CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: WORLD IS IN TURMOIL AS CASES SOAR STATES OF EMERGENCY
»»Trump injects $50billion into the economy in ‘shared fight’ with virus »»Travel to US from Britain may be banned over fear of infection
DONALD Trump last night declared a US national emergency to combat the coronavirus.
The move, coming after revelations that 150 million Americans could become infected, injects $50billion into the US economy.
Trump also said he might add Britain to the list of countries from which travel to the US is banned.
Cases in the US have climbed past 2000 and the death toll is at 41.
After the World Health Organisation declared Europe the pandemic’s new epicentre, President Trump said last night: “Europe was just designated as the hotspot right now. We closed that border a while ago.
“We may have to include them [the UK] on the list of countries.
“But through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus. I am officially declaring a national emergency, two very big words. The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50billion...for states and territories, localities in our shared fight against this disease.
“Furtherance of the order, I’m asking every state to set up emergency operations centres immediately.”
Trump had been attacked for politicising the coronavirus while blaming foreign countries for its spread.
The country’s leading expert had said the health system was “failing”.
Dr Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: “The system is not really geared to what we need right now. That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”
Warning the crisis could last two months, Dr Fauci added: “It’s certainly going to get worse before it gets better, there’s no doubt we have not peaked.”
Asked directly if America was heading towards a complete shutdown, he said: “I’m not sure we’re going to get to that. I think that would be really rather dramatic but I can tell you that all things are on the table.”
Many public spaces such as schools, airports, streets and motorways have become deserted.
Some panicked shoppers were seen rushing out to buy supplies.
Disney parks, Capitol Hill and
Broadway were among the many places closed off to the public.
Sporting events have been cancelled, including all this season’s basketball and ice hockey.
Golf ’s The Players Championship and next month’s Masters were also called off. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie tested positive for Covid-19 and will stay in isolation for the time being.
Trudeau himself is in good health with no symptoms but is isolating himself for two weeks. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who dined with Trump at the President’s Florida Mansion Mar-a-Lago last Saturday, was at one stage reported to have tested positive. But last night his son Eduardo claimed: “He tested negative, full stop.” However, his communications secretary Fabio Wajngarten, who also met Trump, has tested positive. Since the first cases of coronavirus were identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, the disease has spread across the world, with more than 144,000 confirmed cases causing 5397 deaths. The outbreak of Covid-19 has officially been declared a pandemic by the WHO. Outside