US moves closer to shutdown as coronavirus grips 49 states in the country

With coronavirus showing no signs of a slowdown, the United States of America, which has reported cases in all its states except West Virginia, is moving closer to a shutdown. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 15 issued a recommendation urging people to postpone or cancel gathering of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks. This comes after a health official reportedly said that 14-day shutdown might be necessary. 

The deadly virus has till now infected 3,782 and claimed 102 lives across the globe. It has led to schools, restaurants and even bars being shutdown in almost all the states with many of them reportedly issuing a curfew to reduce interactions. New York City on March 15 announced it would close public schools adding to the list of at least 30 states which have announced closures. Meanwhile, Governor Jay Inslee on March 13 expanded school closures and prohibited large gatherings across all of Washington in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. 

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Part of New York, Ohio, Illinois have also shut down bars and restaurants. Multi-National Companies like Twitter and Google are asking employees to work from home. Churches, temples and mosques have cancelled services. Meanwhile, Grocery stores have reduced hours to allow more time for cleaning and restocking of shelves hit by panic stockpiling. Brick-and-mortar retailers have also begun shutting down stores in an attempt to prevent losses. 

Federal Reserve cuts interest rate to zero

According to reports, the Federal Reserve System slashed its benchmark interest rate near zero on March 15. Meanwhile, Disneyland in a statement revealed that they will shut down operations due to the looming threat. The statement said that they will close parks in its Disneyland Resort in California, Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.. This comes as hundreds of US citizens reportedly continue to stand in cues for as long as seven hours as the screening for COVID-19 takes place. 

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