Mnuchin says opening country a health decision

(29 Mar 2020) U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says a decision whether to reopen the nation back for business as early as Easter will be a health decision not an economic one.
Mnunchin acknowledges surging unemployment numbers and declining GDP as one in three Americans remain under government orders to stay at home to slow the coronavirus that has killed over 2,000 Americans.
But he says President Donald Trump's top objective is the health of the American public.
Mnuchin said Sunday his own top focus is getting stimulus money from the just-passed 2.2 trillion (US) dollars aid package from Congress immediately into the hands of workers and businesses.
He said American workers will get direct deposits of money in three weeks, while a federal program aimed at helping half the workforce by encouraging small business to take out loans to hire back their workers for eight weeks will be up and running by Friday.
He said the stimulus package should help keep the economy and workers afloat for 10 weeks, and if more time is needed to stem the coronavirus, the administration will assess what else is needed at that time.

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