Shadow cast over US reopening

should give their lives to do that, Mr Senator, and I think your characterization is unfair.”

He said US President Donald Trump’s administration had “provided enormous amounts of equipment” to protect workers’ health.

Brown posed the question after Mnuchin said it was important to bring “people back to work” in a safe way and restart the economy.

Since the pandemic struck in March, about 32.5 million people have filed unemployment claims and driven the unemployment rate to 14.7 percent, the US Labor Department reported.

Health experts say it could take weeks to determine if the current wave of reopening leads to a new spike in COVID-19 cases.

Also on Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that any vaccine to prevent the coronavirus should be distributed fairly without regard for people’s ability to pay.

“The vaccine must be available to all people,” Cuomo said at his daily briefing. “It can’t be a situation where only the rich, only the privileged can get the vaccine because one company owns the rights and they can’t produce enough for everyone.”

New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic in the US, remains under a strict lockdown.

Following Trump’s announcement that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine to protect against the coronavirus, Vice-President Mike Pence told Fox News he has not joined Trump in taking the drug, which the US Food and Drug Administration has warned about as a COVID-19 treatment.

Trump also sparked controversy over his plans to visit a Ford plant in Michigan on Thursday that manufactures medical ventilators. Asked whether he will wear a mask when he visits the factory, Trump said that “where it’s appropriate, I would do it”. The decision depends on the situation and if he is “standing right next to everybody”, he added.

Editor’s note: This news column showcases stories from around the world that bring a touch of positivity to the fight against the deadly coronavirus.