The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits surged to a 2.5-year-high last week, suggesting a pickup in layoffs as the coronavirus pandemic fractures economic activity.

Unemployment in the United States claims to jump to 2.5-year-high; coronavirus blamed

The Punjab government on Thursday announced the suspension of public transport services from Friday midnight, besides restricting public gatherings to less than 20, in the state, inching closer to a shutdown amid the global outbreak of coronavirus.

Coronavirus outbreak: Punjab to suspend public transport from Friday midnight

The Central government on Thursday allowed 50 per cent of its employees to work from home and the remaining to attend office every day besides implementing different time slots for working hours in its effort to further check the spread of the coronavirus disease.

Coronavirus pandemic: Work from home, staggered working hours for central govt employees – All you need to know

The virus epic center china has reported 21 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and only one is from the worst-hit province of Hubei. The Chinese health authority has also confirmed 13 new deaths.

Coronavirus pandemic over in China?