Coronavirus live updates: Universal Resort extends closure, Los Angeles officials say a child under 18 has died

FAN Editor

This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. All times below are in Eastern time. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks. 

  • Global cases: More than 415,000
  • Global deaths: At least 18,000
  • US cases: At least 53,200
  • US deaths: At least 690

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

6:39 pm: Nike offers some encouraging words for the rest of retail

A tourist wears a protective mask as she carries her suitcases past a closed Nike store at Las Ramblas on March 15, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.

David Ramos | Getty Images

Nike executives during a post-earnings conference call Tuesday offered some encouraging words for the retail industry. CEO John Donahoe said he has confidence that everyone will see the “other side of this crisis in the near future.”

Nike said it is starting to see a “recovery” in China, where the virus originated.

The company said that at a peak in February, roughly 75% of Nike stores in Greater China were closed, with others open on reduced hours. As of Tuesday, however, nearly 80% of its stores in Greater China are open, Nike said. And it added that digital sales in China are approaching triple-digit growth.

Donahoe said Nike will use this “playbook” from China to get other regions, like the U.S., back up and running again. — Lauren Thomas

6:32 pm: Does Tuesday’s huge rebound mark the bottom for markets?

In market terms, think of the coronavirus sell-off as a three-legged stool where if one of the legs isn’t firmly attached, the whole thing will tip over.

The first leg is monetary policy, and that comes in the form of rock-bottom interest rates and a slew of programs aimed at keeping the markets functioning properly and funneling money to businesses and individuals who need it. That is well in place thanks to the Federal Reserve over the course of the last two weeks.

The second is fiscal policy, or the dollars that will be directed specifically to needy areas, the unemployed and businesses that have been displaced by the way the coronavirus has seized the national economy and brought key industries to a virtual standstill. There finally are signs that this leg soon will be nailed down.

The final, and most important, part of the stool, though, remains in the workshop. That’s some kind of assurance that the virus has been contained, that the caseload and mortality rate at least plateaus and gives an indication that some sense of normalcy can be restored. —Jeff Cox

6:23 pm: White House official tells anyone who has left NYC that they should self-quarantine

Members of the White House coronavirus task force urged those leaving New York City to self-quarantine for 14-days in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 during a press briefing on Tuesday. 

Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, and Anthony Fauci, another task force member and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the precaution was necessary given the high rate of infections in the nation’s most populous city. —Tucker Higgins

6:15 pm: Stock futures rise following a historic rebound as massive stimulus deal nears

Stock futures rose in overnight trading, building on Tuesday’s historic rally, as investors awaited an unprecedented stimulus package to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed about 130 points. The S&P 500 futures rose 11 points.

The action in the futures market followed an epic comeback on Wall Street. The Dow soared more than 2,100 points, or more than 11%, notching its biggest one-day percentage gain since 1933 and its best point increase ever. The S&P 500 rallied 9.4% for its best day since October 2008. —Yun Li

6:07 pm: Amazon has been the king of big tech stocks during the coronavirus sell-off

During the past month’s extreme market volatility, Amazon has been a relative safe haven.

And that tells you everything you need to know about the company’s critical role in society. 

Even with the economy almost certainly headed into recession and unemployment projected to spike, consumers are flocking to Amazon to buy essential health and household products while getting groceries delivered through services like Amazon Fresh. Last week, Amazon said that it’s hiring an additional 100,000 full-time and part-time employees in the U.S. for warehouse and delivery jobs to meet the surge in demand from online shopping amid the coronavirus outbreak, and is increasing pay and offering more lenient sick leave policies to keep workers engaged. —Ari Levy

5:45 pm: Universal Orlando Resort extends theme park closure

Universal Orlando Resort is extending its closure until April 19. After shutting down on March 16, the theme park originally planned to stay closed until the end of March. The Universal Orlando Resort Hotels have also temporarily suspended operations. “We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed, based on guidance from health agencies and government officials,” the resort said in a statement. —Hannah Miller

5:30 pm: New York City to release 300 nonviolent inmates from Rikers Island

New York City plans to release roughly 300 nonviolent inmates from Rikers Island, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday, after the city’s first prisoner tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

The prisoners all have light sentences, less than a year, and were found guilty of misdemeanor charges, de Blasio said. The city has incarcerated more than 5,000 inmates housed mostly at Rikers with about 500 inmates serving sentences for nonviolent misdemeanor crimes, which de Blasio said he has the authority to release. —Noah Higgins-Dunn

5:15 pm: Los Angeles health officials say a child under 18 has died from the coronavirus

A child under 18 has died from the coronavirus in California, Los Angeles County health officials announced Tuesday.

“Tragically, one of the people who died was a person under the age of 18, a devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages,” Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department, said at a news briefing.

The patient was from Lancaster, California, the county’s health department said in a press release. Ferrer did not provide more details such as the precise age of the patient or whether they had underlying health conditions. Representatives from the health department weren’t immediately available for further comment. —Will Feuer

4:30 pm: FDA approves plasma treatment to help those who are sick

The Food and Drug Administration approved new emergency protocols Tuesday that will allow doctors to treat coronavirus patients with plasma donated by those who survived the virus, according to NBC News.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that the state’s health department would begin using the plasma treatment on critically ill coronavirus patients.Known as convalescent plasma, the treatment is centuries-old and was used during the 1918 flu pandemic. It involves harvesting antibodies that fight viruses from the blood of those who were previously infected. The method was also used on some patients during the 2002 SARS outbreak.The FDA cautioned that convalescent plasma has not yet been proven effective for the coronavirus and that researchers should apply for permission before beginning a trial that uses it. —Hannah Miller

4 pm: Dow rebounds more than 11% in best day since 1933 as Congress nears coronavirus stimulus deal

The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared on Tuesday, logging in its best day in 87 years as investors hoped U.S. lawmakers were close to an agreement on a stimulus bill to rescue the economy from the damage caused by the coronavirus.

The 30-stock average closed 2,112.98 points higher — or more than 11% — at 20,704.91, notching its biggest one-day percentage gain since 1933. The S&P 500 rallied 9.4% to 2,447.33 for its best day since October 2008. The Nasdaq Composite surged 8.1% to 7,417.86, its best day since March 13. Both the Dow and S&P 500 were coming off their lowest levels since late 2016.—Fred Imbert, Thomas Franck

3:45 pm: FDA allows veterinarians to use telemedicine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it’s temporarily easing restrictions on veterinarians to allow them to more easily use telemedicine to treat pets during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We need to provide veterinarians with the latitude to expand the use of telemedicine in the care of animals, not only pets but also the animals that produce our food,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement.The FDA will suspend its rules requiring vets to physically examine pets, allowing them to prescribe drugs with a video examination. —Hannah Miller

3:30 pm: Bill Gates says the US missed its chance to avoid coronavirus shutdown and businesses should stay closed

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday that the United States missed its chance to avoid mandated shutdowns because it didn’t act fast enough on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. 

“The U.S. is past this opportunity to control (COVID-19) without shutdown,” Gates said during a TED Connects program broadcast online. “We did not act fast enough to have an ability to avoid the shutdown.”

“It’s January when everybody should’ve been on notice,” Gates added. The virus was first discovered in December in China. —Jessica Bursztynsky

3:07 pm: New Jersey reports 17 new coronavirus deaths for largest single day total

An Army National Guardsmen puts on a protective mask at a COVID-19 Community-Based Testing Site at Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., March 20, 2020.

Spc. Michael Schwenk | U.S. Army National Guard

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his state has seen an additional 17 deaths from the coronavirus, the largest death toll reported over a single day. The new numbers bring the state’s total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 44. New Jersey also reported 846 new cases, bringing the state total to 3,675 confirmed cases. —Hannah Miller

2:57 pm: Antitrust enforcers say they’ll ease up during crisis

U.S. federal antitrust authorities announced they will expedite joint venture reviews for cases involving efforts to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

While such reviews can typically take months, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice said in a joint statement they will aim to resolve reviews of ventures addressing public health and safety” within seven days of getting necessary information. The agencies are acting under a statute meant to promote research and innovation.

The statement also highlighted the ways companies can collaborate during the crisis without fearing a violation of antitrust laws. —Lauren Feiner 

2:50 pm: US cases surged tenfold in a week to 50,000

In the U.S., the virus has infected more than 50,206 people as of 2:15 p.m. EDT and killed at least 600 people, according to Hopkins. New York state, which has 25,665 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, accounts for nearly half of all cases in the U.S. 

Confirmed U.S. cases passed 5,000 just one week ago. On March 1, there were roughly 100 confirmed cases in the U.S. —Will Feuer

2:40 pm: Former FDA chief says US lockdowns will last weeks

The U.S. has “several more weeks” to go before officials should consider lifting stringent coronavirus mitigation measures like stay-at-home orders, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC. 

“This is going to be a long fight,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “I think we need to keep this going for several more weeks, but there is an end to this and we know where it is.” —Will Feuer

2:24 pm: Trump, Pence held call on economy with investors

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence held a call to discuss the coronavirus impact on the economy, according to people familiar with the call.

Investors on the call included Third Point’s Dan Loeb, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Vista Equity’s Robert Smith, Intercontinental Exchange‘s Jeffrey Sprecher and Paul Tudor Jones, hedge fund manager and co-founder of JUST Capital.

The call with some of Wall Street’s top investors and hedge fund leaders was less focused on potential actions the administration could take to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus. Instead, it was more focused on how America’s top money managers are viewing markets and the U.S. economy, the people familiar with the matter said. —Kayla Tausche, Thomas Franck

2:02 pm: Global coronavirus cases cross 400,000, doubling in a week as pandemic accelerates

COVID-19 cases surpassed 400,000 worldwide, doubling in less than a week as the virus spreads more rapidly across the world.

The total number of cases now stands at 407,485 as of 1:30 p.m. EDT, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University. The virus emerged in Wuhan, China in December. It has since spread to most countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization. —Will Feuer

1:51 pm: Trump wants to ‘reopen’ the economy by Easter despite rapid coronavirus spread

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Washington.

Evan Vucci | AP

President Donald Trump said that he wants the U.S. economy to “open” back up by Easter Sunday, even as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country accelerates.

Easter is April 12, less than three weeks away.

Trump’s remarks in a Fox News “virtual town hall” event at the White House came as more states imposed extreme measures, including shutting down businesses and ordering residents to stay home, to try to slow the spread of the disease.

“We’re opening up this incredible country. Because we have to do that. I would love to have it open by Easter,” Trump said. —Kevin Breuninger

1:44 pm: Trump requests supplies from South Korea to help combat coronavirus, report says

President Donald Trump asked South Korean President Moon Jae-in for medical equipment to help combat coronavirus during a phone call between the two leaders, according to a report published in a state-funded newspaper. 

Moon said that the country will provide “maximum support” if it is available, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The South Korean leader also told Trump that the support could require approval from the FDA, and Trump responded that he would seek the approval within the day, according to the outlet.  It was not immediately clear what type of medical equipment Trump was seeking. —Tucker Higgins

1:35 pm: Italy coronavirus deaths rise by 743 in a day, lifting death toll to 6,820

Residents wearing a face mask walk past a child’s drawing reading “Everything will be OK” in the village of Vertova near Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy on March 24, 2020, where 36 people died of coronavirus in 23 days.

Miguel Medina | AFP | Getty Images

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has grown by 743 to 6,820, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said, reversing a decline in fatalities seen over the last two days.

On Monday 602 people died. That followed 650 deaths on Sunday and 793 on Saturday — the highest daily figure since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.

The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 69,176 from a previous 63,927, an increase of 8.2%, in line with Monday’s growth rate, the Civil Protection Agency said. —Reuters

1:31 pm: Coca-Cola CEO says supply chain is ‘creaking around the world’ due to coronavirus

Coca-Cola is feeling the strain of the coronavirus pandemic on its supply chain.

“The supply chain is creaking around the world. There are flash points when it’s getting a little harder to get ingredients through, whether it’s delays at the borders, the big changes in channel mix,” CEO James Quincey said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”

In the United States, the beverage giant is seeing heightened demand from grocery stores and e-commerce channels for its drinks as consumers stockpile food and beverages in preparation for spending more time at home. As a result, the company is focusing on producing the products most important to its business, such as water, soda and sports drinks. —Amelia Lucas

1:24 pm: UK asks for 250,000 volunteers to help its health service cope with the virus outbreak

Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas’ hospital on March 24, 2020 in London, England.

Leon Neal | Getty Images

The U.K. government appealed for 250,000 “people in good health” to help its health service cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said that final year medical students and student nurses would be moved to the National Health Service’s (NHS) “front line.”

“We are seeking a quarter of a million volunteers, people in good health, to help the NHS, for shopping, for delivery of medicines and to support those who are shielded to protect their own health,” Hancock told reporters. —Katrina Bishop, Ryan Browne

1:18 pm: Mortgage closings at risk as coronavirus shutters title and recording offices

Not even a month ago, thousands of borrowers were rushing to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates. Refinance applications soared over 400% annually, and homebuyers were out early and in force.

But now some of those loans are stuck in limbo as the in-person closing process can no longer be held.

Across the nation, state, county and local governments, including recording offices, have shut down or are at least limiting the number of people who may enter the office.

That puts the whole system at risk, as title insurers are less able to conduct the title research that goes into issuing a policy. The ability to record documents is also getting tougher as county recording offices close. —Diana Olick

1:12 pm: Cuomo fires back at Trump on coronavirus: No American will say speed up the economy at the cost of human life

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed back hard against the idea raised by President Donald Trump of easing restrictions from coronavirus mitigation efforts in an effort to revive the U.S. economy.

“I understand what the president is saying that this is unsustainable that we close down the economy and we continue to spend money. There is no doubt about that,” Cuomo said at a press conference in New York City.

“But if you ask the American people to choose between public health and the economy then it’s no contest. No American is going to say ‘accelerate the economy at the cost of human life,'” Cuomo argued. —Dan Mangan

1:03 pm: DC closes nonessential businesses, joining growing list of states and cities tightening restrictions amid coronavirus outbreak

More businesses in Washington, D.C. are closing to help curb the coronavirus outbreak. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that salons, barbershops and other services not related to emergency response will be shut down. The city previously closed schools, museums, libraries, fitness centers and other businesses. 

More states are ordering residents to stay at home during the coronavirus crisis, as the COVID-19 outbreak worsens in the U.S. 

A total of 13 states so far have orders to stay at home, including California, New York, Washington State and Illinois. Three states have advisories or instructions from their governors to remain at home. Four states have either cities or counties with stay-at-home orders. —Hannah Miller

12:55 pm: You can now pause payments on your federal student loans for 2 months. Here’s what experts say to keep in mind

Borrowers with federal student loans now have two options for relief if they suffer financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Education announced that all borrowers with federal loans will have their interest rates automatically set at 0% for at least 60 days, a measure first announced by President Donald Trump earlier this month. Now, borrowers with federal loans have the option to suspend payments completely for at least two months without accruing interest.

While the interest rate reduction is automatic, borrowers need to request the suspension of payment, called a forbearance, from their loan servicers online or by phone. This can help free up cash for other bills or financial obligations during the coronavirus crisis. —Alicia Adamczyk

12:44 pm: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says hardware supply chain coming back online, but demand is the issue

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the hardware supply chain is coming back online as the coronavirus outbreak eases up in Asia, but said that the big question would be whether demand holds up in the U.S. and Europe.

“On the supply side we are getting back on rails,” Nadella told CNBC’s Jon Fortt when asked about whether Microsoft would be able to deliver later this year certain products it had promised before COVID-19 took hold, like new Surface devices and a revamped Xbox gaming console.

“We have a great balance sheet, we are a very diverse business, we have a mix of annuity, non-annuity, that is also stronger than even the last time we even went into the financial crisis,” he said. “I feel confident we’ll come out of this, frankly, pretty strong.”

He said the company’s cloud infrastructure and services have been holding up under increased demand. —Jordan Novet

12:29 pm: Here’s what’s in the developing coronavirus stimulus bill

As Republicans and Democrats forged ahead toward a deal on a massive economic stimulus proposal to combat the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, details of the developing proposal started to emerge. 

Here are some of the top components of the plan as it stood Tuesday morning, according to congressional leaders:

  • Cash payments of up to $2,400 for married couples and $500 per child
  • A $350 billion fund for small businesses to mitigate layoffs and support payroll
  • $240 billion in health care relief
  • $75 billion in aid for hospitals

Senate Democrats struck down the bill in a procedural vote on Monday amid a gulf in what both parties wanted to include in it. But they made progress by Tuesday morning, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the sides were at “the 2-yard line.” —Jacob Pramuk, Yelena Dzhanova

12:19 pm: Cases in the US now total 46,548

12:09 pm: Starbucks CEO: Our experience tracking coronavirus in China shows US on ‘very similar’ path

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said that the coffee chain believes the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. is following a comparable path to what happened in China

“It may be that in the United States it’s a little bit longer, a week or two longer period to see the recovery. It may be the same recovery, but right now it’s tracking in a very similar way to China,” Johnson said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”

Johnson said Starbucks built a model to follow the company’s business recovery in China, where the coronavirus pandemic began in late December. “It’s now like week three here in the U.S. and we look back at what happened in China and we sort of know what to expect,” Johnson said. —Kevin Stankiewicz

12:03 pm: Dillard’s is still open for business despite coronavirus outbreak

Most of America’s department stores are sitting dark. 

Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Nordstrom and Kohl’s have closed their shops across the U.S. temporarily, to try to help halt the spread of COVID-19. Many specialty shops found in the mall, such as American Eagle and Gap, have also closed up. Some mall owners, including the biggest in the U.S., Simon Property Group, have shut all of their properties for the time being. 

But there is still at least one department store chain keeping its doors open: Dillard’s.

CNBC spoke to multiple employees, one of which said they were “begging” for the company to close. The workers all requested anonymity to protect their jobs. —Lauren Thomas

11:51 am: Market comeback gains steam as Dow soars 1,600 points on stimulus deal hope

11:48 am: Trump pushes a ‘return to work’ as Kudlow predicts coronavirus stimulus will fuel economic rebound

President Donald Trump and his top economic aide Larry Kudlow suggested that a massive coronavirus stimulus bill could provide the foundation for an economic revival in the United States.

“Our people want to return to work,” Trump tweeted. “They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together.”

Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, echoed Trump’s remarks from a Monday evening press briefing that some states with low numbers of confirmed cases might be able to ease off their restrictions quickly. That relief could come soon after the White House’s 15-day guidelines on social distancing expire next week, Kudlow said. —Kevin Breuninger

11:42 am: Ford partners with GE, 3M to begin manufacturing protective equipment, ventilators

3M N95 particulate filtering face mask are seen at a store in East Palo Alto, California, United States on January 26, 2020.

Yichuan Cao | NurPhoto | Getty Images

Ford announced it will partner with 3M and GE Healthcare to begin producing face masks and ventilators to help fill potential shortages caused by the coronavirus. 

Ford will work with 3M to manufacture a newly designed respirator and boost production of 3M’s powered air-purifying respirator, which uses a blower instead of lung power to draw air through the filter. Ford said unionized employees will be able to manufacture the new respirators. 

Ford and GE Healthcare will begin manufacturing a “simplified version of GE Healthcare’s existing ventilator design” to aid patients who may experience trouble breathing caused by COVID-19. —Noah Higgins-Dunn

11:35 am: India’s prime minister orders lockdown of the country’s 1.3 billion people for 21 days

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a “total lockdown” in the country of 1.3 billion people during a televised address, the most extensive stay-at-home order yet in the world’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The 21-day lockdown was set to begin at midnight.

“To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes,” Modi said, adding that if the county failed to manage the next 21 days, it would be set back by 21 years. —Associated Press

11:27 am: ‘Troubling and astronomical’ coronavirus cases increase urgency for hospital beds, New York Gov. Cuomo says

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a “troubling and astronomical” number of coronavirus cases have increased the urgency across the state for more hospital beds as the pace of new infections rises at a rapid clip. Cases soared across the state to 25,665, Cuomo said. 

“We’re not slowing it and it is accelerating on its own,” Cuomo said at a press conference. He said the state is now projecting it will need more hospital beds and a lot sooner than previously thought. The state now estimates it will need 140,000 hospital beds, up from previous projections of 110,000. “That apex could be, they project, 14 to 21 days away.” —Wiliam Feuer, Berkeley Lovelace Jr., Noah Higgins-Dunn

11:19 am: White House to use Defense Production Act to procure test kits, FEMA chief says

The Trump administration plans to use the Defense Production Act for the first time during this coronavirus pandemic to procure thousands of COVID-19 test kits as the disease continues its spread across the country.

Peter Gaynor, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, told CNN that the administration had decided to use the Defense Production Act to acquire some 60,000 kits. The FEMA chief added that the White House will add “DPA language” into its mass contract for 500 million masks. —Thomas Franck

11:08 am: Total number of Italian coronavirus cases could be ’10 times higher’ than known tally, according to one official

The number of coronavirus cases in Italy is probably 10 times higher than the official tally, the head of the agency collating the data said as the government readied new measures to force people to stay at home.

“A ratio of one certified case out of every 10 is credible,” Angelo Borrelli, the head of the Civil Protection Agency, told La Repubblica newspaper, indicating he believed as many as 640,000 people could have been infected.

Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with latest figures showing that 6,077 people have died from the infection in barely a month, while the number of confirmed cases has hit 64,000. However, testing for the disease has often been limited to people seeking hospital care, meaning that thousands of infections have certainly gone undetected. —Reuters

10:26 am: New Mexico stay-at-home instruction now in effect 

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued “stay-at-home” instructions late Monday, to take effect Tuesday. Residents should remain in their homes except for outings absolutely necessary for health, safety and welfare, Grisham said in a statement.

New Mexico Secretary of Health Kathy Kunkel also issued an order closing all non-essential businesses. The public health emergency order requires 100% of the state’s non-essential workforce to work from home. It is in effect until April 10. Essential businesses that are allowed to remain open include health-care operations, homeless shelters and grocery stores. —Hannah Miller

10:12 am: Two large US private labs say they could soon process 300,000 coronavirus tests per week

Two of the largest private labs in the U.S. will collectively be able to process more than 300,000 COVID-19 tests by the end of the week, their CEOs say. LabCorp CEO Adam Schechter told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” the company is processing around 20,000 tests daily and will by the end of the week be able to “a lot more” than 100,000 tests per week. 

Quest Diagnostics is conducting about 25,000 COVID-19 tests per day, with plans of increasing daily capacity to around 30,000 by the end of the week, CEO Steve Rusckowski told CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” That would put Quest’s weekly capacity around 200,000, he said. —Kevin Stankiewicz

9:40 am: Dow surges 1,300 points, rebounds from three-year low, on hope a coronavirus rescue bill is close

Stocks jumped on Tuesday as investors hoped U.S. lawmakers were close to an agreement on a stimulus bill to rescue the economy from the coronavirus.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded more than 1,300 points higher, or 7.1%. The S&P 500 gained 6.2% while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 5.7%. —Fred Imbert, Thomas Franck

8:29 am: Officials postpone the 2020 Olympics amid coronavirus pandemic

The International Olympic Committee postponed the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, officials announced Tuesday. The event was scheduled to start July 24 in Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and the head of the IOC agreed to delay the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo for about a year. The games will take place “no later than summer 2021,” according to a statement from the IOC.

Abe was speaking to reporters after a phone call with IOC President Thomas Bach on postponing the Games amid growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

Tokyo had completed preparations when the virus started spreading across the world. Despite insisting for months the Games would go ahead as planned, Abe this week said a delay may be unavoidable if all the events could not be held. —Jabari Young, Reuters

7:53 am: Dow futures surge 900 points in premarket

7:12 am: Gilead’s potential treatment gets FDA’s orphan drug label

Gilead Sciences’ experimental drug remdesivir, seen as one of the more promising potential treatments for the coronavirus, received the orphan drug designation on Monday from the Food and Drug Administration. The announcement comes days after President Donald Trump called on the FDA to streamline its approval process for treatments such as remdesivir, which is currently being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as early as next month. The orphan drug status provides a seven-year market exclusivity period, as well as tax and other incentives for drug companies developing treatments for rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people. —Reuters

7:08 am: China to lift lockdown on Wuhan city, the epicenter

Two months after Chinese authorities locked down the city at the center of the outbreak, the end is in sight. Hubei province said that travel restrictions on the capital city of Wuhan will be removed starting April 8, which would end a lockdown that began on Jan. 23. New confirmed virus cases in China have dwindled in the last several days, with nearly all now attributed to travelers returning from overseas. —Evelyn Cheng

7:04 am: Deaths slow in Italy, while trade unions vow to strike

A woman wearing a protective mask walks outside Castel Sant’Angelo, as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome, Italy March 23, 2020.

Remo Casilli | Reuters

Italy’s death toll rose by 602, the smallest increase in four days, according to Reuters. The number of new confirmed cases also slowed. These figures have raised expectations that the worse could be over for the country with the highest number of deaths from the virus worldwide. However, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Italy had not yet reached the “most acute phase” of the infection.

Conte stepped up the national lockdown measures over the weekend, ordering the closure of all industrial production and almost all private and public offices. However, metalworkers and bank unions vowed to strike this week. They are demanding more stringent measures for the factories that are still open and for bank employees, who they say do not have enough masks, gloves or disinfectant. —Silvia Amaro

6:59 am: Spain reports 6,600 new cases, over 500 dead

A military team enters the Abando Indalecio Prieto Renfe station in Bilbao during disinfection tasks due to the coronavirus crisis on March 23, 2020 in Bilbao, Spain.

H. Bilbao | Europa Press News | Getty Images

The number of new cases in Spain jumped Tuesday to 39,673 from 33,089 cases registered on Monday, the health ministry reported. The number of fatalities rose to 2,696 overnight from 2,182, the ministry said. —Reuters

5:41 am: Euro zone business activity suffers largest collapse ever recorded

The euro zone economy suffered “an unprecedented collapse” in business activity in March as the coronavirus outbreak intensified, according to provisional purchasing manager’s index survey data from IHS Markit. The data showed that the “flash” euro zone composite PMI collapsed from 51.6 in February to 31.4 in March. The survey measures business activity in the services and manufacturing sector in the 19-member euro zone.  A reading below 50 indicates a contraction. This is the largest monthly fall in business activity since comparable data were first collected in July 1998. The prior low was seen in February 2009, when the index hit 36.2. —Holly Ellyatt

5:20 am: Indonesia reports sharpest daily spike of cases yet

Indonesia reported an additional 107 cases, marking the biggest daily increase for the Southeast Asian nation. It takes the country’s total number of COVID-19 infections to 686. Seven further deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours means the nationwide death toll now stands at 55. —Sam Meredith

5:00 am: UK wakes up to life under lockdown

Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas’ hospital on March 24, 2020 in London, England.

Leon Neal | Getty Images

The U.K. government has tightened restrictions on the British public. As of Tuesday morning, all nonessential public buildings and places are closed, ranging from libraries to churches, outdoor gyms and playgrounds, and all social events including weddings and baptisms have been stopped. The public has been told to stay at home and can now only leave home for essential trips to buy food or medicines, to provide essential care, travel to work if absolutely necessary or to exercise once a day. —Holly Ellyatt

Read CNBC’s coverage from CNBC’s Asia-Pacific and Europe teams overnight here: Britain goes into lockdown; global cases surpass 382,000

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Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator, speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump, left, listens during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, March 20, 2020. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images White House officials Tuesday urged anyone […]