The US and Canada are expected to close their border. Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau agreed to stop crossings for tourism and recreation on Wednesday. They’re finishing the details of the agreement, and it could go into effect today.

More regions could be locked down. Last night, governor Gavin Newsom asked California’s 40 million residents to stay home, leaving only for essentials. Argentina also imposed a nation-wide lockdown.

North American markets might have a better morning. After the Bank of England cut rates, following similar stimulus measures by the central banks of the US, Japan, and the EU, stocks across Asia were up between 1.5% and 5.5% this morning (but Japan fell 1%), and European markets also opened higher.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

China exonerated the doctor who issued early earnings about coronavirus. As he saw infections surge in December, Li Wenliang warned friends over social media and was reprimanded. He later died from Covid-19. In a rare move, the government took officials to task and apologized to the doctor’s family.

The UK closed schools indefinitely. Around 8 million students across the country are at home, and national exams are canceled. Some schools remain open to look after the children of frontline staff and vulnerable kids.

Netflix and YouTube reduced their streaming quality in Europe. The EU requested the measure to reduce the strain on networks, as thousands of people start working from home due to lockdowns across Europe, and telecom providers like Vodafone report spikes in internet traffic.

Luxury car makers closed factories. Bentley, founded in London 101 years ago and now owned by German giant VW, and the slightly younger Tesla are both ceasing production, the former entirely and the latter only partially, because of coronavirus.

A think tank in Mian predicted an even bigger drop for the Italian economy. REF expects GDP to contract 3% in the first quarter and 5% in the second, up from previously forecast drops of 1% and 3%. Italy’s lockdown is expected to be extended beyond April, as deaths continue to soar, but REF says a rebound could be possible in the third quarter.

More News On WayneDupree.com

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• Report: Pelosi Said Trump Was a “National Security Threat” – Now She’s Begging Him to Use More of His Powers
• Report: NJ Family Tragedy! 6 Tests Positive For Coronavirus After Family Gathering; 3 Have Died
• Start-Up Company To Launch First At-Home Coronavirus Test Kit!!

This piece was written by Wayne Dupree on March 20, 2020. It originally appeared in WayneDupree.com and is used by permission.

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