The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association has said that orders worth about USD 3.2 billion were cancelled or suspended, affecting over 2.3 million workers. The textile sector, a major forex earner, directly employs more than 4.5 million people, mostly women.

The death toll from COVID-19 in hospitals across the United Kingdom increased on Friday by 684 in 24 hours to 19,506.Passing the 20,000 mark will be an uncomfortable moment for the government, whose Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said on March 17 that keeping the toll under that number would be “a good outcome in terms of where we would hope to get.”

Insurers’ protests may be futile. Eight U.S. states have introduced legislation which would require insurers to pay claims, mainly to small businesses, despite exclusions. Many of the bills would let insurers seek reimbursement from the states.