CNBC Business

White House officials are projecting between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths in the U.S. with coronavirus fatalities peaking over the next two weeks.

The coronavirus has led shoppers to buy in bulk and put pressure on supply chains. In the U.S., major grocers have expedited their hiring processes to help deal with the demand.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is holding a press conference Wednesday to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 51,800 in the city.

General Electric is planning to furlough half of its aviation unit's engine manufacturing staff as the coronavirus roils the industry, the company told CNBC.

As of Thursday, more than 1,002,100 cases of coronavirus have been reported, resulting in at least 51,484 deaths.

"I'm doing everything I can, but people are still dying and that is hurtful and humbling and painful. Just painful," Cuomo said.

The first Americans to get relief payments from the government won't see checks til mid-April and many will have to wait longer.

Health officials say air travel is causing viruses and bacteria to spread around the world faster than ever before. Airlines, at the center of the coronavirus epidemic, have come under intense scrutiny over the safety and cleanliness of their cabins. To combat the pandemic, carriers have imposed new safety regulations and are using enhanced cleaning techniques inside their plane cabins. Watch this video to find out more about how airlines clean their planes.

"We'll enter hopefully phase 2 trials, we expect that to happen in the spring, perhaps early summer," Moderna Chairman Noubar Afeyan told CNBC.

With just over a week until Easter, families are starting to plan for how to spend the holiday under the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.

"You look good. You sound good," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told his younger brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, during a press conference on the coronavirus pandemic.

The big question is what prices will look like when the market starts to recover — either in summer or fall.

Since 1990, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index have bounced back in quarters that directly follow quarters when the S&P declined by 10% or more, according to market history.

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading on Thursday.

State officials are trying to flatten or "bend the curve" — meaning the curve of a line graph that shows when cases will peak — using partial lockdowns and social distancing measures to keep cases from surging all at once.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to hold a press conference on the coronavirus outbreak in the state, which has infected more than 22,200 people in the state as of Thursday.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding his daily press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak, which has infected more than 84,000 people in the state as of Thursday morning.

Walgreens is one of the retailers where U.S. customers have gone in recent weeks to stock up on over-the-counter medications, prescriptions and items such as cleaning supplies and disposable gloves.

In 2019, online sales for direct-to-consumer brands reached $14.28 billion, according to data from eMarketer. In 2020, sales are forecast by the firm to grow 24.3% to $17.75 billion, slowing from 33.1% growth last year, and down from 56.5% growth in 2018.