As of 9 a.m., Feb. 25, the coronavirus has sickened 80,346 and has resulted in 2,705 deaths. Globally, 27,844 people have recovered from the illness.
Key updates:
1. The White House requested $2.5 billion in emergency funds, but some say it's not enough, NBC News reports. The money is intended to accelerate vaccine development, support emergency response and procure supplies, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Half of the money would come from new funding, while the rest would be transferred from existing accounts, such as the Ebola preparedness account, according to the New York Post. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the request "long overdue and completely inadequate to the scale of this emergency" in a Feb. 24 tweet.
2. The CDC confirmed 53 COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of 4 p.m. Feb. 24. Fourteen cases were detected in the U.S., with 12 related to travel and the remaining two spread via human transmission. Of all 53 cases, 36 patients were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and three were evacuated from Wuhan, China.
3. President Donald Trump said the U.S. is "very close to a vaccine" to combat the novel coronavirus, according to the New York Post. President Trump said the nation is doing a great job handling the outbreak, though others disagree.
"We are staring down a potential pandemic and the administration has no plan," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., according to the New York Post.
4. A hospital in Italy breached protocol, contributing to the rapid spread of COVID-19, CNN reports. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said a hospital didn't take proper precautions, furthering the spread of the infectious disease. He did not elaborate on how the hospital breached protocol. Italy has confirmed 283 COVID-19 cases as of Feb. 25, the highest number of infections outside Asia. Tourist attractions and schools have been shut down, and private meetings have been prohibited.
5. Iran's deputy health minister has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to CNBC. As of Feb. 25, 95 cases have been confirmed in Iran, along with 16 related deaths — the highest number of COVID-19 deaths outside China.
The White House requested $2.5 billion in emergency funds, but some say it's not enough, NBC News reports. The money is intended to accelerate vaccine development, support emergency response and procure supplies, according to the Office of Management and Budget. Half of the money would come from new funding, while the rest would be transferred from existing accounts, such as the Ebola preparedness account, according to the New York Post. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the request "long overdue and completely inadequate to the scale of this emergency" in a Feb. 24 tweet.
The CDC confirmed 53 COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of 4 p.m. Feb. 24. Fourteen cases were detected in the U.S., with 12 related to travel and the remaining two spread via human transmission. Of all 53 cases, 36 patients were evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and three were evacuated from Wuhan, China.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is "very close to a vaccine" to combat the novel coronavirus, according to the New York Post. President Trump said the nation is doing a great job handling the outbreak, though others disagree.
"We are staring down a potential pandemic and the administration has no plan," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., according to the New York Post.
A hospital in Italy breached protocol, contributing to the rapid spread of COVID-19, CNN reports. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said a hospital didn't take proper precautions, furthering the spread of the infectious disease. He did not elaborate on how the hospital breached protocol. Italy has confirmed 283 COVID-19 cases as of Feb. 25, the highest number of infections outside Asia. Tourist attractions and schools have been shut down, and private meetings have been prohibited.
Iran's deputy health minister has been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to CNBC. As of Feb. 25, 95 cases have been confirmed in Iran, along with 16 related deaths — the highest number of COVID-19 deaths outside China.