President Donald Trump on March 13 declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, funneling more than $42 billion in funds to expand resources such as telehealth across the country.
Five notes:
1. The declaration aims to expand COVID-19 testing, help hospitals manage surges in patients and expand telehealth services to treat individuals virtually.
2. Under the declaration, HHS can waive federal licensing regulations so out-of-state physicians can treat patients via telehealth technology in states with large coronavirus outbreaks, according to Politco.
3. The telehealth expansion comes after the president's $8.3 billion emergency funding package, which was released earlier this month and allows $500 million in waivers for Medicare telehealth restrictions.
4. The federal government is also partnering with Google to develop a website dedicated to coronavirus resources such as best practices from the World Health Organization and CDC as well as tips and tools for individuals, teachers and businesses.
5. In the COVID-19 pandemic, 4,093 American cases have been reported, along with 69 deaths, as of 12:30 p.m. CDT, March 16.