Trump said the US would buy large quantities of crude oil for strategic reserves and waived student loan interest during the coronavirus crisis, stressing that the 'next eight weeks were critical'.
Pedestrians walk past graffiti urging people to 'wash their hands' in the Grafton Street area of Dublin City centre, on March 13, 2020, as schools and universities closed on Thursday for two weeks with mass gatherings banned and social distancing strongly recommended. Picture: PAUL FAITH / AFP
“To unleash the full power of the federal government, I’m officially declaring a national emergency,” Trump said, announcing $50 billion in federal funds to battle the fast-spreading pandemic. Italy, Spain as well as Iran — which have emerged as virus hotspots — all clocked a dramatic rise in cases and fatalities in the past 24 hours, while infections were reported in Kenya and Ethiopia, the first in east Africa.
The virus has torn up the sporting and cultural calendar, with top-flight events from Broadway to English Premier League football scrapped. China this week claimed “the peak” of the pandemic had passed its shores although it still has the biggest overall number of deaths and infections. The new measures came after Trump this week banned all travelers from mainland Europe for 30 days, prompting a swift rebuke from Brussels which is scrambling to shore up the EU economy.
“I sent my friend a messaging saying: let’s have a drink before they ban us! We walked here without taking public transport.”
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