WASHINGTON- U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday called on the Senate to quickly pass a massive economic relief bill saying it was urgently needed to support small businesses, workers and industries such as U.S. airlines amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The legislation, still being hammered out, would offer government loans for small companies to pay employees for two months and forgive the debt if they rehire the workers later, Mnuchin said in an interview on Fox Business Network. He added that a provision to assist domestic airlines was still being negotiated.

(Reporting by David Lawder and Doina Chiacu; writing by Susan Heavey Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) ((202-898-8300; Reuters Messaging: susan.heavey.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))