Will invoke Defence Production Act to fight coronavirus, says Trump

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration will invoke the Defence Production Act, a move which will see rapid expansion of domestic manufacturing of key medical supplies and equipment, including masks and gloves, to combat the coronavirus outbreak in America. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US surged past 6,500, with 115 deaths

The Act, which was passed by Congress in 1950 at the outset of the Korean War, allows president to expand industrial production of key products for national security and other vital issues of national importance.