US President Donald Trump has decided to suspended immigration to the country in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, “to protect the jobs of American Citizens”.

“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” he tweeted on Tuesday morning.

In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020

A record 22 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits in the four weeks of lockdown, almost wiping out all the job gains since the Great Recession and underscoring the toll on the economy from extraordinary measures to control the novel coronavirus outbreak.

There is a record drop in retail sales in March int he US and the biggest decline in factory output since 1946. Economists are predicting the economy, which they believe is already in recession, contracted in the first quarter at its sharpest pace since World War II.

The deepening economic slump was also amplified by other data showing manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic region plunged to levels last seen in 1980 and homebuilding tumbling by the most in 36 years in March.

The United States has by far the world’s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 7,50,000 infections and over 40,500 deaths, according to news agency Reuters.

States and local governments have issued “stay-at-home” or “shelter-in-place” orders affecting more than 90 per cent of Americans to control the spread of Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, and abruptly halting economic activity.

In Washington, lawmakers were squabbling over a possible $450 billion-plus deal to provide more aid to small businesses and hospitals hurt by the crisis. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said a vote could take place on Tuesday.