Iran Press/Middle East: As the coronavirus pandemic tore deeper into the fabric of American public life, United States President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday 13 March to provide more money to fight a pandemic that has killed 41 people in the US.
The declaration of a national emergency, a rarely used presidential power, allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist state and local governments and coordinate the nation's response to the crisis.
The move follows an unprecedented cascade of shutdowns this week, from sports events to museums and workplaces, that is aimed at limiting large public gatherings to help slow the fast-spreading virus.
From a lack of testing to an initial downplaying of the threat, the Trump administration has faced harsh criticism over its response to the virus.
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