Trump Declares National Emergency Over Coronavirus
On Friday, March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Such a declaration enables individual states and the federal government to more freely allocate financial resources to combat COVID-19. It also allows the president to grant more authority to get around restrictive regulations.
President Trump announced $50 billion in resources to help immediately fight the pandemic, as well as increases in screening and testing access.
Additionally, the president expanded the authority of the director of Health and Human Services (HHS). Specifically, the director can now waive requirements related to: