Tag: coronavirus

Rep. Dean Phillips Announces Office Policy to Allow More Flexibility During Coronavirus Response

WASHINGTON, DC – In consultation with public health officials in Washington D.C. and Minnesota, Representative Dean Phillips has announced changes to office protocol to protect the public while continuing to serve his constituents.

This week, the U.S. Capitol Sergeant At Arms ordered limited access to the U.S. Capitol complex and Member offices due to COVID-19 until at least April 1, which means that constituents may not enter the U.S. Capitol and surrounding Congressional office buildings without official business and an escort. While this will restrict physical access to the D.C. office, Rep. Phillips’s constituents can still expect to: Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips Announces Office Policy to Allow More Flexibility During Coronavirus Response”

Outside influences force Congress’ hand on coronavirus protocols

Shift on Capitol Hill followed other major venues and organizations announcing restrictions

The decision to suspend tours of the Capitol followed a chaotic cascade of announcements Wednesday from the World Health Organization officially labeling COVID-19 as a pandemic to Washington, D.C., declaring a state of emergency and barring large-scale gatherings to a congressman’s decision to share “sustained precautionary protocols.”

Earlier in the week, a growing roster of lawmakers who had been in contact with people confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus was not enough for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the two chambers’ sergeants-at-arms to close the Capitol to visitors and tours.

Lawmakers and health and safety officials on the Hill struggled to make the choice about limiting access to the Capitol as they weighed the threat of the coronavirus against the desire to keep the building open to the public. Continue reading.

Phillips, Smith Announce Coronavirus Briefing Call

Free and open-to-the-public informational call comes as more COVID-19 cases are confirmed, all Minnesotans are invited to submit questions and hear from public health experts

MINNESOTA – Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) announced today that they will host a free and open-to-the-publiccoronavirus briefing call featuring Minnesota public health experts at 6:00 PM CST on Monday, March 16. Minnesotans are invited to submit their questions about coronavirus (COVID-19) online HERE, and join the call by dialing 855-927-0897 or streaming online HERE.

WHAT:  Coronavirus Briefing Call

WHEN:  Monday, March 16, 2020, 6:00 PM CST – 7:00 PM CST

WHERE:  CALL IN: 855-927-0897 or STREAM ONLINE: https://phillips.house.gov/dial-in

WHO:

– Rep. Dean Phillips
– Senator Tina Smith
– Dr. Rob Thomas, Medical Director, Emergency Physicians Professional Association
– Dr. Penny Wheeler, CEO, Allina Health System
– Additional public health experts to be announced

SUBMIT QUESTIONS HERE:   https://tinyurl.com/MNCoronavirusBriefing

The first U.S. layoffs from the coronavirus are here

Washington Post logoJob losses have begun in ports, bakeries and travel agencies. Economists worry more layoffs are coming as businesses see plummeting sales.

The coronavirus outbreak is taking a deep toll on the U.S. economy, prompting hundreds of layoffs over the past week alone and halting a historic 11-year bull market in stocks.

Strong job growth and soaring financial markets have fueled the U.S. economic expansion over the past decade. Now the rapid market decline and initial layoffs are heightening fears that the longest economic expansion in U.S. history could come to a sudden end, just a month after unemployment stood at a half-century low.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 1,465 points, or 5.9 percent, Wednesday with every sector slumping after the World Health Organization designated the coronavirus a pandemic. The Dow closed in bear market territory, meaning it had shed more than 20 percent from its high less than a month ago. Continue reading.

Anthony Fauci undercuts Trump on the flu and other coronavirus assertions

Washington Post logoMidway through a hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill, a House Republican asked Anthony Fauci, a member of the president’s coronavirus task force, if he was offended by the idea that he could be prevented from speaking openly about the coronavirus by the Trump administration.

“With all due respect,” Fauci said, “I served six presidents and have never done anything other than tell the exact scientific evidence and made policy recommendations based on the science and the evidence.”

The rest of his testimony reinforced that Fauci isn’t exactly toeing anybody’s line. Over and over again, he differed with President Trump’s talking points that play down the threat posed by the novel coronavirus, and he even differed with decisions Trump has made. Continue reading.

States impose drastic measures to battle coronavirus

The Hill logoState and local governments are taking drastic and unprecedented measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, an acknowledgment that parts of the country are past the point of containment.

Several cities are prohibiting large gatherings and events, big businesses are telling their workers to stay at home, and more classes are getting canceled at schools and universities.

Those disturbances to everyday life are likely to spread to other cities as an increase in testing reveals undetected cases, public health officials warned. Continue reading.

Dow enters bear market after coronavirus declared pandemic

Washington Post logoThe blue chip index dives nearly 1,500 points as a record, 11-year stock rally comes to a close

Wall Street went into a deep slump Wednesday, falling so far and so fast that the Dow Jones industrial average officially tipped into a bear market, ending a record 11-year stock rally.

The bear market reflects a 20 percent fall from record highs, which the Dow hit less than a month ago, and came after the coronavirus officially became a pandemic. The World Health Organization’s declaration Wednesday reflected its alarm that countries aren’t working quickly and aggressively enough to fight the disease covid-19, caused by the coronavirus.

The Dow — already deep in the red for the day — tumbled nearly 1,500 points after the WHO announcement. It closed at 23,553, a nearly 6 percent decline on the day. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index flirted with bear territory before closing just above the mark at 2,741, a 4.9 percent fall for the session. The Nasdaq composite tumbled 4.7 percent to 7,952. All three indexes are in negative territory for the year.

Donald Trump ‘is botching coronavirus fightback by making key meetings top secret’

Donald Trump has been accused of hampering the United States’ efforts to tackle coronavirus by making top-level meetings on the outbreak top secret.

Four different White House officials told Reuters that dozens of classified discussions about topics including infection rates, quarantines and travel restrictions have been discussed in a high security meeting room at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for the last two months.

Vital staff, including top government experts, were excluded from the meetings because they did not have the required clearance to attend.

The allegations were made as Trump finally vowed to tackle the mounting crisis head on, tweeting: ‘I am fully prepared to use the full power of the Federal Government to deal with our current challenge of the CoronaVirus!’ Continue reading.

Add to list ‘This is not a bailout’: Mnuchin defends Trump plan to rescue firms affected by coronavirus

Washington Post logoWhite House faces questions about why it is seeking to offer some firms emergency assistance but not others

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday defended the Trump administration’s plan to provide targeted emergency assistance for specific industries hurt by the coronavirus fallout, denying that White House proposals amount to a “bailout” despite mounting scrutiny about whether powerful firms are being singled out for assistance.

Speaking to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Mnuchin said the White House could act to provide assistance to the travel, cruise and hotel industries, which have been hammered by cancellations and a drop-off in bookings because of traveler concerns.

The White House is considering providing low- or no-interest loans for affected companies and could defer taxes for them until a later date, multiple senior administration officials said. The situation is evolving rapidly. The White House is also considering offering low- or no-interest loans to oil and gas producers that have been hit by plummeting oil prices, officials said. Continue reading.

WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic

The Hill logoThe World Health Organization (WHO) is officially calling the coronavirus a pandemic.

“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“We have therefore made the assessment that Covid-19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” he added. Continue reading.