From sporting event postponements, to school closures, travel restrictions and bans on large gatherings, coronavirus is slowly but surely shutting things down across the U.S. – even Disney.
What’s next? Lawmakers are expected to vote on a coronavirus economic relief bill today after failing to reach an agreement last night. According to President Trump, that deal failed because Democrats “are trying to push through some ideas they have failed to float for years.”
Speaking at the White House, the President said his administration is looking at a lot of ideas, including paid leave and helping workers who rely on tips. The President added that another focus is doing something to keep companies solvent.
Meanwhile, the nation's top doctor on infectious diseases has an ominous assessment: the U.S. is failing on testing for the coronavirus. Doctor Anthony Fauci has testified that the American system was not set up for mass testing – calling it a failure. And while he later clarified to ABC News that the failure was in the system and not in the current result, he says fixes are on the way. At the top of the list? The ability for people to simply go to their doctor and ask to be tested.
So what does “failure” mean, then? Fauci told ABC that the system was set up for a doctor asking for the test first not so that just anyone can ask for the test. As a result, the U.S. has tested far fewer people than other countries.
According to President Trump, says the government is doing a good job on testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus. It's believed to be fewer than ten-thousand, though government officials have not been able to say how many have been done. By comparison, South Korea is testing nearly ten-thousand per day.
Speaking of testing, President Trump says he's not concerned after possibly having contact with a member of Brazil's delegation over the weekend who is positive for the COVID-19. Trump met with Brazil's president and members of his staff at his Florida resort. The aide photographed with the President has been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Someone who has tested positive? Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Apparently, the test came back positive yesterday while she was already in isolation and experiencing symptoms. Mr. Trudeau isn't showing any signs of the respiratory illness, but is also in self-isolation for 14 days.
Where does the United States stand with COVID-19? At last check, there are currently just over 16-hundred cases across the United States – with 40 patients succumbing to the illness (the majority being elderly/nursing home patients in Washington State). Globally, the numbers stand at just over 128-thousand people infected by the virus – with just over 47-hundred dead. On the plus side, more than 68-thousand have recovered.
Source: ABC News