Shutdowns continue, China’s economy plunges, Olympians keep training

There are more shutdowns in the US. New York City schools are closing. Mayor Bill de Blalsio called the move, which affects 1.1 million children, 75,000 teachers and over one million parents, “extraordinarily painful”. California governor Gavin Newsom called for the closure of all bars and told those over 65 to self isolate. Vegas casinos will shutter from Tuesday. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Good morning, Quartz readers! What to watch for today There are more shutdowns in the US. New York City schools [are closing](. Mayor Bill de Blalsio called the move, which affects 1.1 million children, 75,000 teachers and over one million parents, “extraordinarily painful”. California governor Gavin Newsom [called for the closure]( all bars and told those over 65 to self isolate. Vegas casinos [will shutter]( Tuesday. The US also clamps down on social gatherings… The Centers for Disease Control and Protection [discouraged gatherings]( of 50 or more people, including weddings, funerals, sporting events, concerts, and parades for at least eight weeks. … and bans travelers from the UK and Ireland. The US is [extending its travel restrictions]( currently applied to 26 European countries, at midnight eastern time, vice president Mike Pence announced. The British government is holding daily televised briefings. Prime minister Boris Johnson or another senior figure are [addressing the public]( to inform them of the latest developments, and offer advice. The UK’s anti-coronavirus measures have been notably less stringent than comparable countries. Over the weekend Subscribe to Quartz’s free newsletter on Covid-19. Need to Know: Coronavirus examines how the epidemic is affecting the health of the global economy.[Sign up here](. The US central bank said it is now targeting a federal funds rate of zero to 0.25%. It is “[prepared to use its full range of tools]( as the impact of coronavirus ripples through the economy, including buying an extra $700 billion in Treasury and agency mortgage-backed securities. China released disastrous economic data. Industrial production for the combined months of January and February fell 13.5% from a year earlier, while[retail sales plunged]( 20.5%. China instituted large-scale lockdowns nearly two months ago to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Coronavirus deaths in Europe have surpassed China. As the Chinese lockdowns show [signs of success]( Germany [closed its borders]( [domestic transportation]( in Spain was severely reduced, and Turkey and [France shut]( bars, restaurants, and cinemas, with more stringent measures expected. Airlines cut pay and schedules. As [more countries]( put travel restrictions in place, carriers asked for government help, drastically reduced capacity, and said they are also forced to pay their staff much less. Aramco announced a 21% drop in profit. The Saudi oil giant[made a mere $88.2 billion]( in 2019, disappointing investors. It is cutting capital spending, as demand for oil plunges and it finds itself in a price war with Russia, but will still pay a $75 billion cash dividend this year. Quartz membership Now is a good time to master meditation. In [this episode of Exceptional Humans]( a member-exclusive video series, experienced meditators explain how the practice not only helps with stress, but changes your brain to make you smarter, more creative, and better at decision making. Quartz daily obsession One of the brightest stars in the sky could go supernova on us. We’re used to Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) representing the constellation Orion’s right shoulder. But after thousands of years of dependability, the red supergiant is acting strangely. [Take a look at our brilliant friend (while we can) with the Quartz Daily Obsession](. Matters of debate Quarantine has serious mental health implications. Some people [can’t cope](. Our social structure is fragile… Any crisis throws into sharp relief [the lack of a safety net]( in the US. … and anyway, coronavirus protection is for the rich. It is [much easier to isolate]( if you’re an accountant rather than a bus driver. Surprising discoveries A Tennessee man donated 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer he’d hoarded. The state’s attorney general, however, is investigating him for[price gouging](. English soccer kept going, but on the internet. With games suspended,[some teams]( played their fixtures on a simulator, while others competed in games of tic-tac-toe. Some sporting activity continued… A [wrestling tournament]( took place in Canada, and also Turkish and African soccer, complete with crowds. … while Olympic athletes kept training. Even though the event [might be canceled](. Theaters are filming plays. They want [audiences to continue]( to enjoy them. Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, internet soccer, and televised plays to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by [downloading our app]( on iOS or Android and [becoming a member](. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Jenny Anderson and Hasit Shah. [facebook]( Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! They can [click here to sign up.]( Want to advertise in the Quartz Daily Brief? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. To unsubscribe from the Quartz Daily Brief, [click here](.