Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 29, 2020 President Donald J. Trump Approves District of Columbia Disaster Declaration   Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s recovery efforts in the area affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic beginning on January 20, 2020, and continuing. Federal funding is available to the District of Columbia and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance taken in response to COVID-19. Pete Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named MaryAnn Tierney as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the District and warranted by the results of further assessments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.