Coronavirus Live Updates: Mnuchin Says Relief Deal Could Come This Week; TSA Screenings Return To March Levels

The United States topped five million cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, marking a grim milestone that represents roughly a quarter of all confirmed cases across the world. Markets and lawmakers aren’t yet sure what to make of President Donald Trump’s four executive orders aimed at expanding coronavirus relief for Americans. The weekend executive action came after congressional negotiations ground to a halt last week, leaving in limbo many Americans whose livelihoods have been upended by the pandemic.

Here are some of the biggest developments on Monday:

Mnuchin says White House is willing to offer more money in virus aid talks
TSA screenings hit highest since mid-March, but still far below last year

State election officials preparing PPE, sanitizer for November polling sites
Across the country, election officials are strategizing ways to incorporate personal protective equipment into their upcoming elections to minimize the spread of the coronavirus as people show up to vote in person in November.

Because this year is the first time election officials are thinking about PPE, there is no uniform way to distribute it. Some states have relied on the National Guard to disperse the equipment to various drop-off points like polling sites, while others are packaging it along with standard election materials like voting sheets and machines.

Likewise, there’s no single way to determine how much PPE is enough come November. Some states are relying on turnout data from past elections to make the decision, but there are signs that in-person turnout will be substantially lower this year than in previous years because of a widespread push for vote-by-mail services.

Such challenges have made it difficult to predict and prepare for election execution, and some states worry that funding for PPE will run out. Lawmakers remain engaged in tense negotiations over the parameters of the latest coronavirus stimulus bill, but it’s unclear whether the package will include additional election funding. —Yelena Dzhanova

1 HOUR AGO
One-third of Americans consider adopting pets during pandemic
Many Americans are considering adopting pets now that social distancing is the norm. But they should be aware of the costs that come with that companionship.

A new survey from TD Ameritrade finds that 33% of Americans have considered fostering or adopting a furry friend during the pandemic. Those most likely to add a pet to their family are millennials, at 50%, followed by Gen Xers, 33% and baby boomers, 25%.

While most survey respondents said they consider their dogs and cats to be part of the family, many were surprised by how much it costs to have a pet. Dog owners spend up to $1,201 a year on average on their pets, while cat owners shell out up to $687 per year on average, the survey found. —Lorie Konish

2 HOURS AGO
WHO warns of gap in funding but sees ‘green shoots of hope’
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of a “vast global gap” in funding needed to fight the coronavirus and said the agency must “fundamentally scale up the way we are financing” the efforts.

“While we’re grateful for those that have made contributions, we’re only 10% of the way to funding the billions required to realize the promise of the ACT Accelerator,” he said, referencing the “Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator” effort.

Still, Tedros cited “green shoots of hope” in fighting combatting the virus spread, even as global cases from the virus near 20 million and deaths approach 750,000.

Some countries in Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Rwanda and islands across the Caribbean and the Pacific were able to suppress the virus early on, Tedros said at a press conference. France, Germany, South Korea, Spain, Italy and the U.K. had major coronavirus outbreaks but were able to suppress it, he said, attributing the decline in cases to strong public health measures.

The comment came as public health experts and infectious disease specialists say a strong, coordinated message in the United States is more important than ever officials fear the virus may be widely circulating in parts of the Midwest now.
– CNBC.