NICS officials alerted firearm retailers about changes to the Transfer Process for the weekend of March 28-30 due to system overload because of the coronavirus.

The following is a bulletin from the National Shooting Sports Foundation:

NSSF has learned that NICS (officials) alerted firearm retailers cautioning that there will be changes to the Transfer Process this weekend. However, this will not impact the ability of retailers to transfer firearms this weekend.
 
NSSF has been informed by NICS this change is only applicable to transactions that could be potentially delayed.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET, Saturday March 28, 2020 until 8 a.m. ET, Monday March 30, 2020, the NICS Section will be temporarily disabling the Transfer Process. This means, when calling in a NICS check, a retailer will be given a status immediately, to include delays with a Brady Transfer Date, and not transferred to an FBI Examiner for further review. 
 
Retailers will be given their Brady Transfer Date by the call center representative before the call is ended rather than being transferred to an FBI employee.

Transactions having a potential match in any database will immediately go to the delay queue and FBI employees will work to pull the transaction, review and respond accordingly. The goal of this change is to help alleviate FFLs’ frustrations when they are left on hold for extended periods of time when transferred from the call center to the FBI.
 
NSSF officials understand this is an alternative NICS is testing.