President Donald Trump is to declare a national state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic that is quickly spreading throughout the United States.
As well as this, the president will also invoke the Stafford Act, which allows the government to grant more federal aid for states and municipalities.
////BREAKING: Trump plans to declare a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, invoking the Stafford Act to open the door to more federal aid for states and municipalities, sources tell me, @jendeben and @SalehaMohsin
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 13, 2020
This will also allow Trump to speed up the distribution of aid to states and municipalities, alongside the greater allocation of funds.
On Thursday, the president announced that he will be suspending all travel to Europe as the continent tackles the pandemic. The United Kingdom was the only European country to be exempt from this ban.
The president will speak at a press conference at 3 pm EST.