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Senate Passes Fourth COVID-19 Spending Package, Includes $25Bn For Additional Testing, Contact Tracing

 
• By Sue Darcey

A Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act bill that would dole out $25bn for additional testing by federal agencies and $75bn to Medicare suppliers providing testing equipment passed the US Senate on 21 April and is headed to the House for a vote.

collage with US capitol Building and American dollars on blurred background

The US Senate on 21 April approved a $484bn spending package providing tens of billions of dollars to compensate Medicare suppliers that have already supplied diagnoses, testing supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE) to detect the coronavirus, and $25bn more to expand COVID-19 testing.

House members, almost all of whom are self-quarantining or working in their home districts since the end of March, have...

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