US President Donald Trump waves upon arrival at Palam Air Force Base in New Delhi on Feb. 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

White House Sends $2.5 Billion Emergency Coronavirus Request to Congress

The White House on Feb. 24 sent a $2.5 billion supplemental budget request to Congress as part of an urgent plan to combat the deadly outbreak of the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

The money would be used for therapeutics and personal protective equipment such as masks, with some $1 billion or more to be directed toward vaccine development, the White House said.

“Today, the Administration is transmitting to Congress a $2.5 billion supplemental funding plan to accelerate vaccine development, support preparedness, and response activities, and to procure much-needed equipment and supplies,” White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) spokeswoman Rachel Semmel said.

“We are also freeing up existing resources and allowing for greater flexibilities for response activities.”

The White House is asking for new funding of about $1.25 billion, as well as other funds already budgeted by Congress, such as $535 million to be transferred from the Ebola preparedness account.

The Trump administration is also considering moving money from other accounts of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reach its goal of $2.5 billion.

Congressional approval is needed before funds can be directed to address the coronavirus outbreak.

The virus has spread to some 29 countries and territories beyond mainland China, with major outbreaks reported in South Korea, Iran, and Italy.

The United States now has 53 cases of coronavirus in total, with the bulk of that figure—36 people—coming from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan.

Three people among the total cases were Americans repatriated from the city of Wuhan in China’s Hubei Province—the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, 14 people were diagnosed in the United States—eight in California, one in Massachusetts, one in Washington state, two in Illinois, one in Wisconsin, and one in Arizona. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two cases of person-to-person transmission occurred in California and Illinois.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.