Current Events in April 2020

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 11,870 model year 2020 Nexos and Sonatas.

The Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) software may fail to prevent vehicle movement upon detection of an RSPA system malfunction.

Unintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.

What to do

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RSPA software free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin June 4, 2020.

Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at (855) 371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 191.

Oil traders were shocked Monday morning when they logged on to see that the May futures price of West Texas crude oil had dropped below $15 a barrel. Before the end of the day, they would be absolutely stunned.

“The price of oil just went negative, and GasBuddy's servers went down just moments after,” GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan reported in an early afternoon tweet. 

The price of May oil had completely fallen past zero and was in negative territory. In the last hour of trading, oil producers were paying buyers $38 a barrel to take it off their hands!

Had the world gone mad? Sort of. 

The shutdowns caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) have reduced the amount that consumers are driving and buying gas. Because they don’t need as much gas, oil refineries that turn crude oil into gasoline don’t need nearly as much oil.

But because it costs so much to shut down an oil field, oil producers would rather pay someone to take the oil off their hands because they have filled up practically every storage facility in the U.S.

Little effect on gas prices

Many consumers may be wondering if that means their local gas station will pay them to fill up. DeHaan says absolutely not. They’re two completely different products, though gas prices will likely keep falling for a while. 

The current AAA Fuel Gauge Survey puts the national average price of regular gas at $1.81 a gallon, with Wisconsin still coming in as the cheapest state for gas at an average price of $1.22.

While oil traders are being paid to take oil in May, that deal will quickly go away. Oil futures contracts for June delivery are going for between $20 and $30 a barrel and even more for July, as the market is betting the economy will slowly begin to return to normal by then.

The last thing Delta Air Lines was expecting in its fight to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic was a class-action lawsuit. But, it looks like the airline will be lawyering up because of a proposed lawsuit seeking refunds for flights the airline canceled.

Delta customer Elliot Daniels is listed as the plaintiff in the case. He claims that he purchased four round-trip tickets on February 20 for travel to occur starting on April 1 from Washington Dulles to Cairo, Egypt. However, he says that his flight was canceled twice. 

According to the suit, Daniels’ travel agent informed him that he had two options available to him: (1) rebook his trip with a new departure date of March 31, 2020 or (2) cancel his flight in its entirety and receive a refund. Daniels elected to rebook his flight, changing his departure from April 1, 2020 and rebooking the departure for one day earlier, March 31, 2020. However, he alleges that Delta also cancelled his rebooked flight.

Monetary refunds vs. travel vouchers

While the lawsuit shows some understanding of the “unprecedented hardship” the pandemic has caused, the beef Daniels has with Delta is that the airline is adding to the difficulties passengers already face. 

“Delta refuses to issue monetary refunds to passengers with canceled flights,” the suit claims, leaning on the Department of Transportation’s mandate that airlines must give monetary compensation and not travel vouchers.

“It does so even though all airline passengers are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason the airline cancels the flight. Instead, Delta represents it will only rebook and/or provide travel vouchers,” Daniels contends. “The need for monetary refunds over travel vouchers is pressing now. Travel vouchers provide little security in this public crisis, particularly where many individual Americans need money now to pay for basics like food and rent, not restrictive, temporary credits towards future travel.”

A sticky situation 

From what ConsumerAffairs has seen, this refund vs. voucher situation is extremely sticky. Delta, for its part, has been criticized for how quickly it has responded to customers' needs, even admitting its “delays” on Facebook. 

One Delta passenger who wound up as a customer service calamity was Diane from Peabody, MA, who found herself stranded in Europe on the eve that President Trump closed the borders with the European Union. 

“The gate agent and crew advised we would be stranded for 30 days,” Diane wrote. “At this point the U.K. was not affected. 2 days later Delta cancelled our return flight. We rebooked and paid more money because the new return was higher price even though it would only get us to NYC and we’d need to rent a car to get to Boston. This one was also cancelled. We were advised to wait until 72 hrs prior to departure and they would get us out as soon as possible. The app never let us rebook and no one ever responded. We booked our own way out on another airline. We are still fighting for a refund for the flight they cancelled. I made it clear I would run out of my insulin and other medications and they could not care less.”

Profits over people

Steve Barman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for consumers in the class action, stated that Delta’s response to the pandemic has been “utterly unacceptable.”

“That Delta is offering time-limited vouchers during an unprecedented time of chaos and uncertainty in our nation’s history only underscores its primary focus of profits over people, and we intend to fight for their right to monetary relief. Americans are losing their sources of income at alarming rates. Vouchers just won’t cut it.”

It’s highly possible that other class-action lawsuits filed by disgruntled consumers will rear their ugly heads. The firm representing Daniels has already filed another class-action lawsuit similar to the Delta one -- this time against United Airlines. A separate, but similar, lawsuit has also been filed against Southwest Airlines.

Update

A Delta representative responded to a ConsumerAffairs request for comment. Their statement is presented below:

With regard to this the lawsuit: Doing right by our customers through refunds and rebookings has been—and will continue to be—a key focus as we manage through this unprecedented global pandemic. The named plaintiff in this suit first requested a refund on April 15—two days before the lawsuit was filed. We expedited the refund process and gladly issued his refund.

With regard to refunds generally: In keeping with our longstanding policy, Delta continues to provide full refunds to eligible passengers requesting them for whom we have cancelled a flight or made a significant schedule change. In March 2020 alone, Delta processed more than one million refunds. Eligible customers may request refunds online at delta.com or contact a reservations agent.

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 761,991 (746,379)

Total U.S. deaths: 40,702 (37,379)

Total global cases: 2,432,092 (2,382,064)

Total global deaths: 166,256 (165,336)

Shake Shack giving back loan

Fast-casual restaurant chain Shake Shack is returning the $10 million small business loan it received under the CARES Act. The company came in for some social media shaming since it got a loan that many “mom and pop” businesses, for which the Paycheck Protection Program was designed, did not receive before the funds ran out late last week.

Company executives say they were successful in raising more money in the capital markets, so the chain no longer needed a government loan.

Congressional Democrats and White House officials are reportedly close to agreement on additional funding for small businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says an agreement on $370 billion in new aid could come later this week.

Facebook produces COVID-19 symptom map

Facebook, working with Carnegie Mellon University, has launched a map of the U.S. using data about residents who are experiencing coronavirus symptoms, or symptoms consistent with the virus.

The information will supplement the map produced by Johns Hopkins University showing active cases. The Facebook map will show users where there are people with symptoms but who have not been confirmed as active cases.

Some Facebook users will now see a link at the top of their news feed that will lead them to an optional survey operated by Carnegie Mellon. Information from the survey will be used by CMU for its pandemic forecasting efforts, and it also will be shared with other collaborating universities. Aggregate information from the survey will be shared publicly.

Fauci says protestors should stay home

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAD) and a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, has some advice for people protesting the continued economic shutdown: Go home.

It’s not that Fauci doesn’t think people have a right to voice their opinion, but he worries their tactic will backfire. On ABC’s Good Morning America today, Fauci says it is far too early for groups to gather in one location. It will only serve to spread the virus, he warned.

Over the weekend, there were sporadic protests around the nation in states where governors have extended emergency orders keeping businesses closed.

The worst of times, the best of times

A Goldman Sachs forecast warns that the economic dislocation from the coronavirus will be four times worse than what the U.S. experienced during the financial crisis, when home values plunged and the stock market lost half its value.

The report projects an official unemployment rate of 15 percent, which won’t reflect the full jobless rate because many out of work won’t be looking for a job and thus won’t be counted. But then, things should get better. A lot better.

Jan Hatzius, Goldman’s chief economist, says the economy will experience a sharp rebound when industries idled by the virus begin to ramp up. That should produce an improvement in economic growth that Hatzius said would be “unprecedented” for the U.S.

Struggling restaurants

Millions of consumers have missed going to their favorite restaurants and may be dreaming of visiting again in the future. But the economic reality is that some of those restaurants may never reopen.

A survey by the National Restaurant Association shows America’s eating establishments are on pace to lose as much as $240 billion by the end of the year. The survey found that two-thirds of restaurant employees are among the newly unemployed. An estimated 8 million people have either been laid off or furloughed. 

Four in 10 restaurants are closed, while the rest are providing takeout and delivery service only. A majority of the operators included in the survey said existing federal aid programs won’t prevent future layoffs.

Around the nation

• Texas: State parks reopened today after Gov. Greg Abbott announced a phased plan that allows for some facilities and businesses to expand operations. However, social distancing protocols are still in force, and visitors to parks are required to wear facial coverings and be in family groups of no more than five people.

• Oregon: Social distancing is taking a steep economic toll on the state’s coastal communities that rely on tourism. Hotels and restaurants in cities like Cannon Beach and Seaside have taken a hit, as have municipal governments, because of a drop in tax revenue.

• Virginia: Gov. Ralph Northam says it’s “delusional” for President Trump to say states now have the necessary coronavirus testing capacity. Northam told CNN that Virginia not only lacks testing capacity, but there also aren’t enough cotton swabs.

If you haven’t received your COVID-19 stimulus check, you’re not alone. It’s not anything you’ve done, mind you, but there are apparently glitches that are affecting everyone -- people who used a tax pro, people who did their own taxes, parents of dependent children, even people whose bank accounts have been used for direct depositing for what seems like eons.

In response, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnunchin took to Twitter to remind people to “upload your bank info so you can get (your check) FAST.” Shortly afterwards, he was hit with report after report of a “payment status not available” error message that people were getting when they did exactly what he said to do.

Is it fixed now?

The IRS is mum on what it did to try and correct the problem, but it sent out an advisory over the weekend stating that it had updated guidance regarding both the Economic Impact Payment and the Get My Payment tool. 

“More payments are on their way,” the IRS said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. The agency noted that it has launched two tools to help taxpayers get their payments:

Get My Payment tool

If your stimulus check hasn’t shown up in your bank account yet, this tool is one the IRS says will get you in line. The procedure is simple: just input your direct deposit information, including the bank routing number and checking/savings account number. Once that is done, taxpayers can track their payments. 

The IRS tossed in a reminder that taxpayer information is updated once daily, usually overnight, so you only need to enter information once a day. 

If, by chance, you continually get the “payment status not available” error message, you may have hit an immovable brick wall. In that case, the IRS will mail you a letter asking for additional information. Then, if all goes according to plan, you should receive your check.

The Non-Filers Enter Payment Info tool 

If you’re among the millions of taxpayers who are exempt from filing a tax return, this tool allows you to submit the necessary information to have an Economic Impact Payment deposited to your bank account. 

Regarding the question of whether the situation is fixed, the IRS says that taxpayers should check their FAQs “often” for the “latest additions.”

To reduce worker deaths caused by “careless customers,” some grocery store owners and union leaders believe it may be time to ban grocery store customers from coming inside. 

Switching to curbside pickup and home delivery service would help protect grocery store workers from COVID-19, said John Logan, professor and director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University.

"Anything that reduces the need for interaction with the public and allows for greater physical distancing will ultimately better protect grocery workers," Logan told CNN Business. "Shuttering stores and repurposing them for pickup and delivery only would be a positive step."

Dozens of grocery store workers have died from the coronavirus in the past few months, and experts say that’s because many customers aren’t putting enough space between themselves and workers. Eight-five percent of workers who are part of the United Food and Commercial Workers' union reported that customers are not practicing social distancing in stores. 

Lack of federal restrictions 

The government has yet to enact mandatory restrictions on customers going inside grocery stores. However, the Labor Department recently recommended that retailers start "using a drive-through window or offering curbside pick-up" to protect workers. The California Department of Industrial Relations has also said companies should "encourage customer use of online order and pickup."

Kroger and other large chains have opted to remain open to the public but have implemented several safety measures, such as restricting the number of customers allowed inside stores and having workers check their temperature every shift.

The need for groceries during the health crisis combined with the fact that ordering systems for pickup and delivery can’t handle the massive surge in demand leaves grocery stores “no choice” but to stay open, according to Seth Harris, former deputy secretary of labor during the Obama administration.

"We have no choice. They have to stay open. [America's grocery] delivery system has not matured to the point where we can switch to an entirely remote system," he said. 

Consumers are currently urged to avoid unnecessary public outings. If a trip to the grocery store is necessary, the FDA recommends maintaining a distance of six feet between yourself and others, wearing a face covering or mask, and wiping down handles of carts and baskets.

More than half of Americans (60 percent) are concerned that easing restrictions on social distancing and public outings will lead to a rise in coronavirus cases, according to a poll recently conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal. 

The survey of 900 registered voters found partisan differences in opinion on current federal restrictions as it applies to the economy and public health.

A majority of Democrats (77 percent) and Independents (57 percent) said they were more worried about the coronavirus, while 48 percent of Republicans said they were more concerned about the virus’ impact on the economy.

Thirty-three percent of those polled said they were “very worried” that a family member would become infected with COVID-19. In a separate poll conducted this month, two-thirds of Americans said they believed the “worst” of the outbreak was yet to come.

Protests on social distancing guidelines

The latest poll results come amid growing opposition to social distancing guidelines. Protesters in a number of states recently gathered to express their opposition to current school and business closures. 

President Trump supported coronavirus protestors over the weekend, tweeting "LIBERATE MICHIGAN! ... LIBERATE MINNESOTA! ... LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!"

In the poll, 52 percent of Americans said they distrusted what Trump has to say about the pandemic. More than two-thirds of respondents (69 percent) said they trusted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide accurate information about the outbreak, and 66 percent said they trusted their state’s governor to provide accurate information. 

Governors across the country have described Trump's support of coronavirus protestors as “dangerous.” 

"I don't know any other way to characterize it, when we have an order from governors, both Republicans and Democrats, that basically are designed to protect people's health, literally their lives, to have a president of the United States basically encourage insubordination, to encourage illegal activity," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said on ABC's "This Week."

“To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing,” Inslee added.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says his talks with Congressional Democrats over the weekend were productive and that the two sides are close to a deal on another small business aid package.

The aid package reportedly under discussion would spend another $370 billion, with much of it going to the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The government made $350 billion in those loans in less than two weeks.

Democrats initially opposed a Senate measure that refunded that program, holding out for aid to other entities. The Treasury secretary said the new legislation would likely include $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion to expand state testing for the virus -- two main negotiating points for Democrats.

“I’m hopeful we can reach an agreement the Senate can pass tomorrow and the House can pass Tuesday,” Munuchin said in a Sunday interview on CNN. “We’re making a lot of progress.” 

Top Congressional Democrats confirmed Mnuchin’s interpretation of the talks, though they were slightly less optimistic on the timeline for passing something. On CNN, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the two sides have “made very good progress.”

Popular loan program

Under the terms of the PPP, businesses with fewer than 501 employees are eligible for special Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. If they keep their payrolls intact during the term of the loan and make no layoffs, the portion of the loan used to meet payroll could be forgiven. 

The program has two objectives -- keeping America’s small businesses solvent and keeping as many people as possible employed. An estimated 20 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits as the coronavirus (COVID-19) shut down the economy.

While small businesses are struggling to survive amid the shutdown, so are large businesses -- in particular national retail chains like JCPenney, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus. Reuters reports Neiman Marcus is considering bankruptcy after temporarily closing all of its stores and furloughing most of its employees.

Neiman Marcus missed making debt payments last week that totaled millions of dollars, including one that only gave the company a few days to avoid a default.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is looking into Amazon’s termination of critics who had spoken out about the company’s allegedly unsafe working conditions during the coronavirus crisis. 

Amazon recently fired at least four employees who participated in protests having to do with Amazon’s handling of the health crisis as it pertains to worker safety. Following the firings, workers in Chicago filed charges against the company accusing it of retaliating against them for criticizing the company. 

Samir Quasir, one of the Amazon employees in Chicago who filed a charge with the Labor Board, said he was called into a meeting with HR after participating in walkouts demanding better protections during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Quasir told BuzzFeed News that he was asked to sign a written statement about the walkouts. After refusing to sign, Amazon gave him a “final written warning” for allegedly violating social distancing rules. 

“Usually you get a verbal warning, and then a couple written warnings, and then a final written warning, and then they can terminate you after that. But I never got a verbal warning,” Quasir told the publication. “[It was] straight to a final written warning.”

No regulatory action taken yet

The NLRB’s regional director in Chicago said Amazon may be punished for its actions if there is a “meritorious charge” of the same nature lodged in the next six months. 

In previous years, Amazon has refuted all claims that its warehouse workers are subject to unsafe working conditions and has continued to do so during the coronavirus crisis. In response to the latest allegations, the e-commerce giant maintained that staff were punished for “bad actions” that put the safety of other workers at risk. 

The company said it “respect[s] the rights of employees to protest and recognize their legal right to do so; however, these rights do not provide blanket immunity against bad actions, particularly those that endanger the health, well-being or safety of their colleagues.”

Normally, early April is the kickoff to the housing market’s biggest season. But the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a perfect storm that has made it more difficult to either buy or rent a home.

A recent Zillow analysis shows the pandemic has done more than stopped buyers from looking at homes. It’s stopped sellers from putting their homes on the market.

At the beginning of March, the market looked like it was going to be one of the most competitive in memory, with sales actually rising in January and February. Then the stay-at-home orders began to spread across the country along with the virus.

The number of new listings on the market in early March was 17 percent higher than a year earlier, reversing a persistent decline in inventory. By early April, Zillow reports new listings had fallen 27 percent.

Less bargaining power for buyers

That return to shrinking inventory means buyers have fewer homes to choose from and will have less bargaining power, assuming they find a home they’d like to purchase.

"It is clear that many would-be home sellers are adopting a wait-and-see approach as uncertainty continues to rule,” said Skylar Olsen, senior principal economist at Zillow. “Our understanding of U.S. economic conditions is changing weekly, if not daily, and early unemployment figures are striking, so it's understandable that some are hesitant to put their home on the market."  

Making matters worse, the coronavirus has sidelined homebuilders. Housing starts plunged 22 percent in March, meaning builders’ contributions to housing inventory will be even smaller than before.

Even if a buyer is able to find a home to purchase, getting a mortgage has suddenly gotten more difficult, even as mortgage rates plunge to record lows. Because of the economic dislocation caused by the pandemic, lenders have become a lot more choosy.

Last week, JPMorgan Chase tightened its underwriting requirements for most residential mortgages, demanding a minimum FICO score of 700 and a 20 percent down payment. Wells Fargo raised the minimum score to 720.

“The large banks, including JPMorgan Chase, are moving significantly to looking at credit risk and looking at loan portfolios where they need to assess potential delinquencies and possible charge-offs,” Ken Leon, director of equity research at CFRA Research, told NBC News.

Lockdown logistics

Even if you can qualify for a mortgage, the logistics of a lockdown situation may work against you. A Brookings Institute report highlights a number of steps in the mortgage process that are nearly impossible to complete because they require in-person visits to perform title searches and appraisals.

Even people trying to rent a home are being affected. Online rental platform TurboTenant reports that there was a sharp drop in residential rental listings in the last month. Atlanta saw the biggest impact of any metro, with listings falling 27.45 percent during the first week of April.

New York, Denver, and Houston all experienced large net losses for new listings, with New York holding the biggest decrease by falling 65.17 percent.

Taking all the facts into account is important when it comes to making a big decision, but a recent study shows that many people prefer to follow their gut -- even when another choice is more likely to succeed. 

Researchers from The Ohio State University found that choosing based on habits, gut feelings, or by what happened the last time the choice came up is very common. The findings contradict the belief that people usually make the wrong choice because they don’t know any better. 

"In our study, people knew what worked most often. They just didn't use that knowledge,” said study co-author Ian Krajbich. "There's this tension between doing what you should do, at least from a statistical perspective, versus doing what worked out well recently.”

Going with a gut feeling

The researchers came to their conclusions after studying participants who played a computer game. Players were asked to identify patterns within the game and make a decision that gave them the best outcome. While following the pattern led to success more often, there was still a 10-40 percent chance that it would not give the best outcome. 

The researchers said that 56 of the 57 participants were able to discern the pattern in the game to make the decision that gave them the highest chance of success. However, only about 20 percent of players chose to consistently go with that choice after it failed them; instead, many of them deviated and made choices based on their gut feelings. 

The researchers believe that participants decided to go with their gut feelings when making in-game decisions because picking the best pattern only led to a slightly higher chance of success. Krajbich says the study findings highlight how decisions can turn out in real life. People can learn what choices lead to the best outcomes, but he says that putting that knowledge into practice can be difficult.

"It can be hard to judge whether you made a good or bad decision based just on the outcome. We can make a good decision and just get unlucky and have a bad outcome. Or we can make a bad decision and get lucky and have a good outcome," Krajbich said.

True for medical emergencies

The findings from this study parallel results from another study published earlier this year about gut feelings and medical emergencies.

Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington found that consumers tend to make gut-reaction choices based on their emotions, opinions, and anecdotal stories instead of established facts when it comes to medical care. The team noted that the results are especially worrying in light of the current COVID-19 health crisis.

“[People] are especially dismissive of facts if the incident is something they personally experienced. Specifically, we show that when an issue is health-related, personally relevant or highly threatening, then decision-making is compromised and people tend to rely on anecdotes,” said researcher Traci Freling. 

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 7,000 model year 2019 – 2020 Ranger XP 1000 & CREW XP 1000 off-road vehicles.

The fuel line can be misrouted above the bracket that protects the fuel line from a clutch belt failure, posing a fire hazard.

No incidents or injuries are reported.

This recall involves Model Year 2019 – 2020 Ranger XP 1000 & CREW XP 1000 Off-Road Vehicles with the following model names:

The vehicles were sold in black, green, white, blue, orange, sand, maroon and camo, and have two or four seats.

Vehicle identification numbers (VIN) included in this recall can be found on a label affixed to the vehicle frame in the left front wheel well.

“Polaris” is stamped on the front grille and “Ranger” is on the sides of the utility bed. The following models and non-sequential VIN ranges are included in the recall:

The vehicles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from August 2019, through December 2019, for between $15,890 and $29,000.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. Polaris is notifying dealers and contacting affected registered owners directly.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.( C)T Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com and click on “Off-Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the page for more information.

In addition, check your vehicle identification number (VIN) on the “Product Safety Recalls” page to see if your vehicle is included in any recalls.

In an effort to clear up any confusion consumers may have on the topic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a list of guidance on grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Recent studies have suggested that the novel coronavirus can live on certain surfaces for hours and or even days. However, the federal agency said that there’s no need to wipe down food packaging after returning from the grocery store. That’s because there is no evidence of food packaging being associated with transmission of this virus. 

“We want to reassure consumers that there is currently no evidence of human or animal food or food packaging being associated with transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19,” the agency said in a statement posted to its website on Thursday.

“This particular coronavirus causes respiratory illness and is spread from person-to-person, unlike foodborne gastrointestinal or GI viruses, such as norovirus and hepatitis A that often make people ill through contaminated food.” 

Safety tips to keep in mind

To stay safe and protect other shoppers while at the grocery store, the agency recommends: 

• Preparing a shopping list in advance. Buy 1 to 2 weeks’ worth of groceries at a time, and avoid buying more than you need. Buying more than necessary can create unnecessary demand and shortages.

• Wearing a face covering or mask. The CDC has recommended wearing a face covering or mask when taking care of an essential task outside of the home, such as grocery shopping. The FDA noted in its guidance that some grocery stores may require shoppers to wear a mask.

• Wiping down handles. Bring your own wipes or use one provided by the store to wipe down the handles of the shopping cart or basket. Make sure reusable shopping bags are cleaned or washed prior to each use.

• Practicing social distancing while shopping. Keep a distance of at least 6 feet between you, other shoppers, and store employees. Health experts also strongly recommend keeping your hands away from your face.

• Washing your hands thoroughly. You should wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds when you get home, and then again after you put away your groceries. 

While the FDA noted that wiping down packaging is unnecessary, it says that consumers who do so to create peace of mind can follow certain steps.

“Again, there is no evidence of food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19. However, if you wish, you can wipe down product packaging and allow it to air dry, as an extra precaution,” the agency said.

Officials noted that many stores have modified their operating hours during the pandemic to allow workers more time to clean and restock. Some stores -- including Costco, Walmart, Publix, BJ’s Wholesale Club, among others -- have also set aside special shopping windows for seniors or other high-risk individuals. 

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

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 672,293 (640,291)

Total U.S. deaths: 33,325 (31,015)

Total global cases:2,188,194 (2,090,110)

Total global deaths: 147,632 (139,469)

U.S. daily death toll sets new record

After setting a record this week for deaths from the coronavirus (COVID-19) in a 24-hour period, the daily death toll doubled to 4,591, according to the running tally administered by Johns Hopkins University.

As grim as that statistic is, it could signal an improvement in conditions in the U.S. Health officials have pointed out that the death toll is a lagging indicator since those who have died likely contracted the virus two to three weeks earlier. A large number of the deaths occurred in a handful of states, including New York, New Jersey, and Michigan.

China’s death toll rises as it adds ‘overlooked’ cases

The Chinese government has upped its official coronavirus death toll to 4,632 -- an increase of nearly 40 percent. The revision was made after the discovery of 1,290 cases in Wuhan that hadn’t been counted before. 

The official Chinese news agency reports some patients died at home and therefore never officially entered the system. 

Even with the increase, China’s number of cases and deaths remains far below those in the U.S., even though China has a much larger population. China’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 83,760, just 12 percent of the cases confirmed in the U.S.

New hope for an effective treatment

A report by a medical news publication says the Gilead drug remdesivir has reportedly shown positive results, leading researchers to hope it might be an effective treatment for the coronavirus.

STAT News reports that a small clinical trial at a Chicago hospital administered the drug to a group of patients exhibiting “severe” COVID-19 symptoms. The patients who received the drug saw a rapid recovery, with fever breaking and upper respiratory issues improving. “Nearly all” patients were discharged in less than a week, according to the publication.

Walmart waives fees for MoneyCard accounts

To help consumers who lack bank accounts get their government stimulus money faster, Walmart is promoting its MoneyCard and is temporarily waiving fees for new accounts. The IRS is sending payments first to people who have direct deposit accounts on file.

“We’ve waived monthly maintenance fees on the Walmart MoneyCard Reloadable Debit Card from April 10-June 30, encouraging customers to set up direct deposit and receive stimulus funds electronically,” Walmart said in a statement. “This offer applies to new MoneyCard customers who deposit $500 or more to their MoneyCard account. It also eliminates the need for individuals to leave their homes to cash or deposit paper checks.”

Consumers may open an account online here. After that, they’ll need to register the account with the IRS.

Millions of homeowners are in a mortgage forbearance program

As of Thursday, more than 2.9 million homeowners – 5.5 percent of all mortgages – have entered into COVID-19 mortgage forbearance plans. That allows the homeowners to put off paying the principal and interest on the loan for as long as a year. The payments are then added to the end of the loan’s term.

Those figures were compiled by Black Knight, a mortgage data analytics firm. The company says the numbers show $651 billion in unpaid principal and includes 4.9 percent of all GSE-backed loans and 7.6 percent of FHA/VA loans.

Around the nation

• Florida: Attorney General Ashley Moody has issued a Consumer Alert warning residents about an increase in COVID-19 related robocalls. Moody says it may be harder to ignore unknown numbers because many people are working from home. “Floridians need to be on high alert to guard against scams—especially robocalls claiming to offer COVID-19 related products or benefits,” she said.

• South Carolina: Attorney General Alan Wilson is concerned that federal stimulus payments that went out this week could lead to financial exploitation of vulnerable citizens, particularly seniors. “Many vulnerable adults have family members or someone else handling their money for them, and this additional stimulus money will be a temptation for some,“ he said.

• Vermont: The Department of Liquor and Lottery reported a huge increase in alcohol sales in March during the early days of the coronavirus quarantine. Liquor sales increased by 14 percent. In addition, consumers went for cheaper brands instead of the artisanal spirits they previously favored.