Negotiators move closer to deal for coronavirus, expected to exceed White House request

Congressional negotiators and the White House have made major progress over the weekend on a multi-billion dollar spending package to deal with the US response to coronavirus, according to two sources familiar with the talks.

Sources said a deal could be announced over the next day, setting the stage for swift approval by both houses of Congress.

It still remains to be seen how much the deal will be worth. But the sources said it could exceed $7 billion, a level far higher than the $2.5 billion White House request. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed $8.5 billion to deal with the outbreak.

President Donald Trump announced Sunday new screening procedures for coronavirus. The President tweeted that people will be screened for coronavirus upon arriving in the US if they are traveling from high-risk countries.

The Trump administration announced on Saturday new travel restrictions following news of the first US fatality from the disease. The patient died in Washington and appears to have become ill through community spread, according to Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who spoke alongside the President at a briefing Saturday.