Trump declares emergency over virus
Move allows release of $50B in federal aid
WASHINGTON • U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus, opening the door to US$50 billion in federal aid to fight a disease he said could have an even greater impact on the country.
“It could get worse. The next eight weeks will be critical,” Trump said.
Trump made the announcement at a Rose Garden news conference as he battled to show Americans he is aggressively addressing the health crisis after appearing to play down the threat for weeks.
He said Walmart Inc chief executive Doug Mcmillon had agreed to set up drivethru testing at store parking lots across the country and that Alphabet Inc.’s Google will create a website to help determine whether individuals need a coronavirus test.
Trump, who on Wednesday ordered citizens from 26 European nations not to enter the United States for 30 days as of midnight Friday, said he “may be adding” the United Kingdom and a couple of other countries.
The virus that emerged in central China in December has now spread to more than 130 countries and territories and infected more than 138,000 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It has so far led to 41 U.S. deaths.
Trump said his declaration of a national emergency will “unleash the full power of the federal government” to help states and territories in the fight.
“Through talent or through luck, call it whatever you want, but through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus,” Trump said.
Trump himself came into contact with a Brazilian official last Saturday who later tested positive for the coronavirus. The White House said on Thursday Trump was not exhibiting symptoms and had not been tested.
“We have no symptoms whatsoever,” he said to a question about whether he should get a test.
Trump, who has been heavily focused on hard-hit industries in making sure the U.S. economy is not devastated by a slowdown in consumer activity as a result of the virus, used much of his appearance on Friday to focus on the potential human toll of the respiratory illness than can cause pneumonia in severe cases.
He urged every state to set up emergency centres to help fight the coronavirus. “We’ll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they’re entitled to. No resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever,” he said.
Pressure has been mounting for Trump to declare an infectious disease emergency under the 1988 law that would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide disaster funds to state and local governments and to deploy support teams. President Bill Clinton in 2000 employed the rarely used measure to declare such an emergency for West Nile virus.
Trump said the federal government was partnering with the private sector to accelerate production of test kits to make them more widely available.
He said there will be about five million coronavirus tests available but doubted that that many will be needed. He urged Americans to only seek out the test if they feel they need it.
“We don’t want people to take a test if we feel that they shouldn’t be doing it and we don’t want everyone running out and taking — only if you have certain symptoms,” he said.
Trump shrugged off a question about whether he was responsible for what experts have said was slow progress toward expansion of tests to track the contagion’s spread. “I don’t take any responsibility at all,” he said.
Alongside Trump was Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health expert who is on Trump’s coronavirus task force. He offered a cautious outlook for what may unfold in the short term.
“We still have a long way to go. There will be many more cases. But we’ll take care of that,” said Fauci, long the nation’s top infectious disease expert. “What’s going on here today is going to help it end sooner than it would have.”
Trump said the federal government would waive interest on student loans and ordered the Energy Department to take advantage of low oil prices to top up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
A 30-day ban on travel from certain European countries began at midnight on Friday. The restrictions cover people who have been in 26 European countries at any point during a 14-day period before their scheduled arrival in the United States.
They will not apply to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, or to spouses, parents and children under the age of 21 of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
HEALTH CRISIS
IT COULD GET WORSE. THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS WILL BE CRITICAL.