US House of Representatives passes coronavirus aid package bill

The US House of Representatives has approved a coronavirus aid package that would provide free testing and paid sick leave for Americans hit by the global pandemic.  

The measure passed early Saturday by a vote of 363 to 40 and will now move to the Senate for a vote next week.

President Donald Trump expressed his support for the bill on Friday and urged both Republicans and Democrats to vote for the relief package.

“I encourage all Republicans and Democrats to come together and VOTE YES!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

The bill would provide two weeks of paid sick and family leave for those affected by the virus. Workers would also be able to take up to three months of unpaid leave if they are quarantined or need to take care of sick family members.

Late Friday, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a deal was reached with the Trump administration for the aid package after extensive negotiations.

Trump declared a national emergency on Friday over the fast-spreading coronavirus, freeing up $50 billion in federal aid to fight the disease.

Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus

US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the coronovirus, also known as COVID-19, a pandemic.

Between 70 to 150 million people in the United States could eventually be infected with the novel coronavirus, according to a projection shared with the US Congress.

Trump has come under sharp criticism over his management of the crisis.

US health experts have rebuked the Trump administration for initially downplaying the epidemic and lagging behind in testing efforts, making it difficult to gauge the full scale of outbreaks in the United States and curtail transmission of the virus.

Sick people across the US say they are being denied the coronavirus test, as American states scramble to slow the spread of COVID-19 and stop hospitals from being overwhelmed with a surge in critically ill patients.

Many who fear they have the virus have faced one obstacle after another as they try to get tested, according to The New York Times, citing interviews with dozens of people across the country.

The experience of sick people that the Times interviewed underscores how difficult it can be for people in the US to find out if they have the coronavirus, despite Trump’s announcement last week that anyone who wants a test can receive it.

There were at least 48 coronavirus-related deaths and 2,028 confirmed cases in the US as of Friday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Globally there are over 137,000 cases and over 5,000 deaths.

American economists say the outbreak could tip the US economy into recession.

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