The spread of the new coronavirus within the US is a national emergency, President Donald Trump declared Friday afternoon, March 13.

The declaration provides states and territories with access to up to $50 billion in funds to address the rapidly escalating pandemic. Generally, such funding could be used for emergency medical care, food, and medicine.

As of Friday afternoon, there were over 1,600 cases across 46 states and the District of Columbia. There have been 41 deaths reported.