US House passes USD 8.3 billion emergency bill to combat coronavirus

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a USD 8.3 billion emergency funding bill to help contain and treat the novel coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

The measure passed with a 415-2 vote on Wednesday afternoon (local time) will head to the Senate for an expected swift vote on Thursday.

Eleven people have died from the novel coronavirus in the United States and more than 100 people have been confirmed infected. More than 90,000 people have been infected with the virus worldwide and more than 3,100 have died from complications associated with the infection.

The bill includes USD 3 billion to develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for coronavirus; USD 2.2 billion for public health response efforts; USD 1 billion for medical supplies and other health care preparedness efforts.

In addition, the bill includes low-interest loans to help small businesses survive the economic damages brought on by the crisis. It also includes USD 1.25 billion to help in overseas efforts to contain the outbreak.