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As it happened: US declares state of emergency, WHO warns Europe now 'epicentre' of coronavirus

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Police check cars at the exit of the Paznaun Valley on March 13, 2020 in Tyrol, Austria. © Jakob Gruber, AFP

Text by: FRANCE 24 Follow 3 min

US President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to make up to $50 billion available for US states and territories to fight its spread. Earlier in the day, the World Health Organization warned that Europe was now the "epicentre" of the pandemic, reporting more daily cases than China did at the height of its outbreak. Review our FRANCE 24 live blog for the news as it happened.