Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan Jenny DurkanDOJ explored charges against Portland officials after protesters clashed with law enforcement Seattle mayor: Barr's reported suggestion that prosecutors charge her is 'chilling' Barr asked prosecutors to explore charging Seattle mayor over protest zone: report MORE (D) put a moratorium on residential evictions Friday amid the continued spread of the coronavirus.

The announcement came after President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE declared a national emergency at a press conference Friday afternoon.

"We cannot let individuals lose their homes or go hungry at this critical time. Over the coming days, we will announce more support from the City for individuals and families and be prepared to connect more individuals with other non-profit and philanthropic resources," Durkan said in a statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

King County, where Seattle is located, is the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., with 328 confirmed cases and 32 related deaths.

“The last thing we want is for people to be displaced from their homes or to suddenly have their power and lights shut off,” Durkan told The Hill earlier in the week.

Overall, the U.S. has more than 2,000 cases of the virus and at least 47 deaths. Worldwide, there are over 145,000 cases of COVID-19.

Trump's national emergency declaration frees up billions in emergency aid that can go towards combating coronavirus.

The move allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to tap into more than $40 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund to help states combat the virus.