Algeria suspends domestic flights: Ennahar TV

TUNIS (Reuters) – Algeria will suspend all domestic flights from March 22 to April 4 to combat the spread of the coronavirus, Ennahar television reported on Thursday.

The government said earlier it would enact measures including the suspension of public transportation and paid leave for half of state employees.

Mexican Maya crude recovered $5.10/bbl as benchmarks bounced – Platts

MEXICO CITY, March 19 (Reuters) – The official selling price of Mexico’s flagship Maya crude for U.S. Gulf Coast delivery gained $5.10 per barrel on Thursday, S&P Global Platts said, as benchmarks Brent and WTI reversed a portion of their losses.

Maya price closed at $18.02 per barrel after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would get involved in the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Russia over production cuts “at the appropriate time”, and the U.S. and Indian governments started negotiations to buy crude for their strategic reserves. (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher, writing by Marianna Parraga)

Brazil unveils $2 billion package for 11 million low-earning workers hit by coronavirus

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s government on Thursday unveiled a 10 billion reais ($2 billion) aid package for some 11 million low-wage workers whose income and working hours will be reduced by the coronavirus outbreak.

The cash will come from a workers support fund, the Economy Ministry said, adding the government also aims to cover the first 15 days of wages for any employee with coronavirus who is sent home.

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Regina police ask public to be aware of related scams

Regina police are asking the public to be aware of the scams circulating in the country in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police say people are posing as health care providers and other organizations and using COVID-19 to obtain personal and financial information.

To this point, there have been no reports of anybody being scammed in Regina, but police are reminding people to cautious.

Coronavirus: Via Rail announces new service suspensions amid COVID-19 pandemic

Via Rail says it is further reducing train service —  as well as suspending business class seating and closing its business lounges — in response to the new coronavirus.

Though some trains are still in operation, the majority of service within the Quebec City to Windsor, Ont., corridor has been suspended.

Brazil health minister: Picture will become clearer next week

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Coronavirus is spreading “en masse” systematically across most of Brazil’s regions, Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said on Thursday, adding that the national picture should become clearer next week.

Brazil registered its seventh coronavirus-related death on Thursday, and earlier in the day the Health Ministry said that the number of confirmed cases rose to 621, up 193 from the previous day.

Coronavirus: London, Ont., businesses close, look to other options to cope

To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, several London, Ont.,  businesses are making the switch to online and phone orders, with some even going so far as temporarily closing down.

On Tuesday morning, Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency for the province of Ontario due to the novel coronavirus.

Bolsonaro says coronavirus to peak in Brazil in three-four months

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The coronavirus outbreak in Brazil is expected to peak in three or four months, President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday, adding that the country should then return to normality in seven to eight months’ time.

Speaking via a broadcast on his Facebook page on the day Brazil’s death toll from the outbreak rose to seven, Bolsonaro said his government is taking actionable measures to fight it, and that his role is not to cause panic in the country.

Peruvian cenbank lowers interest rate to 1.25% from 2.25%

LIMA, March 19 (Reuters) – Peru’s central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate to 1.25% from 2.25% in an extraordinary measure amid the coronavirus outbreak, it announced on Thursday.

The bank said that economic activity had been temporarily affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Risk to global and local economic activity had increased over the last days, including the possibility of a global economic recession, the bank said. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Coronavirus: TransLink halts fare collection on buses, asks riders to use rear doors

Effective Friday, TransLink says it is suspending fare collection on buses and will be asking passengers to board through rear doors only in an effort to promote social distancing.

Fares will still apply on other TransLink modes such as SkyTrain and SeaBus.

NYSE is closing symbolic trading floor. Will this affect investors?

New York (CNN Business)Stock futures fell Thursday evening, reversing what had looked like positive momentum for Wall Street earlier in the day.

Dow (INDU) futures dropped 243 points, about 1.2%. Nasdaq (COMP) futures were down about 0.9%, and S&P 500 (SPX) futures fell about 1.3%.
It was another volatile day for trading Thursday, but the market closed with modest gains. The Dow finished up nearly 1%, or 188 points — the first time since March 6 that the index closed within 1,000 points from where it opened.

The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite ended 2.3% higher.
The New York Federal Reserve on Thursday continued its effort to create liquidity in the strained financial markets by announcing it would purchase another $10 billion of mortgage-backed securities, part of a larger package of $200 billion in mortgage bonds the Fed promised on Sunday to buy as it relaunched quantitative easing.

Late on Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed into a law a relief package that is also meant to help bolster the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.