Trump suspends U.S. immigration to protect jobs amid COVID-19

CGTN

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A city worker sprays disinfectant inside a bus as a measure to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Workers listen as Vice President Mike Pence talks on the PA at the GE Healthcare manufacturing facility Tuesday April 21, 2020, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

An employee fills an order for blueberries for drive through customers Tuesday, April 21, 2020, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, Fla. Customers are ordering their blueberries online and then picking them up by car. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

A man holds a flag as he attends a rally to protest stay-at-home orders put into place due to the COVID-19 outbreak Tuesday, April 21, 2020, outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

People protest what they say is a lack of personal protective equipment for employees as they close down the drive-thru at a McDonald's restaurant, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

A giant dinosaur wearing a protective mask reminding people to wash their hands, is seen above the Ripley's Believe It or Not, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Medical personnel from Montgomery County, Md., check patients arriving for a COVID-19 drive-in testing in Silver Spring, Md., Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Oil prices sank to their worst loss in weeks as worries swept markets worldwide about the economic carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump returned to a divisive issue at a time of national crisis, saying he will sign an executive order on Wednesday "to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States" because of COVID-19.

The price of crude oil plunged another 25% Tuesday for June contracts. The Dow, SP 500 and Nasdaq are all in negative territory for the year.

Global demand for oil has dropped to levels not seen in decades. The cost for a barrel of U.S. oil to be delivered in June plunged 43% to $11.57. A day earlier, it fell below zero for the first time.

At his daily coronavirus task force briefing on Tuesday, Trump offered few details about which immigration programs might be affected by the order.

He said he would restrict immigration for 60 days to protect jobs for American workers with the possibility of extending it.

The night before Trump tweeted:

"In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!"

While a hard stop on immigration would normally affect millions of people each year, much of the immigration system has already ground to a halt because of the pandemic.

Travel to the U.S. has been restricted from a number of countries, including China, Mexico and Canada.

The White House and congressional leaders also announced that they've reached a deal to expand small business aid and funding to hospitals for testing. The U.S. Senate has approved the new $500 billion coronavirus aid bill.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that large publicly-held companies must return money they have received so far that was meant for small businesses and added that 1 million companies with less than 10 employees have now received funds form the government.

Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield also warned that a more severe round of a COVID-19 outbreak could take place in the winter which would strain medical resources.

At the same time, a loose network of Facebook groups spurring protests of stay-at-home orders across the country have fast become a source of misinformation, conspiracy theories and skepticism around the coronavirus pandemic.

Launched in recent weeks by pro-gun advocacy groups and conservative activists, the pages are repositories of Americans' suspicion and anxiety — often fueled by notions floated by television personalities or President Donald Trump himself and amplified by social media accounts.

The push to reopen U.S. states has set off warnings from health authorities and politicians about a crisis that by Tuesday had killed more than 176,000 people worldwide and has infected more than 2.5 million people.

Total U.S. cases of COVID-19 surpassed 800,000 on Tuesday. There have been nearly 45,000 deaths in the United States.

Experts say relaxing the stay-at-home restrictions too quickly could enable the virus to surge.

The latest around the world today:

  • A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported after the study of 368 patients.

  • U.S. health regulators on Tuesday okayed the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states. The test from LabCorp will initially only be available to health care workers and first responders under a doctor's orders.

  • South Africa's president on Tuesday announced an "extraordinary budget" of $500 billion rand ($26 billion) to address the huge socioeconomic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that "our country and the world we live in will never be the same again."

  • Health officials in Wisconsin said they have identified at least seven people who appear to have contracted the coronavirus from participating in the April 7 election, the first such cases following in-person voting that was held despite widespread concern about the public health risks.

  • U.S. hog farmers have endured an estimated $5 billion in losses for the industry amid restaurant closures.

  • Sales at restaurants open at least a year plunged almost 45% during the most recent quarter, according to the owner of Olive Garden and other national chain restaurants.

  • Hertz is laying off about 10,000 employees in North America with vacations and business travel on hold. The layoffs cross all divisions within the company, and began last week for non-union employees. Hertz anticipates approximately $30 million in costs tied to the layoffs.

  • Austria intends to open all shops early in May, and restaurants in mid-May, said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Austria allowed small shops to open a week ago. The plan for early May includes hair salons and manicurists. The government plans to allow the catering industry to restart May 15, with all staff required to wear masks.

  • McDonald's is offering U.S. medical workers and first responders one free meal a day starting Wednesday, through May 5. Workers in uniform or with a badge can get a sandwich, side and a drink. McDonald's is splitting the cost of the program with its franchisees.

  • The Scripps National Spelling Bee has been canceled for the first time since World War II. Organizers concluded there was "no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020," meaning kids who are in eighth grade this year will miss their final opportunity to compete in the national finals.

  • Also cancelled: Spain's Running of the Bulls in July and Germany's Oktoberfest

Story with information from the Associated Press.

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