President Trump grants Conn., Ore. major disaster declarations
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:20 AM PT — Sunday, March 29, 2020
The president has approved major disaster declarations for both Connecticut and Oregon. According to reports out of the White House, the approval for emergency federal assistance was announced on Sunday.
We've received word that our request for a federal Major Disaster Declaration has been approved. This will unlock addt'l federal assistance programs for Connecticut. This is imperative to protecting the health and safety of the people of our state.
https://t.co/3o43navhYy pic.twitter.com/r56q0cz0bX
— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) March 29, 2020
The funding applies to state, tribal and local governments, in addition to non-profit organizations and companies helping to fight off COVID-19.
Connecticut and Oregon have been added to a growing list of regions, including 17 other states and two U.S. territories, who were also recently approved for assistance.
This came after the CDC issued a travel advisory for several states in the northeastern region. The agency has urged people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for the next 14 days.
Domestic Travel Advisory: Due to extensive community transmission of #COVID19 in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, CDC urges residents to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. Read more: https://t.co/RAaIpQn6cj pic.twitter.com/a0eIYGzOa1
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 29, 2020
This does not apply to employees of critical industries, like truckers and food supply professionals.
These states have seen extensive transmission of the COVID-19 virus. President Trump has said he discussed this with the governors of these states, who will work with the federal government to implement the advisory.
….Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
According to the latest data from the CDC and the World Health Organization, there are now more than 120,000 active cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and more than 2,200 reported deaths.
The number of active cases around the world has risen above 505,000, with the global death toll nearing 32,000. U.S. health officials have warned that the nation’s coronavirus cases are expected to continue rising before leveling off.
A new poll revealed Americans are increasingly seeing the coronavirus as a major health threat. According to the Pew Research study this week, 66 percent of residents now think the virus is a major threat to the health of the U.S. population.
Less than two weeks ago, only 47 percent of responders in that same poll said they were alarmed by the outbreak. A different study reported that at least 80 percent of respondents were either very or somewhat confident that CDC public health officials have done a good job responding to the virus.
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