WASHINGTON – Congress passed a $900 billion coronavirus relief package overnight, aimed to help businesses and people impacted by the pandemic.
It provides $300 a week in Federal unemployment benefits, a $600 direct payment to most Americans, and money for businesses hard-hit by the lockdowns.
“I personally think it’s long past due,” said Alabama resident Ethan Schulz. “$600 isn’t going to help a lot of the average Americans just trying to get by.”
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says the aid will be going out almost immediately.
“People are going to see this money the beginning of next week,” said Mnuchin.
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Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom woke up to a new round of lockdowns after a more contagious variant of COVID-19 caused chaos in Europe.
“We took prompt and decisive action,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
That action put the brakes on travel in and out of Britain. Canada, France and Italy are among 400 countries banning flights from the UK. The United States is not among them.
Health experts say mutations of any virus are expected.
“I think, scientifically to date, there is no hard evidence that this virus is actually more transmissible,” said Moncef Slaoui with Operation Warp Speed.
Nearly 8 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine were distributed Monday.
The CDC Advisory Committee said frontline healthcare workers and the most vulnerable are first in line to get it. Then people over 75, followed by frontline essential workers like police, firefighters and teachers.
“The vaccine is 95% effective, as much as 100% effective at preventing severe disease,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir, MD. “This is the way we end the pandemic by getting 70 to 80% of Americans vaccinated.”
President-elect Joe Biden received Pfizer’s version of the vaccine Monday to encourage the public that it’s safe to take.
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