The emergency declaration Friday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) unlocks access to a nationwide pot of $42 billion in vital aid from the Disaster Relief Fund, as the number of confirmed New York cases soar and critical medical supplies remain scarce, according to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.
“With no time to waste, the administration heeded the call and approved the nation’s first Major Disaster Declaration in response to the coronavirus, right here in New York,” Schumer said in a statement.
“With more and more cases confirmed here each day, it’s imperative that the federal government does everything within its power to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus.”
The declaration is typically ordered in the wake of natural disasters, like Hurricane Sandy or other major storms and flooding events.
