With Covid-19 considered a national emergency, US states will have more resources and medical doctors will be more flexible when dealing with outbreaks.

US President Donald Trump on March 13 declared Covid-19 to be a national emergency as the number of infections in the country is increasing rapidly. The US has so far recorded more than 2,400 cases, of which 50 have died.

The Trump administration declared a "public health emergency" in late January, making it easy for states to coordinate staff to cope with nCoV. The statement was issued in parallel with the order to isolate American citizens returning from the Chinese outbreak.

However, national emergencies are more extensive and less declared, often used after natural disasters. The last time the United States applied this situation to a medical emergency was in 2009, under President Barack Obama during the H1N1 flu pandemic.

Trump declared a state of emergency under the Stafford Act enacted in 1988, allowing him to use disaster relief and emergency assistance funds with congressional approval. The move frees billions of dollars in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to deal with Covid-19. Trump said states and territories could access up to $ 50 billion in federal funds to spend on anti-epidemic efforts.

Stafford's Law is not only triggered in natural disasters. Presidents have relied on this law to release funds after terrorist attacks, including the 2013 Boston marathon bombings and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This law is also used for public health crises. Bill Clinton declared a state of emergency under the Stafford Act to release the millions of dollars allocated to New York and New Jersey states in dealing with West Nile virus in 2000.

In 2014, Obama declared a state of emergency after a chemical spill in West Virginia. Two years later, he declared a state of emergency during the water pollution crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Stafford law allows the federal government to provide a range of aid to states, cities, hospitals, and even individuals. When Stafford Law is activated to deal with a pandemic, the federal government can provide emergency medical care directly to citizens, such as setting up field hospitals to reduce the burden. to health facilities.

Trump also declared a state of emergency under the National Emergency Law, enacted in 1976, which allowed him to use the budget that was planned to be spent for other purposes to combat Covid-19. The law also allows the Department of Health and Human Services to amend or waive regulations for Medicare (health insurance for people 65 years and older), Medicaid (health insurance program for for low-income people) and other programs.

The president said the changes after declaring a national emergency would include making it easier to provide remote medical services so that patients would not have to go directly to a doctor's office, removing some of the rules. license to enable physicians to practice in other states and remove hospitals' ability to accept patients.

When a national emergency is declared, health officials can bypass conventional channels for quick access to drugs, vaccines and testing equipment, to speed up the detection of cases and treatment.

In 2018, Trump used the National Emergency Law to transfer billions of dollars from the Pentagon's construction costs to build walls on the border with Mexico. He explained this was an emergency situation because the border was "a major point of entry for criminals, gang members and drug dealers," as a threat to "core national security interests."

In a speech on March 13, Trump warned Americans to change daily activities, advised people not to travel and promised to boost the capacity of testing the nCoV.

Trump was previously criticized for being too subjective and decisive in dealing with Covid-19. His move to declare a national emergency has satisfied some congressional leaders. Minority leader in the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy wrote on Twitter that "this is the right step to protect citizens and the economy".

Bennie Thompson, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, called the move "" welcome and should have been done long ago ". But he added that "Trump's announcement is not specific, especially on what funds the president announced $ 50 billion of funds, and when the states will have access to it."