Millions of Americans started receiving stimulus payments from the federal government this week. For many, it can’t come soon enough. But the size of the payment, and how and when it is received, can vary widely depending on an individual’s socioeconomic situation. If the government has your direct deposit information, for example, you probably won’t wait as long as those who have to receive a check in the mail.
The Treasury Department says it expects that more than 80 million Americans will receive their stimulus payments this week via direct deposit. But that still leaves millions of people unsure when they will receive their payments. That’s particularly worrying for those dealing with financial strain as unemployment skyrockets and the federal government’s paycheck protection loan program for small businesses comes to a halt.
In an attempt to answer all of your questions about the stimulus payments, TIME reporter Madeleine Carlisle has a helpful explainer, getting to the bottom of questions ranging from what to do if you don’t have a bank account, haven’t filed your 2019 taxes, or made less than $12,200 in 2019.
Since the story published on Wednesday, Carlisle says she’s received an incredible amount of feedback from readers asking further questions about the $2.2 trillion package and what it means for them. She will keep updating the story to address those questions, she says, and include updates the IRS shares regarding its stimulus roll out.
The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 2 million, and more than 139,000 deaths have been reported as of 11 AM eastern time on Thursday, April 16.
Here is every country with over 20,000 confirmed cases, as of Wednesday 8 PM eastern time:
Security experts tell TIME that the decision by the Trump Administration to cut U.S. funding to the World Health Organization could work in China’s favor. Cutting funding to the agency in the middle of a global pandemic, the critics say, just guarantees more, not less, sway by China at a time when the country is seeking to expand its influence over international bodies, reports TIME’s Kim Dozier.
Meanwhile, in an effort to address what is thought to be a large gap in testing, one million coronavirus tests will be rolled out throughout the African continent starting next week. More than 17,000 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed throughout Africa as of Thursday morning and more than 900 have died, according to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of the highest case counts so far have been in South Africa and Egypt, each with about 2,500, Morocco, with roughly 2,200, and Algeria, with about 2,100. But health officials warned Thursday that the count is likely higher as testing remains far behind, according to the Associated Press.
One projection estimates that the African continent could experience up to 10 million severe cases of the disease caused by the virus, according to the AP. Countries with weak health systems, poor sanitation and urban population density are especially vulnerable, writes Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, for TIME. For that reason, he writes, African countries have united to combat the spread and have started a COVID-19 Response Fund, among other efforts.
Health experts are warning that with the global focus on COVID-19 and social distancing, the dangers of other diseases such as TB, measles and HIV, are being neglected. “It’s likely we’ll see a lot of ‘indirect’ deaths from other diseases,” one director of a humanitarian aid organization told the AP.
The Situation in the United States
More than 640,000 people in the U.S. have contracted COVID-19, and more than 31,000 have died from it as of 11 AM eastern time on April 16.
Unemployment in the U.S. continues to skyrocket. On Thursday, the U.S. government announced an additional 5.2 million people sought unemployment benefits in the past week. Now, more than 22 million people nationally have sought unemployment assistance in the last four weeks, a record-breaking stretch of job losses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s paycheck protection loan program is on hold after reaching its $349 billion lending limit for the program. Now, thousands of small businesses owners will have to wait for Congress to approve an additional $250 billion for the program, the AP reports.
Nursing homes continue to be struck hard by the virus. In grim news, the biggest nursing home in New Jersey was discovered to have 17 bodies piled up in a small morgue after police received an anonymous tip. The 17 bodies were among 68 recent deaths related to the New Jersey facility, according to the New York Times, including two nurses.
All numbers are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of April 15, 8 PM eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Facebook Will Notify You If You’ve Shared Misinformation Related to COVID-19
Users who have liked, shared or commented on “harmful” misinformation about the coronavirus on Facebook, can now expect to be directed to authoritative sources that provide accurate info about the virus. It’s an unprecedented move by the company, which could lay the groundwork for a breakthrough in the battle against political disinformation, writes TIME’s Billy Perrigo. Read more here.
‘It Conjures Up Every Racial Stereotype’
Some states and cities across the country are starting to enforce wearing masks in public places as a protection against the coronavirus. But for black men, the masks themselves pose another threat — the danger of racial stereotyping. Read more here.
Africans in This Chinese City Say They Have Become Targets
African immigrants in Guangzhou in southern China say the local government has discriminated against them by placing them under quarantine without just cause. (The Guangzhou Mayor said that foreigners wouldn’t be discriminated against in the fight against COVID-19.) The calls of discrimination come after the city saw an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Six African immigrants spoke to TIME’s Hillary Leung about their experience. Read more here.
U.S. Adversaries Seize Their Opportunity
With COVID-19 cases among U.S. service members now at more than 2,000, America’s adversaries are now emboldened to test U.S. military dominance, current and former Defense Department officials tell TIME’s W.J. Hennigan and John Walcott. Read more here.
Now’s a Good Time to Get Your Digital Life in Order
Cleaning is one way to pass the time while in isolation. So after tidying up your house, yard or garage, why not organize your digital life as well? Here are five tips on how to clean up your computer. Read more here.
A Guide to Cooking Substitutes If You Can’t Find Your Usual Ingredients
What if your local grocery story is out of milk, eggs, bread or any of the ingredients you usually cook with? Or maybe you just want to limit your trips to the grocery store and are trying to make do with what you have at home. In either case, TIME has a list of cooking and baking substitutes to hold you over. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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