The 8.3 billion-dollar emergency spending bill to combat the spread of the coronavirus has been approved by the U.S. Senate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will receive 2.2 billion dollars to support public health agencies. State and local governments will get nearly a billion dollars and half of that money will be available within the next 30 days and states hit by the virus will be reimbursed. 3 billion dollars will also be made available for research and development to help develop and produce vaccines and diagnostics and the bill requires that any vaccines or tests developed with taxpayer funds must be affordable in the commercial market. The bill also provides $500 million to expand the availability of health services to Medicare recipients.