IRS has distributed 152 million COVID-19 relief payments worth $258 billion

There are a lot of footprints on many U.S. beaches this Memorial Day weekend as folks seek seashores after weeks of staying home due to the coronavirus. (Photo by Wendy Wei via Pexels)

This Memorial Day long weekend is a big one for numbers.

As most states have relaxed at least some COVID-19 stay home orders, Americans are taking advantage of more openings to celebrate this unofficial start of summer. They are, naturally, heading to spots that offer traditional seasonal activities.

There's no official counts of how many folks have flocked to U.S. beaches and lakes and parks, but the consensus is too many. And from the images posted on social and traditional media, it looks like most are ignoring physical distancing recommendations

Nick Dyer (@nicholasddyer) May 24, 2020

More than shoreline waves possible: The medical community — and the more cautious of us lay people — fear that these festivities could lead to another, even worse surge in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks. 

Our concern is that the waves in the graph above showing the resurgence of the 1918-19 flu pandemic could be reproduced by today's beach goers (and others). We shall see. Soon.

Additional relief money distributed: Uncle Sam also has some coronavirus-connected numbers, this time related to COVID-19 economic impact payments (EIPs).

On Friday, May 22, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said announced that almost $258 billion was parceled out in more than 152 million payments. 

That's 25 million more recipients and $42 billion more dollars distributed since the IRS' last EIP update the first week of May.

This past week's delivery data came a few days after Treasury revealed that in addition to paper checks and directly deposited EIPs, it also is sending coronavirus cash on debit cards. It's unclear whether those plastic payments are part of these latest numbers.

What is clear is that the new figures — 152 million and $258 billion — earn this week's By the Numbers honors. 

Treasury and the IRS also released a state-by-state break out, shown in the table below, of where the COVID relief money went.

Check on or register to get your payment: If you haven't received your money yet, either as a paper check or direct deposit of debit card, the IRS urges you to visit its website to check on your EIP status via Get My Payment, as well as find answers to the most common questions the agency is getting about the payments.

And if you don't usually have to file a tax return, register using the non-filer online tool so that your COVID-19 relief payment can be included in the next delivery update.

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