Business Fallout: Starbucks limits access, Target raises pay

Less than three months ago came the first reports of cases of pneumonia related to a virus first detected in Wuhan, China. The outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruptions that have brought an unparalleled shock to the global economy.

Following are developments Friday related to the outbreak, efforts by governments to stabilize their economies, companies that must navigate through an altered landscape, and the millions of people affected. The lowest number of passengers ever recorded at U.S. airports is being reported by the Transportation Security Administration.

Nearly 624,000 people passed through its outbound checkpoints on Thursday, the TSA said. That compares with 2.4 million on the same day a year earlier. It's the lowest number of outbound passengers ever recorded by an agency created in November 2001 in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The CEO and labor leaders at American Airlines wrote to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and congressional leaders Friday imploring them to quickly approve aid for airlines or else workers will lose their jobs. The company says it will accept "appropriate conditions" on government aid.

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport AG has put 18,000 of its 22,000 employees on shortened schedules, saying that "traffic has come almost to a halt." An air traffic control supervisor in Indianapolis tested positive, the Federal Aviation Administration reported. It's the third FAA facility affected by COVID-19. Earlier this week, airport towers in Chicago and Las Vegas closed temporarily, leading to hundreds of canceled and delayed flights.

American Airlines is initiating cargo-only flights between the US and Europe. FedEx and UPS were expecting to absorb a greater share of cargo typically carried by commercial airlines, which have severely cut capacity. Air Canada is laying off more than 5,000 flight attendants, about 60 per cent of that staff, according to a union official, as the country's largest airline grounds its planes.

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, canceled flights to 30 countries on Friday and CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said it has lost USD 190 million due to disruptions related to the coronavirus. With outbreak-related layoffs expected to surge, at least two major retailers are hiring in a big way. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, said late Thursday that it plans to hire 150,000 U.S. hourly workers for its stores and distribution centers through the end of May as online orders surge with households stocking up.

The jobs are temporary, but many will become permanent, said spokesman Dan Bartlett. He said that the company is reaching out to industry groups in the restaurant and hospitality industry, both of which are getting slammed by lockdowns and travel bans.

Amazon this week said it would hire 100,000 people across the U.S. to keep up with a crush of orders hires. Target Corp. said Friday it will give a USD 2 an hour wage increase to its 300,000-plus workers who have been scrambling to help customers.

The pay bump will be effective at least through May 2. It's also begun offering workers who are pregnant, 65 years old or older, or who have underlying health risks, access to paid leave for up to 30 days. Target joins Amazon and Walmart which are offering extra incentives like cash bonuses or a temporary wage bump as they try to manage the crush of customers while simultaneously looking to keep their workers happy.

Starbucks said it will pay its workers for the next 30 days, whether they come to work or stay home. The coffee chain also said it is temporarily closing access to its stores across the U.S., and reducing services to drive thru and delivery only. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has received 500,000 applications for employment insurance compared to just 27,000 for the same week last year.

Trudeau says they are receiving a historic number of calls from concerned Canadians amid the pandemic. This week, the U.S. reported the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits surged by 70,000 to the highest level in more than two years.

The chairman and CEO of Marlboro-maker Altria Group has contracted COVID-19. The company said in a regulatory filing that Howard Willard is on medical leave. Chief Financial Officer William Gifford, Jr. will lead the company in Willard's absence.

The company is also suspending operations at its plant in Richmond, Virginia, for two weeks after two employees contracted the COVID-19 virus. Some domestic operations at its John Middleton Co. subsidiary will also be suspended due to supply chain issues.

The tobacco giant said employees will continue to receive regular pay during the two-week shutdown. NBC News reported Friday that an employee who worked at the company's 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters in New York has died from COVID-19. According to his wife, Larry Edgeworth had other health issues before contracting the coronavirus. Edgeworth died Thursday.

Companies across almost every sector are raising cash to ride out the outbreak. Kohl's has fully drawn its USD 1 billion unsecured credit facility. The department store chain, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is slashing inventory and expenses.

Kohl's Corp. has closed its 1,100 stores for at least the rest of the month. It and many other major chains are temporarily closing stores to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

AT&T canceled a USD 4 billion accelerated stock buyback program scheduled for the second quarter..