Coronavirus Updates: Trump declared a national emergency. Let's break that down.

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Sign up for this newsletter Read online What to know about the novel coronavirus outbreak, from To Your Health.       By Reis Thebault  Email The Post's coronavirus coverage linked in this newsletter is free to access if you click from this email. Expect us in your inbox tomorrow and Sunday: this newsletter is now sending seven days a week.   The latest Coronavirus in the United States is now a national emergency. President Trump made the official declaration in a Friday afternoon address from the Rose Garden, a move that unlocks federal disaster-relief funding for the state and local governments on the front lines of the outbreak. Trump said that it would free up $50 billion to distribute to states and territories to address the growing emergency. It's the latest in a series of increasingly aggressive steps the administration has taken to combat the spread of coronavirus. The announcement comes after days of criticism that Trump's response to the pandemic has been insufficient — and it struck a far different tone than his early comments, which dismissed the virus as something that was "very well under control." News of Trump's announcement sent U.S. financial markets surging by 9 to 10 percent — Wall Street's biggest rally since 2008 — capping a week of hyperactive trading that also included the worst day since the 1987 crash. Earlier Friday, The Post reported that the White House plans to partner with the private sector to set up drive-through coronavirus tests in an attempt to meet the demand of legions of frustrated Americans who have tried and failed to find out if they're infected.  The effort would involve state and local health departments, along with companies like Target, Walgreens, Walmart and CVS, as well as commercial diagnostic labs and manufacturers. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has repeatedly questioned the Trump administration about why the U.S. has not set up a model similar to South Korea's, where drive-through testing sites do not require a doctor's prescription and where results are available quickly. Trump himself even indicated he'd "most likely" get tested after he was photographed standing beside a Brazilian official who tested positive for the virus, though the president said he was planning to take the precaution anyway.  As the federal government ramps up its response to the fast-spreading outbreak, states and localities have continued taking matters into their own hands, issuing a steady stream of emergency declarations and cancellations. In one extraordinary announcement, Louisiana became the first state to postpone its presidential primaries, moving them from April 4 to June 20.  Thousands of schools across six states and the District of Columbia are also set to close as elected officials ordered sweeping shutdowns on Thursday and Friday. Among the latest to do so: West Virginia, one of the few states that hasn't confirmed a case of coronavirus. Gov. Jim Justice spoke for leaders across the country when he warned, "We've got a monster that's looming." As a nation girds itself for still more cases, public health experts have begun grim calculations as they prepare for the worst: How many ventilators do we have in this country? How many hospital beds? How many doctors and nurses? And most importantly, how many sick people can they all treat at the same time?   Your questions, answered How long does the virus live on surfaces? — Lynn Thompson, Tulsa, Okla.  The world is full of suspect surfaces, my colleague Joel Achenbach wrote today. Moving through it can feel like navigating an infectious minefield: is it is safe to touch that ATM screen? To push that grocery cart by its handles? To use that door knob? The CDC recommends that you clean and disinfect surfaces — especially those you touch often — at least once a day. One study has found that coronavirus can potentially remain viable for up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to three days on plastic or stainless steel. But just because the virus is durable doesn't mean it remains just as infectious as time goes on. Once the virus is outside a living host, the quantity of infectious particles goes down exponentially over time.  Experts say it's possible for a person to become infected a day or two after an infected person has, say, sneezed on a counter top, but it is much less likely than in the first couple of hours after the sneeze.   Live updates Post reporters around the world are publishing live dispatches 24 hours a day. Track the spread of the outbreak in the U.S. and abroad with our updating map. Find answers to your frequently asked coronavirus questions. Follow how the virus is affecting the D.C. area. Want to know more? Submit your question and The Post may answer it in a future story, live chat or newsletter. You're reading The Post's newsletter guide to the coronavirus outbreak. Not on the list?  Sign up     Today's top reads Find more stories and analysis about the outbreak on our coronavirus page, including: A story and data visualization about how pollution in Italy is plummeting due to coronavirus. How social distancing is good for public health, but hard on small businesses.  Tales of air travel disrupted and diverted over fears of passenger infection that were ultimately unfounded.  AT&T, Comcast and other Internet providers agree to help subscribers who can't pay their bills due to coronavirus By Tony Romm ●  Read more »   I ran the White House pandemic office. Trump closed it. Perspective ●  By Beth Cameron ●  Read more »   Have a wedding coming up? Here's how to keep coronavirus from ruining the big day. By Kim Bellware and Lisa Bonos ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out Must Reads for a curated selection of our best journalism in your inbox every Saturday, plus a peek behind the scenes into how one story came together. 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