Trump declares coronavirus national emergency

US President Donald Trump announced a national state of emergency on Friday, freeing up USD 50 billion in federal funds for the battle against the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic

"To unleash the full power of the federal government, I'm officially declaring a national emergency," Trump said in a statement on the White House lawn

He called on all US states to set up emergency operation centers and said the government was accelerating testing, amid criticism about the lack of sufficient test kits nationwide.