Washington D.C., Mar 13, 2020 / 15:00 pm
President Donald Trump declared a state of national emergency on Friday, March 13, and outlined the steps that have been taken to fight the spread of COVID-19. According to the president, widespread testing for the virus will be available in the United States in the near future.
"To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort today, I am officially declaring a national emergency," said Trump. He stated that "no resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever" in fighting the disease.
The president said that "through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus," although he declined to provide an estimated timeline.
Trump said that there has been "tremendous progress" made in the efforts against coronavirus.