National Business

NEW YORK — Multi-platinum rock band Third Eye Blind had never cancelled a tour, even when its members “all had salmonella poisoning and we were all green and vomiting,” as bandleader Stephan Jenkins put it.

One of Canada's largest grocers has seen a sales bump as Canadians buy more than usual in an effort to prepare amid the growing novel coronavirus outbreak. "Our customers are obviously concerned," said Michael Medline, CEO of Empire Co.

CALGARY — Canadians can begin collecting Canada Pension Plan payments as early as age 60, but financial advisers warn it rarely makes sense to do so. And there are even fewer reasons to start drawing retirement funds early when you're still working.

FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank deployed targeted new stimulus measures to cushion the shock to the economy from the virus outbreak, but its president said monetary policy couldn't do it alone and called for a "decisive and determined” response

Some Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada may become drive-thru only while others could limit the number of people allowed inside, the company said, one day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of coronavirus a pandemic.

LOS ANGELES — The annual movie exhibition and trade show CinemaCon has been cancelled in Las Vegas due to coronavirus, scuttling one of Hollywood's premier hype machines.

DALLAS — Federal officials have grounded a charter operator that carried professional baseball and hockey teams, saying the company and its pilots weren’t authorized for the kind of commercial venture they operated.

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment insurance fell last week for a second straight week, an indication that the coronavirus had not yet hit the labour market in a major way.

MONTREAL — Dorel Industries Inc. says its suppliers based in China delayed re-opening following the Chinese New Year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with production delayed by two weeks in most cases.

TORONTO — Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. has named Greg Hicks as president and chief executive, effective immediately. Hicks takes over from Stephen Wetmore, who is also stepping down as a member of the board.