The United States announced at least 11 coronavirus deaths as of Tuesday and a spike in California, prompting the House to pass a response package in the billions, a declaration of state of emergency, and a warning regarding CoVID-19 testing.
California Declares State of Emergency as Princess Cruises Ship Held Off
On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in a bid to mobilize the state's response measures against the novel coronavirus.
According to the New York Times, the state now has at least 54 confirmed CoVID-19 cases, marking the highest infection toll in the United States.
The news came following confirmation that another Princess Cruises cruise ship, the Grand Princess, was held off the coast of San Francisco on Wednesday due to some people reporting potential CoVID-19 symptoms.
Newsom noted that the ship will not be allowed to dock until passengers undergo medical screening for potential symptoms.
A person previously on board a ship that recently went from San Francisco to Mexico saw one of its passengers die in a Placer County facility. In Sonoma County, another passenger is undergoing treatment for the novel coronavirus.
Spike in U.S. Cases Pushes House to Pass Spending Package
Also on Wednesday, the House passed a response package amounting to $8.3 billion to support the country's battle against the fast-spreading virus.
Senate will have to pass the spending package too but it is expected that both the Senate and the White House will back the deal, CNN reported. $7.8 billion of the aid package will focus on measures to contain the CoVID-19 strain.
It is worth noting that the White House initially requested a coronavirus funding package amounting to $2.5 billion. Following the hike in new CoVID-19 cases in the country, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed an $8.5 billion deal.
The goal is to pass the emergency response package this week, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell pointed out. However, GOP. Sen. Roy Blunt argued that not everyone in the U.S. Senate will pass the bill due to the massive amount.
DHS Employee Tests Positive
Late Wednesday afternoon, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Press Secretary Heather Swift confirmed that one employee tested positive of the coronavirus.
According to CNBC, the said employee is just one of at least six people in Los Angeles to have contracted the disease. Swift revealed that the employee is one of the department's contract medical providers who conducted CoVID-19 screenings at the L.A. airport.
At the moment, the infected DHS worker is on home-quarantine along with the immediate family. LAX international airport screens passengers arriving from China.
Washington Schools Remain Open
As of Tuesday, schools across the Washington state remained open but local officials have been encouraging workers to telecommute as the coronavirus crisis in the United States ensues.
In the Seattle metropolitan area, schools will not close unless a confirmed CoVID-19 case is reported within a particular school, director for public health in Seattle and King County Patty Hayes clarified, according to USA Today.
Higher-risk residents have also been urged to avoid going to crowded areas in the meantime, as well as pregnant women and people who have underlying conditions or those 60 years and beyond.
Despite fears around the Washington state, health officer Jeffrey Duchin said there is still a need to keep business operations up and schools running so the community can keep moving forward.
Yale Professor Drops Another Warning
Yale University professor Howard Forman once again dropped a new warning regarding the country's CoVID-19 testing measures. Forman, who specializes in healthcare management and a radiology practitioner, said the U.S. is delayed in testing people for potential coronavirus infection.
Speaking with Business Insider, Forman argued that the U.S. has not tested enough people in broad-scale measures to ensure that the CoVID-19 strain will be contained.
Forman went on to explain that coronavirus testing should be implemented in such a way that more is done compared to the way Americans are tested for the common flu.
Before his latest warning, Forman previously predicted in a tweet over the weekend that coronavirus infections in the country will "explode," seemingly overshadowing the spike in new cases in California and other states.
As of Wednesday, New Jersey and Texas reported CoVID-19 cases, rounding up the U.S. total infection toll to at least 152.
