Hints of an economic reawakening amid mass, civic unrest

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Wednesday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.

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TESTING THE WATERS: Businesses are starting reopen, or explore how to do so, as states and cities ease restrictions on public activities.

— Cinemark Holdings plans to begin reopening U.S. movie theaters on June 19. All theaters have been closed since mid-March and on Wednesday, the movie house chain posted its first quarterly loss since the Great Recession. Revenue plunged 24%.

— The beauty chain Regis is working with infectious disease specialists at the University of Minnesota as it prepares to reopen more salons. Infectious disease specialists from the school looked at how customers move about in salons and provided recommendations on personal protective equipment and other safety measures.

There are about 3,000 salons that are operating and Regis expects the majority of its salons will reopen this summer.

— Red Robin Gourmet Burgers anticipates reopening about 270 dining rooms by Sunday, or about 65% of company-run restaurants.

The locations are in the chain's largest and highest volume markets in the Pacific Northwest and West Coast. There are more than 550 Red Robin restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, including franchisees.

— The clothing chain Express had reopened 303 stores, but is not ready to provide financial projections after restrictions from the pandemic ravaged the company in the first quarter. On Wednesday, the company posted an unexpectedly large quarterly loss of $154.1 million and sales plunged 53%.

HOUSING HEATS UP IN LOCKDOWN: With states easing travel restrictions and mortgage rates at...