All but one of the members of the chamber, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), voted to pass the bill, which was passed by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday in a 415-2 vote.
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) March 5, 2020
More than $3 billion of the funds will go toward vaccine research, and $2.2 billion will go toward to prevention and preparedness efforts, CNBC reported.
The COVID-19 infection rate and death toll in the US continue to climb, with at least 165 people in the country infected with the virus. Eleven people in the US have died so far: 10 in Washington state and one in California.
California on Wednesday declared a state of emergency after health officials announced the state's first death from the virus earlier that day. Washington Governor Jay Inslee also declared a state of emergency Wednesday, while Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a proclamation of civil emergency.
Globally, the virus has infected almost 98,000 people and killed more than 3,300.
