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Coronavirus live news: UK local and mayoral elections postponed to 2021, as WHO calls Europe 'centre of pandemic' Coronavirus live news: Trump says UK may be included in travel ban as WHO calls Europe 'centre of pandemic'
(32 minutes later)
Mount Everest calls off climbing season; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; London Underground driver tests positiveMount Everest calls off climbing season; Canadian prime minister self-isolates; London Underground driver tests positive
Asked how long the national emergency would go on for, Trump did not give a specific answer. Trump said:
He also said that the Trump administration is in touch with other countries dealing with the coronavirus.
Trump again refuses to take responsibility for the US’s response to the spread of coronavirus, which many have said was too slow. Asked about the closure of the White House’s pandemic office under his watch, he said:
Here’s a little more detail on Trump’s comments in respect of the US’s travel ban. Addressing potentially adding the UK to the list, he said:
Trump also stressed the importance of local governments staying consistent in their steps to fight coronavirus. Governors around the country have issued bans of large gatherings at varying levels.
Then Trump made a small tangent to note all the major sporting events that have been postponed, canceled, or dramatically scaled back to prevent transmission of the virus.
It’s important to note that Trump, during a question and answer session following his remarks, was asked whether he or his staff were taking any precautions to make sure they get tests for coronavirus. Trump stressed repeatedly that he and his staff did not have any exposure.
Trump is asked why the UK was exempted from the travel ban list. He says that was the expert advice and, looking at the increase in the number of cases in the UK, the country may be added to the list soon, while other countries might be taken off it.
Trump, who initially called coronavirus a “hoax”, explicitly refuses to take responsibility for the “lag” in testing in the US, blaming what he says were outdated rules and regulations that he says were not designed for this sort of outbreak.
Fauci backs him up, saying the CDC-designed system was not designed for this and the US needed the help of private business.
Trump also said the United States would take advantage of low oil prices and buy a large quantity of crude to fill the nation’s strategic reserves.Trump also said the United States would take advantage of low oil prices and buy a large quantity of crude to fill the nation’s strategic reserves.
The US vice president, Mike Pence, says coronavirus is now present in 46 of the 50 states of the union.The US vice president, Mike Pence, says coronavirus is now present in 46 of the 50 states of the union.
He says the administration will be able to say when Google’s screening website will be available by Sunday.He says the administration will be able to say when Google’s screening website will be available by Sunday.
Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democratic senator in Congress, released a statement welcoming Trump’s invocation of the Stafford Act. His response, blasted out before Trump’s presser ended, is below:Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democratic senator in Congress, released a statement welcoming Trump’s invocation of the Stafford Act. His response, blasted out before Trump’s presser ended, is below:
Trump has introduced representatives from partner organisations working with the White House to combat the coronavirus. They include representatives from Walmart, Walgreens, LHC Group, Signify Health.
Most of the business people gave brief remarks about how eager their respective companies are to help.
Trump then said as part of the coronavirus response “we’ll be changing a lot of the rules and regulations for future.” [SIC]
“I guess that’ll continue to an extent but we hope it never happens but we’ll be changing a lot of the wholes and speculations,” Trump said.
Trump added that “I’ve waived interest on all student loans held by government agencies.”
The president said he instructed secretary of energy Dan Brouillette to buy “large quantities” of gasoline “in the US strategic reserve.”
Trump has said:
Trump says the federal government is partnering with the private sector to accelerate production of test kits to make them more widely available to Americans.
Alongside Trump was Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health expert who is on Trump’s coronavirus task force. He says:
Dr Birx took a few minutes to explain a new coronavirus website for texting. She held up a chart to explain how the website would work (C-SPAN’s Craig Caplan snapped a picture).
Dr Birx also set out how the screening website will work – saying it will guide people through a series of yes or no questions and then, based on their responses, direct them to where they can get the type of health they need locally.
This will include whether or not a test is needed at all.
Here’s a little more detail on Trump’s comments. Flanked by aides including vice-president Mike Pence and Dr. Deborah Birx, has said the move will waive a number of other requirements meant to benefit doctors and fight the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s been an ongoing concern about the availability of tests for the coronavirus. Trump said his team expected “half a million additional tests will be available early next week”.
“Which will bring probably 1.4 million tests next week and five million in a month,” Trump said. “Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus.”
Trump also refers to the sort of drive-through testing systems that have been seen in other countries and that are designed to minimise the exposure of medical staff.
He stresses that the US authorities do not want people to get tested if it’s not necessary. The president also thanks a series of private enterprises for their work in equipping the US with some of the tools with which to battle the spread of the virus; including Google, which he says will set up a screening website.
Trump claims as many as half a million coronavirus tests will be made available next week, while millions more will follow.
Trump says the order will give broad new authority to the US health secretary to waive a series of laws and regulations to give healthcare operators more flexibility as the battle the spread of the virus.
The US president says the step will “open up access to up to $50bn” and ordered all 50 states to set up centres to deal with the virus and activate contingency plans.
Trump is speaking now. He opens by saying the US has made more progress than “other areas of the world”, attributing that to an “early” decision to “close the borders”.