US President Donald Trump has signed the coronavirus economic bill, the White House said on Wednesday.
"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 6201, the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (the "Act"). The Act makes emergency supplemental appropriations and other changes to law to help the Nation respond to the coronavirus outbreak", President Trump said in a statement, as quoted by the White House.
The legislation will expand paid leave and assist in providing unemployment insurance, while it also guarantees free testing for COVID-19 and ensures $1 billion food assistance to low-income families, as the coronavirus outbreak is raging in the United States.
As of today, a total of 9,345 cases of coronavirus have been registered in the US, with the death toll reaching 150, according to the latest data provided by the Johns Hopkins University. All 50 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands have reported cases of the new coronavirus disease.
New York has been the state most affected by the virus so far, with over 2,600 citizens infected with COVID-19.
To deal with the outbreak, the US has banned all flights to and from a number of countries, including the European Union, Mexico, and China, where the virus originated last December. Additionally, the State Department has suspended routine visa services in most countries.
COVID-19 has also shattered the US economy, with the main stock indices plummeting over the past few days.
Concerns linked to the spread of coronavirus have triggered oil market volatility, with the Brent oil price hitting its lowest level ($25 per barrel) on Wednesday since May 2003.
