at this point because we don’t have enough testing to know with any type of certainty which areas of the community and which people have the virus.” 

Climate change has created a great deal of stress among consumers, as there is no shortage of health concerns related to rising temperatures and escalating air pollution levels. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Lancaster University has found that consumers shouldn’t wait around for new technologies to help reduce the effects of climate change. Instead, the team says consumers and policymakers need to work together to make shifts in our daily lives in order to see real change. 

“For forty years, climate action has been delayed by technological promises,” said researchers Duncan McLaren and Nils Markusson. “Contemporary promises are equally dangerous. Our work exposes how such promises have raised expectations of more effective policy options becoming available in the future, and thereby enabled a continued politics of prevarication and inadequate action.” 

Creating cultural change

For their study, McLaren and Markusson evaluated technological promises dating back to the early 1990s. They explained that experts have been working to reduce the harmful effects of climate change in a five-step approach: 

• Stabilization 

• Percentage emissions reductions 

• Atmospheric concentrations

• Cumulative budgets

• Outcome temperatures 

In each phase, experts have tried utilizing various technological advances that were believed to be the answer to fighting climate change. The researchers note that some strategies that have been used over the years include nuclear power, bioenergy, emissions technologies, and improved energy efficiency, among several others. 

However, despite these efforts, not much progress has been made. According to McLaren and Markusson, the greatest change will come from cultural shifts as opposed to technological advances. 

“Each novel promise not only competes with existing ideas, but also downplays any sense of urgency, enabling the repeated deferral of political deadlines for climate action and undermining societal commitment to meaningful responses,” the researchers explained. 

Moving forward, the researchers want to put the onus on leaders to make real change happen on the climate change front. If there is a shift in societal behaviors and attitudes, then consumers can expect to put up a solid fight against climate change. 

“Putting our hopes in yet more new technologies is unwise,” McLaren and Markusson said. “Instead, cultural, social, and political transformation is essential to enable widespread deployment of both behavioural and technological responses to climate change.” 

Boeing has been out of the news recently as it tried to mend all the setbacks with its 737 MAX aircraft. On Tuesday, however, the company found its way back into the news cycle after being hit with a $336 million lawsuit.

The company behind the dispute is ALAFCO, a Kuwaiti leasing company. ALAFCO claims that Boeing rebuffed its request to return advance payments for an order it placed -- then canceled -- for 40 of Boeing’s beleaguered MAX jets.

ALAFCO stands for Aviation Lease and Finance Company, with the majority of its customers in the Middle East and Asia. Its only U.S. lessor is economy carrier Sun Country Airlines.

The argument

ALAFCO simply wants its money -- $336,439,850 in advance payments -- back from Boeing. The leasing agency is taking the position that Boeing’s failure to deliver, coupled with the “circumstances” surrounding the grounding of the Max aircraft, “substantially impair the value of the purchase agreement as a whole.” 

ALAFCO appears to have a legal leg to stand on. It claims that canceling the order is “justified” under a section of the Uniform Commercial Code that protects buyers when deals go wrong because of delivery issues. 

Hard times continue for Boeing, but it’s not giving up

Boeing is in a difficult situation. The Federal Aviation Administration continues to be frustrated with the company’s efforts to remedy the 737 MAX's software issues, and it recently asked lenders for $10 billion to help offset the losses stemming from its 737 Max incidents.

This isn’t the first time an aircraft lessor has filed a suit against Boeing for failing to make good on delivery of a 737 MAX order. In December 2019, Timaero Ireland Ltd, an Ireland-based plane lessor, sued Boeing for $285 million over its failure to fulfill its part of an order for 22 of the 737 MAX aircraft.

Despite all of this, Boeing still has its game face on. In a recent letter to its employees, company CEO Dave Calhoun affirmed that the company “continue(s) to make good progress on returning the 737 MAX safely to service.”

Air pollution is a threat to consumers’ health worldwide, and breathing in unhealthy air has contributed to thousands of deaths in the U.S. alone. 

Now, researchers at the American Lung Association are warning consumers about the air quality throughout the U.S. According to a new study, nearly half the country is breathing contaminated air, and the implications for lung health are particularly concerning. 

“The report finds the air quality in some communities has improved, but the ‘State of Air’ finds that far too many people are still breathing unhealthy air,” said American Lung Association CEO and President Harold Wimmer. “This year’s report shows that climate change continues to degrade world air quality and increase the risk of air pollution harming health.” 

Risks to lung health

The researchers analyzed the 2020 State of the Air report, which identifies the levels of particle pollution and ozone across the country. Both toxins put consumers at risk of lung health, and the report found that they are prevalent in many parts of the U.S. 

While nearly 21 million people currently live in cities with unhealthy levels of air pollution, those in the western part of the country are at the greatest risk. 

Because of wildfires on the west coast, and especially throughout the state of California, this area of the country is more susceptible to higher levels of both ozone and particle pollution. Four of the top 10 cities with the highest particle pollution are in California, while seven cities in the state reported the highest levels of ozone. 

These figures are concerning for consumers in all parts of the country, as the way emissions travel across state lines can create a number of health issues. The researchers are most concerned about the risks to consumers’ breathing, as air pollution has been linked to increase the risk for asthma, lung cancer, and heart attacks. 

“Air pollution is linked to greater risk of lung infection,” said Wimmer. “Protecting everyone from COVID-19 and other lung infections is an urgent reminder of the importance of clean air.” 

Cleaner air policies needed

Though there is certainly reason to be concerned, the report also revealed the country’s successes. Cities in Maine, Vermont, North Carolina, and Hawaii had the cleanest air nationwide. 

Moving forward, Wimmer hopes that legislators can pass policies that would promote cleaner air practices and ultimately bring consumers some peace of mind. 

“The science is clear: the nation needs stronger limits on ozone and particle pollution to safeguard health, especially for children and people with lung disease,” Wimmer said. “Every family has the right to breathe healthy air -- and the right to know when air pollution levels are unhealthy. The Clean Air Act is a powerful protector of public health and Americans breathe healthier air today because of this landmark law. But climate change poses increasingly dire threats to air quality and lung health, and our leaders must take immediate, significant action to safeguard the air we all breathe.” 

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, McDonald’s is giving first responders and health care workers a free “Thank You meal.” 

To get a free meal, all workers need to do is show their work badge or be in uniform. The chain said its free meals for health industry workers are limited to one per person per day. Workers will be able to get a free meal from McDonald’s through May 5. 

"In appreciation for the healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics who are committed to our health and safety, McDonald's will offer free Thank You Meals, between Wednesday, April 22 and Tuesday, May 5, as a token of appreciation for their selfless service," McDonald's said in a statement.

Meal options

Breakfast options are an Egg McMuffin, Chicken McGriddle, or a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. Each comes with a side of hash browns and a soft drink, tea, or hot coffee. 

Lunch and dinner options are a double cheeseburger, 6-piece McNuggets, or a Filet-O-Fish. Each comes with a side of small fries and a soft drink, tea, or hot coffee.

McDonald’s said the meals will be served in Happy Meal boxes “in the hopes of bringing a smile along with delicious food.” Instead of a toy, each meal will come with a “dedicated thank you note to first responders and healthcare workers, as a way to show our appreciation for everything they are doing to keep our communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Ford Motor Company is recalling 1,355 model year 2020 Expeditions.

The front passenger seat belt buckle's Belt Tension Sensor may malfunction and may result in the seat occupant being misclassified.

The restraint system may not provide the intended level of protection in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt buckle free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin May 11, 2020.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S17.

Fromagerie Blackburn is expanding its earlier recall of Le Mont-Jacob semi-soft cheese.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There are no reports of illness to date.

The following cheese wheels of Le Mont-Jacob semi-soft cheese, sold cut up and re-packaged in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and possibly throughout Canada, are being recalled:

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them, but discard or return them to the place of purchase .

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (418) 547-4153 or by email at info@fromagerieblackburn.com.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told the airline’s workforce that it might take as long as three years before the carrier gets back to its pre-COVID-19 strength.

In a face-to-face interview with CNBC, Bastian said that its current average passenger load is about 5 percent of what it would typically be carrying. Bastian fleshed out that number’s impact on Delta’s bottom line in its March Quarter 2020 Financial Results. 

“We are confident that people will begin to travel again. We don’t know when it will happen, but we do know that Delta will be a smaller airline for some time, and we should be prepared for a choppy, sluggish recovery even after the virus is contained. I estimate the recovery period could take two to three years,” he told airline workers in a separate memo.

Doing all it takes to stay afloat

No airline has proven itself immune to the pandemic’s bite. In Delta’s case, it’s looking down the barrel of a net loss of $534 million in the first quarter -- more than a billion dollars off what it earned over the same timeframe in 2019. 

Delta has tried nearly every trick in the book to make travelers feel safe enough to fly again, too -- from blocking out middle seats to fogging each plane every night to make sure it’s fully sanitized. 

“Delta is taking decisive action to prioritize the safety of our employees and customers while protecting our business and bolstering liquidity. I am especially proud of the incredible work the Delta people are doing to keep our nation’s airways open, playing an active role in the fight,” Bastian said.

When Bastian refers to the company’s liquidity, it’s got some insulation. Delta ended the first quarter of 2020 with $6.0 billion in unrestricted liquidity, so it can probably take on some water. However, it was particularly difficult for the airline to stomach the downturn because it has gone more than five years without taking a loss.

President Trump has given more details about the order he plans to sign this week that will temporarily ban immigration into the United States. 

Late Monday night, the President tweeted about his intent to pause the issuance of green cards and work visas to help fight “the attack from the Invisible Enemy” and protect jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. 

On Wednesday, the president said the order will be in effect for 60 days and will apply only to people seeking green cards. The order will not affect workers entering the country on a temporary basis.

Trump tweeted that he would be signing the executive order prohibiting immigration into the U.S. later today. 

“In the meantime, even without this order, our Southern Border, aided substantially by the 170 miles of new Border Wall & 27,000 Mexican soldiers, is very tight - including for human trafficking!” he said.

Mitigating economic impact of the virus

Trump said the action would help preserve jobs as the nation battles coronavirus and its economic impact. 

"By pausing immigration, we'll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens," Trump said. "It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flown in from abroad. We must first take care of the American workers."

He added that there will be exemptions under the order. Details about exemptions will be discussed “tonight or tomorrow,” he said. 

Critics of the order have said Trump is using it to further his “anti-immigration agenda,” as well as divert attention away from his response to the virus. To date, nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. have died from the virus. 

"This action is not only an attempt to divert attention away from Trump’s failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and save lives, but an authoritarian-like move to take advantage of a crisis and advance his anti-immigrant agenda,” tweeted Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “We must come together to reject his division." 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 826,248 (788,920)

Total U.S. deaths: 45,153 (42,458 )

Total global cases: 2,594,724 (2,501,156)

Total global deaths: 179,778 (171,810)

Hundreds of thousands of tests

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has set a high hurdle for getting America’s largest city back to normal. At the mayor’s daily briefing, de Blasio said he won’t lift restrictions until the city is able to conduct hundreds of thousands of daily tests for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

“To get to low-level transmission and to hold onto it, you need a huge amount of testing. Not just tens of thousands of tests per day but as many as hundreds of thousands of tests per day for a city of 8.6 million people,” de Blasio said.

Greater testing, the mayor said, is needed to better identify and isolate cases so the city can achieve a low level of transmission.

Cleaner air

One byproduct of the shutdown of most global economic activity has been a rapid and dramatic improvement in air quality in the world’s largest cities. IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology company, measured air quality before and during lockdowns in 10 major cities.

It found what it called a “drastic drop” in air pollution for nearly all the cities in lockdown when compared to the same weeks a year ago. 

Pollution in New Delhi, India was down by 60 percent, and emissions were 54 percent lower in Seoul, South Korea. Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, had its cleanest air on record, according to the report.

Here come the lawyers

Personal injury lawyers are likely to be very busy in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, with Law360 predicting a “wave” of class-action suits. The litigation is expected to cover a wide range of issues, from employment disputes to allegations of consumer fraud.

According to Law360, attorneys are already seeing an increasing number of actions. However, it quotes at least one legal expert as saying it will be difficult to prove in court how a plaintiff got the virus.

Restaurants sue banks over PPP loans

BNG Restaurant Group is a plaintiff in one of four class-action lawsuits filed against major banks over their awarding of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The suit contends that large companies, including major national restaurant chains, got multi-million dollar loans that were intended for small businesses.

The suit specifically faults Bank of America, claiming its policies caused the money for the emergency loans to run out before most small businesses could apply. Burger chain Shake Shack, which received a $10 million PPP loan, said this week it is returning the money.

Small “mom and pop” restaurants have been particularly hard-hit by orders to close their dining rooms, resulting in widespread layoffs. According to the National Restaurant Association, the entire restaurant industry has lost two-thirds of its workforce, nearly eight million employees, as a result of the coronavirus. 

Coronavirus 2.0 could be worse

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning Americans that a second outbreak of the coronavirus in the fall and winter could be worse.

"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," CDC Director Robert Redfield told the Washington Post.

Redfield says the strict stay-at-home orders that have drawn angry protests around the country have done the job they were intended to do by successfully slowing the spread of the virus.

Around the nation

• New Jersey: The state remains an epicenter for the coronavirus with more than 3,600 confirmed cases in the last 24 hours. That brings the total number of cases in the state to 92,387. The state’s death toll rose to 4,753.

• Arkansas: Health officials are appealing to people who have recovered from the coronavirus to donate blood plasma for the treatment of seriously ill patients. So far, seven people have made a donation, according to the Arkansas Blood Institute..

• Iowa: Iowa is significantly increasing its testing capacity. Gov. Kim Reynolds says the state is nearly tripling its ability to test for coronavirus infections by launching an online screening system and drive-through testing sites. 

Americans have taken a shine to stimulus checks, and many people say they’d like to see more.

In WalletHub’s new Coronavirus Relief Survey, 84 percent of respondents said they want another round of stimulus checks, possibly along the lines of the recently proposed Emergency Money for People Act. 

The survey’s takeaways

The survey came away with some rather meaty upshots -- some good, some bad, but all illuminating insights. Here’s what the findings revealed::

Many people are at risk of going broke

Some 160 million Americans say they’re less than three months away from running out of money.

“Around 160 million Americans (63 percent) are in danger of financial ruin due to the pandemic, reporting that they are less than three months away from running out of money. That’s why it comes as no surprise that the vast majority of people want another stimulus check,” said Walltethub analyst Jill Gonzalez. 

“The situation is even more dire for certain populations – 75 percent of low-income households are less than three months away from running out of money, compared to 50 percent of high-income households.”

Stimulus checks feed vices

Nearly 24 million Americans have drugs, alcohol, or tobacco pegged as spending choices with the stimulus checks they’re receiving. While 24 million is a lot of people -- like three times the population of New York City -- that number equals about 10 percent of recipients. 

“Most Americans will spend their stimulus checks responsibly. The greatest percentage of people will use their check for mortgage or rent payments, followed by savings and then food purchases,” Gonzalez said.

People are generous with their stimulus checks

A third of Americans say they will donate part of their stimulus money to coronavirus relief initiatives.

Millennials want checks based on financial impact

Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are 25 percent more likely than baby boomers to think that stimulus checks should only be given to people suffering a loss in income.

Americans think non-impacted businesses shouldn’t get aid

Seventy percent of Americans believe that the government should only help out businesses that experience a loss in revenue.

Americans want unemployment insurance to match wages

More than half (56 percent) of Americans agree that no one should receive unemployment insurance greater than their income prior to the pandemic.

“The majority of Americans, nearly 56 percent, think that no one should receive unemployment insurance that is greater than their income before the pandemic,” Gonzalez said. 

“However, different demographics have different opinions. Only 43 percent people aged 18 to 29 think unemployment insurance should never exceed former income, while 60 percent of people aged 59+ do.”