President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday during a press conference in the White House rose garden, instituting the Stafford Act, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow and cause market decline.
The declaration will allow the federal government to provide up to $50 billion in funding and additional aid to state and local governments to combat the virus. (RELATED: Here Are All The Major Places And Events Closed Due To Coronavirus Pandemic)
“To unleash the full power of the federal government with this effort today, I am officially declaring a national emergency,” Trump said. “I’m also asking every hospital in this country to activate their emergency preparedness plan, so they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere.”
“No resource will be spared,” he added.
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Since the outbreak, large venues including sporting events and concerts have been cancelled, and several colleges have instructed students to continue their academics via online classes.
ABC News reports over 128,000 global cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed with over 4,700 deaths. Approximately 41 people have died in the United States and 46 different states as well the District of Columbia have confirmed cases of the virus.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton declared an emergency to counter the West Nile Virus outbreaks in the states of New York and New Jersey, Bloomberg reported.