By Gian Capolino
Staff Reporter
President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency on March 13. By declaring a state of emergency, the president was able to allocate $50 billion for state and local governments to have the resources to deal with the crisis.
“Through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus,” said Trump.
The president also encouraged Congress to come together in a bipartisan way to support the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” which will “provide free testing, sick pay for workers, enhanced unemployment benefits and bolstered food programs.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, along with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, said that a third aid package in response to the coronavirus will be coming soon. The third package will contain “more aggressive steps to boost the U.S. economy, which economists fear has already slipped into recession.”
In response to the drastic effects on the United States’ economy due to the virus’s outbreak, the Federal Reserve is taking major actions to help curb what could be a severe blow to the economy. The Federal Reserve has lowered borrowing rates as well as made loans more accessible to American businesses. These steps come at a time when the virus continues to spread rapidly around the country.
According to CNN, as of March 24, there has been over 515 reported deaths around the country due to the virus, with thousands more Americans testing positive for it.
The pandemic has caused the cancellations of many large-scale events, the closing of schools and businesses, and the suspension of sports leagues. Across the country, Americans are practicing “social distancing” in order to help limit the potential spreading of the virus.
The widespread closings and cancellations across the country have had major negative impacts on the lives of the American people.
“The coronavirus has really taken a toll on my family and I. Now, declaring it a national emergency has really shown how serious the situation is,” said freshman Fidel Gomez. “I have been unable to go to work, and my freshman year of college was unfortunately cut short due to the closing of the school.”
As the coronavirus crisis has developed into a national emergency, Trump remains confident that the situation will be resolved.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
