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Trump Says ‘People Have to Remain Calm’ Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Trump Says ‘People Have to Remain Calm’ Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
(about 2 hours later)
ATLANTA — President Trump sought to play down the coronavirus outbreak on Friday and offered a vote of confidence in besieged federal health officials as infections spread further, markets tumbled again and the authorities scrambled to accelerate the availability of testing kits across the country.ATLANTA — President Trump sought to play down the coronavirus outbreak on Friday and offered a vote of confidence in besieged federal health officials as infections spread further, markets tumbled again and the authorities scrambled to accelerate the availability of testing kits across the country.
“It will end,” Mr. Trump said during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the center of the federal government’s efforts to combat the virus. “People have to remain calm.” “It will end,” Mr. Trump said during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the headquarters of the federal government’s efforts to combat the virus. “People have to remain calm.”
Asked if Americans were overreacting or taking reasonable precautions by canceling travel, conventions and other events, Mr. Trump suggested such actions may not always be necessary except in areas with substantial infections. “I think it’s fine if they want to do it,” he said. “I don’t think it’s an overreaction, but I wouldn’t be generally inclined to do it. I really wouldn’t be.” He emphasized that the outbreak in the United States was small by comparison with that in other countries and cautioned against drastic societal changes in areas without major infections. “I think it’s fine if they want to do it,” he said about Americans canceling travel, conventions and other events out of fear of the virus. “I don’t think it’s an overreaction. But I wouldn’t be generally inclined to do it. I really wouldn’t be.”
Mr. Trump flew to Atlanta after signing an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill at the White House to ramp up efforts to curb the virus. But his trip to the C.D.C. reflected the uncertainty and fear that currently have the nation on edge. The president canceled the trip on Thursday night after being told that a C.D.C. employee might have the coronavirus herself, then he uncanceled the trip on Friday morning after a test result came back negative. Mr. Trump flew to Atlanta after signing an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill at the White House to ramp up efforts to curb the virus, accepting more money even than his administration requested. But his trip to the C.D.C. reflected the uncertainty and fear that currently have the nation on edge. The president canceled the trip on Thursday night after being told that a C.D.C. employee might have the coronavirus herself, then surprised even some top aides by uncanceling the trip on Friday morning after a test result came back negative.
Likewise, a global health conference in Orlando, Fla., that Mr. Trump was scheduled to address on Monday has been canceled because of the coronavirus. Other elements of his schedule in the coming days have likewise been affected by the outbreak. A global health conference in Orlando, Fla., that Mr. Trump was scheduled to address on Monday has been canceled because of the coronavirus.
After touring the laboratories at the C.D.C. headquarters on Friday, the president emphasized that the number of infections and deaths in the United States remained limited and that the fatality rate was relatively low.After touring the laboratories at the C.D.C. headquarters on Friday, the president emphasized that the number of infections and deaths in the United States remained limited and that the fatality rate was relatively low.
Mr. Trump said he would prefer not to let passengers from a cruise ship held off the coast of California disembark onto American soil in part because it would make the number of American infections look worse. But he added that he had backed down from that position and authorized federal health officials to make the decision. Mr. Trump said he would prefer not to let passengers from a cruise ship held off the coast of California disembark onto American soil even into quarantine in part because it would inflate the number of American infections and therefore make the situation look worse. But he added that he had backed down from that position and authorized federal health officials to decide the matter as they saw fit.
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“They would like to have the people come off,” he said. “I would like to have the people stay. I told them to make the final decision. I would rather because I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault. And it wasn’t the fault of the people on the ship either. OK? It wasn’t their fault, either. And they are mostly Americans.” “They would like to have the people come off,” he said. “I would like to have the people stay. I told them to make the final decision. I would rather — because I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault. And it wasn’t the fault of the people on the ship either. OK? It wasn’t their fault, either. And they are mostly Americans.”
“So, I can live either way with it,” he added. “I would rather have them stay on, personally. But I fully understand if they want to take them off. I gave them the authority to make the decision.”“So, I can live either way with it,” he added. “I would rather have them stay on, personally. But I fully understand if they want to take them off. I gave them the authority to make the decision.”
Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the C.D.C. director who gave the president a tour of his facilities, said the government still hoped to control the spread of the virus to prevent a pandemic. “This nation should not give up on containment,” Dr. Redfield said. Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the C.D.C. director who led the president on a tour of his facilities along with Steve Monroe, the associate director for laboratory science and safety, said the government still hoped to control the spread of the virus to prevent a pandemic. “This nation should not give up on containment,” Dr. Redfield said.
The Trump administration gave conflicting explanations on Friday morning. A White House official initially said the president canceled the visit because he did not want to interfere with the work at the centers as its staff scrambled to get a grip on the virus. But then Mr. Trump told reporters it was called off because of a suspected case of coronavirus at the C.D.C. itself. The Trump administration gave conflicting explanations of the on-again, off-again trip on Friday morning. A White House official initially said the president had canceled the visit because he did not want to interfere with the work at the centers as its staff scrambled to get a grip on the virus. But then Mr. Trump told reporters it was called off because of a suspected case of coronavirus at the C.D.C. itself.
Mr. Trump stopped in Tennessee to inspect the devastation from a pair of deadly tornadoes this week that killed two dozen, injured many more and left a swath of destruction for miles. On the way to Georgia, Mr. Trump stopped in Tennessee to inspect the devastation from a pair of deadly tornadoes this week that killed two dozen people, injured many more and left a swath of destruction for miles.
The president, wearing a White House windbreaker, khaki slacks and a red “Keep America Great” baseball cap, was shown a neighborhood of homes flattened by the storm to the west of Cookeville. Mr. Trump looked around to see demolished houses, uprooted trees, smashed cars and piles of debris. “It’s a war zone,” Ricky Shelton, the mayor of Cookeville, told him.The president, wearing a White House windbreaker, khaki slacks and a red “Keep America Great” baseball cap, was shown a neighborhood of homes flattened by the storm to the west of Cookeville. Mr. Trump looked around to see demolished houses, uprooted trees, smashed cars and piles of debris. “It’s a war zone,” Ricky Shelton, the mayor of Cookeville, told him.
Visible in the wreckage of the community were the remains of a quiet rural life — a blue flower dress, a stuffed animal with the white stuffing coming out of its torn exterior, a child’s red wagon, a mangled bicycle, the crushed photograph of a smiling couple left in the mud. Nearby someone had mounted an American flag on a makeshift pole fashioned out of two pieces of wood strapped together. Visible in the wreckage on Hensley Drive were the remains of a quiet rural life — a blue flower dress, a stuffed animal with the white stuffing coming out of its torn exterior, a child’s red wagon, a mangled bicycle, the crushed photograph of a smiling couple left in the mud. Nearby someone had mounted an American flag on a makeshift pole fashioned out of two pieces of wood strapped together. Mr. Trump was told that a young boy had been sucked out of his house by the tornado and blown hundreds of feet away, while his parents were killed.
On a frigid, windy day, the president met with survivors, some of them wrapped in blankets. “They’re wiped out, they have nothing and many people died,” Mr. Trump said. His message, he added, was that he would do what he could to help. “I love them very much that’s why I’m here,” he said. “We’re going to be with them all the way.”On a frigid, windy day, the president met with survivors, some of them wrapped in blankets. “They’re wiped out, they have nothing and many people died,” Mr. Trump said. His message, he added, was that he would do what he could to help. “I love them very much that’s why I’m here,” he said. “We’re going to be with them all the way.”
After his stop in Atlanta, Mr. Trump headed to Florida to headline campaign fund-raising events and spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate.After his stop in Atlanta, Mr. Trump headed to Florida to headline campaign fund-raising events and spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The C.D.C. is at the center of an extraordinary crisis as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 100,000 and has incited enough fear that investors are dumping stocks, businesses and nonprofit organizations are canceling conventions, travelers are scotching spring break vacations and schools are suspending study abroad programs. The C.D.C. is at the nexus of an extraordinary crisis as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 100,000 and incited enough fear that investors are dumping stocks, businesses and nonprofit organizations are canceling conventions, travelers are scotching spring break vacations, airlines and hotels are laying off workers and schools are suspending study abroad programs.
As of Thursday evening, at least 250 people with the illness from the virus, Covid-19, have been treated in the United States and 14 have died, all but one in the Seattle area. The first cases near Washington were reported in a Maryland suburb. As of Thursday evening, at least 300 people with the illness from the virus, Covid-19, have been treated in the United States and 15 have died, all but one in the Seattle area. The first cases near the nation’s capital were reported in a Maryland suburb on Thursday.
The C.D.C. response has generated concern and criticism among many health experts, who have complained that the agency was slow to respond to the spread of the infection and imposed overly restrictive guidelines early on about who could be tested. The C.D.C. response has generated concern and criticism among many health experts, who have complained that the agency was slow to respond to the spread of the infection and imposed overly restrictive guidelines early on about who could be tested. Mr. Trump himself has come under fire, as well. Among those who lined his motorcade route in Atlanta were people holding up signs that said, “Have Faith in Science” and “We Need a Vaccine Against Trump.”
Even now, testing remains a major challenge. While Mr. Pence had said earlier in the week that “any American could be tested,” he acknowledged on Thursday that “we don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.” Even now, testing remains a major challenge. Officials told Mr. Trump that about 700,000 testing kits had already shipped and that it would grow to four million by the end of next week. “Anyone who wants a test can get a test,” the president said after his briefing.
Mr. Pence said that the C.D.C.’s test supplier would distribute kits across the country “in just a matter of a few days” that would enable 1.2 million Americans to be tested and that by the end of next week, an additional four million tests would be available. “But it’s still just a beginning,” he said. “As our nation continues to hear of new cases every day, we want to make sure that testing is available broadly.” At a news conference on Friday evening at the White House, Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the administration response, would not commit to that, but said doctors treating potentially symptomatic Americans could contact local officials and have state labs do the testing.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed China on Friday morning for not being more forthcoming early on about the outbreak there. Mr. Trump rejected any suggestion that the C.D.C. had not acted aggressively enough, presenting officials to reporters to describe how they quickly moved to develop a diagnostic test when China reported its own outbreak. “They are incredible people,” he said of the scientists, “and honestly you should be giving them tremendous credit. They have done a tremendous job.”
“The information that we got at the front end of this thing wasn’t perfect and has led us now to a place where much of the challenge we face today has put us behind the curve,” he said on CNBC. “That’s not the way infectious disease doctors tell me it should work. It’s not the way America works with transparency and openness and the sharing of the information that needs to take place.” Mr. Trump lashed out at Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington State, a former Democratic presidential candidate who has criticized the president’s leadership on the coronavirus and met on Thursday with Mr. Pence.
“I told Mike not to be complimentary of that governor because that governor is a snake,” Mr. Trump said.
“Let me just tell you we have a lot of problems with the governor,” he added. “So Mike may be happy with him, but I’m not, OK?”
Noah Weiland contributed reporting from Washington.