Coronavirus Update: Senate vote expected today on coronavirus bill, Prince Charles tests positive

The $2 trillion package includes checks for American households, billions to help those who lost jobs

Published: March 25, 2020 9:19am

Updated: March 25, 2020 9:37am

The Senate could vote as early as Wednesday afternoon on the $2 trillion coronavirus spending bill on which White House and Senate negotiators agreed overnight.

The record-high stimulus spending package comes as the U.S. reports 53,2212 cases of the virus and 709 related deaths. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicted the Democrat-controlled chamber will support the measure.

President Trump on Tuesday expressed optimism about ending by Easter the imposed orders for businesses to shutter and Americans stay in their homes, to slow the spread of the virus.

Trump is trying to strike a balance between saving lives and the economy, as some health experts warn the number of cases are still increasing. New York City is now the epicenter of the virus, with 192 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The worldwide numbers are 436,159 cases and 19,648 deaths, the website reports.

Buckingham Palace reports that Prince Charles has tested positive for the virus but that Queen Elizabeth II remains in good health.

If passed by Congress, the stimulus package would be the biggest in U.S. history.