On March 13th, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus outbreak. The announcement included measures needed to contain and combat the virus in the U.S, including freeing up funds and other resources and lowering legal barriers for responding to the pandemic.
This permits tapping into an account that currently has more than $40 billion, which allows the president to direct any federal agency to use its personnel, facilities and equipment to support state and local emergency efforts, disseminate public health and safety information, provide public health and safety measures, and distribute supplies like medicine and food.
