On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared
the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic a state of emergency, invoking
section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42
U.S.C. 5121-5207 (Stafford Act).1 On January
31, 2020, Secretary of Health and Human
Services (Secretary) Alex M. Azar II declared
COVID-19 a public health emergency in the
United States. The Stafford Act declaration has
several implications in terms of escalating the
federal government’s response, and this alert
serves as a guide to assist our clients with
understanding those implications.
