Declaration of National Emergency for COVID-19 Outbreak
President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-5794 on March 13, 2020, declaring a national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. The proclamation invoked the National Emergencies Act and the Stafford Act, enabling the federal government to mobilize resources, waive certain regulations, and authorize emergency funding for pandemic response. The declaration activated emergency powers that allowed FEMA to coordinate disaster relief, permitted the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive Medicare requirements, and authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to manufacture medical supplies.