WASHINGTON
(AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus
pandemic a national emergency in order to free up more money and
resources. But he denied any responsibility for delays in making testing
available for the new virus, whose spread has roiled markets and
disrupted the lives of everyday Americans.

Speaking from the Rose
Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national emergency,”
unleashing as much as $50 billion for state and local governments to
respond to the outbreak.

Trump also announced a range of
executive actions, including a new public-private partnership to expand
coronavirus testing capabilities with drive-through locations, as his
administration has come under fire for being too slow in making the test
available.

Trump said, “I don’t take responsibility at all” for the slow rollout of testing.

Late
Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a deal with the Trump
administration for an aid package from Congress that aims at direct
relief to Americans — free testing, two weeks of sick pay for workers,
enhanced unemployment benefits and bolstered food programs.

“We
are proud to have reached an agreement with the Administration to
resolve outstanding challenges, and now will soon pass the Families
First Coronavirus Response Act,” Pelosi announced in a letter to
colleagues after days of negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin. The House was poised to vote late Friday.

Trump tweeted his approval. “I fully support H.R. 6201: Families First CoronaVirus Response Act,” Trump wrote.

“I
encourage all Republicans and Democrats to come together and VOTE YES!”
He added, “Look forward to signing the final Bill, ASAP!”

The
crush of late-day activity capped a tumultuous week in Washington as the
fast-moving virus shuttered the capital’s power centers, roiled
financial markets and left ordinary Americans suddenly navigating
self-quarantines, school closures and a changed way of life.

The
White House was under enormous pressure, dealing with the crisis on
multiple fronts as it encroached ever closer on the president.

Trump
has been known to flout public health advice — eagerly shaking hands
during the more than hour-long afternoon event — but acknowledged he
“most likely” will be tested now after having been in contact with
several officials who have tested positive for the virus. “Fairly soon,”
he said.

Still, Trump said officials don’t want people taking
the test unless they have certain symptoms. “We don’t want people
without symptoms to go and do that test,” Trump said, adding, “It’s
totally unnecessary.”

Additionally, Trump took a number of other
actions to bolster energy markets, ease the financial burden for
Americans with student loans and give medical professionals additional
“flexibility” in treating patients during the public health crisis.

“Through
a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination,
we will overcome the threat of the virus,” Trump said.

Central to
the aid package from Congress, which builds on an emergency $8.3 billion
measure approved last week, is the free testing and sick pay
provisions.

Providing sick pay for workers is a crucial element of
federal efforts to stop the rapid spread of the infection. Officials
warn that the nation’s healthcare system could quickly become
overwhelmed with gravely sick patients, as suddenly happened in Italy,
one of the countries hardest hit by the virus.

The ability to
ensure paychecks will keep flowing — for people self-quarantining or
caring for others — can help assure Americans they will not fall into
financial hardship. There is also three months of paid family and
medical leave. Small and mid-sized employers will be reimbursed through
tax credits.

“We have an agreement that reflects what the president talked about,” Mnuchin said late Friday on Fox Business.

Throughout
the day hopes for swift passage of the bill stalled as talks dragged
and Trump dismissed it during as “not doing enough.” Republicans were
reluctant to come on board without his backing, according to a person
unauthorized to discuss the talks and granted anonymity.

Ahead of
Trump’s new conference, Pelosi delivered a statement from the speaker’s
balcony at the Capitol imploring the Trump administration and
congressional Republicans to “put families first” by backing the effort
to provide Americans with relief.

“Our great nation has faced
crisis before,” Pelosi said. “And every time, thanks to the courage and
optimism of the American people, we have prevailed. Now, working
together, we will once again prevail.”

Pelosi and Mnuchin engaged
in days of around-the-clock negotiations with cross-town phone calls
that continued even as Trump was speaking. Both indicated earlier they
were close to a deal. Voting in the Senate is not yet set, with senators
out of town for the weekend, scheduled to return Monday.

They
both promised a third coronavirus package will follow soon, with more
aggressive steps to boost the U.S. economy, which economists fear has
already slipped into recession.

The financial markets closed on an upswing after one of the worst nosedives since the 1987 downturn.

For
most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms,
such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people
with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness,
including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover.
According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness
recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may
take three to six weeks to be over it.

Trump said he was
gratified that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested negative for
the virus, after the pair sat next to each other for an extended period
of time last weekend at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. A senior aide to
Bolsonaro tested positive.

Trump’s daugher, Ivanka Trump, worked
from home Friday after meeting with Australian Home Affairs Minister
Peter Dutton, now in isolation at a hospital after testing positive for
the coronavirus. White House spokesman Judd Deere said she was evaluated
by the White House Medical Unit and it was determined that because she
was exhibiting no symptoms she does not need to self-quarantine.

Attorney
General William Barr, who also met with the Australian official, was
staying home Friday, though he “felt great and wasn’t showing any
symptoms,” according to his spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.

Several
lawmakers, including some close to Trump, have also been exposed to
people who tested positive for the virus, and are self-isolating.

Among
them are Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott, who were at
Trump’s club on the weekend. Graham announced Friday that he also met
with the Australian official who has now tested positive. And GOP Sen.
Ted Cruz of Texas, who had previously isolated himself after a potential
exposure at a conservative conference in Washington, said Friday he met
with a Spanish official and is now self-quarantining.

Hospitals
welcomed Trump’s emergency declaration, which they and lawmakers in
Congress had been requesting. It allows the Health and Human Services
Department to temporarily waive certain federal rules that can make it
harder for hospitals and other health care facilities to respond to an
emergency.

The American Medical Association said the emergency
declaration would help ensure America’s health care system has
sufficient resources to properly respond to the ongoing outbreak.

Trump
has struggled to show he’s on top of the crisis, after giving
conflicting descriptions of what the U.S. is doing to combat the virus.
On Wednesday he announced he would ban travel to the U.S. from Europe,
and on Friday he suggested extending that to the U.K. because of a
recent rise in cases.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief
at the National Institutes of Health, said more tests would be available
over the next week, but warned, “We still have a long way to go.”

Fauci
said Friday, “There will be many more cases. But we’ll take care of
that, and ultimately, as the president said, this will end.”

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Alan Fram, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Lauran Neergaard, Martin Crutsinger, Laurie Kellman, Michael Balsamo and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.