It is the first time a president has ever declared a major disaster in all 50 states at once. The US Virgin islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico are also under disaster declarations, which allow federal funds to be used by state and local governments during the pandemic.

The move comes as confirmed cases of the coronavirus reached at least 532,000. At least 20,577 people have died in the US due to the disease, a death toll surpassing the one in hard-hit Italy and a figure that has doubled, from 10,000 to more than 20,000, in just five days.