Former Vice President Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide shutdown of all non-essential services to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“For the time being, I would, yes,” the Democratic presidential front-runner said Friday night during a CNN town hall. “You don’t know who doesn’t have the virus, so a lot of people walking around looking like they’re pretty healthy, and they may very well have the virus and transmit it.”

He questioned, “Why would we not err on the side of making sure we are not going to have a repeat?”

Biden’s comments differ from recent remarks by President Donald Trump who said this week he wants to “re-open America” by Easter.

“America will again and soon be open for business, very soon, a lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting - a lot sooner," the president said during a White House press conference focused on the federal response to coronavirus on Tuesday. "We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself. We’re not going to let the cure be worse than the problem.”

Trump doubled down on his message in an interview with Fox later on Tuesday. “You can destroy a country this way by closing it down," he said, adding he “would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.”

Biden, on Friday, called opening the economy versus focusing on public health a “false choice.”

“They’re one and the same,” Biden said during the CNN virtual event. “You can’t deal with the economic crisis until you deal with the health care crisis.”

Easter, held this year on Sunday, April 12, falls within the planned closure of non-essential businesses in numerous states impacted by the virus.

The United States now leads the world in reported COVID-19 infections, the country topping 100,000 confirmed cases this week.

Dr. John Brooks of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the United States is currently “in the acceleration phase” of the public health crisis and all regions of the country should be prepared.

The number of confirmed cases nationwide rose above 600,000 by Saturday morning. Worldwide, 28,687 deaths have been reported and 135,671 have recovered from the virus.

More than a third of cases in the U.S. have been centered in New York where there are more than 44,000 cases in the state. Over 6,000 have been hospitalized as of Friday.

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday action seeking to prevent further interstate community spread, asking people coming into Massachusetts to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Baker cited the situation in New York City and the tri-state-area as a primary concern.

“Encouraging people and instructing people who come back to Massachusetts from someplace else to self-quarantine for 14 days is a perfectly reasonable and logical thing to expect them to do,” Baker told reporters Friday morning.

Baker’s travel restrictions apply to people coming in from out-of-state who arrive at Boston Logan International Airport and South Station, as well as those who drive into Massachusetts. Health care workers, public health workers, public safety officials and transportation workers are exempt.

The number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts rose to 3,240 in Massachusetts on Friday, up 823 from Thursday. State health officials reported Friday that 10 more Massachusetts residents have died from the diseases, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 35.

More than 29,000 people have been tested in Massachusetts.

Trump signed the $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package into law on Friday, freeing up cash and loans for Americans and small business owners grappling with the economic fallout from the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

“This bill will deliver urgently needed relief for our nation’s families, workers, and businesses,” Trump said of the legislation, dubbed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The unprecedented relief bill comes as nearly 100,000 Americans have contracted the coronavirus and millions stay at home under self-, local- and state-imposed lockdowns beyond essential work and travel to buy necessities. Schools and businesses small and large have temporarily shuttered or closed down for good, reshaping daily life and sparking record-setting claims for unemployment.

All single taxpayers earning up to $75,000 will receive $1,200. For each qualifying child, a single taxpayer will receive $500. Employed, unemployed and self-employed taxpayers can qualify, so long as you filed your taxes in 2018 or 2019. Married taxpayers filing jointly and earning up to $150,000 will receive $2,400, with qualifying children adding $500 each to the total.

The CARES Act provides more than $150 billion to hospitals and health care facilities, and another $150 billion to state and local governments combatting the virus.

The measure also includes more than $350 billion to pave the way for small businesses to acquire grants and loans to cover payroll and other expenses. The bill also lets workers — including self-employed and independent workers hit by the disease’s economic fallout — obtain extended and increased unemployment benefits if they are laid off or furloughed.

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