An employee prepares a take away order at a fast food restaurant
WASHINGTON, April 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The virus has now killed more than 40,000 people in the US – nearly a quarter of all deaths from Covid-19 across the globe, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
There was some slightly better news out of New York, which has been badly hit. The state governor Andrew Cuomo said the state appeared to have passed the peak of the outbreak, with indications it was “now on the descent”
Elsewhere in the US, an ongoing battle between state governors and US President Donald Trump rages on.
Trump appeared to endorse several protests against strict lockdown measures that took place over the weekend. He said earlier that orders in place in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia were “too tough”.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee said his support of the protesters was “dangerous”.
Trump says he plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to compel an unnamed company to make 20 million swabs. State governors have complained about a lack of swabs and testing.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believed lawmakers are very close to a deal on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
An agreement would end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over Trump’s request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program. Congress set up the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.
“We’re close,” Pelosi said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” broadcast on Sunday. “I think we’re very close to an agreement.
Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer say they favor more money for small businesses but also want more coronavirus response funds for state and local governments and hospitals, as well as food assistance for the poor.
“We want to make sure that it’s reaching all of America’s small businesses. And we also want to make sure that it’s operating in a community where our police and fire, our health care workers, our doctors, nurses, our teachers, are being compensated for and not fired,” Pelosi said.
“That’s why we’re asking for the additional funds in the package, as well as for hospitals so that we can do testing, testing, testing.”
Governors of hard hit states such as New York and New Jersey have said they need more federal funding to significantly ramp up testing capacity.
Democratic lawmakers from battleground districts are already under attack by Republican campaign operatives because the emergency loans for small businesses have dried up. Last week some of these Democrats said their congressional leaders should prioritize the small business funding and get it flowing again.
Pelosi, however, said there was an opportunity to get money for the hospitals, teachers and firefighters in the interim funding bill. Congress plans to take up another major coronavirus relief legislation after the small business fund is replenished. — NNN-AGENCIES