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US coronavirus live: Trump begins Sunday night White House briefing US coronavirus live: Fema official says masks and gloves are on the way to hospitals
(32 minutes later)
Trump warns of ‘one of toughest weeks’ as deaths pass 8,000 as 312,085 cases are confirmed in USTrump warns of ‘one of toughest weeks’ as deaths pass 8,000 as 312,085 cases are confirmed in US
Now John Polowczyk, who leads FEMA’s supply chain task force, is discussing the distribution of supplies across the U.S. When asked if he will refrain from interacting with Pence to avoid the spread of coronavirus, Trump joked, “I don’t breathe when I’m with him.”
He said 2.8 million masks and 11.8 million gloves are en route to be distributed to hospitals and nursing homes. Trump and Pence shared the stage for the entirety of questioning on Sunday.
Polowczyk said at Trump’s command FEMA is also distributing hydroxycholorquine to pharmacies. After a rambling response from another question about hydroxychloroquine, Trump calls CNN “fake news”, and we have moved back to science.
When asked how sure we can be about numbers and models, Deborah Birx said the experiences of Spain and Italy can work as a model for what we can expect in the United States.
“After four weeks of mitigation we are starting to see these countries coming across their apex,” she said. “This is promising for us.”
When asked why he is promoting hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for coronavirus, Trump said again, “What do they have to lose?”
“We don’t have time to take a couple years to test it out,” he said.
Despite saying there is a “glimmer of hope” in the fight against coronavirus, Trump agreed with warnings from the US surgeon general who said Americans will face a “Pearl Harbor moment” in the next week.
“Hopefully we can get this over with,” he said. “This is a horrible thing for the whole world, we are one of 182 countries affected by this.”
Trump said he has not spoken to Boris Johnson today after hearing he was going to the hospital.
“He’s a great gentleman, I just hope he’s OK,” he said.
The Army Corps of Engineers is constructing extra hospital bed space in McCormick Place, an events center in Chicago. Some 500 beds have been installed there and 2,500 more are set to be installed, Pence said.
Pence said 3,000 patients at the Henry Ford hospital in Detroit will be participating in a formal study to determine the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus.
Vice-president Mike Pence is taking the stage now.
“We are truly blessed to have the kind of leadership we have,” he said, referencing the members of the coronavirus task force that spoke previously.
Now John Polowczyk, who leads Fema’s supply chain task force, is discussing the distribution of supplies across the US.
He said 2.8m masks and 11.8m gloves are en route to be distributed to hospitals and nursing homes.
Polowczyk said at Trump’s command FEMA is also distributing hydroxychloroquine to pharmacies.
The presser has been turned over to Dr Deborah Birx, coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force.The presser has been turned over to Dr Deborah Birx, coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force.
She noted that after four weeks of mitigation in Spain and Italy they are seeing the pandemic slow. The White House is hoping to see similar effects in the US in coming weeks.She noted that after four weeks of mitigation in Spain and Italy they are seeing the pandemic slow. The White House is hoping to see similar effects in the US in coming weeks.
“Over the next week, although we’ll see rising number of cases of people who lose their lives to this illness, we are also hopeful we will see a stabilization of cases across these large metro areas where the outbreak began several weeks ago,” she said.“Over the next week, although we’ll see rising number of cases of people who lose their lives to this illness, we are also hopeful we will see a stabilization of cases across these large metro areas where the outbreak began several weeks ago,” she said.
Trump again claims we are seeing the disease peak in coming days.Trump again claims we are seeing the disease peak in coming days.
“We see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Trump said. “Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will be proud of the job we all did.”“We see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Trump said. “Hopefully in the not-too-distant future we will be proud of the job we all did.”
Trump said a vaccine is all but out of sight for the time being. Trump said the US is close to a vaccine.
“We are very far down the line on vaccines, we’ll see how that all works,” he said. “Johnson and Johnson’s doing a great job and working very hard, a vaccine would be great therapy a therapy. We’ll see what happens.”“We are very far down the line on vaccines, we’ll see how that all works,” he said. “Johnson and Johnson’s doing a great job and working very hard, a vaccine would be great therapy a therapy. We’ll see what happens.”
After promoting unproven cures for coronavirus, hydroxycholorquine and azythromicin, Trump hedges: “What do I know? I’m not a doctor,” he said. Dr Anthony Fauci has repeatedly said a vaccine is at least a year away.
After promoting unproven cures for coronavirus, hydroxychloroquine and azythromicin, Trump hedges: “What do I know? I’m not a doctor,” he said.
Trump said the US has ordered 29m pills of hydroxychloroquine and wondered what Americans “have to lose” by taking the drug. My colleague Oliver Milman wrote about why the malaria medication may not be the miracle cure Trump is hoping for:Trump said the US has ordered 29m pills of hydroxychloroquine and wondered what Americans “have to lose” by taking the drug. My colleague Oliver Milman wrote about why the malaria medication may not be the miracle cure Trump is hoping for:
Trump claims the coming days will be the “peak” of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.Trump claims the coming days will be the “peak” of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
“Our warriors in this life and death battle are the incredible doctors and nurses and health care workers on the frontline of the fight,” he said. “We pledge to them our eternal gratitude and everlasting support.”“Our warriors in this life and death battle are the incredible doctors and nurses and health care workers on the frontline of the fight,” he said. “We pledge to them our eternal gratitude and everlasting support.”
Trump claims a new testing kit from Abbott Laboratories is being developed.
He once again claimed the United States is testing more people than any country in the world, but although the US has overtaken South Korea in total numbers of coronavirus tests administered, it has conducted far fewer tests per capita given the US population is over six times larger than South Korea’s.
Trump listed a number of efforts being made to get supplies to affected states.
Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Louisiana, New Jersey are among the states that have received ventilators.
Trump takes another dig at Illinois governor: “The governor, he has not performed well.”
He also claimed cargo planes loaded with 300m gloves and 8m masks are en route to New York.
Trump said 50 states and territories have now been approved for major disaster declarations to address coronavirus.
“This is an all out military operation that we have approved,” he said. “This is very unusual.”
Donald Trump opens the presser with “well wishes” for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was admitted to the hospital today after previously being diagnosed with coronavirus.
“He’s a great friend of mine,” Trump said. “I’m sure he is going to be fine, he’s a strong man, a strong person.”
Hello readers, Kari Paul here in San Francisco logging on to blog the White House press briefing. Stand by for updates shortly, as Donald Trump is expected to begin speaking at 7 pm ET.
Contrary to the initial schedule, there will be a White House coronavirus task force briefing at the top of the hour.
While we wait for that, here’s a summary of the latest events:
US surgeon general warns of ‘Pearl Harbor moment’ as Americans face ‘hardest week’. “The next week is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment. It’s going to be our 9/11 moment,” Jerome Adams told NBC News’ Meet the Press.
Fauci says no evidence anti-malaria drug Trump pushes works against virus. Donald Trump’s top coronavirus adviser has warned again that there is no scientific evidence to support the use of an unproven anti-malaria drug the president has been pushing as a possible remedy for Covid-19.
Boris Johnson admitted to hospital with coronavirus. The British prime minister has been admitted to hospital with coronavirus after suffering persistent symptoms for 10 days.
Biden floats proposal for ‘virtual convention’. Prospective presidential nominee Joe Biden has floated a proposal for a ‘virtual’ national Democratic party convention this summer.
Illinois governor challenges White House on ventilators. JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor, is challenging Mike Pence’s calculations that his state needs only 1,400 ventilators.
We’ll have coverage of the White House briefing here, from 7pm.
A Malayan tiger at a New York City zoo has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after developing a dry cough, the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement Sunday.
“Nadia, a four-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, has tested positive for Covid-19. She, her sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions had developed a dry cough and all are expected to recover,” the statement read.
The diagnosis is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the US or a tiger anywhere, federal officials and the zoo said on Sunday. More from the Associated Press:
A just-published Washington Post exclusive identifies longtime Trump advisor Rudy Giuliani as a key advocate for coronavirus treatments whose effectiveness has not yet been proven.
Boston mayor Marty Walsh asked everyone in Massachusetts’ largest city to observe a curfew and to wear a mask when outside at his daily briefing today.
The city now has 1,877 confirmed cases and 15 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, marking an increase of 259 cases from Saturday.
“That’s what a surge looks like and we’re still at the beginning of the surge,” Walsh said.
De Blasio is asked why demographic breakdowns of those diagnosed with Covid-19 have not been released by New York City authorities. De Blasio said that the first priority had been to treat people but data was now being looked at. He said early signs suggested that more deprived communities had been hit the hardest in the city.