Welcome to The Hill’s daily roundup of coronavirus news. There are 884,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S., which passed a grim threshold Friday: 50,000 deaths.
Here’s what else you need to know today:
From the Trump administration
- President Trump signed a $484 billion relief package, even as war of words heated up over state and local aid in the next bill. The measure Trump signed included $310 billion for small business funding, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for testing and contact tracing. Morgan Chalfant reports.
- Two anti-malaria medications highly touted by President Trumpshould not be taken outside a hospital or clinical trial because of the risk of severe heart problems, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned Friday. Nathaniel Weixel has the story.
- President Trump’s suggestion that people could inject disinfectants as a way to treat the coronavirus is drawing strong criticism from doctors who warn the remarks from the White House could endanger the public.Read more from Peter Sullivan.
- Trump, meanwhile, said on Friday afternoon that he was actually being sarcastic when he made the comments. Brett Samuels reports.
From Congress:
- Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) wrote a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield saying the agency needs to modernize its reporting capabilities and develop real-time national reporting of coronavirus cases. Justine Coleman reports.
- House Democrats on Friday called for the federal government to take a more aggressive role in determining how to reopen American society, schools and businesses, the same day Georgia pressed ahead with plans to reopen some nonessential businesses. Read Scott Wong’s story here.
- Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the election “must” be held in November, warning against any effort that might be made to delay it because of coronavirus. Cristina Marcos reports.
From the states:
- Georgia reported 635 new coronavirus cases and 20 more deaths in a 24-hour period ending at noon on Friday, the same day its governor is letting some businesses reopen. Jessie Hellmann has the story.
- The United States passed the grim milestone of 50,000 coronavirus deaths, 16 times the number of Americans killed in the 9/11 attacks. Reid Wilson reports.
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Friday said that he would sign an executive order that would send all registered New York state voters a postage-paid absentee ballot application for the state’s upcoming primary elections in June. The move is intended to make it easier for people to vote as the state continues to face the COVID-19 epidemic. Marty Johnson has the story.
- Cuomo also continued to fume over Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) support for allowing states to declare bankruptcy amid the coronavirus, daring the GOP leader to pass a law allowing for states to do so. Jordain Carney reports.
- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) extended the state’s stay-at-home order to May 15 on Friday amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., while also easing some restrictions on certain businesses. Read more from Julia Manchester.