Trump approves disaster declaration for New York

President Trump late Friday evening approved a disaster declaration for New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

Trump’s order opens up federal support for state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by COVID-19, the White House said in a statement.

It also gives New York residents who have been affected by the illness access to crisis counseling.

As of Saturday morning, more than 7,100 cases of COVID-19 had been reported in the Empire State, according to The New York Times.

Last week, Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national health emergency, which freed up billions of dollars in federal aid.

Trump has already signed two coronavirus stimulus packages that cost more than $100 billion combined. The third stimulus bill being negotiated by senators will cost roughly $1 trillion.

The legislation was sent to congressional Democrats late Thursday, but lawmakers left Friday night without a finalized bill. They are expected to resume talks on Saturday.