COVID-19 Update

Global Cases Surpass 3,000,000 The U.S. now accounts for one-third of total global cases with over 1,000,000 while the global total has surpassed 3,000,000. While much of Europe has "flattened the curve" or seen consistent declines in new cases, other countries are seeing explosive case growth, including Brazil, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, and Peru.  Gilead Sciences announced today that the company “is aware of positive data” from a study of its drug remdesivir as a potential treatment for COVID-19. The drug was developed as potential treatment for Ebola but found limited success in treating the disease in Africa. It may be the best therapeutic treatment for COVID-19 but is expensive and in limited supply.  The U.S. economy shrank by 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020, the worst quarterly contraction since 2008. Things are likely to get much worse as, the lockdown went into full effect at the very end of the quarter. Current quarter figures may show a 30 percent contraction of the U.S. economy.  The economic impact in Europe is becoming more apparent. The region's five biggest economies (Germany, France, UK, Italy, & Spain) have reported more than 30 million furloughed workers. Across the continent, hundreds of thousands of retailers could be forced into bankruptcy, and tens of thousands of oil jobs in the North Sea could be cut due to the collapse of energy prices. In early May, the European Commission is expected to release guidance on common rules and protocols for member states related to border control measures during the summer travel period.

Latest global updates: In Lebanon, anti-government activists held a "Day of Rage" on 27 April to protest the government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Violent protests broke out and lasted until morning hours on 29 April. Lebanese soldiers deployed tear gas and chased protesters out of the streets after they set fire to at least two banks in Tripoli  ·        Austria announced that general lockdown restrictions will end on 30 April, although people have to practice social distancing and gatherings will still be limited to ten people. All stores are allowed to reopen from the start of May, restaurants and bars from 15 May, and hotels can reopen from 29 May. ·        The Czech Republic extended its state of emergency to 17 May.  France announced a phased easing of restrictions starting on 11 May.  Greece will rollback some restrictions starting on 04 May. Restaurants, hotels and tavernas will not be allowed to open until June.  Luxembourg, a country of 600,000 people, announced its intention to test the entire population by the end of May. Russia announced it will slowly withdraw restrictions beginning on 12 May despite experiencing significant daily new case growth.  What we know: Over 3,160,000 confirmed cases worldwide 220,000 deaths 975,000 recovered

Travel Advice The U.S. State Dept. has issued Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL guidance for the entire world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Global Guardian recommends the following: Return to the U.S. if currently abroad while commercial means are still available. Otherwise, prepare to remain abroad for an indefinite period.  Avoid all international travel. Practice advanced careful hygiene measures, including frequent hand washing and sanitizing. Practice "social distancing" while in public spaces.  Outlook  The outlook remains optimistic as several European countries are starting to see a significant decline in new cases 20-30 days after instituting aggressive lockdown measures. Many are now starting to re-open limited parts of their economies and the success of those restarts will be key for how other nations handle lifting of restrictions.