Coronavirus: U.S. President Trump declares National State of Emergency
United States President, Donald Trump has declared a national state of emergency over the Coronavirus outbreak, with the U.S. stock market experiencing its worst day in 30years.Announcing the decision at the White House, Trump said this will allow him to “unleash the full power of the federal government,” including freeing up to $50bn to assist state and local efforts.
Trump also said he was giving U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, an emergency authority to waive federal regulations and laws to give doctors and hospitals “flexibility” in treating patients.
COVID-19, which first emerged in China in December, has spread relentlessly around the world According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the pandemic’s global death toll has reached almost 5,000, while the global number of cases has surpassed 132,000. Italy, the hardest-hit country in Europe, recorded its highest one-day toll with 250 deaths over the past 24 hours, while Spain declared a state of alert after its infections raced past 3,000.