US could extend social distancing The spending package was voted through during President Trump’s daily press briefing during which he said federal social distancing guidelines could be extended through to the American summer. “We may, we may go beyond that - we’ll have to see where it is. Until we feel it’s safe, we’re going to be extending,” Trump said, in a change of tone from previous briefings where he has pushed strongly for the country to reopen. The president said he was “not happy about Brian Kemp”, referring to the governor of Georgia, who has moved ahead with a plan to reopen businesses despite criticisms from the president and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers. “I don’t want this thing to flare up because you’re deciding to do something that’s not in the guidelines,” Trump said. Congress passes $500bn relief package If you’re just joining us, the big news in the past hour or so is that the US Congress has passed a huge spending package to help deal with the coronavirus. The package takes US spending during the crisis to nearly $3tr dollars. It will rush new relief to employers and hospitals buckling under the strain of a pandemic that has claimed almost 50,000 American lives and a staggering one in six US jobs. Anchoring the bill is the Trump administration’s $250bn funding request to replenish a fund to help small- and medium-size businesses with payroll, rent and other expenses. The payroll program provides forgivable loans so businesses can continue paying workers while forced to stay closed for social distancing and stay-at-home orders. It also contains $100bn demanded by Democrats for hospitals and a nationwide testing program, along with a $60bn set-aside for small banks and an alternative network of community development banks that focus on development in urban neighbourhoods and rural areas ignored by many lenders. Theres also $60bn for small-business loans and grants delivered through the Small Business Administrations existing disaster aid program. It came as it was reported another 4.4 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs sweep the economy. Over the last five weeks, roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid. Good morning and welcome to our live global coverage of coronavirus developments, with me Alison Rourke. Before we get started, here are the top stories making news at the moment: The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world is at 2,699,338, while 188,437 deaths have been recorded, according to Johns Hopkins University. US Congress has passed a $480bn coronavirus aid package to help small business. It comes as President Trump says federal social distancing guidelines could be extended to the summer. Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren, has revealed her older brother has died after contracting Covid-19. Indonesia has stoped non-essential travel between provinces to contain coronavirus during Ramadan. Algeria will ease confinement measures from the first day of the holy month of Ramadan on Friday by shortening a night curfew and lifting a full lockdown for a province near the capital Algiers, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday. Remdesivir, a drug thought to be one of the best prospects for treating Covid-19, failed to have any effect in the first full trial, it has been revealed. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has said the coronavirus pandemic is “still at the beginning” and parts her country may be rushing their exit from lockdown, as divided EU leaders clashed at a video summit over a desperately needed Europe-wide recovery fund. Ecuador’s health minister has said the country’s coronavirus case total is twice as high as previously confirmed, as authorities added 11,000 new infections that resulted from delayed testing. The new cases will be added to the confirmed total of 11,183 infections. The country has registered 560 deaths. Four people in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon have tested positive for the coronavirus, a health official said, bringing total cases in the settlement to five. Residents of the Wavel camp in the eastern Bekaa Valley were tested after a Palestinian refugee from Syria was admitted to hospital in Beirut with symptoms. The 2020 European Athletics Championships, due to be held in Paris at the end of August, have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, organisers have announced. A number of major sporting events, including Wimbledon and the Open, will not be held this year. You can get in touch with me via email: alison.rourke@theguardian.co.uk