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Coronavirus: Trump orders General Motors to make ventilators Coronavirus: Trump orders General Motors to make ventilators
(32 minutes later)
US President Donald Trump has ordered General Motors to make ventilators for coronavirus patients after attacking the car giant's chief executive.US President Donald Trump has ordered General Motors to make ventilators for coronavirus patients after attacking the car giant's chief executive.
He invoked the Korean War-era Defence Production Act, which allows a president to force companies to make products for national defence.He invoked the Korean War-era Defence Production Act, which allows a president to force companies to make products for national defence.
Mr Trump said that "GM was wasting time" and action was needed to save American lives.Mr Trump said that "GM was wasting time" and action was needed to save American lives.
The US now has more than 100,000 cases of the virus, the most in the world.The US now has more than 100,000 cases of the virus, the most in the world.
But with approaching 1,600 fatalities, America's Covid-19 death toll still lags far behind Italy and China.But with approaching 1,600 fatalities, America's Covid-19 death toll still lags far behind Italy and China.
Mr Trump had previously said the defence order was not necessary, because companies were voluntarily converting their operations to help fight the spread of coronavirus.Mr Trump had previously said the defence order was not necessary, because companies were voluntarily converting their operations to help fight the spread of coronavirus.
But on Friday he said in a statement: "The virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course."But on Friday he said in a statement: "The virus is too urgent to allow the give-and-take of the contracting process to continue to run its normal course."
Earlier in the day he took to Twitter to complain: "They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, 'very quickly' Now they are saying it will only be 6,000, in late April, and they want top dollar." Earlier in the day he took to Twitter to complain that GM lowered the number of ventilators they had promised to deliver from 40,000 to 6,000 and had wanted "top dollar."
On Twitter, he criticised GM chief executive Mary Barra by name, saying things are "always a mess" with her at the helm of the Detroit-based auto manufacture. On Twitter, he criticised GM chief executive Mary Barra, saying things are "always a mess" with her at the helm of the Detroit-based auto manufacture.
GM has been working with medical device manufacturer Ventec Life Systems, to build ventilators at the GM factory in Kokoma, Indiana. What's the background to the row?
GM has been working with a medical device manufacturer, Ventec Life Systems, to build ventilators at the car-maker's plant in Kokomo, Indiana.
GM's factory in Warren, Michigan, will be used to make surgical masks, the Associated Press reported.GM's factory in Warren, Michigan, will be used to make surgical masks, the Associated Press reported.
The White House had been due to announce the joint venture between the two companies on Wednesday until Trump administration officials baulked at the $1bn bill to taxpayers. The White House had been due to announce the joint venture between the two companies on Wednesday until Trump administration officials baulked at the reported $1bn bill to taxpayers.
Mr Trump took to Fox News on Thursday night to downplay the need for thousands of ventilators. During the coronavirus task force briefing on Friday, the president said: "We're not looking to be ripped off on price."
"I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators," he said, a figure New York's governor is requesting. Mr Trump also acknowledged he was "extremely unhappy" over the closing of GM's plant in Lordstown, Ohio.
"You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they'll have two ventilators," said the US president. The car-maker sold the factory last November, axing 1,400 jobs in a key presidential swing state.
"And now all of a sudden they're saying, 'Can we order 30,000 ventilators?'" Why the need for ventilators?
Ventilators - medical machines which keep patients breathing - are much in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic. The medical machines which keep patients breathing are much in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Louisiana's governor said on Friday that New Orleans could run out of ventilators by 2 April.Louisiana's governor said on Friday that New Orleans could run out of ventilators by 2 April.
When Mr Trump was asked during Friday's briefing about his scepticism of New York's request for 30,000 ventilators, he said it was a "high" estimate.
"I don't think we'll need that much," the president said, adding that "there's a great chance" New York would not require so many.
But he emphasised the US would procure another 100,000 ventilators in the next 100 days.
"We're going to make a lot of ventilators," the president said. "If we don't need them, that's OK, we can help Italy, we can help the UK."
What's happening in New York?What's happening in New York?
The state has become the epicentre of the Covid-19 crisis in the US, with over 7,000 new Covid-19 cases announced on Friday alone by Governor Andrew Cuomo. There are a total of 44,000 patients thus far, and the death toll has climbed to 519, up from 385. The state has become the epicentre of the Covid-19 crisis in the US, with over 7,000 new cases announced on Friday alone by Governor Andrew Cuomo. There are a total of 44,000 patients thus far, and the death toll has climbed to 519, up from 385.
Mr Cuomo again emphasised a need for more medical supplies, saying the state's peak is expected to come in 21 days and there is still a shortage of thousands of hospital beds and ventilators. Mr Cuomo again emphasised a need for more medical supplies, saying the state's peak is expected to come in 21 days and there was still a shortage of thousands of hospital beds and ventilators.
The governor also fired back at Mr Trump's comments on Thursday night, where the president argued that New York was exaggerating its need for 30,000 ventilators. The governor also fired back at Mr Trump's suggestion that New York was exaggerating its need for 30,000 ventilators.
"I don't have a crystal ball, everybody's entitled to their own opinion - but I don't operate here on opinion," Mr Cuomo said."I don't have a crystal ball, everybody's entitled to their own opinion - but I don't operate here on opinion," Mr Cuomo said.
"I operate on facts and on data and on numbers and on projections. All the projections say you could have an apex needing 140,000 beds and about 40,000 ventilators.""I operate on facts and on data and on numbers and on projections. All the projections say you could have an apex needing 140,000 beds and about 40,000 ventilators."
A Washington Post poll this week found 48% of Americans approve of the president's work and 46% disapprove - the highest approval and lowest disapproval ratings of Mr Trump's term.
What's happening elsewhere in the US?What's happening elsewhere in the US?