Government relief checks began arriving in Americans’ bank accounts on Wednesday, as the economic damage to the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic deepened. Sluggish sales at reopened stores in Europe and China emphasized that business will not recovery immediately once the crisis eases.
The U.S. began issuing one-time payments this week to tens of millions of people as part of its $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, with adults receiving up to $1,200 each and $500 per child to help them pay the rent or cover other bills. The checks will be directly deposited into bank accounts or mailed to households, depending on how they filed their tax returns. In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump’s name will be printed on the checks.
Meanwhile, other parts of the world are slowly reopening, but shoppers and other customers are staying away from the reopened businesses and workers afraid they are putting their health at risk. Worldwide, deaths have topped 130,000 and confirmed infections have surpassed 2 million, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
