Milestone Scientific Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:MLSS) announced Tuesday that it is advancing the commercial rollout of its CompuFlo Epidural system. The medical device company’s system, a computer-controlled, real-time pressure-sensing technology, is designed to reduce failure rates and accidental punctures. "We have made significant strides in 2019 in order to commercialize our CompuFlo Epidural System in 2020,” Milestone's interim CEO Leonard Osser said in a statement.   “During the year, we successfully trialed our CompuFlo Epidural System in multiple hospitals and medical schools, placing the system with key opinion leaders, continuing important clinical studies and working with anesthesiologists in the US and Europe.” READ: Milestone Scientific says hospital in Italy becomes first in country to use its epidural system Osser also noted that Milestone has published nine clinical studies, which further validated the system's ability to safely and effectively identify the epidural space.  "We have begun speaking with Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) in order to obtain approval of the CompuFlo Epidural System within their facilities,” he said. “The GPOs represent a sizable opportunity since some of these groups have hundreds of hospitals within their network. Once we get an approval, it should shorten the sales cycle and open us up to larger markets.”  Osser pointed out that the company’s dental business sales are down due to a drop off business in China amid the coronavirus (COVD-19) outbreak but sales in the US have remained “consistent” in 2020. But that could change.  He said reduced hours and closings of dental offices throughout the US and globally are expected to affect revenue for the second quarter and possibly the third quarter. "However, at this point in time it is too early to determine an estimate of what the second or third quarter impact will be, or the effect Covid-19 may have on our fourth-quarter revenue," Osser said. “We remain encouraged by the outlook for our company and look forward to providing further updates as they unfold." Milestone also reported that its total 2019 revenue fell year-over-year to $8.4 million from $9.6 million. However, gross profit for the year ended December 31 was $5.7 million, or 68% of revenue, versus $4.4 million, or 46% of revenue, for the year-end 2018.  Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham Reported by Proactive Investors 2 days ago.

· Apple may be considering delaying the iPhone 12's launch because it's concerned that consumer demand for smartphone upgrades may be low following the coronavirus outbreak and economic fallout.
· That's according to a report from Nikkei Asian Review, which was published last week.
· Apple's reliance on China means it's likely been bracing for a worst-case scenario far earlier than most, and its moves have largely preempted broader changes and developments.
· The iPhone 12 is expected to be Apple's biggest iPhone launch in years, and will reportedly be its first iPhone to come with 5G connectivity and other significant upgrades. 
· If Apple thinks consumers won't be able to afford a new iPhone in six months, that could be an ominous signal about the financial health of the US and Europe. 
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories

Apple always announces its new iPhone in September, but 2020 could be the first time in eight years that changes. 

The tech giant may be preparing to delay the release of the new iPhone, its most closely-watched launch of the year, because it's worried that "the current situation would significantly lower consumer appetite to upgrade their phones," according to a report from Nikkei Asian Review published last week.

The company's top concern right now isn't whether its supply chain will recover in time to produce the next iPhone; it's whether there will be enough demand across the United States and Europe for Apple's next smartphone, said a report from Reuters published just one day later. 

Taken together, the reports suggest Apple is worried people may not be in a financial position to purchase a new 5G-enabled iPhone, which could cost around $1,000 if Apple's previous premium iPhone launches are any indication.

The decision would come at a time when an unprecedented number of people are filing for unemployment in the United States, Apple's biggest market, as the coronavirus has upended the way Americans work and spend their money. Nonessential businesses have been forced to close their doors in at least 30 states, and the outbreak has sent ripples through the airline and restaurant industries as people are urged to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

 

If Apple is indeed considering delaying its next iPhone launch because it believes many people won't be in a position to purchase it, that may be very telling when it comes to what the US economy will look like six months from now.

Apple's moves during the coronavirus outbreak have indicated that the company has been one step ahead of the situation as it unfolded in the US and other areas of the world.

For example, Apple made the decision to close its retail stores outside of Greater China days before states in the US began issuing lockdown and stay-at-home orders. (California was the first state to order residents to stay at home on March 19, with other states like Connecticut, New York, and Illinois soon following.)

The iPhone maker also restricted employee travel to Italy and Korea on March 3, days before the number of new daily cases in Europe and areas in Asia outside of China began to increase significantly. 

That may be because Apple's reliance on China has made the coronavirus a concern for the company from the very beginning, long before it arrived in the United States. Questions about how the virus could impact Apple's business had emerged as far back as late January when the topic came up on the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings call, more than a month before the pandemic would upend daily life and business in the US. 

The coronavirus' impact and spread has been difficult, if not impossible, to predict from the start. The staggering jobless claims of 3.3 million for the week that ended on March 21, far higher than the expected number of 1.5 million, is one of the latest indicators of that.

Predictions about how and when the economy could recover from coronavirus-induced slumps vary. The most optimistic projections call for a V-shaped recovery, in which the economy would bottom out for only a short period before sharply bouncing back, as Markets Insider's Ben Winck recently reported. But a worst-case scenario could involve an L-shaped trend, which would signal a sharp decline followed by an extended period of sluggish economic activity.

However, the most likely scenario is probably a U-shaped curve, in which the decline and recovery occur gradually, Jack Janasiewicz, portfolio strategist and manager at Natixis Investment Manager Solutions, recently told Markets Insider. 

Apple's next-generation iPhone, believed to be called the iPhone 12, is perhaps the company's most critical product launch in years. Expectations have been riding high for months, even before Apple debuted its iPhone 11 lineup in September. Analysts are predicting that support for 5G connectivity will provide a big enough incentive for shoppers to upgrade after years of more iterative iPhone launches. That said, 5G phones released over the last year have generally been more expensive than non-5G devices, like Samsung's Galaxy S20 lineup, which could signal that faster connectivity could come at a higher price going forward.

With that in mind, it makes sense that Apple would delay the iPhone's launch if it truly does believe that the economic fallout from the coronavirus could significantly hurt demand. Some analysts, like Wedbush Securities Dan Ives, are expecting the iPhone 12 to result in an upgrade "supercycle," and pushing its launch could ensure that the iPhone 12 has the best possible chance at succeeding. 

*SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone 12 is expected to bring major changes like a new design, 5G, and 3D cameras — here's everything we know about it so far*

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How autopilot on an airplane works Reported by Business Insider 2 days ago.

· Video conferencing apps were downloaded over 62 million times in one week this month — setting a new record — according to a new report.
· Government lockdowns and social distancing measures amid coronavirus have forced people across the globe to work from home this month, leading businesses to flock to video conferencing services.
· Apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and Microsoft Teams all saw downloads skyrocket, with Zoom topping the charts globally.
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As the spread of COVID-19 forces millions of people worldwide to stay home, companies are pivoting to video conferencing software en masse.

In just seven days from March 14-21, business conferencing apps topped 62 million downloads worldwide, according to a report published by the analytics firm App Annie on Monday.

It's an unprecedented spike in downloads — the number of business conferencing apps downloaded by iOS and Android users that week was up 45% from the week prior, and up 90% from the weekly average in 2019.

The majority of those apps downloaded were Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and Microsoft Teams, according to the report.

Zoom has led the charts for business conferencing apps in both February and March, but the number of search queries for Zoom in the App Store hasn't seen a similar spike, according to a similar report from analytics firm Sensor Tower — that could reflect that people are being referred to Zoom directly from their employers or schools.

Beyond business-focused apps, people are also downloading video conferencing apps meant for fun, according to the App Annie report. Houseparty, a social networking app that hosts video chat rooms, has seen a surge in downloads across Europe. The jump is especially pronounced in countries hit hard by the coronavirus like Spain, where Houseparty downloads were 2,360 times higher than the 2019 weekly average, and Italy, where Houseparty saw a 423 times increase in downloads over 2019.

"It is an unprecedented time for the world and an incredibly dynamic time for mobile," App Annie wrote in its report. "We are seeing shifts in consumer behavior surface daily across virtually every sector."

App Annie and Sensor Tower both provide unique insights into app download metrics that official vendors, like the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, don't publish. The analytics firms do so by collecting data through other unrelated apps that they own, including VPN services and ad blockers. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reportedly just spent $165 million on a Beverly Hills estate — here are all the ways the world's richest man makes and spends his money Reported by Business Insider 2 days ago.

U.S. coronavirus-related deaths reached 3,393 on Tuesday, exceeding the total number of deaths reported in China and reaching the third highest in the world behind Italy and Spain, according to a Reuters tally. Reported by Reuters 2 days ago.

In Spain, Italy and France, which together account for a third of the world's confirmed coronavirus cases, no one knows for sure how many people have become sick and died of coronavirus, especially among the elderly. Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.

PARIS (AP) — One by one, elderly residents of French nursing homes are going into forced isolation into their rooms. Their caregivers are walling themselves in as well, against both the known and the unknown. They are running out of body bags. . Governments in Europe’s hardest-hit countries — Italy, Spain and France — are […] Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.

LONDON (AP) — The coronavirus-related recessions around the world are going to be bad — and for some of the world's major industrial nations the worst that anyone alive has experienced, according to analysts at Deutsche Bank.

In a wide-ranging report using data that in parts goes back 800 years, Jim Reid and Henry Allen found that the downturns are in many cases set to be deeper than those endured in the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis 12 years ago — and then some.

Though forecasting is difficult given the prevailing uncertainties, Deutsche Bank, like others, has slashed its growth forecasts amid the coronavirus pandemic that's seen many countries impose unprecedented peacetime restrictions on economic activity.

The bank expects France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. to shrink by between 4% and 9% in 2020, figures that in most cases have only been eclipsed in recent decades by war and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Germany is the outlier, its economy decimated by around four-fifths around the time of the defeat of the Nazis in World War II. Nazi Germany's ally Japan saw its economy shrink by around a half in 1945.

“These are unimaginable numbers for today’s developed economies, having not been seen since World War II,” said Reid and Allen.

The only parallels in modern times, they say, would be states ravaged by war or deep crisis, like Libya or Venezuela.

The 4.2% annual decline in GDP that Deutsche Bank economists have pencilled in for the U.S. in 2020 would make 2020 the 9th largest since 1900 and deeper than anything recorded in any one year after the global financial crisis. The 9.5% quarter-on-quarter contraction Deutsche Bank expects for the second quarter in the U.S. would “easily make it the largest quarterly contraction” since 1947, the first date for... Reported by SeattlePI.com 2 days ago.

Reported by Chicago S-T 2 days ago.

Newgioco Group Inc (NASDAQ:NWGI) said Tuesday that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a bite out of its sports book revenue, but it has been offset by higher online poker and virtual sports revenue. The company has temporarily shuttered 150 betting shop locations throughout Italy, but the group stressed that the closing of the physical locations does not affect its continuing online and mobile operations. In a statement, the Toronto-based global sports betting and gaming technology company said that between March 1-25 overall gaming revenue fell around 20% to $1.54 million, compared to $1.92 million between February 1-25. READ: Newgioco updates coronavirus quarantine impact on its Italian sports-betting operations Not surprisingly, there was a 42.7% drop in sports book revenue due shuttered betting shops. However, casino, poker and other-than-sports product line gross gaming revenue shot up 16.6%, with the biggest gains coming from online poker and virtual sports. CEO Michele Ciavarella told shareholders that the group had taken steps to ride out the global crisis by implementing “strategic plans meant to continue providing the highest level of service” to its customers and operators, while keeping the company’s employees safe. “We are happy to have maintained a manageable level in our diversified sales channels given the headwind caused by complete shutdown of global sports,” said Ciavarella.   “Our objectives are to be prepared for re-opening our betting shops, putting our agents back to work and look forward to continuing normal operations along with the return of sports events once it is safe to do so,” he added. Newgioco said it has been processing about 200 to 300 online account applications daily since the government-imposed quarantine took effect on March 8. And the company has implemented a smart-work collaboration initiative to permit office staff to work from home during this period. Newgioco said that as revenue remains “reasonably stable,” it has “sufficient available liquidity,” and bank facilities to enable it to fund its current obligations for "the foreseeable future." Additionally, the company said a variety of government-backed financial initiatives were available to assist with 70% of employee salaries on their return to work, deferral of rent and other expenses, as well as offset costs related to agents that operate betting shops. Newgioco conducts its business primarily through an internet-based betting distribution network on its website, as well as in retail neighborhood betting shops throughout Italy. It offers a suite of leisure gaming products and services, such as sports betting, virtual sports, online casino, poker, bingo, interactive games and slots. The group also owns and operates innovative betting platform software providing both B2B and B2C bet-processing for casinos, sports betting and other online and land-based gaming operators. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive  Reported by Proactive Investors 2 days ago.

Vatican City, Mar 31, 2020 / 10:28 am (CNA).- Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso has tested positive for the coronavirus, his archdiocese announced Tuesday. He is the second cardinal known to have tested positive for the virus, which is now a global pandemic.

Ouédraogo, 75, has been admitted to a medical clinic in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou.  He is “in good condition and his close collaborators are reported to be self-isolating,” a spokesman for Burkina Faso’s bishops’ conference, Fr. Paul Dah, told ACI Africa on March 31.

The cardinal is president of the African continental bishops’ conference, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). He was elected to the post in July 2019. He has been Archbishop of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso for ten years, and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2014.

Ouédraogo is the second bishop from Burkina Faso known to have contracted COVID-19, as countries across Africa implement lockdowns and restrictions to slow the spread of the virus across the continent.

Another Burkina Faso bishop, Archbishop Emeritus Séraphin François Rouamba of Koupela, tested positive for COVID-19 after being admitted to Our Lady of Peace clinic for urgent treatment on March 19.

The 78-year-old archbishop has since been transferred to another hospital and is reportedly in stable condition, according to a March 25 statement from Bishop Laurent Birfuore Dabire of Dori, Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso has the largest documented coronavirus outbreak in West Africa, with 249 documented cases as of March 31, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.

The coronavirus has spread throughout the African continent to 47 countries, according to the Africa Center for Disease Control. In North Africa, Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco each have more than 500 documented cases, and the South African government has reported more than 1,300.

Three Nigerian states began two-week mandatory lockdown this week to combat the spread of the virus, including Lagos, Africa’s most populous city with more than 20 million people.

Zimbabwe and Mauritius have also implemented national shut-downs, and the bishops in South Sudan and Zimbabwe have suspended public Masses.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, tested positive for coronavirus on March 30.

Other bishops in Italy, France, China, and the United States have also tested positive for COVID-19, and Bishop Angelo Moreschi, 67, died in the Italian city of Brescia on March 25 after contracting the coronavirus.

 

  Reported by CNA 2 days ago.

As the country moves into its fourth week of lockdown, the head of Italy's national institutes of health announced that the country "has reached a plateau" in its infection rate. Reported by NPR 2 days ago.

Italy on Tuesday saw the lowest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in two weeks, but risks losing control of its poorer southern region amid rioting and looting during times of greater economic hardship prompted by a nationwide lockdown that has shut down all non-essential business. Reported by FOXNews.com 2 days ago.

· The coronavirus has brought the cruise industry to a standstill and has already wallopped stock prices. 
· Analysts explained how these companies recovered from previous pandemics and disasters, and what they'll need this time around. 
· They're optimistic demand will return – eventually – but said some companies may be better positioned to come back than others.
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Cruise ship companies have weathered serious storms in recent years, including fires, environmental disasters, and a ship running aground in a disaster that killed 32.

None have brought the industry to a standstill like the coronavirus pandemic, and the bottom line impact has already been jarring.

Carnival, the biggest of the companies by market capitalization, has seen its stock plummet more than 70% in the last year. The company is now trying to raise $3 billion and borrow another $3 billion, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Last week, Carnival's CEO said in a leaked video that he would not slash jobs or compensation through June as other lines including Norwegian Cruise Line look to recoup costs through immediate measures like cutting employee pay by 20%.

The travel and leisure industry is coping with empty flights, shuttered hotels, and thousands of furloughed staff. But unlike airlines and hotels, cruise companies won't get any relief from the US government, at least in the most recent stimulus package. As cruise ships sit empty in ports or sail without passengers, analysts explained what the companies will need to recover, including a pickup in demand, indirect help from the stimulus package, and the possibility of government bailouts outside of the US.

"Cruise lines, as evidenced by the stocks, are in a world of hurt right now without a clear light at the end of the tunnel," Patrick Scholes, a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst, told Business Insider. 

Scholes said that with ships halted, the public companies could pay their financial obligations for the next six to nine months.

"Under normal circumstances, that's not the end of the world; here the multi-trillion question is when do ships start sailing again?"

*"Just buying time"*

The three publicly-traded cruise companies – Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean – together represent more than a $60 billion market cap. They're important for local economies that depend on shipbuilding and tourism, but because they're based outside of the US, they employ many international workers, and they didn't get a slice of the stimulus package passed last week.

"It would be very tough for politicians to defend the cruise industry getting a potential bailout when they don't pay US corporate taxes," said Stifel Financial analyst Steve Wieczynski in a note last week.

The cruise industry could still benefit indirectly from the stimulus, Scholes said. Travel agencies, many of which qualify for small business assistance from the government, sell over two-thirds of cruises, per research consultancy Phocuswright. In the coming months, Scholes said those agencies also could persuade people planning to cancel their cruises to rebook instead, which would help the cruise companies retain customers.

And while cruise lines aren't considered essential businesses for the US, they could benefit from other governments looking to stimulate local economies. Germany and Italy are the biggest shipbuilding countries, Scholes said,

"It's possible that Italian and German governments might be more agreeable to provide a financial lifeline," he said. "It's not like they'll give them outright millions, but it would be very low- or no-interest loans that would get paid back over time… just buying time in hopes that you'll return to a normal environment."

*"A pretty big washout in 2020"*

Cruise ship customers can be a particularly loyal bunch, with hundreds boarding cruises well after the coronavirus had spread beyond Asia. Demand for cruises will come back, analysts agreed – but it's impossible to know when both companies and consumers will be ready to sail.

"If you look to the past crises, companies have survived them all – and there were some really bad ones," Morningstar analyst Jaime Katz told Business Insider. "They pared back marketing spend and they let the demand come back naturally over time. It takes a few years to get to that same demand level with respect to how people feel about your brand."

Katz forecasts a "big hit" to pricing this year, with demand next year coming back halfway compared to her original projections for 2021.

"Theoretically we could have a pretty big washout in 2020 for the cruise industry and a return to this normalized environment," she said. "They've made it through these other episodes before so it may take them some time to get this demand to where they want it to be, but there are avid cruisers that love the experience."

Katz looked at past pandemics, including H1N1, Ebola, and SARS, to understand how cruise ships might rebound this time.

"When we looked at some of these past events, it struck us that what was more predictive of yield the next year was whether or not we were in a recession," she said.

Countries' ability to contain the virus will set the stage for understanding which cruise companies could be better positioned for a recovery. Katz said Carnival faces more geographic-specific challenges than Royal Caribbean and Norwegian's more global brands. Carnival's Costa Cruises line, for example, caters to Italians, and could be seriously damaged by Italy's ongoing struggle to confront the coronavirus.

Globally, both demand and operations depend on an end to the pandemic, and particularly on a vaccine, SunTrust's Scholes said. He forecasts other areas of leisure travel to come back before cruise ships because consumers may be skittish about being packed on a ship with thousands of other passengers.

"The cruise lines are optimistic that they're going again by early summer. I think that's very optimistic," Scholes said.

*Got a tip?* Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 768-1627 using a non-work phone, email at mmorris@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @MeghanEMorris. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

*SEE ALSO: Stranded Holland America cruise ship with 2 confirmed COVID-19 cases will be allowed to cross the Panama Canal*

*READ MORE: Carnival Cruise Line is banning certain customers and issuing mandatory pre-boarding temperature checks after Princess' ships were hit by a massive coronavirus outbreak*

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Tesla's Model 3 received top crash-test safety ratings Reported by Business Insider 2 days ago.

The band's tour was set to start on May 24 in Italy, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group is rescheduling all of their dates to the summer of 2021 Reported by Billboard.com 2 days ago.

· New York City's human rights commissioner has opened an investigation into Amazon's firing of a warehouse worker the same day he participated in a strike against the company, a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.
· Amazon fired the employee, Chris Smalls, Monday evening after he had helped organize a walkout earlier in the day to protest the company's coronavirus response.
· Smalls said he was fired in retaliation for his activism and that "Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe," according to a statement sent to Business Insider.
· Amazon has denied the claim and said it fired Smalls for violating a quarantine order it issued after Smalls came into contact with a co-worker who tested positive for COVID-19, the company told Business Insider.
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

New York City's human rights commissioner has opened an investigation into Amazon's firing of a warehouse worker who participated in a protest against the company, a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

Amazon fired Chris Smalls, an assistant manager at the company's Staten Island, New York, facility on Monday evening after he helped organize a strike earlier in the day to protest Amazon's health and safety policies following a colleague testing positive for coronavirus.

Smalls claimed he was fired in retaliation for his involvement in the protest, telling Business Insider in a statement: "Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe."

Amazon has denied Smalls' accusations, saying it fired him for repeatedly "violating social distancing guidelines and putting the safety of others at risk" after it asked him to stay home on paid sick leave after he came into "close contact with a diagnosed associate with a confirmed case of COVID-19," the company told Business Insider in a statement Monday.

New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke out against Smalls' termination Monday evening as well, calling Amazon's decision "disgraceful," and telling Business Insider that her office is "considering all legal options" and has called on the National Labor Relations Board to open its own investigation.

Amazon has faced pushback from workers as well as regulators who say it hasn't done enough to protect workers from exposure to the coronavirus, with workers in Italy protesting over similar issues last week. Amazon has confirmed COVID-19 in at least 11 of its warehouses.

Amazon has implemented additional cleaning and social distancing measures, the spokesperson told Business Insider. However, critics have argued that the measures haven't gone far enough as Amazon tries to balance the safety of workers with increased demand for its services.

*SEE ALSO: New York's attorney general called Amazon's firing of a worker following a protest 'disgraceful' and is 'considering all legal options'*

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reportedly just spent $165 million on a Beverly Hills estate — here are all the ways the world's richest man makes and spends his money Reported by Business Insider 2 days ago.

Newgioco Group Inc (NASDAQ:NWGI) said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a bite out of its sports book revenue, but it has been offset by higher online poker and virtual sports revenue. The company has temporarily shuttered 150 betting shop locations throughout Italy, but the group stressed that the closing of the physical locations does not affect its continuing online and mobile operations. In a statement, the Toronto-based global sports betting and gaming technology company said that between March 1-25 overall gaming revenue fell around 20% to $1.54 million, compared to $1.92 million between February 1-25. Casino, poker and other-than-sports product line revenue shot up 16.6%, with the biggest gains coming from online poker and virtual sports. Co-Diagnostics Inc (NASDAQ:CODX) said Monday that it achieved several milestones in 2019 by strengthening its strategic relationships and product pipeline which have set the company up for further growth in 2020. While reporting financial results for the year to December 2019, the Salt Lake City-based molecular diagnostics group noted that it had been the first US company to receive a CE-mark from the European Union (EU) for its Logix Smart coronavirus (COVID-19) test. It is currently shipping orders for its test kits to 10 to 13 countries across five continents, including America, Europe, Asia and Australia, resulting in revenues for the first quarter of 2020. The firm has had inquiries from nearly 50 countries. Gevo Inc (NASDAQ:GEVO) has suspended operations at its Luverne Facility in Minnesota and terminated 30 employees in response to the market disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19). The laid-off employees cut across its subsidiary Agri-Energy’s operations in Luverne and Gevo’s headquarters in Colorado. The remaining employees who earn above a certain threshold, including senior executives, have agreed to take a 20% salary reduction over the next three months, the company said. These steps will save the company several million dollars in cash burn this year. Gevo said it plans to continue the production of renewable isooctane and sustainable aviation fuel at its plant in Silsbee, Texas. Mineworx Technologies Ltd (CVE:MWX) (OTCQB:MWXRF) announced that a former member of its board of directors, Henry McKinders, died Tuesday at the age of 83. McKinders joined the company in 1995 and served as a director from 1998 until 2014, when he transitioned to working for the company as a consultant. He had a breadth of experience in the investment field and consulted for numerous private and public companies over his career. The entire Mineworx team extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and many friends. OTC Markets Group Inc (OTCQX:OTCM) shared the agenda for its upcoming Global Technology and Software virtual investor conference, for companies, investors and industry professionals from around the world. The highly anticipated day-long virtual event will showcase live company presentations and interactive discussions focused on the global technology and software industry. The program opens at 10.15 am ET on Thursday with the first live webcast at 10.30 am ET. NexTech AR Solutions (OTCQB: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) will kick off the virtual conference at 10.30 am, followed by Analytixinsight Inc (OTCQB: ATIXF) (TSX-V:ALY), Siyata Mobile Inc (OTCQX: SYATF) (TSX-V:SIM), and POET Technologies Inc (OTCQX: POETF) (TSX-V:PTK). TIMIA Capital Corporation (CVE:TCA) (OTCMKTS:TIMCF) announced Tuesday the results of its 2020 Special Shareholder Meeting. Approximately 65% of the total outstanding shares (or 25,899,479 shares) were represented with 15,510,533 shares voted in favor for the Capital Alteration item on the proxy, 15,510,533 shares voted in favor for the creation of Series A Preferred Shares item on the proxy, and 15,510,533 shares voted in favor for the Advance Notice Provisions item on the proxy. PUDO Inc (CSE:PDO) (OTCQB:PDPTF), the Canadian logistics provider, recorded exponential growth over the month of February, it said in a statement. The Toronto-based company saw parcel return volume increase by 443% during the month, with parcel drop-off numbers rising by 181% and re-direct volume seeing a 66% increase compared to the same figures a year earlier. PUDO’s growth comes in what is typically a slow period for the logistics industry and during a time when the global coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on supply chains around the world. Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp (CNSX:CANN) (OTCMKTS: HERTF) announced Tuesday it brought in C$4 million in revenue in its first quarter of fiscal 2020  — a milestone achievement as the company reported zero revenue in the year-ago quarter. The company also said it closed its first quarter, which ended January 31, with a cash position of C$9.3 million and working capital of C$14.8 million.  "The first quarter showed continued growth in revenue and the advancement of our business strategy with the expansion of our licensed area at CannaCure progressing well,” said CEO Clint Sharples in a statement.  Matinas BioPharma Holdings Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:MTNB) has issued a message to investors after a US District Court invalidated patents related to Amarin Corporation’s rival drug Vascepa, potentially paving the way for generic versions: Regardless of the legal result, our drug will be better. Matinas manufactures MAT9001, an omega 3-based drug designed to lower triglycerides more effectively than Vascepa. “We continue to believe that MAT9001 has best in class potential regardless of the final outcome of the Vascepa patent litigation,” CEO Jerome Jabbour said. Ideanomics Inc (NASDAQ:IDEX) told shareholders Tuesday that its electric vehicle division is poised to get a boost from new subsidies and tax incentives recently introduced in China. In a state council meeting earlier today, Chinese premier Li Leqiang put forth measures that will see the nation extend new energy vehicle subsidies for two years. The central government will also compensate for the replacement of diesel vehicles in major population centers like Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin and remove used car VAT tax until the end of 2023. Group Eleven Resources Corp (CVE:ZNG) (OTCMKTS:GRLVF) updated Tuesday on its response to the coronavirus, saying it will only begin fieldwork once restrictions on non-essential work in Ireland are lifted. The resource group said that all staff have been working from home since mid March and will continue to do so during the crisis. No staff member has exhibited symptoms or tested positive for the virus. BioCorRx Inc (OTCQB:BICX), a provider of treatments for substance abuse disorders, announced Tuesday that development of its naltrexone implant has not been hampered by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Naltrexone is designed to decrease the desire to take opioids. "We continue to advance BICX102, a sustained-release naltrexone implant for the treatment of opioid and alcohol use disorders, through the research and development pathway,” CEO Brady Granier said in a statement. “Over the summer, we entered into a Master Services Agreement with Charles River Laboratories Inc to begin conducting preclinical studies of BICX102. Verde AgriTech Plc (TSE:NPK) (OTCQB:AMHPF) is coming off a year of significant growth highlighted by triple-digit revenue growth in its fourth quarter. For the quarter ended December 2019, the company posted a 115% jump in revenue to nearly C$1.5 million, compared to C$692,000 in the same period a year earlier. Brazil-based Verde’s full-year revenue for 2019 was just over C$6 million, a 344% increase from 2018 levels. Exro Technologies Inc (CSE:XRO) (OTCQB:EXROF) announced Tuesday that Werner Kitz, an industry leader in electric motors and drives, has joined its Business Advisory Board.A senior executive and engineer at Siemens for more than 25 years, Kitz brings a global perspective to innovation and manufacturing in the power-conversion sector, the company said a statement. CytoDyn Inc (OTCQB:CYDY) said Tuesday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the nod for the start of a Phase 2 trial with its lead drug leronlimab to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) in patients with mild to moderate indications. Patients enrolled in the trial are expected to have a treatment window of approximately 6 weeks. Leronlimab is intended to serve as a therapy for patients experiencing respiratory complications as a result of the virus. Separately, CytoDyn also completed a new non-dilutive convertible debt offering with an institutional investor, which provides $15 million of immediately available capital.  Ipsidy Inc (OTCQB:IDTY), which operates an Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform that delivers biometric identity solutions, said it has made great strides in building “trusted identity” last year, as it reported full-year 2019 financial and business results. In a statement accompanying the New York biometric security specialist’s latest numbers, Ipsidy CEO Philip Beck said: “As a result of our engagement with business partners in 2019, we have finetuned our approach to the market to reflect the solutions that customers are demanding and simplified the way users interact with our solutions.” Bragg Gaming Group Inc (CVE:BRAG) (OTCMKTS:BRGGF) subsidiary ORYX Gaming has said it is supplying its full portfolio of casino games to online gaming powerhouse Lottoland. Lottoland, which is the world’s largest betting operator, will have access to ORYX’s over 8,000 games from its suppliers and any forthcoming releases. Tocvan Ventures Corp (CNSX:TOC) has revealed that this year's fieldwork at the Pilar gold-silver project in Sonora, Mexico has begun, ahead of a potential drill program later in 2020. The aim of the work is to expand the known areas of mineralization; refine structural features that control mineralization; identify new targets and define them for drill testing, the company said in a statement. The work began on March 21, the company added. Orgenesis Inc (NASDAQ:ORGS) announced Tuesday a breakthrough in the field of cell and gene therapy. In a statement, the global biotech said it had "developed a breakthrough and patented manufacturing process" for so-called bioxomes, through its collaboration and licensing agreement with ExcellaBio Ltd. Asterion Cannabis Inc and its wholly-owned subsidiary Asterion (Australia) Pty Ltd are finalizing the development, construction, maintenance and financing of the first phase of a $400 million greenhouse project in Toowoomba, Queensland.  In a statement Tuesday, the privately-owned Vancouver-based company said it has entered into an exclusive Definitive Association Agreement (DAA) with entities within the Watpac Limited group.   Watpac is a large and well-known contractor in Australia and part of the BESIX Group, a global construction, property development and concessions company. The Flowr Corporation (CVE:FLWR) (OTCMKTS:FLWPF) has received a key licence, which now allows it to release final product into the European market, the cannabis firm told investors on Tuesday. The group said its subsidiary in Europe, Holigen has received Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification in accordance with European Union standards, for its manufacturing facility in Sintra, Portugal. Milestone Scientific Inc (NYSEAMERICAN:MLSS) announced Tuesday that it is advancing the commercial rollout of its CompuFlo Epidural system. The medical device company’s system, a computer-controlled, real-time pressure-sensing technology, is designed to reduce failure rates and accidental punctures. "We have made significant strides in 2019 in order to commercialize our CompuFlo Epidural System in 2020,” Milestone's interim CEO Leonard Osser said in a statement.   Phunware Inc (NASDAQ:PHUN) posted full-year 2019 results after the close on Monday, which revealed the enterprise cloud company transitioning from one-time transaction revenue to multi-year subscription and service revenue. The company, which offers a fully integrated enterprise cloud platform for mobile that provides products, solutions, data and services for brands, brought in $19.2 million in net revenue in 2019, albeit down from $30.9 million the year prior. Q BioMed Inc (OTCQB:QBIO) has announced the appointment of Geoff Fatzinger as its head of regulatory affairs to focus on the company's global regulatory approval strategy to commercialize its lead cancer bone pain product - the non-opioid Strontium89. "We are very happy to have Geoff join the team at Q BioMed. His deep global regulatory expertise and strategic leadership is critical as we reach some important milestones, including our effort to globally commercialize Strontium89," Q BioMed CEO Denis Corin said a statement. Global Atomic Corporation (TSE:GLO) (OTCMKTS:GLATF), the uranium and zinc group, said last year was one of great progress as it posted 2019 results. The firm has six uranium exploration permits in the Republic of Niger, including the significant Dasa deposit, and its Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAFD) business in Turkey via the BST plant converts a waste product into zinc concentrate. Great Panther Mining Limited (TSE:GPR) (NYSEAMERICAN:GPL) has told investors that it aims this year to ramp up exploration, expand its resources and improve its finances as the group reported its 2019 financial results. Last year, the precious metals producer bought the Tucano gold mine in Brazil, which led to a jump in revenue for the year to end December. The company also operates two Mexican mines - the Topia mine and the Guanajuato Mine Complex (GMC). Great Panther Mining also said that two technical reports regarding the Guanajuato Mine Complex have been filed. The reports are titled "NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Update Technical Report on the Guanajuato Mine Complex, San Ignacio Mine, Guanajuato State, Mexico", dated March 17, 2020, and "NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Update Technical Report on the Guanajuato Mine Complex, Guanajuato Mine, Guanajuato State, Mexico", dated March 27, 2020. The Technical Reports are available on the company's website at www.greatpanther.com. Weekend Unlimited Industries Inc (CSE:POT)(FSE:0OS1)(OTCQB:WKULF) revealed Tuesday that it was “rapidly expanding” its branded product portfolio in Oklahoma to keep pace with rising demand. The Vancouver-based company only kicked off sales in late-2019, but its branded products are now available in over 75 dispensaries in “The Sooner State,” and growing in popularity. In a statement, the company said that it had bolstered its sales team in Oklahoma with the addition of two experienced cannabis sales reps to “manage and grow” the company’s “expanding retail relationship network.” ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. (CVE:IPA) (OTCQB:IPATF) said it has extended the maturity date for $2,000,000 of previously issued debentures from March 26, 2020 to September 26, 2020. The group also announced that it has completed its settlement of $700,00 of previously issued debentures and interest of $46,875 accrued thereon by issuing 1,244,792 common shares at a price of $0.60 per share. It said the purpose of the debt settlement is to reduce the group's ongoing debt obligations of the debentures. The shares being issued will be subject to a four-month hold period expiring on July 27, 2020. The Valens Company (CVE:VLNS) (OTCQX:VLNCF) said it has received conditional approval to list its shares on the main board of the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Kelowna-based company will graduate from the TSX Venture Exchange, a key landmark in the life of a junior publicly-listed company. Mandalay Resources Corporation (TSX:MND, OTCQB:MNDJF) said it has filed its Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2019, and has also filed an updated National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) compliant Technical Report documenting its recent work at its Björkdal gold mine in Sweden and its Costerfield gold-antimony mine in Australia. It said these can be acessed on the company’s website at www.mandalayresources.com. Dunnedin Ventures Inc (CVE:DVI), which is changing its name to Kodiak Copper Corp on Wednesday, said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to its non-brokered private placement, announced on March 13, 2020, which will see the issue of 18,614,000 flow-through shares at a purchase price of 10.5 cents each, plus 9,307,000 share purchase warrants at an initial exercise price of 11 cents and a 2-year term to expiry, with 10 placees. Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBII), a leading provider of effective and environmentally responsible pest management and plant health products, said its Form S-1 resale registration statement relating to the potential resale of shares of common stock, including common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants, held by certain shareholders of the company has been declared effective by the US Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2020. Jim Boyd, the company's Chief Financial Officer commented: "We are not offering any new securities, and we will not receive any proceeds from the resale of stock under this Form S-1. However, because this registration statement is now effective, we may continue to receive proceeds from the cash exercise of warrants issued in February 2018 and issuable under our warrant facility." Reported by Proactive Investors 2 days ago.

· There are new rules to the San Francisco Bay Area shelter-in-place order designed to keep the coronavirus outbreak at bay so the healthcare system is not overwhelmed.
· Residents will no longer be able to access playgrounds, public picnic areas, or dog parks, and funerals must not exceed 10 people.
· The new restrictions come as city officials across the region announced that the order, originally slated to end on April 7, would be extended to May 3.
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

City officials across the San Francisco Bay Area have introduced new rules for residents as news came of an extended regionwide shelter-in-place order that will now run through April, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

To continue slowing the coronavirus outbreak throughout the region, residents will no longer be able to frequent playgrounds, dog parks, public picnic areas, or other recreational areas. Golf courses, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pools, and rock climbing walls must close. Any sport that requires people to share a ball must only be played among members of the same household. Essential businesses must implement social distancing protocols by April 3.

Residential and commercial construction will be prohibited, with exceptions such as for affordable housing facilities, and funerals must not exceed 10 people.

"We are bending the curve," Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said at a Tuesday news conference according to KTVU. "But it's not enough."

These are additional restrictions to what officials originally announced on March 16 when news of the order was made public. At the time, specific public areas were not ordered to close, and residents were not directed to steer clear of them. But after the first weekend during the shelter-in-place order saw mass outings to the region's open spaces, city leaders reiterated to residents the importance of social distancing. Parking areas at public parks across San Francisco were closed as a result.

Residents, however, can still leave their homes for essential needs, such as for groceries, or for walks outside but are asked to limit the number of unnecessary trips and stay close to home.

The region, as well as other parts of the US, is gearing up for an expected surge in coronavirus cases as the number of confirmed cases hit 2,308 in the Bay Area, with 59 reported deaths.

Hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise, but some local health officials say the shelter-in-place order and the enforcement of social distancing may be working. The region, as well as the entire state of California, is attempting to avoid a situation similar to New York's, where officials didn't enforce a stay-at-home order until five days after the Bay Area did. The state of New York now has 75,795 confirmed cases, with at least 1,550 deaths.

The Bay Area shut down is still not a full lockdown, such as what Italy has implemented — residents do not have to have government permission to leave their homes. Violations of the order's restrictions are also still punishable by fines or citations, but law enforcement is still relying on resident compliance. 

The order affects six Bay Area counties as well as the city of Berkeley.

*SEE ALSO: he San Francisco Bay Area's shelter-in-place order deadline is getting extended until 'at least May 1' as the region gears up for a surge in coronavirus cases*

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NEW YORK (AP) — As the number of coronavirus deaths continues to surge in the U.S., officials are warning the disease could kill between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans, even if people continue to stay home and limit their contact with others.

Experts made the prediction at a Tuesday media briefing with President Donald Trump. But they said they hope the figure won't soar that high if everyone does their part to prevent the virus from spreading.

“I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead,” said Trump, who also extended social distancing guidelines until April 30. “We're going to go through a very tough two weeks.”

The U.S. recorded a big daily jump of 26,000 new cases, bringing the total to more than 189,000. The death toll leaped to over 4,000, including more than 1,000 in New York City.

In Italy, where more than 12,000 people have died from the virus, the most of any nation, officials reported that the infection rate appears to be leveling off and new cases could start declining, but that the crisis is far from over. Spain, meanwhile, was struggling to fend off the collapse of its hospital system. China, where the outbreak began, on Wednesday reported just 36 new COVID-19 cases.

In Cuba, authorities canceled the island's iconic May Day parade, which often draws hundreds of thousands of people to the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana. The country also tightened travel restrictions that already bar tourists.

Worldwide, more than 850,000 people have been infected and over 42,000 have died, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Italy and Spain accounted for half of all the deaths.

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