Economists, investors and even Fed officials have been saying such support is crucial, because the Fed's tools alone can help the economy only so much. A report released Wednesday morning showed that retail sales sank 1.1% last month. Just this week, restaurants in New York City were limited to outdoor dining, even as colder temperatures and snow arrive. Governments around the country and world are bringing back varying degrees of restrictions on businesses to slow the spread of the virus. Even without lockdowns, the rising death toll of the pandemic is scaring customers away from businesses and normal economic activity.

Source: Daily Sun December 16, 2020 09:49 UTC