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Basel, 13 March 2020 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test. It is intended for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples from patients who meet COVID-19 clinical and/or epidemiological criteria for testing. Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the test on Roches fully automated cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 Systems, which are widely available in the U.S. and around the world.

The CE-IVD test is also available in markets accepting the CE mark for patients with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 disease and living in affected areas where the SARS-CoV-2 virus is known to be present.

"Providing quality, high-volume testing capabilities will allow us to respond effectively to what the World Health Organization has characterized as a pandemic. It is important to quickly and reliably detect whether a patient is infected with SARS-CoV-2, said Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. Over the last weeks, our emergency response teams have been working hard to bring this test to the patients. CE-mark certification and the FDAs granting of EUA supports our commitment to give more patients access to reliable diagnostics which are crucial to combat this serious disease.

The widely available Roches cobas 6800/8800 Systems, which are used to perform the cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test, provide test results in three and half hours and offer improved operating efficiency, flexibility, and fastest time-to-results with the highest throughput providing up to 96 results in about three hours and a total of 1,440 results for the cobas 6800 System and 4,128 results for the cobas 8800 System in 24 hours. The test can be run simultaneously with other assays provided by Roche for use on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems.

Upon authorisation Roche will have millions of tests a month available for use on the cobas 6800 and 8800 systems. Roche is committed to delivering as many tests as possible and is going to the limits of our production capacity.

About Emergency Use Authorization StatusThe cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an EUA for use by laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), 42 U.S.C. 263a, to perform moderate and high complexity tests. The test has been authorised only for the detection of RNA from SARS-CoV-2 virus and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, not for any other viruses or pathogens. It is only authorised for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorisation of the emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 360bbb- 3(b)(1), unless the authorisation is terminated or revoked sooner

About SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a new strain which has not previously been identified in humans.1

Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and fever. In more severe cases, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death can occur.

To control the spread of the infection, WHO recommends regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.

About cobas SARS-CoV-2 Assay The cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test is a single-well dual target assay, which includes both specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 and pan-sarbecovirus detection for the sarbecovirus subgenus family that includes SARS-CoV-2. The test is a real-time RT-PCR test intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acids from SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples from patients who meet the CDC SARS-CoV-2 clinical criteria.The test runs on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems and has a full-process negative control, positive control and internal control.

Negative results do not preclude SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for patient management decisions. Negative results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history, and epidemiological information.

The cobas SARS-CoV-2 is intended for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel specifically instructed and trained in the techniques of real-time PCR and in vitro diagnostic procedures. In the United States, the cobas SARS-CoV-2 is only for use under the FDAs Emergency Use Authorization.

About the cobas 6800/8800 Systems Since 2014, the cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 Systems have established the new standard for routine molecular testing by delivering fully integrated, automated solutions that serve the areas of viral load monitoring, donor screening, sexual health and microbiology. Based on Nobel prize-winning PCR technology, the systems deliver proven performance with full automation, increased throughput, fast turnaround time and complete track connectivity validated for molecular testing, providing users with greater flexibility to consolidate their IVD and LDT testing to a single system while increasing overall workflow efficiencies.

Our global install base for the cobas 6800 and 8800 Systems is 695 and 132 respectively. The systems provide up to 96 results in about three hours and a total of 1,440 results for the cobas 6800 System and 4,128 results for the cobas 8800 System in 24 hours. Both make it possible for labs to perform up to three tests in the same run with no pre-sorting required. The systems also enable up to eight hours (cobas 6800 System) and four hours (cobas 8800 System) of walk-away time with minimal user interaction. cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 Systems are the only fully automated molecular systems designated as moderately complex by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).

For more information about the tests and system, please visit http://www.diagnostics.roche.com

About Emergency Use Authorization StatusThe cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test has not been FDA cleared or approved. It has been authorized by the FDA under an EUA for use by laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), 42 U.S.C. 263a, to perform high complexity tests, or by similarly qualified non-U.S. laboratories. The test has been authorized only for the detection of RNA from SARS-CoV-2 virus and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, not for any other viruses or pathogens. It is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.About RocheRoche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve peoples lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the worlds largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit http://www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

References[1] https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus. Accessed 23Jan2020

Roche Group Media RelationsPhone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com- Nicolas Dunant (Head)- Patrick Barth- Daniel Grotzky- Karsten Kleine- Nathalie Meetz- Barbara von Schnurbein

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Roche's cobas SARS-CoV-2 Test to detect novel coronavirus receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization and is available in markets accepting the CE mark -...

During an epidemic, a crucial function of leadershipgovernmental, scientific, and medical leadershipis to provide citizens with important and accurate information. Panic needs to be averted. Fears need to be addressed. Risks need to be assessed. And necessary action must be taken, collectively and individually, to save lives and prevent or reduce other damage to society. All of this is predicated on the dissemination of solid information. And the main transmission mechanism for such information is, of course, the medianews outlets that broadcast and publish what knowledgable government officials and experts have to say about the crisis. Yet Donald Trump, the person in charge of the governments response to the fast-spreading coronavirus, has ramped up his effort to discredit the media at the very moment its most vital. And his reelection campaign has decided to place his political interests over the health and safety of the nation, disseminating a message that could threaten the lives of Americans.

On Monday morning, as the coronavirus crisis intensified, the Trump campaign zapped out an email to thousands, if not millions, of people, with the subject: Its all FAKE NEWS all the time. The lettersent jointly by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committeewas a full-throated screed against the mainstream media. It decried the media as UNHINGED, and exclaimed, They are deceiving the public and knowingly making up their facts and sources in order to protect their partners,the Democrats. They are so corrupt and have gone totally insane. It continued: They are truly the Enemy of the People! Liberal reporters cant accept the fact that America wants FOUR MORE YEARS of President Trump and now theyre spiraling out of control.

Trumpworld slamming the media is nothing new, but what makes this email different from similar missives is that this one doesnt focus on any particular subject of the medias supposed wrongdoing. In the past, the president and his campaign have tended to excoriate the media for reporting on the Russia scandal, the Ukraine scandal, impeachment, and other matters. You know, the usualhoaxes, lies, conspiracies, political attacks. But this time around, the campaign is declaring the major media outlets cannot be believed on anything. These journalists peddle only constant lies and attacks, and their sole desire is to destroy Trump: Theyve spent YEARS spewing LIES about OUR President to try and take him down,the email proclaims. They no longer care about accurate reporting and its time we do something about it.

The email does not request a donation. Instead, it asks the recipient to take the Official Mainstream Media Accountability Survey. This is the sort of device that campaign marketers use to capture information from potential contributors. And if you click on the Take the Survey Now button, you are transported to a website with a series of loaded questions: Do you believe the mainstream media is biased against President Trump?; Do you believe the mainstream media wants America to fail under President Trumps leadership?; Do you believe the media sensationalizes and exaggerates stories in order to make President Trump and Republicans look bad?; Do you believe the media hates President Trump?

Get the picture?

The whole point is to encourage people to view the media as the enemy within and consider news outlets as nothing but anti-Trump deception machines. For years, this strategy has helped Trump rouse and solidify his base, as he has convinced his loyal supporters there was nothing to the Russia scandal, the Ukraine scandal, the pay-off-the-porn-star scandal, the obstruction-of-justice scandal, and so many other scandals. But the difference now is that this tactic places the nation in direct danger.

The Trump campaign is telling the public it should disregard whatever the media puts forwardespecially when that reporting suggests the Trump administration is not adequately managing the crisis. This could well lead to Americans ignoring sound advice and taking actions that place them at risk and worsen the situation. Just a few days ago, for instance, Trump, who has looked to downplay the crisis, suggested that infected people could go to work.

Not surprisingly, Trump is employing his all-powerful Twitter feed to attack the media during the coronavirus outbreak. Hours before his campaign sent its do-not-ever-believe-the-media email, he tweeted: The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Later in the day, he insisted that Fake News was the reason for the dramatic decline in the stock market (that is, not his response to the crisis). And on Monday afternoon, he shot out this simply put tweet: So much FAKE NEWS!

Trumpslong assault on the press has always been reprehensible. In the midst of a public health crisis, it iswell, whats beyond reprehensible? Horrendous? Disgraceful? Reckless? Irresponsible? Disgracefully horrendous and recklessly irresponsible? Whatever the adjective, Trump and his campaign have opted to smear and vilify the organizations that are needed to keep the public informed about a national emergency that has the potential to turn into a national disaster.

By now, Trump whacking the media has become a running jokea fan favorite at his rallies. In front of his adoring crowds, he denounces the press and claims that the TV cameras are being turned off at this moment (to censor his censure), even as the networks broadcast the spectacle. Many Americans have become inured to these sort of attacks. But with the country engaged in a full-on crisis that threatens individuals, communities, and the entire economy, Trumps crusade to torpedo the media has become a grave threat.

But Trumps remarks and this campaign email prove that the commander in chief cares about only one particular threat, and that is the political threat he faces. He realizes the truth is not on his side. And in the middle of this crisis, that makes Trump an immediate menace and a risk for everyone.

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Trump's Media Attacks Are Always Shameful. But in the Middle of the Coronavirus Crisis, They're Dangerous. - Mother Jones

The coverage on this live blog has ended but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's Asia-Pacific team.

All times below are in Eastern daylight time.

The U.S. travel and tourism industry could lose at least $24 billion in foreign spending this year because of the rapidly spreading coronavirus, according to data produced by Tourism Economics and first seen by CNBC.

That would be equivalent to about seven times more than the industry lost during the SARS outbreak in 2003, according to the data.

Tourism Economics, which tracks all travel spending including on hotels, restaurants, theme parks and attractions based its projections on the assumption that the coronavirus would be contained in six months. Foreigners typically spend around $256 billion on U.S. travel and tourism a year.Hirsch

Italian soccer giants Juventus said defenseman Daniele Rugani tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19 and is asymptomatic, the club confirmed in a statement Wednesday.

The club said it is "activating all the isolation procedures required by law, including the census of those who have had contact with him."

On Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the stoppage of sporting events across Italy, including play in Serie A, the league in which Juventus competes. The Italian Olympic Committee called for all sporting events to be canceled until April 3.Eudaily

Joe Biden's presidential campaign has announced that it has formed a new advisory committee to counsel the campaign on the risks posed by the new coronavirus, just hours after theWorld Health Organization declared the outbreak to be a pandemic.

The Public Health Advisory Committee will provide "science-based, expert advice regarding steps the campaign should take to minimize health risks for the candidate, staff, and supporters," the campaign said in a statement.

"The campaign's top priority is and will continue to be the health and safety of the public," the statement said. "Members of the committee will provide ongoing counsel to the campaign, which will in turn continue to update the public regarding operational decisions."Higgins

Late-night TV shows filmed in New York will now be tapped without a live audience as the coronavirus pandemic spreads. On Wednesday,CBS'"Late Show With Stephen Colbert,"NBC's "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers," Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" andTBS' "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" all said they would tape their broadcasts without audience members.

The shows said that their staff is safe and there are no concerns about contamination in their studios and theaters, but producers worried that performing with live crowds would not be a smart choice as the number of confirmedcoronaviruscases in New York City is rising. Whitten

AmazonCare, the company's virtual medical clinic for employees, is in talks with local public health organizations about using its logistics expertise to help deliver at-home coronavirus testing kits to people's homes in the Seattle area.

The discussions have been going on for more than a week, say three people with knowledge of the plans. The people declined to share their names because Amazon Care's involvement is still confidential, and they have not been authorized to do so.

Specifically, Amazon Care has offered the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation its assistance with aproject that aimsto provide kits to Seattle residents who suspect they have symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The test kits include nose swabs that can be mailed to the University of Washington for analysis. Farr

A waiter closes a pizza shop due to few tourists attraction at 6 pm. in Rome, Italy, on March 11, 2020.

Riccardo De Luca | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Italy's premier says all stores except pharmacies and grocery stores are being closed nationwide in response to the country's coronavirus outbreak.

Premier Giuseppe Conte thanked the public for cooperating with the already unprecedented travel and social restrictions that took effect Tuesday.

But he said Wednesday night on Facebook Live that Italy must " go another step by closing all shops and businesses except for food stores, pharmacies and other shops selling essential items.

The tighter restrictions on daily life are the government's latest effort to respond to the fast-moving crisis that took Italy's number of cases from three to 12,462 in less than three weeks. Associated Press

Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, said he expects 70 million to 150 million people in the United States will become infected with COVID-19, NBC News reported, citing two sources.

Monahan made the comments to Senate staff during a closed-door meeting Tuesday afternoon, according to NBC News. The meeting did not include senators and was for administrative office staff and personnel from both parties, NBC News reported. Lovelace

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced the upcoming men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played with "only essential staff and limited family attendance," NCAA president Mark Emmert said.

"The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel," Emmert's statement said. "Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.

"While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.

"We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families. Today, we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information and will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed." Young

President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the news media during a meeting with bankers on COVID-19 Coronavirus response, inside the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, March 11, 2020.

Tom Brenner | Reuters

CitigroupCEO Michael Corbat said that the current turmoil caused by the coronavirus isn't stemming from the financial system.

"This is not a financial crisis," Corbat said during the White House meeting. "The banks and the financial system are in strong shape and we are here to help."

Leaders of the biggest U.S. banks weresummonedto Washington by President Trump to discuss ways to support small businesses and markets. Brian Moynihan ofBank of America, Charles Scharf ofWells Fargo, David Solomon ofGoldman Sachsand Stephen Schwarzman of alternative investments giant Blackstone were among the CEOs present at the meeting.Son

The Dow Jones Industrial Averagetumbled 1,467 points, or 5.9%. The 30-stock average closed more than 20% below the record highs set last month.A 20% decline is considered a bear market on Wall Street. However, most investors don't recognize it officially until the index does it on a closing basis. The Dow did so on Wednesday,whereas the S&P 500 is just above that closing threshold.

The S&P 500 is more than 19% from its closing record and ended the day 4.9% lower. The Nasdaq Composite fell 4.7% and was also about 19% below its all-time high. Imbert

The coronavirus outbreak is hitting the entertainment industry hard.

China and Italy's theaters are closed, French cinemas are only open at 50% capacity (every other row must be empty) and South Korea has seen its lowest box office tally in years.

And more countries could be next as the pandemic spreads and large gatherings become taboo.

Already analysts have predicted that the global film industry is facing a $5 billion loss because of diminished box office revenue and the impact of restrictions on production, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That number could grow even more if more countries add countermeasures that force people to remain home or order public gathering places, like theaters, to shutter.

Around 44% of U.S. adults said they would oppose the temporary shutdown of movie theaters, but around 38% said they would support closures, according to a report from Morning Consult and The Hollywood Reporter. The survey of 2,200 U.S. adults was conducted from March 5-7. Whitten

Lobbyists representing the oil and gas industry met with White House policy staffers Wednesday morning to discuss coronavirus, state of the economy and the market, a representative for the American Petroleum Institute told CNBC.

The meeting comes as the market has been roiled by fears of coronavirus and deteriorating OPEC talks. After negotiations between OPEC and Russia fell apart on Friday,OPEC's de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday slashed its oil prices and announced plans to increase production. This led to a selloff in oil markets and pressure on U.S. energy producers.

Oil prices on Monday plunged 24%, marking the worst day since 1991.Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser has said that the kingdom plans to supply a record 13 million barrels per day in April. Oil fell 4% Wednesday. Hirsch

Amazon is asking employees at its Massachusetts offices to work from home if they can through the end of the month, the company confirmed to CNBC.

"We continue to work closely with public and private medical experts to ensure we are taking the right precautions as the situation continues to evolve," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Amazon previously told workers at its offices in New York, New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay Area, Madrid and Italy to work from home during the month of March. The directive came after an employee in one of its Seattle offices tested positive for the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

The spokesperson told CNBC that Amazon will continue to pay all hourly employees that support its offices in Seattle, Bellevue, the Bay Area, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. This includes food service employees, security guards and janitorial staff.

Last month, Amazon restricted all nonessential travel in the U.S. in response to the continued spread of the coronavirus. Palmer

The Golden State Warriors will play their next home game without fans after San Francisco placed a ban on large events.

The Golden State Warriors will play Thursday's game against the Brooklyn Nets without spectators due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, the team announced.

The decision comes after San Francisco Mayor London Breed banned public gatherings of 1,000 or more people as coronavirus continues to affect U.S. cities and sporting events around the world. Young

A man wears a mask as he passes the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, March 9, 2020.

Mark Lennihan | AP

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced 39 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the state's total to 212. The largest cluster of cases remains in Westchester where there are 121 confirmed cases, followed by 48 total cases in New York City.

Cuomo said he's asked 28 state labs to "get up, get running and start moving forward" with coronavirus testing after he criticized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration for being unprepared to test in the quantities necessary.

The City University of New York and The State University of New York have also been instructed to hold classes online starting March 19 until the end of the semester, affecting nearly 700,000 students combined. Higgins-Dunn

The coronavirus-induced sell-off has reached a new low as Wall Street grapples with the rapid spread of the virus as well as uncertainty around a fiscal response to curb slower economic growth from the outbreak.

TheDow Jones Industrial Averagetraded 1,400 points lower, or 5.6%, and was 20% below its record high set earlier last month. A 20% decline is considered a bear market on Wall Street. The S&P 500 is 19.2% from its closing record and traded 5.1% lower on the day. Imbert

The New York Stock Exchange is taking measures to separate traders from NYSE employees in order to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, according to an internal memo. Traders and employees of the NYSE and its parent Intercontinental Exchange Inc will use separate entrances and eat in different areas, according to what NYSE Chief Operating Officer Michael Blaugrund said in the memo. These steps are designed to minimize the likelihood that an event in the building's office will impact operations on the trading floor. "Given the critical work by our NYSE and NYSE American floor communities to underpin the orderly function of global markets, all of these efforts, and others, will remain ongoing until further notice," the memo said. Miller

A man wearing a face mask walks past a Nike store in Central Business District, Beijing, China on February 17, 2020.

Andrea Verdelli | Getty Images

Coronavirus may lead to the first U.S. recession in more than a decade, but it could be a bonanza for the companies competing in the streaming wars.

If Americans are stuck at home in the coming months as schools close and events are canceled, they'll likely be starved for entertainment options and new ways to keep kids entertained. It so just happens that several new streaming services NBCUniversal's Peacock, WarnerMedia's HBO Max, and Quibi will be debuting between now and May.

Add to that the relatively recent launches of Disney+ and Apple TV+, and streamers could see a significant subscriber boost if Americans are forced to hunker down to slow the spread of COVID-19. Sherman

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is giving over $560 million to state and local jurisdictions to help them respond to the coronavirus, according to a statement released by the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Our state, local, tribal and territorial public health partners are on the front lines of the COVID-19 response," said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. "The action we are taking today will continue to support their efforts to increase public health capacity where it's needed most." Miller

Public officials banned large gatherings in San Francisco and the Seattle area to try to contain the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak that's infected more than 121,000 people across the world since December.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is banning large gatherings in several counties across the state to try to contain the COVID-19 outbreak that that has killed at least 23 residents, he announced Wednesday.

Moments after Inslee announced the order, San Francisco health officials announced that they are also banning gatherings of 1,000 or more to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) walk from the House floor where members debate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to the speaker's office in the U.S. Capitol on December 19, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Sarah Silbiger | Getty Images

With Congress pushing back against President Donald Trump's emergency proposal to eliminate the payroll tax, the idea may be dead in the water.

In response to the deadly coronavirus, Trump on Tuesday pitched Republican lawmakers on a 0% payroll tax rate

for employers and employees that would last through the rest of this year, and possibly longer. The stock market staged a late-day rally on the news.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, told the New York Times that Trump's proposal to cut payroll taxes, which are used to fund Medicare and Social Security, is a "non-starter," suggesting that the plan has no chance of passing.Dzhanova, Hirsch

Lawmakers concerned about possible drug shortages amid the coronavirus outbreak are pressing pharmaceutical companies to bring manufacturing to the U.S.

Senators Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., are among lawmakers pushing for longer-term solutions. The senators on Wednesday introduced a bill that would funnel $100 million to develop U.S. manufacturing of drugs.

About 72% of manufacturers of pharmaceutical ingredients supplying the U.S. are overseas, including 13% in China, according to FDA testimony last year. That could make U.S drug companies vulnerable to shortages if COVID-19 forces factories to shutter and shipments to the United States to stall, experts have warned. Hirsch

Boeing told employees that it was immediately suspending hiring and implementing other measures to preserve cash as the rapid spread of coronavirus roils the air travel industry.

Boeing is already reeling from the damage of two fatal crashes of its 737 Max and the worldwide grounding of the planes, which hits the one-year mark on Friday.

"On top of the work of safely returning the 737 MAX to service and the financial impact of the pause in MAX production, we're now facing a global economic disruption generated by the COVID-19 coronavirus," Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun and CFO Greg Smith wrote in a note to employees on Wednesday.

The company will also limit travel and discretionary spending as well as employee overtime tied to the 737 Max's return-to-service "other key efforts in support of our customers," said the company.Josephs

A Starbucks location in Santa Ana, California.

Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Starbucks said it is offering "catastrophe pay" to U.S. baristas who have been exposed to the coronavirus.

The global coffee chain, which implemented similar measures in China, will pay employees for up to 14 days if they have been diagnosed with, exposed to or in close contact with someone with the coronavirus. Workers who may be considered higher risk because of underlying health conditions are also eligible for catastrophe pay with a doctor's note.

The Seattle-based company is the latest corporation to adjust its policies as the number of U.S. cases of the virus climbs. Darden Restaurants extended paid sick time to all hourly employees on Monday, and Walmart has instituted an emergency sick leave policy.Lucas

As coronavirus spreads around the U.S., the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) said it "strongly recommends" companies holding NewsFronts events in New York City during April and May present online instead of in person.

YouTube is one of the first companies to heed the IAB recommendation. It said that it will stream its "Brandcast" event on YouTube instead of hosting an in-person audience.

Google, which owns YouTube, told employees in the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday to work from home until at least April 10.Graham

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic as the new coronavirus, which was unknown to world health officials just three months ago, has rapidly spread to more than 121,000 people from Asia, to Europe, the Middle East and now parts of the United States.

WHO officials have been reluctant up until now to categorize the virus as a global pandemic, which is generally defined as an illness that spreads far and wide throughout the world.

Declaring a pandemic is charged with major political and economic ramifications, global health experts say. It can further rattle already fragile world markets and lead to more stringent travel and trade restrictions.Kopecki, Lovelace, Feuer

With the spread of the new coronavirus causing cancellations of large events and conferences, U.S. sports leagues have started to feel the impact, even if most leagues are still allowing fans to show up.

Ticket prices for leagues like the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association have all fallen since January, according to data from TicketIQ, an online secondary market for event tickets.

According to Ticket IQ data provided to CNBC, secondary market prices for NBA games are down 4.3% since January, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets both seeing 30% declines.

NHL ticket prices are down 5.6%, with the most significant drops coming to the New Jersey Devils ( down 33%), New York Islanders (down 32%) and LA Kings (down 31%). Young

The Mater Infirmorum Hospital in Belfast where a small number of medical procedures are not going ahead in preparation for Coronavirus cases.

Liam McBurney | PA Images via Getty Images

An elderly woman with an underlying illness who contracted the coronavirus became the first to die from the virus in Ireland on Wednesday, local media including national broadcaster RTE and the Irish Times reported.

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Coronavirus updates: Trump meets with Wall Street execs, March Madness closed to fans - CNBC

Protecting your online brand is more challenging now more than ever.

Companies can often find it problematic to create a genuine digital brand identity.

The growth of social media influencers impact on reputation management combined with the impact of third-party and search engine owned review sites, weighs much of the control of brand perceived value and sentiment outside of the traditional brand website.

Competing as a brand on hyperlocal, local, national and international arenas increases the complexities of consistent and robust brand management online.

That said, there are always reliable tactics to deploy proactively to strengthen your brand online five of these tactics are the focus of this post.

Google is a big fan of universal search results.

Also, know as enhanced and blended results, these are effectively where Google brings into the search result pages a mixture of content types and features.

Examples include video and image content, Google My Business (GMB), and related features such as Google Answers and more.

All of these items represent a fantastic opportunity to position your brand within extra segments inside of the search result pages.

Added to this, the mixed content types and in-SERP features tend to rank prominently on the first page of results the key area where you want to maximize your brand exposure.

When typing in a brand name (the example screenshot below based on the company I work with Vertical Leap), it becomes clear what these practical opportunities look like.

In this case, it includes:

When it comes to brand protection and management, frequently the brand is a party to a fraction of the important conversations happening online.

There are numerous layers of brand conversations which a business should be continually monitoring, aware of and actively participating in.

An example of this in action is a PCB company with an ecommerce store. The typical layers that the brand can become visible and dominant within include:

Social listening plays an important practical part with this, as does the ability to leverage key staff and business expertise to the greater value of the wider audience and community, both online and offline.

As a company, part of your content creation process should include the repeated building of audience-aware content hubs that:

Elements of brand visibility are ringfenced into search verticals such as paid, organic, and social media marketing.

It is important that you are present in all of them.

Paid brand bidding is cheap to do (as quality score is naturally very high and costs per clicks low) and it maximizes the retail space in the search engine results pages reserved for paid advertising.

Likewise paid and organic social media marketing can be a cost-effective means to expand and access your audience.

This can increase the value from all your content created, and produce consistent and reliable conversations with influencers operating non-competitively inside your digital niches.

Done correctly, the intertwined working between these marketing channels can deliver a multiplier effect and increase the combined value outside that of the component parts.

Often this is due to gains made with recombining data sets, aligning strategies, and using each medium to overcome the challenges and barriers of another for example, using SEO to target non-feasible PPC terms.

Content is the consistent element that joints all of the tactics mentioned in this post, and warrants dedicated focus.

Brand building content has a specific purpose and intent outside of the supporting role that content plays in other tactics discussed.

Here is a useful guide to creating brand content if this is something new to your business.

There are some important considerations when it comes to building the brand with content such as:

Storification brings faces to brands, reinforcing a myriad of supporting real-world context to products and solutions, plus supporting wider value proposition reinforcement.

Adding a story to a service helps gain trust and social engagement, as well as build genuine brand loyalty.

These stories are frequently more visual-based and in the form of:

Storytelling can help bring products to life and add clarity towards the intended value and purpose of any product or service.

People are looking to digest content in more visual ways plus the shareability of content increases substantially once the text is replaced with visual triggers.

Once you match a true understanding of your audience with a story that reflects their wants, needs, and pain points, you enable your brand to build a more powerful relationship.

It is this relationship that increases the impact of content and the robustness of the brand to external reputational threats.

In this post, I shared five of my key brand protection and building tactics that repeatedly work.

These can be summarized as:

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Image Credits

Screenshot taken by author, March 2020

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5 Brand Protection Tactics That Work - Search Engine Journal

Hes brought many of his supporters along with him. Seeking to provide him political cover and reacting against a perpetually hostile media, theyve resorted to every possible argument to dismiss the threat of the coronavirus. Its just like the flu. Only old people die. The swine flu killed more people.

And so, what is supposed to be a populist nationalist movement is reacting foolishly to what otherwise would be a natural populist nationalist issue.

It is China, the country that Trump supporters rightly want the U.S. to be more suspicious of and less reliant on, that gave the world the coronavirus. Surely this is more damaging than, say, putting together iPhones.

It is borders that are the first line of defense, both within countries and between them.

Relatedly, it is globalization and increased interconnectedness that have been a key vector for the spread of the virus.

It is the so-called deep state, the vast apparatus that runs the federal bureaucracy, that played a big role in botching the initial testing here.

The New York Times ran a maddening account of a Seattle-area research project that wanted to, and had the ability to, test for the coronavirus early. But it got told no repeatedly by federal agencies that had a pettifogging commitment to senseless rules the project was using the wrong kind of labs, the test didnt have approval of the Food and Drug Administration, patient privacy could be violated, etc.

It is global supply chains that have increased the vulnerability of the U.S. if the virus runs out of control, with China manufacturing a large share of medicines for the U.S. and other countries beginning to hold on to the masks and protective gear that they make.

Finally, it is the government that will have to organize the U.S. response, not the free market that populist nationalists argue is overemphasized by conservative and libertarians.

Nonetheless, Trump supporters on talk radio, on cable TV and on Twitter have gone down rabbit holes of denial rather than reacting to a threat that should be in their wheelhouse with tools that should be congenial to them.

There are honorable exceptions. Sen. Tom Cotton, the Arkansas Republican, is a China hawk attuned to the full spectrum of foreign threats, who was warning of the coronavirus when the country or at least the media was still obsessed with impeachment. Tucker Carlson, too, has been full-throated about the potential dangers from the beginning.

It is typical for big events to carry a distinct ideological charge. The 9/11 attacks had a strong conservative valence an attack that emanated from overseas, that exploited holes in our immigration and security apparatus, and that cried out for a military response.

The financial crisis was the opposite a disruption that involved the big banks, that implicated risky financial practices and that required massive fiscal stimulus.

Trump is showing signs of wanting to change his tone, but hes been on a path toward allowing the coronavirus to discredit him and his supporters when it rightly should vindicate their key assumptions and spur them to action.

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Opinion | On the Coronavirus, Nationalists Aren't Nationalist Enough - POLITICO