US House passes $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan

President Joe Biden scored his first legislative win as the House of Representatives passed his 19 trillion Coronavirus relief package early on Saturday hailed by Democrats as a critical step in funneling new funding toward vaccinations overburdened local governments and millions of families devastated by the pandemicDays after the COVID19 death toll surpassed 500000 in the United States the sprawling measure backed by President Joe Biden and seen as a moral imperative by many now heads to the Senate for consideration next weekldquoAfter 12 months of death and despair the American recovery begins tonightrdquo congressman Brendan Boyle told the House chamber shortly before lawmakers approved the package on an rare postmidnight vote of 219 to 212No Republicans voted for the bill The sharply partisan result comes weeks after Bidenrsquos January 20 inauguration when he called for unity in the face of a onceinacentury health crisisThe package cleared the House despite a major setback for Democrats when a key Senate official ruled that the final version of the bill cannot include a minimum wage hikeBiden had campaigned extensively on raising the national minimum wage to 15 an hour from a rate of 725 that has stood since 2009 He aimed to include it in the rescue plan which directly provides 1400 checks to most Americans and allots billions of dollars to boost vaccine delivery and fund state and local governmentsIt extends unemployment benefits set to expire midMarch by about six months as well as a moratorium on evictions for millions of people struggling to pay rentThe bill is on track to be the second largest US stimulus ever after the 2 trillion package Donald Trump signed last March to fight the pandemicrsquos devastating spread Republicans fumed over the billrsquos historically high cost The package ldquojust throws out money without accountabilityrdquo House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy addedAuckland back under lockdownNew Zealandrsquos Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that the countryrsquos biggest city Auckland will be put into a sevenday lockdown from Sunday after a Coronavirus community case of unknown origin was recorded The lockdown with level 3 restrictions will allow people to leave home only for essential work The rest of New Zealand will be put into level 2 restrictions that limit public gatherings among others she added In midFebruary Auckland plunged into a snap threeday lockdown after a family of three were diagnosed with the UK variant of COVID19Quarantine fatigue a challenge in Greece a year after 1st caseQuarantine fatigue is one of the most significant challenges in Greece a year after the first COVID19 case was detected in the country Greek experts and pollsters said on Friday Greecersquos first confirmed infection was diagnosed on February 26 2020 A year later the country has been in a nationwide lockdown which was imposed since November 7 and extended by one more week on Friday as the epidemiological load remains heavy in many regions officials said According to the latest data provided by the National Public Health Organisation the majority of mutant strains identified in Greece so far or 1019 concern the one that was first detected in Britain The country has recorded 6439 deaths so far114084950TOTAL Number OF CORONAVIRUSCASES IN THE WORLD2531271Number OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE89630616Number OF RECOVERED PATIENTS