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Coronavirus latest updates: Trump gives briefing as Ohio and Illinois go into lockdown Coronavirus latest updates: White House gives briefing as Ohio and Illinois go into lockdown
(32 minutes later)
Number of UK deaths rises to 35 while other countries introduce stricter new measuresNumber of UK deaths rises to 35 while other countries introduce stricter new measures
Now we’re on to social distancing – and whether a national lockdown might be on the way while the president tells Americans to “relax”.
Pence hails Trump’s “decisive leadership early on”, to do with travel restrictions on China and now Europe, the UK and Ireland. Of course he does.
He calls on Dr Fauci, who says he meant what he said on the shows this morning about the need for social distancing to be strictly enforced and followed. “Anything and everything we’ll consider.”
He is asked for examples.
No bars or restaurants? “Could be, could be.”
He wants the press to let the new guidelines come out tomorrow, then ask questions.
Pence is asked about bar and restaurant closings and whether he expects them to spread nationwide, and about the airport customs delays on Saturday night.
There will be updated federal guidelines tomorrow, Pence says, but they will defer to state and local authorities.
He asks the acting homeland security secretary to address the screening problems at major airports which caused huge queues and no social distancing whatsoever on Saturday night and led Governor Pritzker to say the administration had to “get its shit together”.
Chad Wolf, the acting secretary, says the lines were “unacceptable” and 12 airports saw adjustments to practice but O’Hare in Chicago did not. Average wait time for screening is now 30 minutes he says, adding that the the process is “fixed”.
Asked if domestic air travel could be shut down, Wolf says all options are on the table.
Dr Anthony Fauci says the “testing space available” is “entering into a new phase” – successive members of the task force are stressing that the administration is doing better on that front, as they would of course be expected to do.
“The worst is ahead for us,” he says. “It’s how we respond that is going to determine how that endpoint is going to be.”
Now questions.
Dr Deborah Birx is up now, explaining how lab work is done in the US and how the US is “going to see a spike in the curve” as more testing is done and more cases of coronavirus are found.
Schools in New York City, meanwhile, were being kept open in part because of the vital social role they play for poorer families, providing full meals and childcare while parents work tough and necessary jobs. That support will still be needed now the schools are closed.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who faced a horrible quandary over the schools which it seems Governor Andrew Cuomo has now solved for him, has announced that there are now five deaths related to coronavirus in the city and 329 confirmed cases. The “number of confirmed cases is moving rapidly”, though, he says.
At the White House they’re on to task force members describing their work. One would expect the fireworks to start when or if Vice-President Pence takes questions, although they might be smaller rockets and Catherine wheels given his boss has left the room.
In New York, it’s being reported that the public schools have at last been closed, until 20 April at least.
Parents of students in the biggest such system in the US now have a major problem on their hands as they themselves are forced to work at home. I know, because I’m one such parent…
Here’s Lois Beckett from Oakland on the latest news out of California:
Pence goes on, heralding what he calls an “extraordinary and unprecedented national public-private partnership for diagnostic testing”. He would say that, of course, but he also praises the bipartisan passage of relief measures by the House on Saturday.
Then he says, “As the president often says, we are all in this together.”
The US now has more than 2,900 cases in 49 states, Vice-President Mike Pence says as he takes the podium.
The risk of serious illness remains low, Pence says, but because the risk is related to the most vulnerable, the administration will continue to urge every American to be vigilant in practising good hygiene and heeding official advice.
Pence says he has spoken to Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, who had harsh words for the administration last night and this morning.
Pence riffs extensively about the national day of prayer Trump declared for today, and repeats Trump’s words about his call with the grocery store executives – which will stay open, he says, if possibly with reduced hours.
The president and Pence will brief all the governors tomorrow, the VP says – “specifically about our expanding testing to the American people”. The lack of testing capability has been a key part of criticism of the administration’s response.
Pence says testing is now available in all 50 states and claims “unprecedented speed” in the development of coronavirus testing. He might get questions about that.
More than 10 states have their own drive-thru testing sites, Pence says, and he commends them for it, and says “retail partners” will work with states. This, we knew too.
Trump repeats that he does not want Americans to hoard or panic-buy food supplies – they can afford to relax and have a nice dinner, he says.Trump repeats that he does not want Americans to hoard or panic-buy food supplies – they can afford to relax and have a nice dinner, he says.
He goes on to thank the task force members crowding the podium behind him, many – including Dr Deborah Birx, who Amanda Holpuch profiled here and who had an introduction to bumpy Trump press conferences on Friday.He goes on to thank the task force members crowding the podium behind him, many – including Dr Deborah Birx, who Amanda Holpuch profiled here and who had an introduction to bumpy Trump press conferences on Friday.
Trump leaves to “make some calls” and does not take questions.Trump leaves to “make some calls” and does not take questions.
US business editor Dominic Rushe has more on the Fed news:US business editor Dominic Rushe has more on the Fed news:
He starts by saying the Federal Reserve have made him “very happy” by lowering interest rates to 0.25%, which is a story just breaking across the wires. On the subject, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin was on the shows this morning, batting away questions about whether the administration is worried about a coronavirus-enhanced recession.He starts by saying the Federal Reserve have made him “very happy” by lowering interest rates to 0.25%, which is a story just breaking across the wires. On the subject, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin was on the shows this morning, batting away questions about whether the administration is worried about a coronavirus-enhanced recession.
He also thanks Google for “substantiating what I said on Friday” about a website for self-diagnosis of Covid-19, which the press said was inaccurate. Trump claims he was right all along but it still seems Google, or a company related to it, is actually testing its website in the Bay Area of California and not rolling it out nationally.He also thanks Google for “substantiating what I said on Friday” about a website for self-diagnosis of Covid-19, which the press said was inaccurate. Trump claims he was right all along but it still seems Google, or a company related to it, is actually testing its website in the Bay Area of California and not rolling it out nationally.
The president also reels off a list of CEOs of grocery and supply chain companies who he spoke to today, about public panic-buying and how to avoid it.The president also reels off a list of CEOs of grocery and supply chain companies who he spoke to today, about public panic-buying and how to avoid it.
Here comes Donald Trump.
Speaking of which:
As the briefing gets going and Mike Pence likely seeks to offer reassuring words, it’s worth considering that Dr Anthony Fauci, a very senior Trump administration official, said on CNN this morning that “Yes, it is possible” thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of Americans could die as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Here’s more of Fauci:
Fauci told various morning shows he was in favour of more strict restrictions on social gatherings such as those adopted in Ohio and elsewhere, where bars and restaurants are being closed.
It’s breaking elsewhere that New York governor Andrew Cuomo wants New York City public schools closed this week. They are still open at the moment, unlike such systems in other big cities:
Martin Pengelly here in New York, taking over to cover an imminent White House briefing from Vice-President Mike Pence and members of his coronavirus task force.
It’s probably worth pointing out while we wait for the presser to start that the James S Brady Briefing Room, where it will be held, is notoriously not very roomy and thus entirely unsuited to social distancing. When full, the press practically sit in each other’s laps.
Before yesterday’s briefing members of the press had their temperatures taken and one was turned away. That was the briefing at which Donald Trump revealed that he had taken a coronavirus test, which was later reported to have been negative.
There have been a lot of reports about how often Trump and other officials including Dr Anthony Fauci, a top public health official, have touched their faces and shaken hands with each other during recent briefings. Here’s one.
Here’s some Guardian US coronavirus content to read up on as the briefing begins:
Cannabis smokers queued up outside Dutch “coffee shops” on Sunday after the government ordered their closure due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Customers lined up in their dozens as they tried to beat a 6pm deadline for the closure of the marijuana cafes and stockpile supplies for what could be weeks of lockdown.
“For maybe for the next two months we’re not able to get some weed so it should be nice to at least have some in the house,” Jonathan, a Dutch buyer, said outside The Point coffee shop in The Hague.
The queues built up minutes after the Dutch health and education ministers gave a televised press conference announcing the closure of many businesses, along with all Dutch schools.
British horse racing is likely to go behind closed doors from next week, initially until the end of March but potentially for much longer, following a recommendation of the industry’s Covid-19 working party which will be considered on Monday by racing’s senior executives.
For the full story click here.
Illinois has joined Ohio in ordering all bars and restaurants to close due to the coronavirus outbreak, CNN has reported.
A British athlete has told the Guardian the International Olympic Committee must act decisively by postponing the Tokyo 2020 Games because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Guy Learmonth, who captained the GB team at the European Indoor Championships last year and is hoping to be picked in the 800m, has become the first British athlete to warn the risks of going to Tokyo in July are not worth it in the current climate.
Read the full story here.
In the US, Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced on Twitter that all bars and restaurants will close in the state from 9pm on Sunday.
The decision comes amid growing pressure for state and city governments to act as the number of coronavirus infections in the US rises. As of Sunday afternoon there were more than 3,000 cases in 49 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Washington, DC.
Boris Johnson has discussed the coronavirus pandemic with Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“The prime minister spoke to Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman this afternoon about the coronavirus pandemic,” Downing Street said.
“The prime minister updated the crown prince on the steps the UK is taking, driven by scientific advice, to tackle the spread of the virus.
“Both leaders agreed on the need for an internationally co-ordinated response to the outbreak, particularly on developing a vaccine and limiting the economic disruption caused by the pandemic.
“They resolved to work closely on this, including through the G20 presidency which Saudi Arabia holds this year.”