7:50 am: Amazon is building face shields for frontline workers
7:10 am: Trump says he will mobilize military to deliver vaccine when there is one
A Paratrooper assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, prepares for a Airborne Operation at Fort Bragg, N.C., on May 7.
Spc. Hubert Delany III | US Army
The U.S. military will distribute doses of the Covid-19 vaccine when there is one, President Donald Trump said, according to Reuters.
“You know it’s a massive job to give this vaccine,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network. “Our military is now being mobilized so at the end of the year, we’re going to be able to give it to a lot of people very, very rapidly.”
He added that he expects to have a vaccine by the end of the year, Reuters reported. However, scientists have not expressed the same confidence. Members of the White House task force have repeatedly said a vaccine will take 12 to 18 months to develop, but even that would be a record timeframe for the development of a safe and effective vaccine. —Will Feuer
7:05 am: WHO warns it could take up to 5 years before outbreak is under control
The World Health Organization’s chief scientist has warned the staying power of the coronavirus pandemic means it may not be under control until 2025.
The bleak forecast comes at a time when the global coronavirus death toll nears the grim milestone of 300,000.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan on Wednesday told the Financial Times’ Global Boardroom webinar: “I would say in a 4 to 5-year timeframe, we could be looking at controlling this.” —Sam Meredith
7:00 am: Unemployed Americans can now get Headspace for free
Mindfulness app Headspace is offering free, one-year premium subscriptions to all unemployed workers in the United States in an effort to support those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Those eligible can register for a subscription here starting Thursday.
“As a company dedicated to improving the health and happiness of the world, we take our responsibility to help support people’s mental health very seriously. It’s our promise today and for whatever tomorrow brings,” Headspace CEO Rich Pierson said. —Jessica Bursztynsky
6:49 am: France to invest $1.4 billion in tourism sector
A woman wearing a protective mask rides her bicycle next to the Eiffel Tower on April 23, 2020 in Paris, France.
Chesnot | Getty Images
France plans to invest $1.4 billion in the country’s struggling tourism sector to help businesses tied to the sector weather the coronavirus shutdown, Reuters reported. Almost 90 million people visited France in 2018, according to government data, which makes it the most visited country in the world that year.
“What is good for the tourism industry, is often good for the whole of France,” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said.
Tourism accounts for roughly 7% of France’s GDP, according to Reuters. —Will Feuer
Read CNBC’s coverage from CNBC’s Asia-Pacific and Europe teams overnight here: Russia’s cases pass 250,000; EU says vaccine could take a year
