Trump Announces National Emergency, Expanded Testing, More Money and Flexibility on Virus Response

President Donald Trump declared a coronavirus national emergency in a speech from the White House on Friday afternoon, invoking the Stafford Act for disaster relief and emergency assistance. The step will mean billions of dollars in additional federal resources for testing, resources and the shoring up of the flailing national economy.

The president also sought to offer more reassurance about the government's efforts. In recent days, his administration has been under intense fire for conflicting messages, a sluggish national response and haphazard testing for the COVID-19 virus, which began in China and has since afflicted tens of thousands of people around the world.

Toutig the nation's early response, and the decision to close borders for keeping America ahead of the threat, he also foreign nationals coming t the us from europe over the past 14 yays, and screenings of those returning home from there.