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| Coronavirus US live: Trump holds briefing as Cuomo announces plan to reopen New York | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| New York’s governor and several other governors of north-eastern states discuss regionally coordinated plan to reopen the economy | New York’s governor and several other governors of north-eastern states discuss regionally coordinated plan to reopen the economy |
| The campaign ad-style video that Trump played during the briefing was produced by his social media director Dan Scavino and “a group in the office”. So, in other words, American taxpayers paid for his office to produce the presentation. | |
| Fact check: Ventilators | |
| “Nobody is asking for ventilators,” the president said. | |
| It is true that some states, so far, have ended up with more ventilators than they originally projected they would need. California has loaned 500 ventilators to states like New York. California hospitals managed to increase their stock from 7,500 machines to more than 11,000, according to the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom. “That has put less strain and pressure on the state’s effort to procure additional ventilators,” Newsom said. | |
| However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a national shortage. The US has roughly 173,000 ventilators, according to the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University. Experts from Harvard Medical School predict that the US could end up needing 31 times that number to treat coronavirus patients. | |
| An article in the New England Journal of Medicine published on Wednesday 25 March categorically concluded that the US does not have enough ventilators to treat patients with Covid-19 in the coming months. | |
| The authors, American public health experts, wrote: “There is a broad range of estimates of the number of ventilators we will need to care for U.S. patients with Covid-19, from several hundred thousand to as many as a million. The estimates vary depending on the number, speed, and severity of infections, of course, but even the availability of testing affects the number of ventilators needed.... current estimates of the number of ventilators in the United States range from 60,000 to 160,000, depending on whether those that have only partial functionality are included. The national strategic reserve of ventilators is small and far from sufficient for the projected gap. No matter which estimate we use, there are not enough ventilators for patients with Covid-19 in the upcoming months.” | |
| Read more: | |
| Fact check: Did Trump act early? | |
| The president’s highlight reel didn’t include any clips of the president playing down the severity of the virus. He repeatedly, inaccurately compared has coronavirus to the flu and told his supporters that growing worries about the coronavirus was a “hoax”. | |
| By the time Trump announced travel restrictions from China on 31 January, most major airlines had already suspended flights, following the lead of several major international carriers that had stopped due to the outbreak. | |
| In late February, the president said the spread of Covid-19 in the US was not inevitable and the danger to Americans “remains very low”. He predicted that the number of cases diagnosed in the country, just 15 that time, could fall to zero in “a few days”. | |
| Trump was warned at the end of January by one of his top White House advisers that coronavirus had the potential to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans and derail the US economy, unless tough action were taken immediately, new memos have revealed. | |
| The memos were written by Trump’s economic adviser, Peter Navarro, and circulated via the National Security Council widely around the White House and federal agencies. They show that even within the Trump administration alarm bells were ringing by late January, at a time when the president was consistently downplaying the threat of Covid-19. | |
| Moreover, the US intelligence community, public health experts and officials in Trump’s own administration had warned for years that the country was at risk from a pandemic, including specific warnings about a coronavirus outbreak. | |
| An October 2019 draft report by the Department of Health and Human Services, obtained by the New York Times: “drove home just how underfunded, underprepared and uncoordinated the federal government would be for a life-or-death battle with a virus for which no treatment existed,” the Times reported. | |
| Read more: | |
| The video basically amounts to an extended campaign ad. Donald Trump is played clips from his preferred network from his favorite network, Fox News, as well as clips from other networks including CNN showing state leaders praising Trump’s record. | |
| “We could give you hundreds of clips like that,” Trump said. | |
| Fact check: Travel restrictions | |
| Donald Trump once again pointed to his travel restrictions as evidence that he’d acted early to stop the spread of disease. | |
| Epidemiologists have told the Guardian that these policies likely had little impact, as they were enacted after the virus was already spreading within the US. “Unfortunately, travel bans sound good,” noted Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, after Trump announced European restrictions. “But we’re way past the point where simply restricting travel is a reasonable response.” | |
| The few studies so far that have investigated the impact of travel restrictions have found that such policies may have at best delayed the spread of disease by a few days or weeks. A recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that travel restrictions and airport screenings in several countries “likely slowed the rate of exportation from mainland China to other countries, but are insufficient to contain the global spread of Covid-19”. And in China, where officials shut down travel both in and out of Wuhan, the city where the Covid-19 outbreak began, the travel ban barely slowed the spread of diseases, according to a report published in Science. | |
| There is no evidence that travel restrictions ultimately stopped the spread of coronavirus, or significantly reduced the contagion’s death toll. | |
| Read more: | |
| Dr Fauci clarified that “the first and only time” that he and Dr Birx “formally made a recommendation to the president” to encourage distancing, “the president listened to the recommendation and went to the mitigation.” | |
| He insisted he’d made a “poor choice of words” yesterday when he suggested that earlier mitigation measures, which the president did not endorse, would have saved lives. | |
| Be bristled at a question about whether he was speaking voluntarily. “Don’t even imply that,” he said. | |
| “Even though we’ve had a really bad week last week,” said Dr Fauci, “we’re starting to see in some areas now, that kind of flattening.” | |
| He also said that she’s spoken with the Congressional Black Caucus about the racial health disparities. “I made it very clear to them is what we have to do is get the resources to where the vulnerable are,” he said. The government is looking into improving testing and contact tracing in vulnerable “communities that are hurting” to stop the spread of disease. | |
| The president has begun by expressing condolences to tornado victims in the south. It was a “tough grouping of tornadoes”, he said, noting it was a “bad deal”. | |
| Read more about the storms: | |
| Donald Trump is joined by Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx. | |
| More than 50 progressive advocacy groups, including Greenpeace USA, Planned Parenthood and Stand Up America have signed an open letter calling for $4bn in funding to boost mail-in voting efforts. | More than 50 progressive advocacy groups, including Greenpeace USA, Planned Parenthood and Stand Up America have signed an open letter calling for $4bn in funding to boost mail-in voting efforts. |
| “None of us know how long this pandemic will last. Failing to provide states with this necessary funding puts the November election and the rights of every voter at risk,” the groups wrote. Congress has already allocated $400m in election assistance to states, but advocates say that’s not enough to make voting accessible to everyone. | “None of us know how long this pandemic will last. Failing to provide states with this necessary funding puts the November election and the rights of every voter at risk,” the groups wrote. Congress has already allocated $400m in election assistance to states, but advocates say that’s not enough to make voting accessible to everyone. |
| Donald Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed disdain for expanding mail-in voting, having previously said that efforts to make it easier to vote would mean ‘you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again’ | Donald Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed disdain for expanding mail-in voting, having previously said that efforts to make it easier to vote would mean ‘you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again’ |
| My colleague Sam Levin in Los Angeles chatted with Bernie Sanders supporters in California about how they feel about their candidate dropping out of the presidential race, and what’s next: | My colleague Sam Levin in Los Angeles chatted with Bernie Sanders supporters in California about how they feel about their candidate dropping out of the presidential race, and what’s next: |
| Ana Gonzalez, 33, representative for state Democratic party in Rialto | Ana Gonzalez, 33, representative for state Democratic party in Rialto |
| Andres Garcia, 28, former Amazon warehouse worker in San Bernardino | Andres Garcia, 28, former Amazon warehouse worker in San Bernardino |
| Assal Rad, 37, research fellow at the National Iranian American Council Action in Orange county | Assal Rad, 37, research fellow at the National Iranian American Council Action in Orange county |
| The Trump administration is asking Congress to push back a critical deadline to give it more time to conduct the 2020 census amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Guardian’s Sam Levine reports. | The Trump administration is asking Congress to push back a critical deadline to give it more time to conduct the 2020 census amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Guardian’s Sam Levine reports. |
| Census data is used to determine how many congressional seats each state gets and federal law requires the census bureau to report those numbers to congress by 31 December. | Census data is used to determine how many congressional seats each state gets and federal law requires the census bureau to report those numbers to congress by 31 December. |
| Because delays have made it very difficult for the Census Bureau to collect information from people, the Trump administration wants Congress to give it until 30 April 2021. The bureau also wants to move the final deadline to respond to 31 October 2020. That deadline was originally 31 July and then it was pushed back to 14 August. | Because delays have made it very difficult for the Census Bureau to collect information from people, the Trump administration wants Congress to give it until 30 April 2021. The bureau also wants to move the final deadline to respond to 31 October 2020. That deadline was originally 31 July and then it was pushed back to 14 August. |
| The Census Bureau is charged with capturing a snapshot of where every American household is on 1 April – a date also set by federal law. The further away from that date that operations continue, the more difficult it will be for the bureau to collect accurate information about where Americans were on 1 April. | The Census Bureau is charged with capturing a snapshot of where every American household is on 1 April – a date also set by federal law. The further away from that date that operations continue, the more difficult it will be for the bureau to collect accurate information about where Americans were on 1 April. |
| The bureau and the Department of Commerce also said in a Monday statement that it was proposing to deliver the data states use for redistricting no later than 31 July 2021. The bureau has already suspended all of its field operations as Americans around the country are instructed not to leave their homes. The bureau and the commerce department said Monday said it was preparing to reopen field offices beginning 1 June of this year. | The bureau and the Department of Commerce also said in a Monday statement that it was proposing to deliver the data states use for redistricting no later than 31 July 2021. The bureau has already suspended all of its field operations as Americans around the country are instructed not to leave their homes. The bureau and the commerce department said Monday said it was preparing to reopen field offices beginning 1 June of this year. |
| Rep Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat who chairs the House oversight committee, said in a statement Congress would consider the administration’s request, but needed more information. “The director of the Census Bureau was not even on today’s call, and the administration has refused for weeks to allow him to brief members of our committee, despite repeated requests,” she said. | Rep Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat who chairs the House oversight committee, said in a statement Congress would consider the administration’s request, but needed more information. “The director of the Census Bureau was not even on today’s call, and the administration has refused for weeks to allow him to brief members of our committee, despite repeated requests,” she said. |
| “The constitution charges Congress with determining how the Census is conducted, so we need the administration to cooperate with our requests so we can make informed decisions on behalf of the American people.” | “The constitution charges Congress with determining how the Census is conducted, so we need the administration to cooperate with our requests so we can make informed decisions on behalf of the American people.” |
| Hi, everyone it’s Maanvi Singh, blogging from the west Coast. | Hi, everyone it’s Maanvi Singh, blogging from the west Coast. |
| As we’ve covered, Bernie Sanders has endorsed Joe Biden. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of Sanders’ supporters will fall in line. | As we’ve covered, Bernie Sanders has endorsed Joe Biden. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of Sanders’ supporters will fall in line. |
| Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders’ former national press secretary, said she doesn’t endorse Biden. “I supported Bernie Sanders because he backed ideas like #MedicareForAll, canceling ALL student debt, & a wealth tax. Biden supports none of those,” Gray tweeted. | Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders’ former national press secretary, said she doesn’t endorse Biden. “I supported Bernie Sanders because he backed ideas like #MedicareForAll, canceling ALL student debt, & a wealth tax. Biden supports none of those,” Gray tweeted. |
| Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who was a Sanders campaign surrogate, has similarly expressed apprehension toward Biden’s policies – which are far more centrist than Sanders’ platform. “What I hope does not happen in this process is that everyone just tries to shoo it along and brush real policies ... under the rug as an aesthetic difference of style,” the New York representative said in an interview with the New York Times. | Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who was a Sanders campaign surrogate, has similarly expressed apprehension toward Biden’s policies – which are far more centrist than Sanders’ platform. “What I hope does not happen in this process is that everyone just tries to shoo it along and brush real policies ... under the rug as an aesthetic difference of style,” the New York representative said in an interview with the New York Times. |
| That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. | That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. |
| Here’s where the day stands so far: | Here’s where the day stands so far: |
| The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced several north-east states would work together on determining when to reopen the economy. Cuomo said each of the six states would participate in a working group to make decisions on how and when stay-at-home orders can be relaxed without jeopardizing public health. The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced a similar project for the west coast. | The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced several north-east states would work together on determining when to reopen the economy. Cuomo said each of the six states would participate in a working group to make decisions on how and when stay-at-home orders can be relaxed without jeopardizing public health. The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced a similar project for the west coast. |
| Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden’s bid for president. The announcement comes five days after Sanders withdrew from the Democratic primary, and the former candidate told his supporters today, “We’ve got to make Trump a one-term president.” | Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden’s bid for president. The announcement comes five days after Sanders withdrew from the Democratic primary, and the former candidate told his supporters today, “We’ve got to make Trump a one-term president.” |
| The White House said Trump had no plans to fire Dr Anthony Fauci, even though the president reshared a tweet last night that suggested the infectious disease expert should be dismissed. | The White House said Trump had no plans to fire Dr Anthony Fauci, even though the president reshared a tweet last night that suggested the infectious disease expert should be dismissed. |
| New York’s coronavirus death toll has surpassed 10,000. An additional 671 New Yorkers died of the virus yesterday, bringing the state’s total death toll to 10,056. But Cuomo said today that a plateauing of hospitalizations suggests “the worst” is over in New York. | New York’s coronavirus death toll has surpassed 10,000. An additional 671 New Yorkers died of the virus yesterday, bringing the state’s total death toll to 10,056. But Cuomo said today that a plateauing of hospitalizations suggests “the worst” is over in New York. |
| Trump said he has the power to restart the economy at the federal level, a claim that was contradicted by constitutional experts. The power to force businesses to close (and thus allow them to reopen) amid a public health crisis lies with governors, and Trump himself has repeatedly voiced that interpretation of the Constitution in recent weeks. | Trump said he has the power to restart the economy at the federal level, a claim that was contradicted by constitutional experts. The power to force businesses to close (and thus allow them to reopen) amid a public health crisis lies with governors, and Trump himself has repeatedly voiced that interpretation of the Constitution in recent weeks. |
| Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned. | Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned. |
| The Guardian’s Kari Paul reports: | The Guardian’s Kari Paul reports: |
| Republican congressman Jim Jordan called on Democrats to stop using Zoom video conferencing service, citing ongoing privacy issues around its security. | Republican congressman Jim Jordan called on Democrats to stop using Zoom video conferencing service, citing ongoing privacy issues around its security. |
| “Given the concerns surrounding Zoom’s security, it is clear Zoom is not an appropriate platform for Committee business, which may be particularly sensitive during the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jordan, the top Republican on the House oversight committee, said in a letter on Monday. | “Given the concerns surrounding Zoom’s security, it is clear Zoom is not an appropriate platform for Committee business, which may be particularly sensitive during the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jordan, the top Republican on the House oversight committee, said in a letter on Monday. |
| He requested Democrats “immediately suspend” all use of Zoom and evaluate the committee’s internal cybersecurity preparedness to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive committee information. | He requested Democrats “immediately suspend” all use of Zoom and evaluate the committee’s internal cybersecurity preparedness to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive committee information. |
| Jordan’s request referenced a warning from the Senate sergeant at arms last week and other general security concerns. He also said House oversight Democrats had been “Zoom-bombed,” a common practice in which hackers infiltrate meetings shouting racial epithets and other offensive slurs, a claim Democrats denied. | Jordan’s request referenced a warning from the Senate sergeant at arms last week and other general security concerns. He also said House oversight Democrats had been “Zoom-bombed,” a common practice in which hackers infiltrate meetings shouting racial epithets and other offensive slurs, a claim Democrats denied. |
| Zoom has faced an onslaught of privacy concerns in recent weeks, including an inquiry from the New York state attorney general and warnings from the FBI over Zoom bombing. Zoom has promised to improve its security and implemented a number of immediate fixes, including automatically requiring passwords for calls. | Zoom has faced an onslaught of privacy concerns in recent weeks, including an inquiry from the New York state attorney general and warnings from the FBI over Zoom bombing. Zoom has promised to improve its security and implemented a number of immediate fixes, including automatically requiring passwords for calls. |
| The House is not expected to return to session until May 4 at the earliest, majority leader Steny Hoyer confirmed in a new statement. | The House is not expected to return to session until May 4 at the earliest, majority leader Steny Hoyer confirmed in a new statement. |
| “Members are advised that absent an emergency, the House is not expected to meet prior to Monday, May 4, 2020,” Hoyer said in a statement. | “Members are advised that absent an emergency, the House is not expected to meet prior to Monday, May 4, 2020,” Hoyer said in a statement. |
| “Members are further advised that if the House is required to take action on critical legislation related to the coronavirus response or other legislative priorities, Members will be given sufficient notice to return to Washington, DC.” | “Members are further advised that if the House is required to take action on critical legislation related to the coronavirus response or other legislative priorities, Members will be given sufficient notice to return to Washington, DC.” |
| House appropriations committee chairwoman Nita Lowey said earlier today that she did not think it was possible to return by April 20, as previously planned. | House appropriations committee chairwoman Nita Lowey said earlier today that she did not think it was possible to return by April 20, as previously planned. |
| “Unless it’s safe, I think we are better off doing our work, as we have been doing, passing bills by unanimous consent,” Lowey told C-SPAN. | “Unless it’s safe, I think we are better off doing our work, as we have been doing, passing bills by unanimous consent,” Lowey told C-SPAN. |
| The Guardian’s Mario Koran reports on the latest from California: | The Guardian’s Mario Koran reports on the latest from California: |
| Along with the west coast states of Oregon and Washington, California is starting the conversation about when to reopen state economies, governor Gavin Newsom announced at his daily press conference. | Along with the west coast states of Oregon and Washington, California is starting the conversation about when to reopen state economies, governor Gavin Newsom announced at his daily press conference. |
| The three west coast states announced they would work together to determine when the states can start relaxing stay-at-home” orders. | The three west coast states announced they would work together to determine when the states can start relaxing stay-at-home” orders. |
| States will base decisions on data on infections and hospitalizations, among other measures. It’s too early to provide a timeline for when restrictions should be lifted, Newsom said, but the governor’s details on a “bottom-up plan” should be released tomorrow. | States will base decisions on data on infections and hospitalizations, among other measures. It’s too early to provide a timeline for when restrictions should be lifted, Newsom said, but the governor’s details on a “bottom-up plan” should be released tomorrow. |
| Newsom said it was crucial for California to take a regional approach to lifting stay-at-home orders. “You can’t build walls around it and you can’t deny fundamental facts”, he said of the virus. | Newsom said it was crucial for California to take a regional approach to lifting stay-at-home orders. “You can’t build walls around it and you can’t deny fundamental facts”, he said of the virus. |
| The talks to reopen come as the number of coronavirus cases appears to have slowed. Admissions to ICUs in California ticked up by 2.9% over the weekend, a modest rise compared to days past. By all accounts, stay-at-home orders appeared to have worked, Newsom said. | The talks to reopen come as the number of coronavirus cases appears to have slowed. Admissions to ICUs in California ticked up by 2.9% over the weekend, a modest rise compared to days past. By all accounts, stay-at-home orders appeared to have worked, Newsom said. |
| Meantime, one model has predicted that California will see its peak this week, on April 15. The forecast comes from just one model; earlier models suggested the state would reach its peak in late-May, before it falls off in June. | Meantime, one model has predicted that California will see its peak this week, on April 15. The forecast comes from just one model; earlier models suggested the state would reach its peak in late-May, before it falls off in June. |
| A public health expert said that while numbers appear to be stabilizing in the aggregate, it’s crucial to keep eyes on various parts of the state, which may experience sudden rises hidden within the state’s total numbers of infections. | A public health expert said that while numbers appear to be stabilizing in the aggregate, it’s crucial to keep eyes on various parts of the state, which may experience sudden rises hidden within the state’s total numbers of infections. |
| Washington, Oregon and California said they would work together to establish a west coast plan to reopen the economy. | Washington, Oregon and California said they would work together to establish a west coast plan to reopen the economy. |
| In a joint statement, Washington governor Jay Inslee, California governor Gavin Newsom and Oregon governor Kate Brown said they would prioritize residents’ health when deciding how to ease “stay at home” orders. | In a joint statement, Washington governor Jay Inslee, California governor Gavin Newsom and Oregon governor Kate Brown said they would prioritize residents’ health when deciding how to ease “stay at home” orders. |
| “We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business,” the statement said. | “We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business,” the statement said. |
| The governors also made clear that they would not allow politics to drive the decisions about reopening the economy, while Trump reportedly looks to open the economy by the end of the month, despite concerns from health experts. | The governors also made clear that they would not allow politics to drive the decisions about reopening the economy, while Trump reportedly looks to open the economy by the end of the month, despite concerns from health experts. |
| The governors’ statement comes shortly after New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced several Northeast governors are forming a working group to determine when to reopen the economy. | The governors’ statement comes shortly after New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced several Northeast governors are forming a working group to determine when to reopen the economy. |