Coronavirus Latest: Free Rooms for Frontline Workers, 96% Drop in Travel, Deep Economic Divide in NYC Covid19 Numbers, 175% Returns & Law Change in Brazil

Coronavirus Latest News

Instead of blasting you with coronavirus (COVID-19) news every hour, I’m putting together a roundup of news that I come across during the day. Here you can read about 1 million free rooms for frontline workers, massive changes to cancellation/refund laws in Brazil, 96% drop in air travel, Covid-19 number in NYC show deep economic divide, 175% returns to investors using US aid programs.

Hilton, American Express Offer 1 Million Rooms to Coronavirus Frontline Medical Staff

Hilton and American Express are partnering on an initiative to provide up to one million hotel room nights for doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other frontline medical staff who need somewhere to sleep or safely self-isolate between April 13 and the end of May, the companies announced Monday. Rooms will either be paid for by Hilton and American Express or, in some cases, donated by individual hotel owners.

Massive Changes to Brazil’s Cancellation / Refund Laws

Under the new law, the agency is not required to refund your payment until 12 months after the declared end of the pandemic by the Brazilian government. To say it again, it’s from whatever future date Brazil’s government officially says the COVID-19 pandemic is over. From that date, the agency has 12 months to repay you.

Airlines and TSA report 96% drop in air travel as pandemic continues

At the beginning of the year, about 111,000 commercial flights were operated daily, according to Airlines for America. In the most recent week, it said there were only 31,000 flights. The International Air Transport Association, which represents nearly 300 airlines worldwide, says it expects airlines to burn through $60 billion in cash this quarter. The largest slide of that will be in refunds owed to customers, it said.

Coronavirus Numbers Reflect New York City’s Deep Economic Divide

The five ZIP codes with the highest rates of positive tests for the coronavirus — in Corona, Cambria Heights, East Elmhurst, Queens Village, and Jackson Heights — have an average per capita income of $26,708, while residents in the five with the lowest rates — in Lower Manhattan, Tribeca, Battery Park City, and the east side of Midtown — had an average income of $118,166

Wall Street firm offered 175% returns to investors using US aid programs

A New York investment firm pitched wealthy investors in recent days on a way to make returns of 22 percent to 175 percent using US government programs designed to help Americans keep their jobs and boost the coronavirus-stricken economy, according to a marketing document seen by Reuters.