Here’s a round up of latest developments
Donald Trump on Sunday said he was preparing to use the Defence Production Act to compel a US company to produce millions of the medical swabs used for coronavirus tests that remain in short supply.
All six of Amazon’s warehouses in France are to remain closed, the company said, as it awaits the outcome of its court appeal. Last week, a court ordered Amazon to limit what it handled to food and essential items only, or risk a €1m-a-day penalty, while additional safety measures were worked out with union leaders.
New York is ramping up testing efforts as a prerequisite for reopening the state’s economy. In addition to the standard diagnostic tests, it will embark on widespread antibody tests to try to understand how many people may now have some degree of immunity.
Gavin Williamson, education secretary, has admitted he cannot say when UK schools will reopen, as he announced that a further 596 people had died of coronavirus, taking the country’s hospital death toll to 16,060.
The Trump administration says it is close to reaching a deal with Congress to provide another $300bn in loans for small businesses that have been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The United Arab Emirates central bank has urged commercial lenders to process more debt relief applications from corporate and retail customers, revealing that 30 per cent of the Dh50bn ($13.6bn) liquidity offered to the country’s lenders has been passed on to customers.
Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority has urged Muslims around the world to pray at home during Ramadan if their countries have imposed social distancing measures in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Source: Economy - ft.com
