Coronavirus Developments: COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 150,000, Trump Seeks Short-Term Relief Package

The U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpassed 150,000 on Wednesday, while President Trump looked for a short-term solution to fix unemployment benefits that end on July 31 and eviction moratoriums that are set to expire as the pandemic continues.

With more deaths than any other country in the world, the U.S. continues to see a surge in coronavirus cases, reporting over 4.39 million positive cases as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The death count has been at an average daily high of 1,000 for the last week – a rate that is now as high as the numbers seen in early June, according to the New York Times database. A total of 24 states and Puerto Rico have reported an increase in COVID-19 deaths, including Florida, California, and Texas, which all confirmed record death totals for Tuesday.

An increase in COVID-19 deaths was also seen in Arizona, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia, the database said.

As the COVID-19 deaths increases, Trump wrestled with a fix to the $600 enhanced unemployment benefits that will run out for Americans at the end of the month, the Washington Post reported. The issue is only further compounded by the eviction moratorium that is also set to expire at month’s end.

Trump on Wednesday called for a short-term fix as Republicans and Democrats have yet to come to an agreement on what is expected to be another $1 trillion relief package.

“The rest of it, we’re so far apart, we don’t care, we really don’t care,” Trump said, referring to the part of the government aid that has yet to be agreed upon.

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked about what she thought of Trump’s short-term idea, she said, “Nothing. Not even ‘not much’ — nothing.”

In other coronavirus news:

• Global travel is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, a forecast from the International Air Transport Association said. The forecast said that short-haul trips will return faster with global passenger counts still expected to dip 55% compared to 2019 levels.
• Japan will now allow Hawaii citizens to travel into the country along with 12 other countries. Hawaii is the only U.S. state to receive the travel designation from Japan as it looks to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Japanese citizens will be allowed to travel to Hawaii.
• Norwegian Cruise Line has said that it will suspend its cruise operations through Oct. 31 in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. The cruise line, which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, previously suspended voyages through September.
• Chicago residents looking to travel to Wisconsin will need to quarantine for two weeks upon arriving back into the city. Residents that spend more than 24 hours in Wisconsin could be fined from $100 to $500 per day for violating the order.
• U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday as he was set to fly alongside President Trump to Texas. The news of the positive test comes with criticism against Gohmert, who has refused to wear a face mask at Capital Hill during the pandemic and has been seen ignoring social distancing guidelines when working in the Capital.
• General Motors saw losses of $806 million for Q2 2020 as its plants were shut down because of the coronavirus. The automaker saw new vehicle sales dip 34.6% in the U.S. and 5.3% in China for the quarter. GM’s plants were closed eight out of the 13 weeks of the second quarter and have reopened with new coronavirus safety measures in place.
• Boeing reported a $4.20 per share loss on revenues of $11.8 billion as the coronavirus pandemic took its toll on the aircraft maker. The company’s earnings were further hurt by the grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft. Boeing also reported a negative cash flow of $5.3 billion for the quarter and warned of layoffs as the industry continues to feel the impact of COVID-19.
• After retweeting a video that promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19, President Trump was asked about the retweet but then walked out of a White House coronavirus briefing. The video, which was removed by social media platforms after being deemed false information, featured a woman that claimed to be a doctor touting the use of hydroxychloroquine. Trump said he “thought her voice was an important voice. But I know nothing about her." He then left the briefing as the reporter tried to ask another question.
• North Carolina has banned the sale of alcohol after 11 p.m. as part of a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The order will prevent restaurants, breweries, wineries, and distilleries from serving alcohol after 11 p.m. Bars in North Carolina are currently closed across the state. The order goes into effect on Friday.
• Kohl’s said it will close its doors on Thanksgiving Day, adding to the growing list of retailers that will not be open on what has been known as the kickoff of Black Friday shopping. Kohl’s joins Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, which have all announced that they will be closed on the holiday to allow employees that worked during the pandemic time to spend with their families.
• The woman featured in the controversial video retweeted by President Trump, which promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine to cure COVID-19 has been identified as Dr. Stella Immanuel, who calls herself a prophet of God. The video, first posted by Breitbart, shows Immanuel saying that she is a primary care physician in Houston. She said she went to medical school in West Africa, Nigeria, where she treated malaria patients with hydroxychloroquine. She also claims, “you don’t need a mask. There is a cure,” for COVID-19, referring to hydroxychloroquine.