Trump declares emergency amid Covid-19 spread
>>WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in what critics say was a long-delayed admission of the gravity of the Covid-19 crisis that has triggered the shutdown of schools, sporting events, offices and travel in the world’s richest country.
Mr Trump’s declaration on Friday frees up some US$40 billion (1.27 trillion baht) in disaster relief funds for local authorities. The House of Representatives early yesterday also overwhelmingly passed a coronavirus relief package backed by Mr Trump which will allow paid sick leave and free coronavirus tests for Americans affected by the outbreak.
“Look forward to signing the final Bill, ASAP!” Mr Trump tweeted before the 363:40 bipartisan vote on the bill which will now move to the Senate.
With the US toll now at 47 dead and more than 2,000 infected, the coronavirus is wreaking havoc on daily life — and Mr Trump has struggled to show that he is in charge.
In New York, gatherings of more than 500 people are restricted, and in California even small events can only proceed if organisers could ensure two metres of space between participants, with gatherings of more than 250 people banned through the end of the month.
Governors nationwide took similar steps, with many declaring states of emergency and shuttering schools and campuses.
Millions of office workers were also being asked to work from home in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
A ban on travellers from most of the European Union came into force yesterday.
The outbreak has also forced a slowdown just as the US election was heating up, with Democratic rivals Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders cancelling rallies and Louisiana becoming the first state to postpone its primary election next month.
Mr Trump’s press conference came after a widely panned national address on Wednesday, in which he not only failed to calm growing nerves but delivered serious factual errors.
But he once more insisted that the US response has been faultless, brushing off fierce criticism over his persistence in downplaying the coronavirus danger and the slow rollout of testing for the virus.
Mr Trump, however, surprised reporters by reversing his insistence on not needing to be tested or going into self-quarantine, following his contact with numerous politicians.