May 16 coronavirus news

The Transportation Security Administration is working on a plan to check passenger temperatures as they go through security at multiple American airports, a federal health official confirmed to CNN on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the plan and said the TSA would take the temperatures at about a dozen unidentified airports. According to the newspaper, the program could begin as soon as next week.

The federal health official emphasized to CNN the plan was not yet final.

The TSA would not confirm it was planning on enacting such a program.

"At this time, no decision has been made regarding specific health screening measures at airports," the agency said in a statement Friday.

The agency said it continues to rely on the expertise of the Department of Health and Human Services and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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India has now identified and recorded more cases of the novel coronavirus than mainland China, where the global pandemic originated.

India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported Saturday that it had identified 85,940 people who tested positive for the virus. It came after China's National Health Commission earlier reported that it had 82,941 cases since the outbreak began.

The two countries are in very different stages of the outbreak. India is still under lockdown and public health authorities there are identifying hundreds of patients a day, while China appears to have flattened the curve. Chinese authorities are only recording a handful of new cases a day throughout the country.

As of Friday evening on the East Coast, there were at least 1,442,824 cases of coronavirus in the United States, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

At least 87,530 people in the country have died after contracting the virus.

On Friday, JHU reported 25,050 fresh cases and 1,632 more deaths. 

The totals includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

Shopping malls, restaurants, parks, museums libraries and learning centers will be allowed to reopen in Thailand from Sunday, authorities have announced.

Bars will be free to serve takeaway alcoholic drinks, while gyms will be allowed to partially reopen areas for free weight training and yoga.

The country-wide curfew imposed during the pandemic will be reduced by one hour. People will now be barred from being outside from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m.

While many governments struggled to contain the spread of coronavirus, Taiwan appeared to have it largely under control.

In January, the self-ruled, democratic island of 23 million people banned incoming travel from parts of mainland China. Soon after, cruise ships could no longer dock there. By March, domestic face mask production was also increased.

As of Saturday, Taiwan had recorded 440 coronavirus cases and seven deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. By comparison, Australia -- with a population of 25 million -- had reported more than 7,000 infections and 98 deaths.

Eager to share its experiences in fighting Covid-19, Taiwan is now pushing for a greater voice in global health discussions. The United States, Japan and New Zealand have all voiced support for Taiwan to join next week's World Health Assembly -- an annual meeting of World Health Organization (WHO) members.

And this doesn't sit well with Beijing.

China regards the island as part of its territory, and has for years blocked it from taking part in many global institutions, while also refusing to have diplomatic relations with countries that maintain official ties with Taiwan.

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China's National Health Commission said it identified eight new novel coronavirus cases on Friday. Thirteen asymptomatic patients were also identified.

Two of the infections were locally transmitted in the country's northeast Jilin province, where a new cluster of cases has emerged. The outbreak has prompted authorities to strengthen lockdown measures in the region.

The other six cases were imported -- five in Shanghai and one in the southern island of Hainan.

Total cases as at the end of Friday:

The Canadian government will continue to pay up to 75% of employee wages until the end of August for some businesses, acknowledging the possibility of mounting bankruptcies as reopening in Canada proceeds slowly.

While business organizations welcomed the extension, many say they are alarmed at the continuing damage being inflicted -- especially on small and medium-sized businesses -- during the economic shutdown. 

Dan Kelly, president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), told CNN that "it has been absolutely soul crushing to see what has happened to entrepreneurs who pride themselves on being self-sufficient and resilient people."

In surveys conducted over the last few weeks, the CFIB says more than 1 in 4 small and medium-sized business reported having lost 90 to 100% of revenue because of pandemic-related lockdowns. 

And yet, in a problem acknowledged by both business groups and the Canadian government, the wage subsidy already on offer has not met expectations, with fewer businesses applying than expected.

Nearly 8 million Canadian workers now collect about $1,400 a month as part of an emergency benefit available to anyone who lost their job because of Covid-19. That program may now be keeping prospective employees at home.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the government will look "carefully at the relationship between these two benefits."

If you're just tuning in, here are some of the top stories you might have missed:

House Democrats passed a more than $3 trillion Covid-19 relief bill by a vote of 208-199 on Friday evening.

The measure was approved despite opposition from Republicans as well as from some moderate and progressive Democrats. Fourteen Democrats crossed party lines to vote against it and one Republican voted in favor.

The legislation, which reflects Democratic priorities and was not a product of bipartisan negotiations, would stand as the largest relief package in US history.

House Democratic leaders argued that the package, which allocates funding for state and local governments, coronavirus testing and a new round of direct payments to Americans, is urgently needed to address the crisis.

The legislation is not expected to be taken up by the Senate due to GOP opposition. Democrats also had to grapple with criticism and pushback from moderates upset that the bill did not have widespread bipartisan support and progressives who believe the bill did not go far enough to help Americans facing fallout from the pandemic.

A number of Democratic moderates came out against it ahead of the final vote, including vulnerable lawmakers in competitive battleground districts.

Freshman Democratic Reps. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Kendra Horn of Oklahoma, Ben McAdams of Utah, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, Cindy Axne of Iowa, and Elaine Luria of Virginia all said ahead of the vote that they opposed it and indicated they planned to vote against it. 

Where politicians stand: Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, a freshman from a Michigan swing district who was the subject of an intense lobbying campaign, announced not long before the final vote that she would support the bill. She had been signaling to her leadership that she would vote against it, but had been lobbied all day, multiple sources told CNN.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus, said on Friday that she would vote against the bill. She and a number of other progressives had been frustrated that their paycheck guarantee proposal was not included in the bill.

GOP Rep. Pete King indicated ahead of the final vote that he would cross party lines and support the measure. The New York Republican planned to vote for the measure, his spokesman told CNN earlier in the week.

In a sign of how serious that pushback from Democrats was, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi worked to lock in the support for the bill ahead of a final vote with multiple sources involved in the vote-counting effort telling CNN that Pelosi worked hard behind-the-scenes to ensure she had the votes.

Some more context: When asked ahead of the vote how hard she was working the vote, Pelosi said, "like normal" and that she was "confident" the bill would pass.

Pelosi, a California Democrat, defended the bill on Thursday against attacks that it is partisan, saying, "We're putting our offer on the table. We're open to negotiation."

Most Republicans dismissed the aid package as a liberal wish list. They have argued it is too soon to move ahead with another far-reaching legislative response to the pandemic without first waiting to see the results of the trillions of dollars in aid that have already been enacted.