Updated: Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Package With Free Testing, Paid Sick Leave

(Updated: 5:30 p.m. PST, March 18, 2020)

Topline: President Donald Trump signed a coronavirus relief bill into law on Wednesday that includes free coronavirus testing and paid sick leave, among other measures, after both the House and Senate approved the legislation, making it a bipartisan effort to aid Americans impacted by the pandemic.

• Congress entered into tough negotiations over the bill, titled the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” when it was introduced last week as the virus rapidly spread across the country.
• The House approved a slate of changes to the bill on Monday and the Senate approved the measure earlier Wednesday.
• Included in the bill: enhanced unemployment insurance, two weeks of paid sick leave for workers employed by businesses with fewer than 500 employees, increased funding for food assistance and free coronavirus testing.

What to watch for: The Senate will next take up a $1 trillion economic stimulus package, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying he would not adjourn Wednesday’s session without passing the “phase three” version of the bill. Up to $250 billion would be earmarked for two rounds of direct cash payments to Americans, CBS News reported, citing a Treasury Department memo. $300 billion would be set aside for small business loans, while $50 billion would go to the airline industry. Another $150 billion would be doled out to other “severely distressed” industries.

Key background: The coronavirus pandemic has upended ordinary life in America, as workers do their jobs from home, educational institutions at all levels stop in-person instruction and move classes online, professional sports leagues cancel their seasons along with conferences, concerts and festivals. As of Wednesday morning, over 200,000 infections were confirmed worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with over 8,200 deaths.