Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
Trump signs stimulus plan for COVID-19
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new $900 billion stimulus plan for the economy, extending the benefits to millions of citizens facing the pandemic and the crisis it has caused.
This, after almost a week of the outgoing president's refusal to sign this aid, also prevented funds for the Administration from being depleted and hundreds of thousands of employees from having their salaries suspended.
"I sign this bus and COVID-19 package with a strong message that makes it clear to Congress that the wasteful items of the law must be withdrawn," Trump said in a statement.
The president said that, despite signing the bill, he still hopes Congress will approve a change in the item that contemplates sending a one-time payment of $600 to millions of taxpayers to compensate for the ravages of the pandemic.
USA U.S. exceeds 19 million cases of VOCs-19
The country surpassed the 19 million registered cases of COVID-19 this Sunday, according to estimates made by Johns Hopkins University, while in the last week one million cases were registered, due to the end of the year celebrations.
The United States also has a total of 333,836 deaths related to the virus as of this Monday, making the number of cases and deaths the highest in the world.
COVID-19 infections have increased at an alarming rate in recent months. In the U.S., at least one million cases per week have been added since the beginning of November.
COVID-19 vaccination campaign experiences delays
As of last Wednesday, according to Reuters, only one million shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the United States, suggesting a delay in the campaign's goal of 20 million people by the end of the year.
U.S. Army General Gustave Perna reported that some deliveries of the first 20 million doses will continue through the first week of January, while Moncef Slaoui, chief advisor to Operation Warp Speed, said it could take longer.
While hospitals have begun distributing the vaccines - Modern and Pfizer-BioNTech - to date the CDC has not yet reported these data and there may be a delay in reporting the vaccines given for both vaccines.
Suspected explosion in Nashville identified
Nashville authorities have identified the suspect in a vehicle explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day. They also confirmed that the suspect was killed on the spot.
"We concluded that an individual named Anthony Warner is the attacker, was present when the bomb went off and was killed in the explosion," U.S. Attorney Don Cochran said at a news conference.
The explosion, which occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Friday, December 25 in Nashville - the capital of the Countryside music - damaged some 40 buildings and injured at least three people, at a time when the area was virtually empty in the early hours of Christmas.
