WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed an $8.3 billion measure to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak in hopes of reassuring a fearful public and accelerating the government’s response.
A staff member blocks the view as a person is taken by a stretcher to a waiting ambulance from a nursing facility where more than 50 people are sick and being tested for the COVID-19 virus, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Kirkland, Wash. (Source: AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The money would pay for a multifaceted attack on a virus that is spreading more widely every day, sending financial markets spiraling, disrupting travel and potentially threatening the U.S. economy’s decade-long expansion.
Thursday’s sweeping vote sends the bill to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature.
The plan would more than triple the $2.5 billion amount outlined by the White House 10 days ago.
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 11 with a victim succumbing in California - the first reported fatality outside Washington state.
A new round of testing confirmed 11 additional cases of coronavirus in New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday, bringing the total in that state to 22.
New York City reported new coronavirus cases Thursday morning. Both patients - a man in his 40s and a woman in her 80s - are in intensive care, Mayor Bill De Blasio reported via Twitter.
Neither patient is believed to have traveled to the afflicted countries or knowingly had contact with others diagnosed with COVID-19.
“We are going to see more cases like this as community transmission becomes more common,” De Blasio said. “We want New Yorkers to be prepared and vigilant, not alarmed.”
The mayor faulted the government’s response: “Our single greatest challenge is the lack of fast federal action to increase testing capacity — without that, we cannot beat this epidemic back.”
Facebook says it’s temporarily closing an office in Seattle after a worker was diagnosed with the new virus.
“A contractor based in our Stadium East office has been diagnosed with the COVID-19,” the company said. “We’ve notified our employees and are following the advice of public health officials to prioritize everyone’s health and safety.”
Facebook said the last time the worker came to the office was on Feb. 21, so it will shut the office until March 9, when the incubation period ends. The company is following guidance from local authorities and encouraging Seattle staff to work from home until March 31.
An Amazon employee at the e-commerce giant’s Seattle office also reportedly tested positive for the virus this week. Amazon is encouraging employees to work from home.
Officials in Placer County, northwest of Sacramento, said Wednesday an elderly adult who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a San Francisco-to-Mexico cruise had died. They said the victim had underlying health conditions.
Washington also announced another death Wednesday, bringing its total to 10. Most of the dead were residents of a nursing home in Kirkland, a suburb east of Seattle.
Other states were reporting new cases as well - including the first one in Tennessee, to four.
The House easily passed an $8.3 billion measure to battle the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. The sweeping bipartisan vote came just nine days after President Donald Trump requested action.
The legislation more than triples the $2.5 billion plan unveiled by Trump just last week. It would speed development of vaccines and new medicines to battle the virus, pay for containment operations, and beef up preparedness.
Trump is expected to sign the measure, which has the blessing of top Republicans.
Next up is the GOP-controlled Senate, which hopes to pass the bill Thursday for Trump’s signature.
A rising number of churches across the United States are making changes in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
For example, many Catholic dioceses are suspending the serving of wine during Communion. One of the bishops ordering this change is Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, whose region is the worst hit in the U.S.
There’s been no indication thus far of any widespread cancellations of worship services. However, experts say it would be wise for faith leaders to start preparing for that possibility — perhaps by planning to livestream their services on social media.
Cruise ship is held off California coast for virus testing
Scrambling to keep the coronavirus at bay, officials have ordered a cruise ship to hold off the California coast to await testing of those aboard, after a passenger on an earlier voyage died and at least one other became infected.
A Coast Guard helicopter is expected to deliver test kits to the Grand Princess once it reaches the waters off San Francisco later in the day.
Princess Cruises says fewer than 100 of those aboard have been identified for testing.
Dogs, cats can't pass on coronavirus, but can test positive
Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owner.
That’s the conclusion of Hong Kong agricultural officials and other experts after a dog in quarantine tested weak positive for the virus in samples from its nose and mouth.
The agricultural department said it found no evidence that pets were a source of infection or could get sick themselves with the COVID-19 illness. It suggested, however, that pets from a household of an infected person be quarantined.
World girds for months of trouble as virus pushes west
Nations around the world are girding for months of disruptions from the new virus as it continues its spread outside China.
The World Health Organization says there are about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it, with widening outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran responsible for a majority of the new cases.
Countries desperate to keep the crisis from expanding within their borders have further tightened travel restrictions, with Australia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates among the latest to do so.
The Emirates warned its people not to travel anywhere abroad and said those who do could be subject to quarantines when they return.
The country’s Health and Community Protection Ministry warning comes as Abu Dhabi sent 215 foreigners it evacuated from hard-hit Hubei in China to a quarantine set up in its Emirates Humanitarian City. They include citizens of Egypt, Sudan and Yemen.
Iran says virus deaths reach 107 amid 3,513 confirmed cases
Iran has announced new measures to fight a spreading outbreak of the new coronavirus. The new coronavirus has killed 107 people in the Islamic Republic amid 3,513 confirmed cases there.
The announcement in Iran came as Palestinian authorities say the Nativity Church in the biblical city of Bethlehem will close indefinitely over coronavirus fears. The church is built atop the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born.
Iran’s health minister said Thursday that authorities will start setting set up checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. He’s also urging citizens to reduce their use of paper money and to stay in their vehicles at gas stations.
He earlier said authorities will begin manning checkpoints to limit travel between major cities in the Islamic Republic.
Swiss officials confirm first coronavirus death
Authorities in Switzerland say a 74-year-old woman infected with COVID-19 has died, the first death due to the new virus reported in the country.
The Federal Office of Public Health said Thursday that the death was reported by authorities in the western canton of Vaud.
The woman had been hospitalized since Tuesday and died during the night.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 58 infections had been confirmed in Switzerland.
Global markets slide again on enduring concern over virus
Stock markets have turned lower, extending days of wild swings as investors try to gauge the economic damage of the virus outbreak.
European markets quickly lost their early gains, with major indexes down almost 2%.
Wall Street is expected to fall sharply on the open, with Dow futures down 1.7% and those for the S&P 500 retreating 2%.
The virus-fueled volatility in financial markets extend into a third week as new cases and deaths rose globally. That is putting more pressure on companies, with businesses lowering their earnings targets or canceling forecasts altogether as it remains unclear how long the outbreak will remain disruptive.
Industry group: Virus outbreak could cost airlines $113B
The International Air Transport Association says the virus outbreak that began in China could cost airlines as much as $113 billion in lost revenues due to the collapse of air travel.
Representatives of the airline industry group said Thursday after a working meeting in Singapore that the industry urgently needs help from governments in waiving some requirements and fees to alleviate the burden on struggling carriers.
An earlier estimate just two weeks ago put the potential cost of the downturn in travel at less than $30 billion.
The IATA officials said the consensus of experts was that air travel remains relatively safe and that there are no known cases of passengers spreading the virus while on aircraft.
OPEC looks to cut production as virus outbreak hits demand
The oil-producing countries of the OPEC cartel are considering whether to slash output to contain a plunge in prices.
The cost of crude has fallen 25% since the start of the year amid concerns about the virus outbreak’s disruption to the world economy. Air travel to China all but stopped and demand for transportation fuel inside the country dropped dramatically as cities locked down. Major companies halted business travel.
Oil prices stabilized ahead of the meeting on expectations that OPEC and non-OPEC members like Russia would agree to deeper production cuts. Some analysts predict the cartel will agree to slash production by 1 million barrels per day, on top of existing cuts.
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