With two more deaths at the hands of the novel coronavirus in the United States, the national casualty rate now stands at a total to 19. The latest two infections were reported in the Washington state. At the same time, a person who attended a gathering of top US political conservatives including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is one of the country's largest annual gatherings of political conservatives, attracting thousands, and in addition to Trump and Pence the February 26-29 event near Washington also featured several Cabinet members and top White House officials. This attendee, however, had no interaction with the president or the vice president and never attended the events in the main hall.
The number of infections in New York rose to 89, and governor Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency. "It allows expedited purchasing and expedited hiring, which is what we need right now," Cuomo told the media.
Earlier, California Governor Gavin Newsom had declared an emergency as he reported the state's first fatality from the illness—an elderly person who had taken a cruise to Mexico—while health officials in nearby Washington state said a 10th person had died there. "The State of California is deploying every level of government to help identify cases and slow the spread of this coronavirus," Newsom told reporters.
President Donald Trump had signed an $8.3 billion measure to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak. The legislation provides federal public health agencies with money for vaccines, tests and potential treatments and helps state and local governments prepare and respond to the threat. The rapid spread of the virus has rocked financial markets, interrupted travel and threatens to affect everyday life in the United States.
Trump had planned to sign the bill during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. But he told reporters Friday that concerns were raised about "one person who was potentially infected" who worked at the CDC. Trump said the person has since tested negative for the new virus and that he still hopes to visit the agency at some point.
The US Senate passed the $8.3 billion measure Thursday to help tackle the outbreak in hopes of reassuring a fearful public and accelerating the government's response to the virus. Its rapid spread is threatening to upend everyday life in the US and across the globe.
-Inputs from PTI
