April 21, 2020: US President Donald Trump has said he will be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States as the country tries to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Trump made the announcement by tweet late Monday night, and did not offer specifics, such as the time frame or the scope of who would be affected.

"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," Trump said in a tweet.

The US Congress on Monday inched toward a $450 billion deal to help small businesses and hospitals hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying negotiators had come to terms on the 'principles' of the package as the Senate set a Tuesday session for a potential vote.

The number of people killed in the US due to COVID-19 has reached 42,094, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 750,000 cases have been confirmed.

Donald Trump, who seeks re-election in November, has been under fire for his response to the health crisis. Earlier, he had lashed out at the World Health Organization for its early handling of the outbreak and cut US funding for the global health body.

"We have been warning from day one that this is a devil that everyone should fight," he said, adding that "there is nothing hidden from the US" about the pandemic.