In view of the widening corona crisis, the US states of California and New York have taken drastic measures. In the two states with a total of around 60 million inhabitants, all unnecessary businesses are being closed and residents are being asked to leave their homes as little as possible.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was not currently considering a nationwide curfew. From Saturday onwards, the USA will close its borders with Mexico and Canada to travel. The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in the United States. More than 14,600 cases of infection – around half of them in New York State – and at least 210 deaths have already been reported there.
In view of the rapidly increasing number of infections, first California Governor Gavin Newsom and then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tightened the measures in the fight against the pandemic considerably. In the two badly affected states, all businesses that are not essential to everyday life have to close, and employees have to stay at home. Grocery stores and pharmacies, among others, are excluded. Food deliveries are also allowed.
People are encouraged to leave the house only for shopping and other urgent errands. However, walks are allowed, for example – but people should keep their distance from one another.
“These are the most drastic measures we can take,” said Governor Cuomo. All are now in a kind of “quarantine”.
President Trump made it clear during a press briefing in the White House on Friday that no nationwide curfew is currently being considered. “I don’t think we’ll ever think that’s necessary,” said Trump. There are “hotspots” like California and New York; many other US regions do not have “the same problem”.
In the fight against the spread of the virus, the borders of the USA with neighboring countries Mexico and Canada will close to tourist traffic from Saturday. While a corresponding agreement with Canada was announced on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the decision on Mexico on Friday.
“Not absolutely necessary” trips are prohibited, but this allows a number of exceptions. The transport of goods and merchandise is not affected.
Pompeo has now called on the Chinese leadership to be more transparent in the coronavirus crisis. “The Chinese government was the first to know about this risk to the world,” said Pompeo at the press conference at Trump’s side. Beijing therefore has a special responsibility to share data on the virus with US scientists.
Trump and other government officials have accused China of a lack of transparency in the pandemic. The US president has been talking about the “Chinese virus” regularly for some time – much to Beijing’s annoyance.
Meanwhile, the US Senate was working flat out on an emergency economic aid package, which should have a volume of around one trillion dollars (925.84 billion euros). The opposition Democrats criticize that the package proposed by Trump’s Republicans is aimed too much at businesses and not enough at citizens. A vote is planned for Monday. Then the aid package goes to the House of Representatives. For citizens and entrepreneurs, the government announced on Friday that there would be a tax deferral of three months.
Those: Apa / Ag.
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