US COVID-19 cases surpass 29 million mark
Mar 10, 2021
Washington [US], March 10 : The United States continues to remain the worst-hit nation across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic as cumulative cases in the country surpassed the 29-million mark on Wednesday (local time).
According to Johns Hopkins University, as many as 29,096,450 people have detected positive for the COVID-19. The death toll in the country stands at 527,705.
On Saturday (local time), US President Joe Biden announced that the USD 1,400 coronavirus stimulus cheques will be distributed from March onwards.
This is the first round of stimulus checks that will be given out under Biden. Former President Donald Trump passed two stimulus checks last year, one for USD 1,200 and another for USD 600.
According to The Hill, the payments come after the US Senate passed the nearly USD 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill Saturday in a 50-49 partisan vote. The bill was debated for weeks among Senators, with provisions such as an increase to a USD 15 minimum wage being taken out in order to get the bill through.
"Through this plan, checks will be distributed starting this month, to the American people who so desperately need the help, many of whom are lying in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering, 'Will I lose my job, if I haven't already? Will I lose my insurance? Will I lose my home?'," the President said after the upper chamber passed the bill.
