President Donald Trump formally approved the declaration Friday night.
As the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases continue to skyrocket, some states are acting quickly by ordering variations of stay-at-home orders for residents. Oregon joined California, Illinois, New York, among others Friday night by issuing its order.
The respiratory virus, known officially as COVID-19, has reached every continent except Antarctica, and every state in America since emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.
Globally, there are at least 275,000 diagnosed cases and 11,399 coronavirus-related deaths, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. More than 88,000 people have recovered from the virus worldwide.
In the United States, at least 19,624 diagnosed cases have been confirmed with at least 260 deaths. So far, 147 have recovered from COVID-19 in the U.S.
Today’s biggest developments:
- New York declared ‘major disaster’
- Italy’s death toll skyrockets
- Tax Day pushed back to July 15
- California National Guard deployed to protect vulnerable
- How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained
- What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms
- Tracking the spread in the US and Worldwide: Coronavirus map
Here’s how the news is unfolding today. All times Eastern. Please refresh for updates.
3:01 a.m.: FEMA emergency aid approved after NY declared ‘major disaster’
President Donald Trump formally approved Federal Emergency Management Agency aid late Friday night after declaring the state of New York a “major disaster.”
The emergency declaration frees up funds to help recovery efforts to combat the coronavirus.
“Federal funding is also available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures,” FEMA said in a statement.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said the president told him he would approve the measure earlier Friday evening.
“FEMA needs to get to work NOW to open these MANY billions in direct aid for New York and individuals to help save lives and protect public health,” the Senate minority leader tweeted.
What to know about Coronavirus:
ABC News’ Morgan Winsor, Erin Schumaker and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
