unemployment. national stockpile of essential supplies needed. there’s a racial disparity among people contracting COVID-19

NPR Another 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. It’s one more sign of the extraordinary economic slowdown in the U.S. due to the coronavirus-induced shutdown. Analysts expect the numbers to continue rising in the coming weeks. The national stockpile of essential supplies needed for medical workers to deal with COVID-19 patients is nearly gone, according to documents released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Ninety percent of all personal protective equipment — including N95 respirators, surgical masks, face shields and gowns — has been distributed by state and local governments across the United States, and further shipments will not be forthcoming, according to a story published in The Hill. The Trump administration said Wednesday that Customs and Border Protection and FEMA will now detain exports of these scarce medical supplies at U.S. ports. Data from the CDC show there’s a racial disparity among people contracting COVID-19, with African Americans ending up in the hospital more often. The CDC says 1 in 3 hospitalized patients is black, although African Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population. The White House has released new guidelines for how critical employees can return to work. They must take their temperatures, wear masks and practice social distancing.