Like Diaz, Liliana Hernandez, a 42-year-old housekeeper, is also taking that risk.

Her employer, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, told her to stop coming to work this week after bookings dried up. Her husband, a restaurant worker, recently lost his job as well.

The couple has just two months’ worth of savings to support themselves and their teenage son. “Everybody is panicking,” says Hernandez, who’s going to try to find a job at a grocery store.

“I’m concerned about getting infected or something like that, but we have to go on and continue to work. My fear, I have to put it away.”

Many others, including the 78% of American workers who live paycheck-to-paycheck, have even less cushion.

“As a single mother, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” says Mélissa St Hilaire, 37, a home healthcare worker in Miami. She was asked to stay home starting Friday, but she only has enough money to get her family through next week.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take,” she says of the pandemic. “I’m just here waiting.”

The businesses that are hiring are largely doing their best to keep employees safe and vital services flowing, though no strategy is foolproof.

John DeCicco Jr., co-owner of New York supermarket chain DeCicco & Sons, has brought on about 100 additional employees to meet demand, including many laid off from a friend’s restaurant food supplier.

Among other measures, he’s limiting his stores to 30-40% the normal occupancy rates, sanitizing regularly, and providing customers and employees with gloves.

“They’re on the front line, so you’ve gotta protect them,” DeCicco says. He’s also given employees two weeks of paid sick leave, in addition to their normal sick and personal days.

“They’ll take care of the customers as long as we take care of them,” says DeCicco of his workers. “That’s our philosophy, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

in addition to 此外

Others are under even more pressure. Caleb Ferling, co-owner of Seattle-area commercial cleaner Cleanstart, recently hired 20 new employees to meet surging demand as clients seek to clean their potentially contaminated offices.

as clients seek to因为客户希望

He outfits his workers in full personal protective equipment, including respirators and biohazard suits, when they go out on a COVID-19 cleaning job.

But he’s running out of essential supplies like disinfectant, and says he’ll have to let workers go if he can’t find more.

“We probably have enough for maybe a handful more jobs, and then we’re done, we’re out,” Ferling says.

running out of  用尽

disinfectant 消毒剂

As companies shutter and the economy grinds to a halt, Diaz is just one of the many thousands of Americans who have been, or are in danger of being, laid off amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from the hospitality industry, massive layoffs are expected in travel, manufacturing, and more. Some experts are predicting that the unemployment rate — which had been functionally nil before this crisis — could climb as high as 20%, an unprecedented figure in the modern era.

But even as the nation’s automakers stop building cars, airlines park most of their fleets and stadiums shut their doors, other companies are staffing up in a big way.

Facing a crushing surge in demand, companies that provide “essential” services like grocery stores and delivery firms are urgently seeking temporary help.

Amazon is adding 100,000 new full-time and part-time positions to keep up with a surge in online shopping.

Walmart has announced it will hire 150,000 new associates. Kroger, a grocer, is hiring 10,000 new employees nationwide, while Safeway is bringing on more than 2,000.

Fittingly, some of the job postings read more like calls to war than hiring notices.

“We are currently experiencing a monumental surge in our sales & foot traffic,” read a March 13 letter from Costco management seeking temporary worker referrals from staff.

But many of the jobs being created amid the pandemic involve working at the front lines of the crisis.

For those who grab hold of one of these economic lifelines, it could mean putting themselves and their loved ones at risk of contracting the potentially deadly illness. “It would be a calculated risk,” says Diaz, who’s trying to find a job before he burns through his four months worth of savings.

As he sees it, we’ll all need people willing to expose themselves to danger to keep the rest of us going. “We need each other more than ever nowadays, and I think there’s going to have to be somebody, a lot of somebodies, who are going to be willing to go out there and engage.”

China Announces Expulsion of U.S. Journalists

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed Americans working for the three U.S. newspapers whose credentials expire at the end of the year to turn in their press passes within 10 days. Those reporters would then be barred from reporting inside China, as well as in China’s semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The ministry also demanded information “in written form” about staff, operations, finances and real estate of the five American news organizations, including TIME, in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The Chinese government said that the move to send reporters out of the country was taken in response to the U.S. not allowing more Chinese nationals working for state-run media to work in the U.S. On March 2, the Trump administration put a cap on the number of Chinese nationals allowed to be employed by five Chinese state-run news outlets operating inside the U.S. That action by the U.S. followed China’s decision to expel three reporters from the Wall Street Journal following the publication of an opinion article critical of the Chinese government.

expel three reporter驱逐三个记者

China’s “measures are entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures that China is compelled to take in response to the unreasonable oppression the Chinese media organizations experience in the U.S.,” the ministry wrote in a statement.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China’s announcement “unfortunate,” adding in remarks to the press Tuesday that he hopes “they will reconsider.”

Pompeo defended the State Department’s actions to limit the staff of Chinese state-run media in the U.S. “The individuals that we identified a few weeks back were not media,” Pompeo said, “but were part of Chinese propaganda outlets.”

How is the shipping and delivery industry affected?

In late February, Shippers Transport Express alerted 145 drivers who work at the port of Los Angeles that they would be reducing hours beginning on Feb. 28, because of the decreased volumes of cargo moving through the port.

Ron Herrera, the director of the Teamsters Union Port Division of the Western Region, told TIME on March 13 that roughly 30% of those drivers have been allowed to keep driving. He says the decreased hours are driven by the low volume of cargo coming from Asia. ABC 7 reports that Phillip Sanfield, spokesperson for the Port of LA, said that they saw a roughly 25% decline in volume in February 2020 compared to February 2019.
driven by 因为 源于

A spokesperson for Shippers Transport Express told TIME in an email on March 13, “We have in good faith worked to alert our workers to the reduced volume situation facing our industry as a result of the [coronavirus].”

“We’ve informed [drivers] that we will be providing hours as volume arrives and we have more work. Hopefully, volume returns to normal shortly and we will have volume and hours for all our drivers. This will be done on a seniority basis, as hours materialize, which is the Teamster’s process,” he continued.

Read more: Why Can’t I Get Tested for Coronavirus?

One of those workers is 35-year-old Wendy Cruz, who has driven for Shippers Transport Express for four years. She told TIME on March 13 that she’s “definitely” worried about job security going forward. “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” she explains. “And I recently just purchased a home.”

Herrera told TIME on March 13 that the Teamsters Union anticipates more layoffs because of low manufacturing rates in China. “I don’t think we’ve seen the bottom of this yet,” he says. As NBC News reports, some economists say the coronavirus could have a bigger effect on U.S.-China trade than the Trump-era trade war did.|
anticipates more layoffs 预期更多的裁员

How is the ride-sharing industry affected?

Uber and Lyft have also taken a hit from the spread of COVID-19.

Uber has announced that if any driver or delivery person contracts coronavirus or is asked to self-isolate the company will provide financial assistance for up to 14 days. Uber has also announced that it’s working to provide drivers with disinfectants to help clean their cars. Similarly, Lyft has announced that it plans to deliver cleaning supplies to its drivers and will “provide funds to drivers” with COVID-19 or in quarantine “based on the rides they provided on the Lyft platform over the last four weeks.”
it’s working to provide drivers with disinfectants  正在努力提供消毒剂
disinfectants  消毒剂

But many U.S.-based Uber and Lyft drivers have expressed frustration that their companies have no done enough to protect them from the virus or from severe economic losses.
expressed frustration 表示沮丧

Steve Gregg, who has been driving for Uber and Lyft in California’s Bay Area for a little over three years, told TIME on March 13 that he’s “not in a position” where he can stop driving. Even though he says his fear over the coronavirus has caused him to have mild panic attacks, he’s had to keep driving because he depends on the income to support his children. Gregg adds that the two-weeks compensation he would receive if he got sick would be “a little too late.”

Yash — an Uber and Lyft driver whose full name TIME is withholding to protect his job — says his income went down last week by 30%. He adds that as his income has gone down, his costs have gone up; he now takes his car to get washed every day.

“We are at the front line of this epidemic. On a daily basis we deal with 20-30 people,” he says. He says he’s been suffering from insomnia since the crisis began, but he can’t stop driving because he can’t afford to.

When asked for comment on March 12 about the impact the spread of the virus has had on drivers, Uber directed TIME to a speech the company’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi gave at Morgan Stanley last week, where he said, “As far as the impact to date, first of all, we are completely focused on the operational side of the business, making sure that our riders are safe, our drivers are safe, they understand what are best practices to make sure you stay safe. Our employees are taken care of. Our partners are taken care of.”

When asked for comment on March 12 about the virus’ impact on drivers, a Lyft spokesperson told TIME in a statement, “We are monitoring the coronavirus situation closely, and taking action based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. Our focus is on keeping our riders, drivers and team members safe. We have an internal task force dedicated solely to this issue, and are prepared to take action as needed.”
monitoring  监视
dedicated solely 专用的

Responding to the concerns raised by the drivers TIME spoke with, a spokesperson for Uber said in a March 14 in a statement, “The mounting fear and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus is being felt by everyone around the world. We know it’s especially concerning for people who drive and deliver with Uber. In these difficult times, their well-being is at the top of our minds, and we have a dedicated team working around the clock to support them the very best we can.”

Lyft did not return a March 13 request for comment on the drivers’ comments.

How is the cruise industry affected?

The spread of COVID-19 has been devastating for the cruise industry. In a tweet on Friday, President Donald Trump announced that four major cruise lines — Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC — have agreed to not sail from U.S. ports for thirty days. This comes after ports around the world have begun to temporarily ban cruise ship arrivals out of fear about the spread of coronavirus.

Read more: Why Are So Many Politicians Testing Positive With COVID-19?

Cruise Lines International Association, a trade organization that includes over 50 cruise lines, announced on Friday that all CLIA ocean-going cruise lines will be temporarily suspending cruise ship operations from U.S. ports of call for 30 days.

Multiple cruise ships have suffered high profile outbreaks of the virus. The Diamond Princess was quarantined for weeks off the coast of Japan and at least 700 people on board ended up contracting coronavirus. Another cruise ship, the Grand Princess, was prevented from docking off the coast of California for days out concerns about spreading the virus, and 21 people on board ended up testing positive by the time they disembarked in Oakland on March 9.

Princess Cruises

On Thursday, Princess Cruises — which is owned by Carnival Corp. — announced it was suspending all its global operations through early May, meaning 18 ships will cancel trips that were scheduled to begin between March 12 and May 10.

When asked what would happen to the employees scheduled to work these voyages, a spokesperson for Princess Cruises told TIME on Thursday, “Shoreside employees may temporarily take on new duties to support this change and the refund process. Most shipboard teammates will return home until service resumes in 60 days.”

“Our teammates are our Princess family and we are committed to the care of our team. This is an unprecedented action in the history of our company, so we do not know how everything will play out. We ask for understanding as we work through the specifics regarding compensation and other details,” the spokesperson continued.

On Friday, Carnival Corp. announced four more cruise lines would suspend their activity for a month: Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard North America, Holland America Line and Seabourn. Carnival Corp. did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment about what would happen to its workers.

Disney Cruises

On Friday, Disney Cruise Lines announced that it would suspend all new departures of Disney cruise ships beginning March 14 through the end of the month. “While we know this decision may be disappointing, the health and wellbeing of our guests is of the greatest importance,” Disney Cruise Line said in a statement.

“We are equally committed to the wellbeing of our incredible crew members who live and work aboard our ships and on Castaway Cay. During the suspended operations, Disney Cruise Line will continue to compensate our Crew Members and shoreside Cast Members,” the statement continued.

Read more: ‘Only a Matter of Time.’ At This Washington State Immigrant Detention Center, Attorneys Believe a Coronavirus Outbreak Is Inevitable

Viking Cruises

Viking Cruises also announced that it would suspend all ocean and river cruises until May 1.

Viking directed TIME’s request for comment to a message sent to all employees on March 11: “Viking’s guests and our crew always come first; we stand by you. The Company is financially strong, and we have experience in handling adversity. We have no plans to reduce our crew levels as they currently are and will use the next weeks to improve our procedures to handle future challenges presented with the new coronavirus.”

How is the rail industry affected?

On Saturday, Amtrak announced its Northeast Corridor — which runs between Boston and Virginia — would run its Saturday schedule beginning March 16 through March 29. The Keystone Service in Pennsylvania will also be operating on a Saturday schedule with no service to the Ardmore Station.

On Wednesday, Amtrak announced it had temporarily suspended three trains that run between New York and Washington “due to lower demand.” It added that “additional changes to our schedule are under consideration.”
additional changes 额外的改变

John Feltz, director of the Transport Workers Union Train Division, told TIME on Friday there’s a possibility that onboard service workers on Amtrak he represents — such as cafe car workers — may have to prepare for a “furlough or a layoff situation.” He says the the union is “still trying to work that out with Amtrak right now” and “they are cooperating and they are working hand-in-hand.”
“furlough or a layoff situation.” 休假或裁员
still trying to work that out with Amtrak right now
work that out 解决这个问题

Feltz says that, if furloughed, workers would be able to collect unemployment under the Railroad Retirement Board, but their health insurance would be only last three months from their time they first left work.
furlough 休假

Amtrak told TIME on Friday night that they are “working closely with the unions right now as we adjust our schedules as a result of reduced demand that has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from our revenue estimates.”
revenue estimates.” 预估收入

“We will soon be rolling out a voluntary unpaid leave program where non-essential employees can volunteer to take unpaid leave in order to contribute to reducing our expenses,” the spokesperson continued. She added they’ve taken other cost cutting measures “as we work hard to offset the revenue loss while minimizing the impact on our employees.” These measures include: ending all non-safety critical hiring; cutting discretionary travel, cutting professional fees, cutting consultant spending, cutting advertising spending, and cutting deferred non-priority capital projects.
rolling out 推出

Read more: President Trump Says He Was Tested for Coronavirus

Anthony Simon, general chairman of the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation workers, who represents workers on the Long Island Railroad, writes TIME in an email that they have “been in constant contact with management and local officials. We have the full support of our international Union as well, and our work is secure moving forward as decisions and conditions are constantly changing.”

 as well常用作状语，作“又；也”解，相当于too或also，常位于句末，无须用逗号与句子分开。
如： I am going to London and my sister is going as well（＝going，too）.
我要到伦敦去，我妹妹也要去。 
as well as常用来连接两个并列的成分，作“也，还”解。它强调的是前一项，后一项只是顺便提及。因此连接并列主语时，谓语动词与前一项一致；而用not only ...but also...连接时，谓语动词与后一项一致。 

“Our first priority is for everyone’s safety and to prepare for whatever is necessary to restore normal. While there have been no threats to cut service as of yet, we will be prepared for whatever comes our way,” he writes.