Donald Trump signs $2.2trn relief bill as New York pleads for hospital beds

 

Donald Trump has signed an unprecedented $2.2trn (£1.8tn) coronavirus relief bill to help American citizens and businesses affected by the outbreak.

The US president said the bill would “deliver urgently needed relief” and would put Americans “first”.

It was signed into legislation as New York’s governor urgently called for thousands more hospital beds for coronavirus patients, warning the situation would last “weeks and weeks and weeks”.

Andrew Cuomo said 40,000 temporary beds would be needed across the state – and 4,000 in New York City alone.

New York is preparing temporary hospitals, including one which has been set up in a convention centre, but is looking to put up more.

“This is going to be a long day, and it’s going to be a hard day, and it’s going to be an ugly day, and it’s going to be a sad day,” Mr Cuomo said.

New York is the epicentre of the outbreak in the US. There are more than 44,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state, and the number of people admitted to hospital passed 6,000 on Friday.

Read more via Sky News

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