Coronavirus live updates: Countries start to reopen as global cases near 3 million

FAN Editor

Health experts and asset markets are watching closely as segments of the U.S. reopen their economies. Global cases near the 3 million mark, with roughly a third of those cases in the U.S. Across the Atlantic, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back at work on Monday after recovering from the virus, delivering a sober address about the nation’s progress in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak. 

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 2.9 million
  • Global deaths: At least 207,270
  • US cases: More than 965,900
  • US deaths: At least 54,877

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

9:50 am: Apple will ramp up new iPhone production later than usual this year, report says

Tim Cook announces the iPhone 11 at a launch event in Cupertino, Calif on Sept. 10, 2019.

Source: Apple

Apple is gearing up for its next iPhone launch this fall, but plans could shift as the company plans to ramp up production later than usual this year, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal reported that mass production for its new iPhones has been pushed back “about a month,” which means, even if Apple announces them at the same time it usually does in September, some or all of the models might not be available to buy in September.

The report says Apple is planning four new iPhones, including one with a 5.4-inch screen, two with 6.1-inch screens and a big model with a 6.7-inch screen. It’s unclear how many of those phones may be impacted by the delay — the report just says “flagship iPhones” — but some analysts have said Apple could push the launch of some or all of its new phones. —Todd Haselton

9:44 am: Norwegian Cruise withdraws forecast, to cut $515 million in spending

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings withdrew its 2020 forecast and said would cut spending by about $515 million, as the cruise operator struggles to save cash amid the coronavirus pandemic that forced it to extend suspension of its ships to June 30.

The company also withdrew its forecast for the first quarter, joining peer Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line estimates its cash burn to be about $110 million to $150 million per month as suspension of its three brands continues. —Reuters

9:36 am: NJ governor says the state needs more federal assistance to avoid an ‘Armageddon’ scenario

Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey could be headed toward an “Armageddon” scenario, with an inability to fund public schools, if it doesn’t receive more federal assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic

Murphy, a Democrat, said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that New Jersey’s revenues “have fallen off a table” due to the coronavirus.

“Our costs are going up serving folks who have lost their jobs, small businesses that have been crushed, folks who are in the health-care system, et cetera,” he said. —Kevin Stankiewicz

9:32 am: Dow rises more than 100 points to start the week

9:10 am: Swiss rush to get haircuts, visit dentists as coronavirus curbs ease

Haircuts, massages and shopping for garden supplies topped the agenda for Swiss residents as the country slowly started easing restrictions on public life imposed in March to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Lines formed in front of garden centers as people battling cabin fever emerged from six weeks of staying at home at the government’s urging.

“I think it is about time. We have to live our lives, so I think it is important that we keep doing our activities and contact with people is so important, even in a queue like that,” shopper Christiane Ansermet said as she waited to enter the Schillinger garden center in the town of Gland on Lake Geneva. —Reuters

9:08 am: Portugal eyes easing lockdown, textile firms step up mask production

Portugal may soon ease its coronavirus lockdown, but widespread use of protective equipment will be essential and the country does not rule out “taking a step back” if the situation worsens again, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said.

During a visit to one of hundreds of textile firms reorienting to produce protective gear, he praised the industry for supporting the relaxation of restrictions and said facemasks would likely be obligatory in certain locations such as schools and public transport.

“We are likely to go down a level (on restrictions), but normality will only come when we have a vaccine in a year, or year-and-a-half,” Costa said while visiting textile manufacturer Petratex, which is producing more than 100,000 masks a week.

“Until then, reopening will come with conditions — like using hand sanitizer, and masks. This industry initiative to produce them en masse is essential for public safety,” he said. —Reuters

9:00 am: Doctors apply for SBA funding in struggle to keep practices afloat during the pandemic

Doctors shut out of the Payroll Protection Program loans are hoping money from the next round of funding will make it to more small physician practices

Nearly half of physician practices have laid off staff to cut costs, while 1 in 5 worry that the sharp drop in office visits will force them to close. Nearly 90% of primary-care physicians say they’ve experienced significant losses in patient volumes, according to the most recent weekly Covid-19 impact survey from researchers at the Larry Green Center and the Primary Care Collaborative. —Bertha Coombs

8:43 am: Oil drops 20% extending recent losses as storage fills

Oil prices plunged more than 20% on fears that worldwide storage will soon fill as the coronavirus outbreak continues to roil demand.

West Texas Intermediate for June delivery fell 23.5%, or $4.02, to trade at $12.91 per barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude traded 6.2% lower at $20.11 per barrel. Each contract is coming off its eighth week of losses in nine weeks.

WTI for July delivery fell more than 11% to $18.84 while the August contract slipped more than 7% to $22, suggesting the Street doesn’t see a meaningful recovery in the next few months. —Pippa Stevens

8:23 am: The latest on US hot spots

8:22 am: General Motors suspends dividend, stock buybacks to preserve cash

General Motors said it is suspending its quarterly dividend and stock buybacks to preserve cash during the coronavirus pandemic.

The automaker said it also extended a $3.6 billion, three-year revolving credit facility to April 2022 to help bolster its liquidity. GM said it’s “taken other significant austerity measures to preserve near-term available cash.”

GM’s U.S. plants have been shuttered since mid-March due to Covid-19. —Michael Wayland

8:11 am: Regeneron, Sanofi shut down part of arthritis drug study after trial shows benefit for only sickest patients

A rheumatoid arthritis drug made by Regeneron and Sanofi showed promise for treating the sickest coronavirus patients in a clinical trial but was not beneficial for patients with less-advanced disease, prompting the companies to stop testing the medicine in that group.

The drug, Kevzara, inhibits a pathway thought to contribute to the lung inflammation in patients with the most severe forms of Covid-19.

Regeneron and Sanofi started clinical trials of the medicine in Covid-19 patients in March after a small study from China suggested a benefit from a Roche drug, Actemra, inhibiting the same pathway, known as IL-6. —Meg Tirrell

7:21 am: CDC expands the official list of symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added six new symptoms of Covid-19 to its website as scientists gather more data on the coronavirus and patients show “a wide range of symptoms,” the agency said Friday. 

The previous list of symptoms included fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The CDC now says chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a sudden loss of taste or smell are also common indicators of the coronavirus. —Jasmine Kim

7:02 am: Former FDA chief says there’s still ‘pervasive spread’ in the US

Even as states weigh lifting social distancing restrictions, there is still pervasive spread of the virus throughout the country, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CNBC.

“The reality is there is still pervasive spread of coronavirus across the entire nation,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “There’s parts of the country, there’s states where they never really had a significant outbreak that they certainly meet the criteria to start reopening aspects of the economy.”

About five states meet the White House criteria for the necessary level of “sustained reduction” of new cases before restrictions can be lifted, Gottlieb said. He did not say what those five states are, but he added the U.S. is reporting roughly 30,000 new cases every day and 2,000 new deaths. —Will Feuer

Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina.

6:56 am: Adidas projects 40% decline in sales for the second quarter

Adidas has predicted that sales will fall by 40% in the second quarter, as the impact of the coronavirus takes hold.

The German sportswear giant on Monday reported a 19% decline in net sales for the first quarter from the year before to 4.75 billion euros ($5.16 billion), as 70% of its stores worldwide closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its first-quarter net income was 26 million euros, down 96% from the same period last year, and Adidas said that owing to uncertainty over the duration of store closures, it would be unable to offer a full-year outlook at present. —Elliot Smith 

6:44 pm: VW restarts production at its largest car factory in Germany

Volkswagen has restarted production at its largest factory in Wolfsburg in Germany.

Production will start at 10 to 15% of capacity, VW said in a statement, increasing to around 40% the following week. The first vehicle to be produced will be the Golf model and the company said “maximum health protection” has been implemented to protect employees.

Ralf Brandstatter, chief operating officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said in the VW statement that “step-by-step resumption of production is an important signal for the workforce, dealerships, suppliers and the wider economy.” —Holly Ellyatt

6:20 am: Virus dulls the Netherlands’ annual Kings Day celebrations

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has urged the public to stay at home to celebrate the annual ‘King’s Day’ celebrations, which celebrate the monarch’s birthday, instead of the usual massive street festivities.

“This promises to be a unique King’s Day, and mainly because I hope it will be the last King’s Day-at-home ever. Try to make the best of it,” the king said in a live TV broadcast to the public, Reuters reported.

King’s Day normally attracts millions of people to street parties and music festivals in Amsterdam and throughout the country, but the coronavirus has forced the Dutch to stay at home due to lockdown measures. —Holly Ellyatt

5:51 am: China denies spreading virus disinformation following EU report

China’s foreign ministry has denied claims that Beijing is spreading disinformation about the coronavirus.

“China is opposed to the creation and spreading of disinformation by anyone or any organisation. China is a victim of disinformation, not an initiator,” said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing on Monday, Reuters reported.

The denial comes after an EU report last week there was evidence that state-backed governments, including China and Russia, were responsible for spreading disinformation on the virus. —Holly Ellyatt

5:10 am: Spain’s daily death toll rises slightly

RT: Mortuary workers wearing protective gear are seen at the San Juan de la Cruz funeral home, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Segovia, Spain, April 23, 2020.

Susana Vera | REUTERS

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