U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 17; at least half of U.S. states confirm cases

U.S. coronavirus death 

toll reaches 17; at least 

half of U.S. states confirm

 cases

Inside the race to find a coronavirus vaccine and treatment

Across the United States and the globe, scientists are racing to develop a vaccine and a treatment to contain the novel coronavirus. (Luis Velarde/The Washington Post)

By 

Derek Hawkins, 

Hannah Knowles, 

Michael Brice-Saddler, 

Siobhán O'Grady, 

Alex Horton and 

Reis Thebault 

March 6, 2020 at 11:36 p.m. GMT-5

The coronavirus death toll in the United States reached 17 late Friday when Florida health officials reported two fatalities, the first in the state.

Earlier in the day, the Seattle-area hospital caring for most of the coronavirus patients who have died in the United States reported three more deaths. Several states reported their first cases, and 21 people on a cruise ship off the coast of California have tested positive for the virus.

As more cases were identified, concerns also rose about who else could have been inadvertently exposed to the respiratory virus. In Maryland, health officials launched a search for other potentially infected people after three Montgomery County residents who had traveled overseas were found to have the virus.

Worldwide, the number of cases has surpassed 100,000. In the United States, there are more than 300, and at least half of all U.S. states have confirmed cases.

President Trump signed legislation Friday that provides $8.3 billion of emergency funding to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, enacting into law a measure passed swiftly and with broad bipartisan support.

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Here are the latest developments:

• EvergreenHealth, the Seattle-area hospital caring for most of the coronavirus patients who have died in the United States, reported three more fatalities Friday. Two other facilities for seniors in the area also announced they have residents with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
• Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Pennsylvania confirmed their first covid-19 cases.
• Vice President Pence sought to assuage concerns about the availability of coronavirus testing Friday, saying that all public health laboratories now have the tests and that two of the country’s largest commercial laboratories will soon roll out materials as well.
• In Austin, the South by Southwest festival was canceled. And in Miami, plans for two festivals, the Ultra Music Festival and Calle Ocho, were also scrapped Friday because of fears that the events could help spread coronavirus.

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11:36 p.m.

Uber to cover two weeks’ pay for gig workers affected by coronavirus

Uber will compensate drivers who are unable to work due to the novel coronavirus, the company said in a memo Friday.

Drivers who are placed into quarantine by a public health authority, or diagnosed with covid-19, the condition caused by the novel coronavirus, will receive up to two weeks’ pay, Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of global rides, wrote in a memo to employees. Uber said it will require documentation to reflect the diagnosis or quarantine, self-isolation or removal from the app by a public health authority.

Uber faced criticism for giving attention to employee health and safety without addressing driver needs upfront. Macdonald said in his memo that covering drivers’ lost earnings was “the right thing to do.” Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) issued letters to gig economy companies, including Uber, asking them to “address the potential financial hardship” faced by workers.

Specifics were not immediately available, but Uber said the plan was for ride-hailing and delivery drivers.

“This has already begun in some markets and we are working to implement mechanisms to do this worldwide,” Macdonald wrote.

Uber has established funding to cover driver expenses in the past — for example, when some drivers were caught in limbo by the Trump administration’s U.S. immigration ban and unable to collect their usual earnings.

Uber did not immediately respond to questions on the level of pay and mechanism, such as whether they’d be paid by the company or through a support fund. The company said it is consulting a public health expert and public health organizations to establish the correct mechanisms to pay drivers on a market-by-market basis. It did not specify how much drivers would be paid.

The company said it is not aware of any cases of new coronavirus spread between a rider or driver.

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By Faiz Siddiqui