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| Coronavirus US live: Trump says he's 'not determined' to open the country in May | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Trump says in daily press conference ‘tremendous progress has been made’ while confirmed US cases approach 500,000 | |
| Fact check: what is coronavirus? | |
| Trump once again seemed to confuse bacteria with viruses when answering a question about a spike in coronavirus cases at a food processing plant in Denver. | |
| “Antibiotics used to solve everything, but the germ has gotten so brilliant that antibiotics can’t keep up,” said Trump. | |
| Fact: coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus called Sars-CoV-2. Nothing to do with bacteria. | |
| Trump on easing social distancing: I would say without question it’s the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make | |
| The president said that deciding whether to ease recommendations on social distancing might be one of the biggest decisions, if not the biggest one, he’ll have to make. | |
| Trump stressed he has “absolute” authority to issue a national stay at home order but so far he’s chosen not to use it. He said he preferred to let governors make that call and currently 95% of the country is under a stay at home order. | |
| “Ninety-five per cent of the country is stay at home,” Trump said, pointing first to Texas, where the governor, Greg Abbott, has issued one. “He had a very strong stay at home. Ninety-five to 96% has it. South Carolina has it ... 95% of the country is covered.” | |
| Trump added: “Constitutionally, from a federal standpoint – if I thought there was a problem I would handle it.” | |
| Trump continued: “I have great authority to use it ... I have absolute authority to use it but so far our relationship with governors, I haven’t had to do it. | |
| Trump to attend Robert Jeffres service | |
| Trump said he will attend the online service of Pastor Robert Jeffres. He said he would attend Easter service digitally on a laptop. | |
| “I’m going to be with him on Easter meaning I’m going to be with him watching on a laptop,” Trump said. | |
| Fact check: Boeing hasn’t asked for aid | |
| Trump was asked if Boeing should be penalised for mass layoffs despite receiving federal aid. Trump claimed that Boeing, which he described as “probably the greatest company in the world”, was yet to ask for aid, though he anticipated that the company would. | |
| Fact: On 17 March, Boeing requested $60bn in government aid for the aerospace industry hit by coronavirus. The company has not yet applied for a slice of the $2tn rescue package after the chief executive apparently balked at the possibility of government equity stakes in exchange for the relief. | |
| Trump plans to include governors on his new council looking at when to reopen the government. | |
| He said that includes Democrats. The president then name-checked a number of governors he gets along with. He said he just finished a phone call with New York’s Andrew Cuomo. | |
| He also mentioned Phil Murphy of New Jersey. | |
| “I’ve actually become friends with some of the Democrat governors that I wouldn’t have gotten to know. Governor Murphy of New Jersey’s a very liberal guy. I’m not ... Gavin Newsom. Honestly, fight or never,” | |
| Trump added: “I’ve really developed a lot of good friendships with the governors. I think Mike DeWine, a Republican, I think he’s doing a great job. | |
| “I’d like to have some representative governors on the council,” Trump said. “So far everyone’s said yes. I think everyone would like to be on that council. It’s a very important council.” | |
| Fact check: more jobs for African Americans since Trump took office | |
| Trump said that African Americans have more jobs under his administration. | Trump said that African Americans have more jobs under his administration. |
| Before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was falling overall but increasing for African Americans. For example, in December 2019, the unemployment rate had fallen 3.5% for all Americans and increased to 5.9% for black Americans. So far, the mass layoffs seem to have been proportionally higher for Asians and Hispanics. Last week’s unemployment benefits claims’ figures showed that while whites and blacks saw job loss rates rise at the same pace, the unemployment rate for blacks stood at 6.7% - 65% higher than for whites. | Before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was falling overall but increasing for African Americans. For example, in December 2019, the unemployment rate had fallen 3.5% for all Americans and increased to 5.9% for black Americans. So far, the mass layoffs seem to have been proportionally higher for Asians and Hispanics. Last week’s unemployment benefits claims’ figures showed that while whites and blacks saw job loss rates rise at the same pace, the unemployment rate for blacks stood at 6.7% - 65% higher than for whites. |
| Asked whether he would open up the US again next month if his advisers presented him with evidence that there would be a dramatic spike of coronavirus cases Trump said he wants to get it open as soon as possible. But he isn’t determined, the president said in response to a question from CNN’s Jim Acosta. | Asked whether he would open up the US again next month if his advisers presented him with evidence that there would be a dramatic spike of coronavirus cases Trump said he wants to get it open as soon as possible. But he isn’t determined, the president said in response to a question from CNN’s Jim Acosta. |
| “I do say this Jim: I want to get it open as soon as possible,” Trump said. “I would love to open it. I’m not determined.” | “I do say this Jim: I want to get it open as soon as possible,” Trump said. “I would love to open it. I’m not determined.” |
| He said that he would unveil a new taskforce of counsel to advise him on dealing with coronavirus and when to reopen the country. He said he would discuss it more next week Trump said it would be bipartisan. | He said that he would unveil a new taskforce of counsel to advise him on dealing with coronavirus and when to reopen the country. He said he would discuss it more next week Trump said it would be bipartisan. |
| “The one thing I didn’t ask ‘are you a Republican or Democrat’ and I want their views on what they think,” Trump said. | “The one thing I didn’t ask ‘are you a Republican or Democrat’ and I want their views on what they think,” Trump said. |
| Trump is not backing away from comments he made vowing to look at funding to the World Health Organization. The president said he would discuss it more next week. He also sounded that he was open to cutting funding to the organization. | Trump is not backing away from comments he made vowing to look at funding to the World Health Organization. The president said he would discuss it more next week. He also sounded that he was open to cutting funding to the organization. |
| Surgeon General Adams was asked about urging African Americans to avoid alcohol and tobacco. He said: “If not for yourself, then for your abuela. Do it for your grand-daddy. Do it for your big mama. Do it for your pop-pop.” | Surgeon General Adams was asked about urging African Americans to avoid alcohol and tobacco. He said: “If not for yourself, then for your abuela. Do it for your grand-daddy. Do it for your big mama. Do it for your pop-pop.” |
| Adams was asked if that language was appropriate. He said he felt it was because that’s the language used in his family. | Adams was asked if that language was appropriate. He said he felt it was because that’s the language used in his family. |
| “That was not meant to be offensive. That’s the language that I use and we use,” Adams said. But he added that he would make those recommendations to all American. | “That was not meant to be offensive. That’s the language that I use and we use,” Adams said. But he added that he would make those recommendations to all American. |
| “All Americans need to avoid these substances at all times,” Adams said. | “All Americans need to avoid these substances at all times,” Adams said. |
| Fact check: Testing | Fact check: Testing |
| Trump said “there’s not a lot of issues with testing”... “We’ve done more testing than any country in the world.” | Trump said “there’s not a lot of issues with testing”... “We’ve done more testing than any country in the world.” |
| While the US has ramped up testing, it still lags behind other countries, including South Korea and Germany. South Korea has administered 486,003 tests, according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a population of 51.5m, the country has tested about 1 in every 102 people. Germany has done even better, testing every 1 in 63 people. The UK is still way behind, having tested only 1 in 230 people by Wednesday 8 April. | While the US has ramped up testing, it still lags behind other countries, including South Korea and Germany. South Korea has administered 486,003 tests, according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a population of 51.5m, the country has tested about 1 in every 102 people. Germany has done even better, testing every 1 in 63 people. The UK is still way behind, having tested only 1 in 230 people by Wednesday 8 April. |
| Meanwhile, the United States, with a population of 329 million, has administered at least 2,391,119 tests, according to the Atlantic’s Covid Tracking Project — so the US has tested about 1 in every 138 people. | Meanwhile, the United States, with a population of 329 million, has administered at least 2,391,119 tests, according to the Atlantic’s Covid Tracking Project — so the US has tested about 1 in every 138 people. |
| Epidemiologists prefer to use tests per capita to compare countries: “I think the important clarification is that we should be considering the number of cases per 1 million population and considering a rate of people tested and not the absolute numbers,” Jennifer Horney, founding director of the University of Delaware’s epidemiology program, told CNN. “The absolute number of tests is not very meaningful.” | Epidemiologists prefer to use tests per capita to compare countries: “I think the important clarification is that we should be considering the number of cases per 1 million population and considering a rate of people tested and not the absolute numbers,” Jennifer Horney, founding director of the University of Delaware’s epidemiology program, told CNN. “The absolute number of tests is not very meaningful.” |
| And despite the increase in testing, backlogs are reported in labs across the country, and many folks with symptoms - including health workers - are still struggling to access tests. | And despite the increase in testing, backlogs are reported in labs across the country, and many folks with symptoms - including health workers - are still struggling to access tests. |
| Fact check: testing | Fact check: testing |
| Trump bragged about the quality of tests in the US, boasting that “we’ve made the best tests in the world”. | Trump bragged about the quality of tests in the US, boasting that “we’ve made the best tests in the world”. |
| In fact, some of the initial coronavirus tests sent out to states were seriously flawed. Part of the problem came from the CDC shunned the WHO template for tests, and insisted on developing a more complicated version that correctly identified Covid-19, but also flagged other viruses – resulting in false positives. | In fact, some of the initial coronavirus tests sent out to states were seriously flawed. Part of the problem came from the CDC shunned the WHO template for tests, and insisted on developing a more complicated version that correctly identified Covid-19, but also flagged other viruses – resulting in false positives. |
| Other countries – after their first coronavirus case – swiftly asked private companies to develop their own tests. South Korea, which recorded its first case on the same day as the US, did so within a week. The US only allowed laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own tests on 29 February, almost six weeks after the first case was confirmed. | Other countries – after their first coronavirus case – swiftly asked private companies to develop their own tests. South Korea, which recorded its first case on the same day as the US, did so within a week. The US only allowed laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own tests on 29 February, almost six weeks after the first case was confirmed. |
| Trump on warnings about reopening by 1 May: I will certainly listen | Trump on warnings about reopening by 1 May: I will certainly listen |
| Trump was pressed on whether he would heed the warnings of health officials, including some who advise him, as to whether the country could reopen by early May. Trump has reportedly been hoping to see that. At first he digressed. | Trump was pressed on whether he would heed the warnings of health officials, including some who advise him, as to whether the country could reopen by early May. Trump has reportedly been hoping to see that. At first he digressed. |
| “I listen to them about everything,” Trump said. “I have great respect for these people. All of them. | “I listen to them about everything,” Trump said. “I have great respect for these people. All of them. |
| Trump joked: “In fact I told Tony Fauci, why don’t you move to New York, run against AOC, you will win easily. I kid, you know that.” | Trump joked: “In fact I told Tony Fauci, why don’t you move to New York, run against AOC, you will win easily. I kid, you know that.” |
| Asked again he didn’t budge. | Asked again he didn’t budge. |
| “I can only say this: I have tremendous respect for these doctors and we’ve done very well,” Trump said. “I have great respect for these people. I’m never saying bad about these people.” | “I can only say this: I have tremendous respect for these doctors and we’ve done very well,” Trump said. “I have great respect for these people. I’m never saying bad about these people.” |
| And then pressed a third time, Trump said: “I will certainly listen. I will certainly listen. There are two sides. Remember, I understand both sides of an argument very well.” | And then pressed a third time, Trump said: “I will certainly listen. I will certainly listen. There are two sides. Remember, I understand both sides of an argument very well.” |
| Fact check: oil reserves | Fact check: oil reserves |
| Trump said the US probably has the biggest oil reserves in the world. | Trump said the US probably has the biggest oil reserves in the world. |
| According to the World Population Review, Venezuela has the biggest crude oil reserves, followed by Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran and Iraq. The US is 11th – sandwiched in between Nigeria and Kazakhstan. | According to the World Population Review, Venezuela has the biggest crude oil reserves, followed by Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran and Iraq. The US is 11th – sandwiched in between Nigeria and Kazakhstan. |
| Mike Pence just now just urged churches and other religious “to heed the guidelines” and avoid gatherings of more than 10. | Mike Pence just now just urged churches and other religious “to heed the guidelines” and avoid gatherings of more than 10. |
| “We’re grateful that so many churches, synagogues, and places of worship have continued to do that,” Pence said. | “We’re grateful that so many churches, synagogues, and places of worship have continued to do that,” Pence said. |
| Some churches and religious locations have held gatherings larger than the recommended guidelines in recent days. | Some churches and religious locations have held gatherings larger than the recommended guidelines in recent days. |