US reveals $8-B COVID-19 fund; cruise ship testing underway

WhatsAppWhatsAppFacebookFacebookTwitterTwitterPinterestPinterestRedditRedditGmailGmailShareShare

Last updated on May 18th, 2021 at 05:59 am

US lawmakers passed a $8.3 billion emergency spending bill to combat coronavirus Thursday as health workers boarded a cruise ship off the San Francisco coast to check sick passengers and crew.

A day after the House passed the bill, the Senate gave sweeping bipartisan support to the funding so that President Donald Trump could easily be sent to the White House.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has increased, particularly in the northwest state of Washington where another person succumbed to the disease, raising the death toll to 12 in the US. According to an AFP count there have been over 180 confirmed cases nationwide.

In the meantime, health workers started monitoring approximately 35 passengers on board the Grand Princess cruise ship who had signs of flu after one.

On the vessel there are about 3,500 passengers and crew who cut off their journey back from Hawaii after the passengers began to fall ill. While not everybody was being tested, they will be separated until the ship is eventually allowed to dock, an official said.

One of the passengers that AFP contacted said there was no panic on board and people seemed to take the setback in phase.

She said passengers had been told to stay in their cabins about midday on Thursday and that test results would be released early Friday.

The Grand Princess belongs to Princess Cruises, the same company that owned the Diamond Princess— the coronavirus-stricken ship that last month kept off Japan from which over 700 passengers tested positive and six died.

WhatsAppWhatsAppFacebookFacebookTwitterTwitterPinterestPinterestRedditRedditGmailGmailShareShare
AddThis Website Tools
Desk Writer

Spends most of the time reading news all around the world. Strong knowledge and understanding of the current situation and happenings in the ASEAN region.

Recent Posts

South Korea to End Private Adoptions After Shocking Findings

South Korea will conclude private adoptions on Saturday July 19th as a significant investigation unveiled serious problems in South Korea's…

July 19, 2025

2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship: Vietnam Register their First Victory

One of the biggest tournaments in the Asian region the ‘2025 ASEAN U-23 Championship’ began on 17 July 2025 and…

July 19, 2025

The B-Town Debut Pair Set a New Record Surpassing Jahnvi & Ishaan’s!

In 2025, a surprising boom of the newly released movie ‘Saiyaara’ is rewriting the debut narrative and has earned the…

July 19, 2025

‘Spiderman: Beyond The Spider Verse’ : A New Release Date Announced!

Under the animated Spider-Verse the movie ‘Spiderman: Beyond The Spider Verse’ is the third film and the expectation over this…

July 19, 2025

UAE’s Freelance Boom and The Strategic Push for Diversified Economy

A powerful surge has been witnessed in UAE’s freelance economy and they have emerged as the home for over 100,000…

July 19, 2025

4th Youth Series Awards 2025: Fan-Favourite Gwan-sik Seizes the Event With His Charm!

‘Blue Dragon Series Awards’ is the first major award ceremony that is held in South Korea and it is solely…

July 19, 2025