High treatment costs stop Americans from testing for coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has focused attention on the healthcare system, or lack thereof, in the United States.

The coronavirus pandemic is exposing the cracks in the United States healthcare system.

In a country where paid sick leave is the exception, self-isolation means economic hardship.

And the high cost of treatment leaves many reluctant to get tested.

This is all contributing to the spread of the virus and intensified the debate around free healthcare.

Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reports from Washington, DC.

Norway central bank increases purchase of crowns to support government spending

OSLO, March 18 (Reuters) – Norway’s central bank will increase its daily purchase of Norwegian crowns to 1.6 billion crowns ($152 million) per day from 500 million crowns earlier, selling foreign currency to secure funds for government spending, it said on Wednesday.

“The effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the Norwegian economy and the measures implemented to limit the consequences of the outbreak entail an increase in government spending and a decline in government revenues,” Norges Bank added.

Taiwan reports 23 new cases of coronavirus, total now 100

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s health minister on Wednesday reported 23 new cases of the coronavirus to take the total figure in the island to 100.

Chen Shih-chung told a news conference that 19 of the new cases were imported, mostly from Europe.

Don Lemon Shreds Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Reversal: ‘Gaslighting, Pure And Simple’

“CNN Tonight” host Don Lemon delivered a blistering critique of President Donald Trump’s sudden change in heart about the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump has for weeks peddled misinformation and downplayed the threat of the virus that has now sickened almost 200,000 people worldwide and killed more than 7,900.

The president claimed on Tuesday, however, that he’d “always” known about the threat it posed and had actually “felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”

Lemon wasn’t having it.

“That is gaslighting, pure and simple. The president of the United States is gaslighting you and you deserve to know,” he said, before walking viewers step-by-step through Trump’s reversal.

Check out the clip here:

Volkswagen Brand Begins Second Phase Of TRANSFORM 2025+ Strategy – Quick Facts

Volkswagen Group (VKW.L,VLKAF.PK,VOW.BE) announced, as part of the second phase of TRANSFORM 2025+ strategy, Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand will deliver ID.3 all-electric car based on the new MEB electric platform to customers starting this summer. This will be followed by ID.4, the brand’s first all-electric SUV. By 2022, the brand will offer electric cars based on the MEB platform in all key vehicle segments. By 2025, the brand targets to sell at least 1.5 million electric cars per year.

In addition to electrification, Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand will also adopt digitalization in the next few years, with focus on two core areas: the implementation of the digital transformation roadmap and the establishment of the Car.Software organization.

In the past year, Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand achieved a delivery record of 6.3 million units. With more than 700,000 vehicles sold, the Tiguan was the brand’s bestseller.

With regard to coronavirus crisis, the brand’s outlook for the current business performance is complicated by uncertainty. The Volkswagen brand will suspend production at European factories initially for an estimated ten business days.

Alexander Seitz, CFO of the Volkswagen brand, said: “The coronavirus crisis is unprecedented and will undoubtedly have an impact on the business performance of the Volkswagen brand. At the moment, we cannot gauge the extent of the impact.”

Stock Alert: Guess’

Clothing brand and retailer Guess’, Inc. (GES) is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter results today March 18, after market close.

The stock has been sliding in the past months amid coronavirus epidemic. GES lost more than 70% in two months.

On March 16, the company announced that it is closing its stores in the United States and Canada from March 17th through March 27th, as the virus is spreading to more places.

The stock shed $1.15 or 15.37% yesterday to touch a new low of $6.20. GES had recorded its 52-week high of $23.58 in January.

Oxford Instruments Sees FY Adj. Operating Profit Below View

Oxford Instruments plc. (OXIG.L) said it now expects adjusted operating profit for the full year of between 47 million pounds to 50 million pounds.

The company compiled consensus analyst forecast for annual adjusted operating profit is 53.3 million pounds. It excludes analysts that have not updated forecasts following the disposals of OI Healthcare and share in Scienta Omicron.

According to the company, the severe disruption as a result of Covid-19 has impacted customers, with a number of product shipments and installations in the final quarter of the financial year being delayed, in addition to an enforced site closure in California.

The company expects some re-opening of customer sites in China, but the situation in Europe and North America is deteriorating.

Looking ahead, the company expects current events to adversely impact trading during the first half of the financial year 2020/21, but at this stage there remains considerable uncertainty.

The company said it remains committed to its strategy and would expect trading to recover in line with a reduction in disruption from Covid-19.

The company said it will publish its results for the year ended 31 March 2020 on 9 June 2020.