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February 16, 2021 (CNN News) Black civil rights activists and business leaders are calling on the Biden administration to include targeted funding for Black-owned businesses in the next coronavirus relief package. Without the federal aid earmarked for Black-owned businesses, the group says more of those enterprises could be forced to close their doors in the next 90 days.
“It should be specific,” said Ron Busby, president, and CEO of U.S. Black Chambers. “It should not be the minority, it should not be underserved, it should be Black.”
The group’s plea comes as data shows that Black-owned businesses closed at higher rates than their White counterparts last year. Many African American business owners say they were rejected by banks for loans and overlooked in the first two rounds of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding. According to the New York Federal Reserve, the number of Black businesses fell by 41% between February and April of 2020. White businesses fell by only 17%. Small businesses overall saw a 22% drop.
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
Healthcare.gov reopened Monday for a special health insurance enrollment period that will run through mid-May as part of efforts by the Biden administration to ensure that Americans in need of insurance coverage during the pandemic have access to health care. The special enrollment period extends to May 15.
According to data from the World Health Organization, the number of new Covid-19 cases reported worldwide dropped for the fourth week in a row.
WHO says more than 3.1 million new cases of Covid-19 were reported last week, representing a 17% decline from the previous week and the lowest number of confirmed cases globally since the last week of October. The number of deaths reported globally also declined for the second week in a row, dropping 10% from the previous week.
The U.S. remains number one in Covid-19 cases. However, the number is a 19% decline in cases from the previous week. Out of all the regions, Africa saw the greatest decline in cases (22%).
SOURCE:
https://link.blackamericaweb.com/click/22954414.39889/
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