Sen. Rand Paul tests positive for virus, forcing quarantines
WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the first case of COVID-19 in the Senate and raising fears about the further transmission of the virus among Republicans at the Capitol.
Paul, an eye surgeon, went into quarantine Sunday after learning his results. He said he has not had symptoms and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He said he was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.
His announcement led Utah’s two GOP senators — Mike Lee and Mitt Romney — to place themselves into quarantine, stepping away from negotiations as the Senate worked on a $1.4 trillion economic rescue package for the coronavirus crisis. At least five senators, including Paul, were in self-quarantine Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
“The coronavirus has hit the Senate today,” said McConnell, R-Ky. “It’s not just back in our states but right here in the Senate.”
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona elected in 2018, chastised Paul on Twitter, saying his decision to return to the Capitol after he was tested — but before he learned the results — was “absolutely irresponsible.”
Asian shares, US futures sink as virus crisis deepens
BANGKOK — U.S. futures dropped more than 4% and Australia’s share benchmark initially plunged 8.5% as work on more stimulus for the U.S. economy hit snags in the U.S. Senate.
Shares dropped more than 4% in Hong Kong and 5% in South Korea. The Shanghai Composite index lost 2.6%. However, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index held steady, gaining 0.5% in early trading today.
Top-level negotiations between U.S. Congress and the White House continued after the Senate voted against advancing the $2 trillion economic rescue package.
The Democrats said the bill was tilted too much toward aiding corporations and would not do enough to help individuals and healthcare providers.
By 9 p.m. EST, the S&P 500 future contract was down 4.2% at 2,194.40. The future for the Dow dropped 4.3% to 18,220.00.
Chaos, inconsistency mark launch of drive-through virus testing
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Drive-through sites have been opening around the United States to make it quicker and safer to test people for the new coronavirus. But much like the rest of the U.S. response to the pandemic, the system has been marked by inconsistencies, delays, and shortages. Many people who have symptoms and a doctor’s order have waited hours or days for a test.
More than a week after President Donald Trump promised that states and retail stores such as Walmart and CVS would open drive-through test centers, few sites are up and running, and they’re not yet open to the general public. Some states are leaving it to the private sector to open test locations; others are coordinating the effort through state health departments.
Patients have complained that they had to jump through cumbersome bureaucratic hoops and wait days to get tested, then wait even longer for a result. Testing centers opened in some places only to be shut down shortly afterward because of shortages of supplies and staff. And while the drive-through test centers that have opened are generally orderly, there have been long lines at some.
The slow ramp-up of the COVID-19 testing and the spotty nature now of the system makes it hard for public health officials to track the spread of the disease and bring it under control.
“We need to be testing more broadly to fully understand the scope of the public health situation we are facing,” said Joseph Wendelken, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Whiplash: All at once, a steady US economy screeches to halt
WASHINGTON — Three weeks ago, EmpireCLS was heading toward a second straight year of record business. A car service company in New Jersey, Empire couldn’t even find enough chauffeurs and office workers to meet its needs.
Now? With stunning speed, business in the United States — as well as in Europe and elsewhere — has collapsed in the face of the coronavirus and warnings for everyone to stay home. Suddenly, no one needs a chauffeur.
“We went from full throttle to 90% revenue loss in three weeks,” said CEO David Seelinger. “We’ve been through 9/11. We’ve seen recessions. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Seelinger spent last Sunday laying off 750 of his 900 employees.
“It was the most difficult day of my career,” he said.
By wire sources
