President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, issuing broad authority to government entities and designating additional funds to address the crisis.
Trump made the announcement during a still ongoing conference at the White House to address the spiraling coronavirus pandemic, as he seeks to calm a panicked nation amid mixed messages and growing criticism of his administration’s scattershot response.
The news conference comes as the virus edged ever closer to the world’s power centers, including a positive test for a Brazilian official who spent time with Trump and top administration officials last weekend and an Australian Cabinet minister who met with U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Trump’s daughter and other top aides.
Latest figures show there are 1920 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US, and 42 deaths.
