A sudden market downturn on Friday has sparked memories of the pandemic’s impact on Wall Street, when Covid-19 led to widespread trading halts. The S&P 500 fell as much as 5.97% on Friday, bringing it close to triggering a NYSE halt that stops all trading for 15 minutes. This phenomenon, known as circuit breakers, aims to calm volatility and prevent erroneous trades in high-frequency markets.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-04/stock-tumult-dredges-up-memories-of-covid-trading-halts