On March 16 , 2020 , during the coronavirus pandemic in the US , gatherings of more than 10 people were discouraged by the White House .
In mid-March 2020 , the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) told the United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE ) to plan to construct new facilities , including leased hotels and other buildings , and to convert them for use as hospitals and intensive care units .
2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States