International
Trump Declares State Of Emergency Over Coronavirus
As the number of people with the coronavirus in the US grow, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to provide more money to fight a pandemic that has killed 41 people in the US
Speaking in the White House’s Rose Garden on Friday, Trump said
“I am officially declaring a national emergency,”
The declaration of a national emergency, a rarely used presidential power, allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist state and local governments and coordinate the nation’s response to the crisis.
Trump said the declaration would free up to $50bn for state and local governments to respond to the outbreak.
Trump said he was also giving Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar emergency authorities to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.
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The move follows an unprecedented cascade of shutdowns this week, from sports events to museums and workplaces, that is aimed at limiting large public gatherings to help slow the fast-spreading virus.
From lack of testing to an initial downplaying of the threat, the Trump administration has faced harsh criticism over its response to virus.
On Friday, Trump announced that the US will “vastly increase” its testing capacity.
Among the steps being taken was a public-private partnership to create drive-through testing options. Trump, however, said that US authorities do not want people to get a coronavirus test if they do not need it.
“It’s totally unnecessary,” Trump said. He added, “This will pass.”
Trump said the administration planned to announce on Sunday night further details of the testing options, including a screening website where individuals could go to see if they should be tested and how to get tested.
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