NEW YORK, March 17. /TASS/. Facebook has announced a $100 mln program to help small businesses hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the US company said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We know that your business may be experiencing disruptions resulting from the global outbreak of COVID-19. We’ve heard that a little financial support can go a long way, so we are offering $100 mln in cash grants and ad credits to help during this challenging time," the statement said. The grants will be available for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries, Facebook said.

In the United States, at least 4,661 coronavirus cases have been confirmed and at least 85 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that occurred in late 2019 in Central China has spread to over 160 countries and territories and was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11. According to the latest figures provided by the World Health Organization, over 180,000 individuals worldwide have got infected and around 7,000 have died. In Russia, 114 infection cases have been registered.