White House readying emergency coronavirus budget request

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House is readying an urgent budget request to address the deadly coronavirus outbreak whose rapid spread is spooking financial markets and restricting international travel. That’s according to a senior administration official who confirmed Monday that the emergency request is still being developed and is likely to come this week. The Department of Health and Human Services has already tapped into an emergency infectious disease rapid response fund and is transferring more than $130 million from other HHS accounts to combat the virus.