Today, Donald Trump declared a national emergency which he referred to as “two very big words” which will free up $50 billion dollars from the federal government to help combat the coronavirus pandemic which has swept the globe.
After the slow rollout for widespread testing — which still hasn’t been accomplished despite the outbreak — Trump, flanked by CEO’s of Walmart, Target, and other large retailers mentioned a plan with the private sector to begin delivering more testing to the public. This could include drive-up testing at pharmacies and large retailers, 5 million more additional tests as well as a website, developed with the help of Google, to help connect people to nearby testing stations.
Additionally, Trump also mentioned plans to relax laws and regulations that can limit health care capacity. This includes the greater use of telehealth and the elimination of some restrictions on hospital stays.
The Administration previously declared a public health emergency back in January, however, that failed to get in front of the situation and the money that could have been available earlier under the 1988 Stafford Act, which is typically set aside for natural disasters like tornados and hurricanes.