A brief look at other COVID-19 related news items from the Associated Press.
Americans should receive stimulus funds by Wednesday
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he expects more than 80 million Americans should have tax rebates directly deposited into their bank accounts by Wednesday.
Many Americans qualify for tax credits approved as part of legislation designed to boost the economy as the country responds to the new coronavirus. Under the program, single filers received $1,200 and joint filers $2,400, though it phases out for higher incomes.
For those who don’t get their money by Wednesday, Mnuchin said the IRS will have a website available that would allow people to plug in information and allow for their direct deposit to take place quickly.
Mnuchin said Social Security beneficiaries don’t have to do anything. The money will be directly deposited in their bank account.
WH asks governors to help get lab machines up and running
WASHINGTON — The White House is asking governors for help in getting high-tech lab machines up and running to process coronavirus tests.
In a conference call with governors Monday, Vice President Mike Pence asked governors for “whatever you can do” to help get testing machines found in hospitals, research laboratories and other places running at full capacity. The Associated Press obtained audio of the call.
Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said on the call that she’s working with labs throughout the country to make sure the machines are running at full capacity.
Data suggests social distancing is working to curb spread
ATLANTA — U.S. government health researchers say data from mobile devices in four cities suggests social distancing policies prompted more people to stay at home in March and might have curbed the spread of the coronavirus.
A company that collects anonymous location data from mobile devices provided key information for the study released Monday by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Location information came from a daily average of almost 758,000 devices in New Orleans, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle.
Researchers say people increasingly left their devices — and themselves — home as cities, states and the federal government adopted increasingly restrictive closures and social distancing policies.