• About Us
    • New York
  • Work
  • Capabilities
  • Careers
  • Technology
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • New York
  • Work
  • Capabilities
  • Careers
  • Technology
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
May 18, 2020

COVID-19 Crisis: Fewer Cases, More Reopenings

Posted by Abby Long
PMG is providing near-daily briefings to track the novel coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the economy and business world for our customers. The briefing for May 18th, 2020 was sent to PMG customers this morning, and can be found below.

I hope you had a restful weekend. Let’s get to it. 

  • Weekend in review
  • Cases slow as America reopens
  • The week ahead

Weekend in review

It was a suspiciously slow news weekend. Reports of new cases have appeared to decline nationally, though the logistics for testing en masse continue to be a top concern. According to The New York Times, only about three percent of the U.S. population has been tested for the virus. 

The latest: “The first coronavirus vaccine to be tested in people appears to be safe and able to stimulate an immune response against the virus, its manufacturer, Moderna, announced on Monday.”

Virtual commencements took place around the world, with “Graduate Together” and “Show Me Your Walk” by Chase taking the limelight in the U.S. Sports returned with NASCAR holding its first crowd-free race and soccer with new rules and no crowds. And just in time, too, as the final episodes of “The Last Dance,” ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls aired Sunday night. On CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, shared his thoughts on the country’s economic health. 

“This economy will recover; it may take a while… it may take a period of time, it could stretch through the end of next year, we don’t really know.”

On the topic of if the economy could recover without a vaccine? 

“Assuming that there’s not a second wave of the coronavirus, I think you’ll see the economy recover steadily through the second half of this year,” Powell shared. “For the economy to fully recover, people will have to be fully confident, and that may have to await the arrival of a vaccine.”

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, warned there might never be a vaccine, and other methods to control the virus must be put into place.

Other news of note:

  • Japan has officially entered a recession.
  • Facebook will buy Giphy ~$400M. 
  • JCPenney filed for bankruptcy.
  • Apple plans to reopen 25 more stores in the U.S. and 12 in Canada this week.

Today is also the day that organizations decide whether to return government loans. 

Fewer cases, more reopenings

More than two-thirds of states in the U.S. are significantly relaxing restrictions, and most states are heading in the right direction against the virus. 

A look at case rates across the U.S., provided by The New York Times. 

Source: The New York Times

I found this graph from Axios quite insightful and encouraging. 

Source: Axios

Reopenings are a sign of promise for the economy as businesses weigh safety concerns with financial needs. 

The week ahead

All Week: Retail earnings (Target, Lowe’s, L Brands, Walmart, Home Depot, and Kohl’s)

Monday: World Health Organization annual meeting, automakers go back to work

Tuesday: Jerome Powell will testify to the Senate Banking Committee, American Workforce Policy Advisory Board meets (virtually) for the first time. 

Thursday: Elvis Presley’s Graceland reopens with limited capacity.

The Weekend: Memorial Day Weekend

Let’s make it a great Monday.

Big TechCOVID crisiscrisis communicationsretail stores
Previous
Next

Latest White Papers

  • Shifting Plans for 2020 & Beyond
  • Game On: How Brands Can Log Into A Diverse Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
  • What CCPA Means For Brands
  • How Google is Improving Consumer Data Privacy
  • Ways to Prepare for the Cookieless Future
  • See all White Papers

Featured Posts

  • Ad Age Names PMG #1 Best Place to Work in 2021
  • MediaPost Names PMG Independent Agency of the Year
  • PMG Client Portfolio Trends During Amazon Prime Day 2020
  • A Closer Look at the Congressional Big Tech Market Power Report
  • What to Know About Reddit

Categories

  • Consumer Insights
  • Content
  • Creative Design
  • Data Analytics
  • Development
  • Digital TV & Video
  • Ecommerce
  • Industry News
  • Local
  • Mobile
  • Paid Search
  • PMG Culture
  • Programmatic & Display
  • SEO
  • Social Media
  • Structured Data
Fort Worth

2845 West 7th Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107

Dallas

3102 Oak Lawn Avenue
Suite 650
Dallas, TX 75219

Austin

823 Congress Avenue
Suite 800
Austin, TX 78701

London

33 Broadwick Street
London
W1F 0DQ

New York

120 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010

Get in touch

(817) 420 9970
info@pmg.com

Subscribe to the PMG Newsletter
© 2021 PMG Worldwide, LLC, All Rights Reserved
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
 Tweet
 Share
 Tweet
 Share
 Tweet
 Share
 LinkedIn
We and our partners use cookies to personalize content, analyze traffic, and deliver ads. By using our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.