The biggest question in America today centers on the coronavirus and whether the reaction in the country is too tepid or too overblown.
But more and more, companies and organizations are taking COVID-19 seriously.
In that regard, Costco has apparently pulled free samples of snacks and other food offerings from their stores, out of concern for potentially spreading the virus.
Like many retailers, Costco has been struggling to keep bottled water, disinfectants and other critical supplies in stock, USA Today reported, Americans are stocking up on supplies, prompting limits to purchase tissue, toilet paper and other supplies in many stores.
Starbucks has announced that it will be temporarily pausing the use of personal cups in the U.S. and Canada in an attempt to protect staff and customers from the growing coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/rdV0e9Gota pic.twitter.com/KeoVhSG95o
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 8, 2020
The media continues to drive the story and the virus has infected 107,200 people in 95 countries, according to the New York Times. NBC News reported that the death toll in the U.S. climbed to 19, with nearly all of the deaths in Washington state, although two people have died in Florida.
And there are now reports than an attendee at the CPAC 2020 conference has tested positive for the coronavirus.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both spoke at the event.
The individual, now quarantined in New Jersey, was reportedly exposed to the virus before the four-day event and tested positive on Saturday.
“This attendee had no interaction with the president or the vice president and never attended the events in the main hall,” event host American Conservative Union said in a release. “The Trump administration is aware of the situation, and we will continue regular communication with all appropriate government officials.”
As the first case of coronavirus was reported in Washington, DC, Amtrak announced it has suspended the major Acela non-stop service between the nation’s capital and New York City.
The high-speed nonstop service was experiencing weakened demand and was nixed through late May over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, CNBC reported.
“As we are experiencing some reduced demand for our service, we are making temporary adjustments to our schedule, such as removing train cars or canceling trains when there is a convenient alternative with a similar schedule that will have minimal impact to customers,” Amtrak said in a statement.
The latest reaction, and perhaps one of the more telling, was the AFL-CIO announced late Saturday it has canceled a presidential forum scheduled to take place next week in Orlando “due to the coronavirus outbreak,” the group said in a statement, according to the Miami Herald.
The event, planned one week before the Florida primary, was to feature former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
This follows the announcement Friday that the annual SXSW conference, set to take place in Austin, Texas, has been canceled out of fear of coronavirus.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler declared a “local disaster” in the city and issued an order to cancel the SXSW conference — the acronym stands for “South by Southwest,” which is a festival of music, technology, and film.
JUST IN: SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, has been cancelled due to concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus, mayor says. pic.twitter.com/YmwFDZXJXw
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 6, 2020
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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