The United States has 3,536 number of overall cases as of the night of March 18. Of that 1,822 were reported in the past 24 hours. The country also has 58 total deaths and 17 new fatalities.
With how the virus is ravaging the states, Detroit's Big Three automakers are temporarily halting operations and closing all of their factories in the US. The shutdown, although temporary, will see closures of 25 factories - 11 General Motors' factories, eight for Ford and six for Fiat Chrysler - where final car assemblies are done. The move will affect 150,000 union workers.
Ford has plans of also closing factories in Canada and Mexico until March 30. General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, meanwhile, are both closing all its North American plants within the same period.
Meanwhile, Honda also announced it's closing four US-based plants starting March 23 up until the end of the month.
Business closures were not isolated to these automakers as financial institutions are also making sweeping decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, JP Morgan Chase is temporarily closing 1,000 branches or about 20% of its locations. For the rest of its 4,000 branches, employees may be given the green light to work from home or the locations per se may observed reduced operating hours.
JP Morgan is the first big US bank to observe such tough measures with observers saying more could emulate the step.
In the retail sector, Walmart US stores will only open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. To better support the senior citizens who are at greater risk of contracting the virus, Walmart is dedicating an additional one hour every Tuesday exclusive for the elderly. Pharmacies and Vision Centers will follow the same schedule.
Safeway, Target, and Whole Foods are also dedicating special hours in select days of the weeks for the elderly and pregnant women. Safeway is designating Tuesday and Thursday, 7 to 9 am, for them. It's going to be Wednesday every week for Target while Whole Foods is giving one hour of everyday exclusive for the senior citizens.
On the other hand, malls are completely shutting operations at least until March 30. Simon Property Group is closing all its retail locations - malls and outlets - across the US. Simon owns The Shops at Clearfork and University Park Village in Fort Worth, North East Mall in Hurst, Grapevine Mills, Grand Prairie Premium Outlets, Allen Premium Outlets and Firewheel Town Center in Garland.
