WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The coronavirus pandemic triggered the steepest monthly loss of U.S. jobs since the Great Depression, data showed on Friday, and a second White House aide tested positive, raising questions over measures to protect President Donald Trump.
A day after the White House confirmed the Republican president’s personal valet had tested positive for the virus, Trump told reporters it had also infected Katie Miller, the press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence. She is married to senior Trump aide and immigration policy hard-liner Stephen Miller and travels frequently with Pence.
“We’ve taken every single precaution to protect the president,” White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters.
Labor Department data showed U.S. unemployment rose 14.7% last month – up from 3.5% in February – demonstrating the speed at which the U.S. economy collapsed after stay-at-home policies were imposed in much of the country to try to curb the spread of the outbreak.
Even worse economic news may come yet. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the unemployment rate was likely to move up to around 20% this month.
The economic devastation has put a sense of urgency into efforts by U.S. states to get their economies moving again, even though infection rates and deaths are still climbing in some parts of the country.
Underscoring the wide-ranging threat from the pathogen, a 5-year-old boy has died in New York from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
The virus has killed nearly 76,000 Americans with more than 1.26 million confirmed cases, according to a Reuters tally.
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