{"id":97237,"date":"2020-03-13T20:21:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-14T03:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=97237"},"modified":"2020-03-13T20:28:35","modified_gmt":"2020-03-14T03:28:35","slug":"president-trump-vice-president-pence-and-members-of-the-coronavirus-task-force-in-press-conference-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=97237","title":{"rendered":"President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Thank you very much, everyone.  Thank you.  Thank you.  A beautiful day in the Rose Garden.  Appreciate everybody being here.  Today, I\u2019d like to provide an update to the American people on several decisive new actions we\u2019re taking in our very vigilant effort to combat and ultimately defeat the coronavirus.  We\u2019ve been working very hard on this.  We\u2019ve made tremendous progress.  When you compare what we\u2019ve done to other areas of the world, it\u2019s pretty incredible.  A lot of that had to do with the early designation and the closing of the borders.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DeTYINvuWM4\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81111-PM-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"362\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81111-PM-001.jpg 640w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81111-PM-001-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81111-PM-001-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81111-PM-001-570x322.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81543-PM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81543-PM.jpg 640w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81543-PM-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81543-PM-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81543-PM-570x322.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81357-PM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81357-PM.jpg 640w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81357-PM-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81357-PM-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81357-PM-570x322.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And, as you know, Europe was just designated as the hotspot right now, and we closed that border a while ago.  So that was lucky or through talent or through luck.  Call it whatever you want.  But through a very collective action and shared sacrifice and national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus.<\/p>\n<p>I also announced Wednesday night, following the advice of our medical professionals who are doing a tremendous job \u2014 and we appreciate it very much \u2014 that we\u2019re suspending the entry of foreign nationals who have been to Europe in the last 14 days from entering the United States.  Citizens, permanent residents, and our families \u2014 and even the families returning from Europe, will be subject to extra screening as well self-isolation for a period of 14 days.<\/p>\n<p>As the World Health Organization confirmed today, many of the things that \u2014 what we said were 100 percent correct, including our designation, before them, of Europe.  Like our earlier, very aggressive actions with China, this measure will save countless lives.  I appreciate a number of the folks behind me.  A number of the people behind me said that that saved a lot of lives, that early designation.<\/p>\n<p>But it is only the beginning of what we\u2019re really doing, and now we\u2019re in a different phase.  We had some very old and obsolete rules that we had to live with.  It worked under certain circumstances but not under mass circumstances.  They were there for a long time; they were in place for a long time.  And we\u2019re breaking them down now.  And they\u2019re very usable for certain instances, but not for this.<\/p>\n<p>To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort, today I am officially declaring a national emergency.  Two very big words.  The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50 billion of very importantly \u2014 very important and a large amount of money for states and territories and localities in our shared fight against this disease.<\/p>\n<p>In furtherance of the order, I\u2019m urging every state to set up emergency operation centers effective immediately.  You\u2019re going to be hearing from some of the largest companies and greatest retailers and medical companies in the world.  They\u2019re standing right behind me and to the side of me.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also asking every hospital in this country to activate its emergency preparedness plan so that they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere.  The hospitals are very engaged.  New York and various other places are also various engaged.  I just spoke with Governor Cuomo; we had a very good conversation.  And we\u2019re working very strongly with many states, including New York.<\/p>\n<p>The emergency orders I am issuing today will also confer broad new authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  The Secretary of HHS will be able to immediately waive provisions of applicable laws and regulations to give doctors, hospital \u2014 all hospitals \u2014 and healthcare providers maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients.<\/p>\n<p>This includes the following critical authorities:<\/p>\n<p> The ability to waive laws to enable telehealth, a fairly new and incredible thing that\u2019s happened in the \u2014 in the not-so-distant past.  I tell you, what they\u2019ve done with telehealth is incredible.  It gives remote doctors\u2019 visits and hospital check-ins.<br \/>\nThe power to waive certain federal license requirements so that doctors from other states can provide services and states with the greatest need.  Number two.<br \/>\nThe ability to waive requirements that critical-access hospitals limit the number of beds to 25 and the length of stay to 96 hours.<br \/>\nThe ability to waive the requirements of a three-day hospital stay prior to admission to a nursing home.  Big thing.<br \/>\nThe authority to waive rules that hinder hospitals\u2019 ability to bring additional physicians on board or obtain needed office space.  They can do as they want.  They can do what they have to do.  They know what they have to do.  Now they don\u2019t have any problem getting it done.<br \/>\nThe authority to waive rules that severely restrict where hospitals can care for patients within the hospital itself, ensuring that the emergency capacity can be quickly established.<br \/>\nWe\u2019ll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they\u2019re entitled to.  No resource will be spared.  Nothing whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p>Ten days ago, I brought together the CEOs of commercial labs at the White House and directed them to immediately begin working on a solution to dramatically increase the availability of tests.  Other countries have called us and worked with us, and they\u2019re doing similar things or will be doing similar things.<\/p>\n<p>As a result of that action, today we\u2019re announcing a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the coronavirus.  We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely, quickly, and conveniently.  But we don\u2019t want people to take a test if \u2014 if we feel that they shouldn\u2019t be doing it.  And we don\u2019t want everyone running out and taking.  Only if you have certain symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>Using federal emergency authorities, the FDA approved a new test for the virus.  We did this within hours after receiving the application from Roche \u2014 a process that would normally take weeks.  We therefore expect up to a half a million additional tests will be available early next week.  We\u2019ll be announcing locations probably on Sunday night.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank Roche, a great company, for their incredible work.  I\u2019d also like to thank Thermo Fisher.  The FDA\u2019s goal is to hopefully authorize their application within 24 hours \u2014 it\u2019ll go very quickly; it\u2019s going very quickly \u2014 which will bring, additionally, 1.4 million tests on board next week and 5 million within a month.  I doubt we\u2019ll need anywhere near that.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, we\u2019ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-thru tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals.  The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank Google.  Google is helping to develop a website.  It\u2019s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.<\/p>\n<p>We have many, many locations behind us, by the way.  We cover the \u2014 this country in large part.  So the world, by the way \u2014 we\u2019re not going to be talking about the world right now.  But we cover very, very strongly our country.  Stores in virtually every location.<\/p>\n<p>Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now.  They\u2019ve made tremendous progress.  Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus and to help all Americans who have been impacted by this.<\/p>\n<p>Again, we don\u2019t want everybody taking this test; it\u2019s totally unnecessary.  And this will pass.  This will pass through, and we\u2019re going to be even stronger for it.  We\u2019ve learned a lot.  A tremendous amount has been learned.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank Deborah Birx, and I want to ask her maybe to come up and say a few words as to what\u2019s happening.  Dr. Birx is a highly respected person.  I\u2019ve gotten to know her very well over the last six days.  And what we\u2019ve done is rebuild something that was very old, very old-fashioned, somewhat obsolete.  Certainly obsolete when it comes to the kind of numbers that we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Birx, please.  Thank you, Deborah.<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:  Thank you, Mr. President.  It\u2019s a pleasure to be here with all of you.<\/p>\n<p>I think you know \u2014 at the beginning of this epidemic, HHS, through CDC, proactively developed an assay built on the existing flu surveillance system.  That surveillance system was then converted to diagnostic system.<\/p>\n<p>But last Tuesday, seeing the spread of the virus around the globe, the President realized that our current approach to testing was inadequate to need \u2014 to meet the needs of the American public.  He asked for an entire overhaul of the testing approach.  He immediately called the private sector laboratories to the White House, as noted, and charged them with developing a high-throughput quality platform that can meet the needs of the American public.<\/p>\n<p>We are grateful to LabCorp and Quest for taking up the charge immediately after the meeting and within 72 hours bringing additional testing access, particularly to the outbreak areas of Washington State and California, and now across the country.<\/p>\n<p>We are also very grateful to the universities and large hospital systems that took up the charge to develop their own quality tests made available by new FDA guidance.  This has resulted in expanded testing across New York, California, Washington, Colorado, and you see sometimes those drive-thru options that have been made available through these high-throughput options.<\/p>\n<p>Following the meeting last week, major commercial laboratory equipment and diagnostic companies took immediate action to adopt and develop new testing systems.  Last night, the initial company, Roche, received FDA approval, moving from request to development to approval in record time.<\/p>\n<p>This innovative approach centered fully on unleashing the power of the private sector, focusing on providing convenient testing to hundreds of thousands of Americans within short turnaround times.  In less than two weeks together, we have developed a solution that we believe will meet the future needs \u2014 testing needs of Americans.<\/p>\n<p>I understand how difficult this has been.  I was part of the HIV\/AIDS response in the \u201880s.  We knew, from diag- \u2014 from first finding cases in 1981, it took us to almost 1985 to have a test.  It took us another 11 years to have effective therapy.  It is because of the lessons learned from that that we were able to mobilize and bring those individuals that were key to the HIV response to this response.<\/p>\n<p>I understand that a lot of this behind-the-scenes action over the last couple of weeks was invisible to the press and the American people.  But this intense effort has not only resulted in innovative solutions, but an automated high-throughput system, bringing the availability of these quality coronaviral testing to the American people at unprecedented speed.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I want you to know: In South Korea, they did have large number of tests available over the last several weeks.  Their positivity rate is between 3 and 4 percent.  With LabCorp and Quest expanded testing, their positivity rate is between 1 and 2 percent.<\/p>\n<p>So we want to also announce this new approach to testing, which will start in the screening website up here, facilitated by Google, where clients and patients and people that have interest can go, fill out a screening questionnaire \u2014 move down for symptoms or risk factors, yes.  They would move down this and be told where the drive-thru options would be for them to receive this test.  The labs will then move to the high-throughput automated machines to be able to provide results in 24 to 36 hours.<\/p>\n<p>That is the intent of this approach.  We have seen it work just in our own United States, and we want to bring this across the continent.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Deborah.  Great.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d like to maybe have Tony \u2014 do you want to come up?  You\u2019ve become a \u2014 I think everybody out here knows you pretty well.  But Tony has been doing a tremendous job working long, long hours.  And you\u2019ve seen a lot happen, but this has been \u2014 it\u2019s been a great experience, and working with you has been terrific.<\/p>\n<p>Tony, please.<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  This is an example of \u2014 another example of what I\u2019ve been referring to in my discussions with many of you in the audience as a proactive, leaning-forward, aggressive, trying to stay ahead of the curve.<\/p>\n<p>And what you\u2019re seeing now with this order is that we\u2019re going to be able to remove the constraints so that people at the state and the local level \u2014 the individual physician all the way up through the federal government \u2014 will have as many constraints as possible removed for them to do everything they possibly can so that we can implement the things that we\u2019ve been talking about \u2014 the containment, the mitigation \u2014 so that, as I\u2019ve said many times, that curve that I referred to that goes up, we don\u2019t want to have that curve.  We want to suppress it down to that small mound.<\/p>\n<p>And I think what we\u2019ve done today is something that is going to be a very important element in having us be successful in doing that.<\/p>\n<p>We still have a long way to go.  There will be many more cases, but we\u2019ll take care of that.  And ultimately, as the President said, this will end.  But what\u2019s going on here today is going to help it to end sooner than it would have.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Tony.<\/p>\n<p>If I could, some of these folks we know; they\u2019re celebrities in their own right.  They\u2019re the biggest business people, the greatest retailers anywhere in the world.  And one of them is Doug McMillon from Walmart.  And I\u2019d like to have Doug, if you would, say a few words, wherever you may be.<\/p>\n<p>Doug, please.<\/p>\n<p>MR. MCMILLON:  When we got the call yesterday from the White House, we were eager to do our part to help serve the country.  And given what we\u2019re facing, that\u2019s certainly important to do.  We should all be doing that.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019ve been asked to make portions of our parking lot available in select locations in the beginning, and scaling over time as supply increases, so that people can experience the drive-thru experience that the President described.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll stay involved and do everything we can from a supply-chain point of view to be of assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Doug.  Appreciate it very much.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll just stay right over here.  And, Richard, if you could come up, please.  Richard, please.  Walgreens.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MR. ASHWORTH:  Thank you, Mr. President.  And similar to Doug and Walmart, we\u2019re happy to stand in here and help in communities all across America.  Because a lot of times, when we have natural disasters, our stores are a beacon in the community, and this situation is no different.<\/p>\n<p>So we look forward to partnering with the CDC, the administration, HHS, and the task force, and specifically to the Vice President, who\u2019s doing such a fantastic job.  We\u2019re ready to engage and help.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Great job.  Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>Brian Cornell, Target.  Thank you, Brian.  Thank you.  Please.<\/p>\n<p>MR. CORNELL:  Well, Mr. President, thank you for inviting us here today, along with our colleagues from Walmart and Walgreens and our partners at CVS.  Normally, you\u2019d view us as competitors, but today we\u2019re focused on a common competitor, and that\u2019s defeating the spread of the coronavirus.  And we look forward to working with the administration to do our fair share to alleviate this growing threat.<\/p>\n<p>So, thank you for including us today.  In the near term, we\u2019re all committed to making sure we\u2019re keeping our stores open to serve the American consumer who is rapidly stocking up on household essentials, key food and beverage items that they need during this time; making sure we run safe stores; and creating an environment that\u2019s safe for our team members, making sure that they feel supported during this very critical time.<\/p>\n<p>So thank you for including us.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Great job.<\/p>\n<p>Is Tom here?  Tom Polen.  Tom?  Tom Polen.  Please.<\/p>\n<p>MR. POLEN:  Thank you, Mr. President.  As CEO of Becton Dickinson, we\u2019re one of the leading providers of medical devices as well as collection products for testing of coronavirus.  We\u2019re ramping up our manufacturing capacity to ensure that the right collection devices and testing equipment are ready to address this issue.  Thank you, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Tom.  Great job you\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Rusckowski, Quest Diagnostics.  Please.  Great job.  Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>MR. RUSCKOWKI:  Thank you very much.  Thank you, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>So, as mentioned, we were called, with the leadership of the Vice President, last week to come together as an industry.  And we took advantage of that opportunity to work with the FDA, to work with the Center for Disease Control.  And we are up and running with tests in a number of our facilities.<\/p>\n<p>As the President mentioned, we now have capabilities from Roche diagnostics that we will bring into our facilities this weekend.  And I know myself and also my colleague at LabCorp will be doing the same, so the capacity available to the American public to support this action with consumers will be considerably increased in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  I appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p>And Matt Sause, please, of Roche.  Matt?  Thank you, Matt.<\/p>\n<p>MR. SAUSE:  Thank you, Mr. President.  So, from Roche, we want to thank the FDA for their rapid approval of our coronavirus test.  We really appreciate the partnership with the CDC and the FDA to get that to market as fast as possible because it\u2019s critical for us to make that available to help patients in need, and working with laboratories to get it up and going in the near future, which will bring hundreds of thousands of tests available to patients in need in the United States.  So, thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  And you can do it.  You can do it.  A great company.<\/p>\n<p>David Pierre of Signify \u2014 Signify Health.  Please.  Thanks, David.<\/p>\n<p>MR. PIERRE:  Thank you, Mr. President.  We are the largest housecall provider in the U.S., and we go to the homes of the most vulnerable elderly.  And through our network and our logistics engine, we stand ready to help and provide our clinicians to be where they\u2019re needed, whether they\u2019re in retail clinics or in the home.  And we\u2019re here to assist.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  And we\u2019ll be changing a lot of the rules, regulations for future, should this happen in the future, which we hope it never does.  But it will, I guess \u2014 somewhere out there.  There are some bad ones over the years, and I guess that\u2019ll continue to an extent, but we hope it never happens.  But we\u2019re going to be changing a lot of the old rules and specifications and regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Adam Schechter, who has really been of tremendous help.  LabCorp.  Please.   Adam?<\/p>\n<p>MR. SCHECHTER:  Thank you, Mr. President.  At LabCorp, we\u2019re working every second of every day to increase the number of tests that we can run.  We\u2019re working with academic medical centers, with our colleagues at Quest, with other hospital and other laboratories to ensure that we do everything we can to increase the testing as we move forward.<\/p>\n<p>And I can tell you we understand how important the testing is, and we are committed to doing everything possible.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Great job.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Moriarty, CVS.  We all know CVS.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MR. MORIARTY:  Thank you, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>MR. MORIARTY:  Thank you, Mr. President.  We have been focused, since the start, of making sure our patients and the customers we serve have the information they need and the safety they need as well.  We are committed to working with the administration and local public health officials to make this work as well.  And thank you, sir, for the honor.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Thank you, Thomas.  Thanks.  Great job.<\/p>\n<p>And Bruce Greenstein, LHC Group.  Tremendously talented people.  Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>MR. GREENSTEIN:  Mr. President, thank you for the honor of being here.  And the home health industry has been treating patients and seniors in the safety and comfort of their own home for decades.  We\u2019re very proud to be part of the equation for testing in their own home.  For Americans that can\u2019t get to a test site or live in rural areas far away from a retail establishment,  we\u2019re here to help and to partner with our hospitals and physicians, as well as the people we have here today that will be doing testing around the country.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Fantastic.<\/p>\n<p>(Mr. Greenstein gives the President an elbow bump.)<\/p>\n<p>MR. GREENSTEIN:  Oh, we\u2019ll practice that.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Okay, I like that.  That\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also announcing the following emergency executive actions today:<\/p>\n<p>To help our students and their families, I\u2019ve waived interest on all student loans held by federal government agencies, and that will be until further notice.  That\u2019s a big thing for a lot of students that are left in the middle right now.  Many of those schools have been closed.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the price of oil, I\u2019ve also instructed the Secretary of Energy to purchase, at a very good price, large quantities of crude oil for storage in the U.S. Strategic Reserve.  We\u2019re going to fill it right up to the top, saving the American taxpayer billions and billions of dollars, helping our oil industry and making us even further toward that wonderful goal \u2014 which we\u2019ve achieved, which nobody thought was possible \u2014 of energy independence.  It puts us in a position that\u2019s very strong, and we\u2019re buying it at the right price.  And that\u2019s something that would have not even been possible a week ago.  The price of oil went down quite a bit, so we\u2019re going to fill it up.  This is a good time to fill it up.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d like to ask Mike Pence to say a few words, please.  VP.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mr. President.  It is \u2014 this day should be an inspiration to every American, because thanks to your leadership from early on, not only are we bringing a whole-of-government approach to confronting the coronavirus, we\u2019re bringing an all-of-America approach.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. President, from early on, you took decisive action.  You suspended all travel from China.  You created travel advisories \u2014 South Korea and Italy.  We screened all travelers from all airports in both of those countries.  And on the unanimous recommendation of your health experts, you, at midnight tonight, will effectively suspend all travel from Europe.  And Americans that are returning will be screened and asked to voluntarily participate in a 14-day quarantine.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout this process, Mr. President, you\u2019ve put the health of America first, but you brought the best of America to address it.  And it\u2019s not just at the federal level.  As you said, Mr. President, we\u2019ve been working with states across the country.  We issued broad guidelines from CDC for every American.  But this week, at your direction, we tailored specific recommendations from CDC for New York, Washington State, California, Massachusetts, and Florida.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019ve been in continuous contact, as you said, with governors around the country.  And, Mr. President, you have forged a seamless partnership with every state and every territory in this country to put the health of our nation first.<\/p>\n<p>But today, I trust that people around the country that are looking on at this extraordinary public and private partnership to address the issue of testing with particular inspiration.  After you tapped me to lead the White House Corona Task Force, Mr. President, you said this is all hands on deck, and you directed us to immediately reach out to the American business sector commercial labs to meet what we knew then would be the need for testing across the spectrum.  And today, with this historic public-private partnership, we have laid the foundation to meet that need.<\/p>\n<p>And for Americans looking on, by this Sunday evening, we\u2019ll be able to give specific guidance on a \u2014 on when the website will be available.  You can go to the website, as the President said.  You\u2019ll type in your symptoms and be given direction whether or not a test is indicated.<\/p>\n<p>And then, at the same website, you\u2019ll be directed to one of these incredible companies that are going to give a little bit of their parking lot so that people can come by and do a drive-by test.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. President, I want to join you in thanking Walmart and CVS and Target and Walgreen.  These are companies that are synonymous with communities large and small, where people come together.  And now they\u2019re going to come together to meet the needs of the American public.<\/p>\n<p>These commercial laboratories \u2014 LabCorp and Quest and Roche \u2014 have just done an incredible job stepping forward and are going to literally make \u2014 literally make hundreds and thousands of tests available and being processed with results to patients in the very near future.  But it\u2019s all a result of you tasking us with bringing together not just government resources \u2014 which all state labs can now test across the country; CDC is testing \u2014 but you said, Mr. President, that we wanted to bring all the resources of the country together, and that\u2019s what this partnership really means.<\/p>\n<p>You know, the truth is that we have coronavirus cases now in 46 American states.  And while the risk of serious illness of the coronavirus remains low, we want to encourage every American to practice common sense, practice good hygiene, go to the CDC\u2019s website to see what the guidance is for your community or for the American people broadly.<\/p>\n<p>And as the President has said, it\u2019s especially important now that we look at senior citizens with chronic underlying health conditions.  Last week, the President directed the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services to raise the standards at our nursing homes, increase inspections at our nursing homes.  And today, we\u2019re offering very specific guidance, which Seema Verma will articulate, about visitations at nursing homes.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that they were there for us when we were growing up, Mr. President.  They helped us with our homework.  They tucked us in at night.  They cheered us on as we pursued educations, cheered us on in our careers.  And now it\u2019s time for us to be there with them and to recognize that seniors with chronic health conditions are the most vulnerable, and Americans can make a difference.  So wash your hands, use common sense, look after the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p>And, Mr. President, I know I join you in saying that every American should be proud of this incredible public-private partnership that\u2019s going to speeding access of testing to millions of Americans in the weeks ahead.<\/p>\n<p>And together, as you\u2019ve said many times, together we\u2019ll get through this.  Together, we\u2019ll put the health of America first.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mike.  Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>Seema.  Where is Seema?  I\u2019d like you to maybe take that a step further, please, on nursing homes.  Thanks.<\/p>\n<p>ADMINISTRATOR VERMA:  Thank you.  Well, thank you to the President for the declaration.  It allows my agency, CMS \u2014 that runs Medicare and Medicaid and has oversight of all of the nation\u2019s healthcare facilities \u2014 to suspend regulations that can get in the way of treating patients during this time.<\/p>\n<p>These temporary national blanket waivers are reserved for the rarest of circumstances, and they represent a massive mobilization of our country\u2019s resources to combat this terrible virus.  And the flexibilities we are offering will be a God-send to the providers, clinicians, and facilities on the frontlines of this fight.<\/p>\n<p>And later, CMS is going to be issuing guidance directing nursing homes to temporarily restrict all visitors and non-essential personnel, with a few exceptions such as end-of-life situations.<\/p>\n<p>We fully appreciate that this measure represents a severe trial for residents of nursing homes and those who love them.  But we are doing what we must to protect our vulnerable elderly.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, Seema.<\/p>\n<p>As I said in my address to the nation the other night, all Americans have a role to play in defeating this virus.  Our most effective weapon right now is to limit the damage to our people and our country, and slow the spread of the virus itself.<\/p>\n<p>The choice we make, the precautions we put into place are critical to overcoming the virus, reducing its spread and shortening the duration of the pandemic \u2014 which is what it is.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC has published guidelines on the Coronavirus.gov to enable \u2014 it\u2019s Coronavirus.gov, and it\u2019s very \u2014 very heavily used right now, I will say \u2014 to enable every American to respond to this epidemic and to protect themselves, their families, and their communities, while the risks to young and healthy Americans remains very low.  We\u2019ve learned a lot about this over the last two weeks.  Anyone can be a carrier for the virus and risk transmission to older Americans and those with underlying health conditions and those who are most at risk.  They have not done very well.  Older Americans who are \u2014 especially, if they have a health problem, they have not done well.<\/p>\n<p>We must take all precautions and be responsible for the actions that we take and that we see other people take.  We want to prevent the spread and transmission of the disease.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s incredible what\u2019s \u2014 sports \u2014 what\u2019s happening with the sporting world, where so many of the great sports that we\u2019ve gotten so used to at this time of the year, they\u2019re not going to be meeting.  And they\u2019ve done a great service actually.  But that \u2014 would be another way that it could be \u2014 problems could be caused.<\/p>\n<p>But this is why I outlined on Wednesday night my admiss- \u2014 administration\u2019s \u2014 the fact that we\u2019ve issued a requirement suspending all medically unnecessary visits to various places, but in particular, nursing homes.  We should all be working off the same playbook when it comes to protecting Americans.  We have to.<\/p>\n<p>We need to be consistent in adopting measures to limit the spread of the virus.  The virus is the same, whether it\u2019s spreading in cities, towns, or rural communities.  The tools and tactics for attacking it are similar no matter where you go.  No matter where you go.  You have some hotspots throughout the world right now that people would have never thought possible, and they\u2019re being very seriously affected.<\/p>\n<p>Key among these efforts are breaking chains of transmission between people.  These measures have been adopted by many companies, universities, and schools.  And we want to protect the safety and the health of their employees and their students.  I encourage everyone to follow the guidelines we\u2019ve issued by CDC and these commonsense measures.  A lot of it is common sense.<\/p>\n<p>For the areas where the virus is spreading, the CDC is advising communities to postpone large gatherings, postpone assemblies, social functions, and sporting events; stagger recess and lunch for schools that aren\u2019t canceled; limit in-person meetings; increase scheduled cleanings; and cancel work-sponsored travel \u2014 among numerous other steps that can be taken.<\/p>\n<p>Americans are the strongest and most resilient people on Earth, and in the coming weeks, we will all have to make changes and sacrifices, but these short-term sacrifices will produce long-term gain.<\/p>\n<p>And again, I\u2019ve said we\u2019re learning a lot for the future and future problems like this, or worse.  Or worse.  It could get worse.  The next eight weeks are critical.  We can learn \u2014 and we will turn a corner on this virus.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the doctors say it will wash through, it will flow through.  Interesting terms and very accurate.  I think you\u2019re going to find in a number of weeks it\u2019s going to be a very accurate term.<\/p>\n<p>In times of hardship, the true character of America always shines through.  We live in the company of the greatest heroes and the most inspiring citizens anywhere in the world.  We want to take care of our people.  We want to draw on the strength of our history, draw on the strength of our people, and we will get through this all together.  We will just get through it.  So much progress has already been made.<\/p>\n<p>And, frankly, the numbers \u2014 because of steps that have been taken \u2014 are at a level that a lot of people are surprised, especially when you compare them with other places with far smaller populations.<\/p>\n<p>The spirit and the will of our nation is unbreakable.  We will defeat this threat.  When America is tested, America rises to the occasion.<\/p>\n<p>And to those families and citizens who are worried and concerned for themselves and their loved ones, I want you to know that your federal government will unleash every authority, resource, and tool at its disposal to safeguard the lives and health of our people.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019re with you every step of the way.  No nation is more prepared or more equipped to face down this crisis.  As you know, we are rated number one in the world.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also helping other nations \u2014 many other nations; we\u2019re helping them a lot.  And they\u2019re doing okay, in some cases.  In some cases, they\u2019re not doing well at all.  But we\u2019re working with a lot of groups of people and a lot of other nations.<\/p>\n<p>With faith and heart and hope and love and determination, we will succeed.  We will prevail.  We will be very, very successful.  And we\u2019ll learn for the future.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you all very much.  If you have any questions, we can take some.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, John.  Please.  And if you\u2019d like to ask some of the folks up here, it would be fine.  Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Sure.  Mr. President, where are you with the House bill?  Yesterday, we talked to you in the Oval Office; you were opposed to it.  What has happened since then?  And what\u2019s the holdup on that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we just don\u2019t think they\u2019re giving enough.  We don\u2019t think the Democrats are giving enough.  We\u2019re negotiating.  We thought we had something, but all of a sudden they didn\u2019t agree to certain things that they agreed to.  So we could have something, but we don\u2019t think they\u2019re giving enough.  They\u2019re not \u2014 they\u2019re not doing what\u2019s right for the country.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And if I could ask Dr. Fauci \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  You just mentioned waiving interest for student loans.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q    You talked about buying oil from the \u2014 from the SPR, or adding to the SPR.  What other specific targeted measures is your administration thinking about taking?  The Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, said today that you\u2019re just in the \u201csecond inning\u201d of things that you might be undergoing.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, well, that\u2019s true.  And we are looking at many different things, as you know.  You know some of them \u2014 they\u2019ve been written about very widely.  But we\u2019re going to be releasing a paper in about two hours stating quite a few other steps.  Very important ones.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Like what, sir, if you wouldn\u2019t mind?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you so much, Mr. President.  I want to \u2014 I want to know if you are in contact with the Brazilian President, Bolsonaro, after a member of his delegation who was with you Saturday was tested positive.<\/p>\n<p>And also Senat- \u2014 I want to ask another question, if you\u2019ll let me.  Senator Lindsey Graham and also Senator Scott \u2014 Rick Scott \u2014 are self-isolating.  Are you planning to take any kind of precautionary measure to protect you and also your staff who was there with him?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, we have no symptoms whatsoever.  And we have \u2014 we had a great meeting with the President of Brazil, Bolsonaro.  Great guy.  Very \u2014 a very tremendous \u2014 he\u2019s done \u2014 he\u2019s doing a fantastic job for Brazil.<\/p>\n<p>And, as you know, he tested negative \u2014 meaning, nothing wrong \u2014 this morning.  And we got that word, too.  Because we did have dinner with him; we were sitting next to each other for a long period of time.<\/p>\n<p>Q    But are you in contact with him over the coronavirus crisis?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, we \u2014 we have.  We\u2019re talking about it, country to country, but we did discuss if he had a problem.  It was reported that he may have it, and he doesn\u2019t, fortunately.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you so much, Mr. President.  Dr. Fauci said earlier this week that the lag in testing was, in fact, \u201ca failing.\u201d  Do you take responsibility for that?<\/p>\n<p>And when can you guarantee that every single American who needs a test will be able to have a test?  What\u2019s the date of that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, no, I don\u2019t take responsibility at all, because we were given a \u2014 a set of circumstances and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time.  It wasn\u2019t meant for this kind of an event with the kind of numbers that we\u2019re talking about.  And what we\u2019ve done is redesigned it very quickly with the help of the people behind me.  And we\u2019re now in very, very strong shape.<\/p>\n<p>I think we\u2019ll be announcing, as I said, Sunday night, and this will start very quickly.  And we \u2014 we\u2019ll have \u2014 we\u2019ll have the ability to do in the millions over a very, very quick period of time.  So, no.<\/p>\n<p>And what we have done \u2014 and we are going to be leaving a very indelible print for the future, in case something like this happens again.  But it was a \u2014 and that\u2019s not the fault of anybody.  And, frankly, the old system worked very well for smaller numbers \u2014 much smaller numbers \u2014 but not for these kind of numbers.<\/p>\n<p>Tony, maybe you\u2019d like to say something?<\/p>\n<p>Q    By Sunday night, will you have \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Tony, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Yes, please.  By Sunday night, will every American be able to get a test?<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:  So, just to reiterate what I said to many of you multiple times: It\u2019s (inaudible) of a system.  This system was not designed \u2014 for what it was designed for, it worked very well.  The CDC designed a good system.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to get the kind of blanket testing and availability that anybody can get it or you could even do surveillance to find out what the penetrance is, you have to embrace the private sector.  And this is exactly what you\u2019re seeing, because you can\u2019t do it without it.<\/p>\n<p>So when I said that, I meant the system was not designed for what we need.  Now, looking forward, the system will take care of it.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And, Mr. President, with respect, you\u2019ve been \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  And, interestingly, if you go back \u2014 please \u2014 if you go back to the swine flu, it was nothing like this.  They didn\u2019t do testing like this.  And actually, they lost approximately 14,000 people.  And they didn\u2019t do the testing.  They started thinking about testing when it was far too late.<\/p>\n<p>What we\u2019ve done \u2014 and one of the reasons I think people are respecting what we\u2019ve done: We\u2019ve done it very early.  We\u2019ve gotten it very early.  And we\u2019ve also kept a lot of people out.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, please.  Go ahead.  Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, the last administration said that they had tested a million people at this point.  You\u2019ve been \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, ask them how they \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 President for three years.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  \u2014 did with the swine flu.  It was a disaster.<\/p>\n<p>Q    But with respect, you\u2019ve been President for three years \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Next, please.  Next, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 and Wuhan was suffering \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  They had a very big failure with swine flu.  A very big failure.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I want to ask you about the European travel ban that goes into effect at \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 midnight tonight and the exemption that you\u2019ve offered to the UK.  There are 17 countries that are in the so-called \u201cSchengen zone\u201d that have fewer coronavirus cases than the UK.  And just in the past 24 hours, the UK has added 208 coronavirus cases to their total.  Why do they, Mr. President, deserve an exemption?  And would you consider adding them to this travel ban list?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, that was recommended to me by a group of professionals, and we are looking at it based on the new numbers that are coming out.  And we may have to include them in the list of countries that we will, you could say, ban \u2014 or whatever \u2014 it is during this period of time.<\/p>\n<p>But, yeah, their numbers have gone up fairly precipitously over the last 24 hours, so we may be adding that, and we may be adding a couple of others.  And we may, frankly, start thinking about taking some off.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I\u2019m a correspondent with Hong Kong Phoenix TV.  You have been mentioned \u2014 you have mentioned that the number in China has been decreasing and China has made tremendous progress in the past two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n<p>Q    I\u2019m wondering how much confidence does this give you to control the virus in the United States.  And do you see the data China has been sharing with the United States has been helpful?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think it has been helpful.  We\u2019ve been working very much with China.  I\u2019ve spoken, as you know, with President Xi.  They went through hell, and their numbers are starting to look very good.  They\u2019re really \u2014 they\u2019re really looking very good.  We\u2019re very happy about that.  We are sharing data, yes.  In fact, we\u2019re sharing quite a bit of data, including the fact that some of our pharmaceutical companies are working over there right now with large groups of people.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, go ahead.  Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  You spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I did.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Did you discuss the potential closing of the border between Canada and the U.S.?  And, by extension, are you considering ways to salvage the $2 billion daily trade between the two countries?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So we didn\u2019t discuss the border.  We\u2019ve had a very good relationship.  Just about finished with the USMCA, as you know.  He called \u2014 actually, he called me to tell me that.  I think that was the primary reason for the call.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, his wife had not been diagnosed.  And she\u2019s a lovely lady \u2014 wonderful lady, great lady.  And since then, I\u2019ve heard \u2014 read that the result was that she has it.  And I was a little surprised.  I think he was surprised also.  We did discuss it prior to.  She\u2019s going to be fine, but he thought that she would not, most likely, have the virus.  Unfortunately, she does.<\/p>\n<p>But we didn\u2019t discuss the border yesterday, no.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>If you have any questions for these great geniuses up here, you should \u2014 even a business question related to what we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, Ross Palombo from ABC News Miami.  As a relatively new Floridian, what is your message today to the cruise line industry and the travel industry that Florida depends upon?  And since Senator Rick Scott and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gim\u00e9nez have the same exposure as you and they are self-isolating, what\u2019s your message to them?  That they shouldn\u2019t be?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I don\u2019t know that I had exposure, but I don\u2019t have any of the symptoms.  And we do have a White House doctor and, I should say, many White House doctors, frankly.  And I asked them that same question, and they said, \u201cYou don\u2019t have any symptoms whatsoever.\u201d  And we don\u2019t want people without symptoms to go and do the test.  The test is not insignificant.<\/p>\n<p>As far as the cruise line business, we\u2019re with them all the way.  It\u2019s a great business.  It\u2019s a great U.S. business, frankly.  And I know how important they are to the country.  That includes airlines.  But the cruise line business, obviously, was hit very hard.<\/p>\n<p>We had a tremendous success out in Oakland where we moved it.  Vice President Pence did a fantastic job with that.  We worked with UK.  We worked with Canada.  They took their people back.  And Canada has approximately 600 people; UK, likewise, took a large number of people back to the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>And we have people quarantined.  It was a big operation, and it worked out really \u2014 you don\u2019t hear about it anymore.  It worked out really well.<\/p>\n<p>Mike, you may even want to say something about that because that was really done properly.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you, Mr. President.  And that program with the Grand Princess, the ship, is continuing to be administered in the highest standards, orderly way, as the President directed.  And Americans that needed treatment have received them.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke to the governor of Iowa today, and some of those who now have been cleared are able, in proper supervision, to be returning to Iowa, where they\u2019re making arrangements for them to do that.  Others in Texas, others in Georgia.  Again, it\u2019s another example of the extraordinary cooperation of Governor Abbott, Governor Gavin Newsom, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>But to add to that, the President directed me last Saturday to travel down to Miami.  We met with all the leaders of the cruise line industry.  Several cruise lines have announced a 60-day pause in operations.  Our Department of Homeland Security has praised them for doing that because of the unique health challenges particularly presented to seniors with underlying conditions.<\/p>\n<p>We have a proposal from the cruise line industry, but they\u2019re currently considering what other steps that they might take, perhaps even similar to what those other lines have taken.  We\u2019re anticipating some response on that in the next 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p>But as the President said, the American people cherish our cruise line industry, the men and women who work on the ships, the men and women who work on the shore, all the economies that are so benefitted by a vibrant cruise line industry.<\/p>\n<p>And what the President has directed us to do is, whether there \u2014 whether there is a pause in the moment, as some cruise lines are doing, and as we all continue to discuss, we want to work with the cruise line industry to ensure that when we come through this, that cruise lines and the medical services that are available, and for the passengers and all of the crew, that cruise lines are safer than ever before and can prosper for many years to come.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    This question is for Drs. Fauci and Birk [sic] \u2014 Birx.  Dr. Fauci, based on what you currently know, what is the trajectory for when this outbreak will peak?  How long will the American people have to remain on this emergency footing?<\/p>\n<p>And for Dr. Birx, as the administration tries to get its arms around this test kit shortage issue, the next glaring need could be respirators and related hospital equipment.  So what is the administration doing right now to ramp up production of respirators and that kind of equipment should this outbreak persist?<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:  So, when you have an outbreak like this, particularly if you\u2019re trying to interfere with it, it\u2019s really impossible to predict the time element of when it\u2019s going to peak and when it\u2019s naturally going to go down.<\/p>\n<p>So if you look at the situation where countries really did not get to the point of trying to contain and mitigate very well, you see a peak over several weeks and then down again over other several weeks.  What we\u2019re trying to do with the efforts that we\u2019re doing is to blunt that peak.<\/p>\n<p>And I mentioned it many times, and I think it\u2019s important and appropriate for me to mention it again because it answers your question: When you talk about preventing infections from without in \u2014 which is the kind of travel restrictions we\u2019re talking about \u2014 then how do you handle what you already have in your country?  You continue some sort of containment, but you also do mitigation and you try to proportion it to the areas where there are the most infections.<\/p>\n<p>The success of that and how much you make this turn into this is going to give you the amount of time.  If we\u2019re successful, it\u2019ll be less.  If we\u2019re not successful, it\u2019s going to be more.  But these kind of things generally run out in a few months.  Hopefully, we\u2019ll make it several weeks \u2014 eight, nine, whatever weeks.  But I can\u2019t give you a number because it depends on how successful we are.<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:  Great, thank you.  It\u2019s a great question, and Dr. Fauci and I have worked together a very long time and continue.  It\u2019s a privilege to work with him every day.<\/p>\n<p>So I think you can learn very \u2014 and I appreciate there were some graphics done by some of the reporting over the last several days.  If you align the data from China with the data with South Korea, you can start to see almost a complete overlay of that data.  And so that\u2019s what we\u2019re tracking very closely, as well as Italy.  But you have an excellent question.<\/p>\n<p>I just want to make one note: In South Korea, I want to repeat, only 4 percent of the tests were positive.  That means 96 percent of the people had a different respiratory disease because we\u2019re in the middle of flu season, cold season, and all of the other respiratory diseases that we get every day.<\/p>\n<p>In LabCorp and Quest\u2019s early data, they\u2019re running about 1 to 2 percent positive.  That means that we have a lot more other respiratory disease out there besides the coronavirus.  And that\u2019s why the screening is critical.  But even with the screening, we\u2019re going to low \u2014 run what we think are very low rates.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, though, we\u2019re taking it extraordinarily seriously to plan for what could come.  Not what Dr. Fauci talked about \u2014 blunting the curve \u2014 that makes it much less high need at that peak of the curve that we\u2019re all planning for.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019re in full inventory of all of our assets by the President unlocking and this emergency order, and the Secretary of HHS\u2019s ability \u2014 it unlocks all of those stockpiles, those needs: what the VA has, what the DOD has, what the National Guard has, and what every hospital has.<\/p>\n<p>And the hospital emergency preparedness plan allows them to defer elective issues to keep those hospital beds open for those who might need it.  So we\u2019re in full planning mode for each of those things.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  And I might add that we\u2019re in the process \u2014 and, in some cases, have already done it \u2014 ordered a large number of respirators, just in case.  We hope we don\u2019t need them, but we\u2019ve ordered a large number.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah.  Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.  In your speech to the nation, you mentioned the situation in China and South Korea have improved, and you\u2019re thinking about remove the restrictions, also the warning \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Right.<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 in place right now.  When can we expect that announcement?  And how do you see the overall progress that Asian countries made?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, some are making progress; some are not, as you know.  But some are making progress.  And as they make progress, as they get down to the number that we all think is right \u2014 that they know is right, we know is right \u2014 we\u2019ll be opening it up.  And some are really moving along rapidly.  We hope to be able to open things up as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, please.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I\u2019d like to ask Secretary Azar and Dr. Fauzi [sic] just how \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  That was (inaudible).  (Laughs.)<\/p>\n<p>Q    Dr. Fauci.  Okay?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Right.  Better.<\/p>\n<p>Q    All right.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:   Better.  Not 100 percent, but 90 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Right.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    This affects the elderly, primarily.  And in that sense, it\u2019s an unusual disease.  Is any specific research being done as to why it affects our senior citizens more than others?<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:  So, I don\u2019t mean to diminish your question, but we already know why it would affect senior citizens more, because when you talk about anything that requires a robust immune system \u2014 as you get older, your immune system is not as potent as it is when you were young.  And that\u2019s the reason why, when you talk about even influenza, which we have extraordinary experience with over decades and decades, the people who are very vulnerable are the elderly and those with underlying conditions.<\/p>\n<p>The same thing holds true for a variety of other disease. Why cancer is more prevalent in some \u2014 in mostly in older individuals \u2014 because the immune system that screens for it is less robust.  So it really is something that is kind of well-known over a lot of studies.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  OAN, please.  OAN.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, the Chinese officials are expressing some tones of discontent with how \u2014 where the source of this virus has come from, and they\u2019re spinning some odd narratives.  What are your response to the Chinese officials who are doing that?  And have they signaled any kind of resistance to upcoming trade talks in response to how we\u2019re handling this virus?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, we have our deal with China.  They\u2019re going to be buying $250 billion worth of goods and $50 billion from our farmers.  And that\u2019s a great deal for our country; it\u2019s about time somebody did that.  And, frankly, phase two, we\u2019ll start negotiating.<\/p>\n<p>I did read one article, but I don\u2019t think that article was representative \u2014 certainly not of my conversations with President Xi \u2014 and they know where it came from.  We all know where it came from.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Yamiche Alcindor from PBS NewsHour.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    My first question is: You said that you don\u2019t take responsibility, but you did disband the White House pandemic office, and the officials that were working in that office left this administration abruptly.  So what responsibility do you take to that?  And the officials that worked in that office said that you \u2014 that the White House lost valuable time because that office was disbanded.  What do you make of that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I just think it\u2019s a nasty question because what we\u2019ve done is \u2014 and Tony has said numerous times that we\u2019ve saved thousands of lives because of the quick closing.  And when you say \u201cme,\u201d I didn\u2019t do it.  We have a group of people I could \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    It\u2019s your administration.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I could ask perhaps \u2014 my administration \u2014 but I could perhaps ask Tony about that because I don\u2019t know anything about it.  I mean, you say \u2014 you say we did that.  I don\u2019t know anything about it.<\/p>\n<p>Q    You don\u2019t know about the \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  We\u2019re spending \u2014 I don\u2019t know.  It\u2019s the \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 about the reorganization that happened at the National Security Council?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  It\u2019s the \u2014 it\u2019s the administration.  Perhaps they do that.  You know, people let people go.  You used to be with a different newspaper than you are now.  You know, things like that happen.<\/p>\n<p>Q    But this was a \u2014 this was an org- \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Please go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    This was an organization at the National Security Council.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  We\u2019re doing a great job.  Let me tell you, these professionals behind me and the \u2014 these great, incredible doctors and business people \u2014 the best in the world.  And I can say that.  Whether it\u2019s retailers or labs, or anything you want to say, these are the best of the world.  We\u2019re doing a great job.<\/p>\n<p>We have 40 people right now.  Forty.  Compare that with other countries that have many, many times that amount.  And one of the reasons we have 40 and others have \u2014 and, again, that number is going up, just so you understand.  And a number of cases, which are very small, relatively speaking \u2014 it\u2019s going up.  But we\u2019ve done a great job because we acted quickly.  We acted early.  And there\u2019s nothing we could have done that was better than closing our borders to highly infected areas.<\/p>\n<p>Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Vanessa Jaklitsch for NTN24 for Latin America countries \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 and also for Spain, La Raz\u00f3n and Antena 3.  I would like to ask you two very brief questions.  One: For how long we\u2019re going to have the emergency \u2014 I mean, the national emergency?  And \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I hope not long, but it\u2019s there now and it gives tremendous powers for things that we need.  Tremendous power, actually.  And the Stafford Act and various other things that we\u2019re involved with and have studied and memorized in so many different ways and forms, it gives the kind of power that we need to get rid of this virus.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re going to do it very quickly.  And I hope we won\u2019t need it very long, but whatever it takes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    So, for now, we still don\u2019t know for how long?  And I \u2014 something very important I wanted to ask you is like, how do you think \u2014 do you really think it\u2019s essential coordinating with other countries, and learning from the lessons that \u2014 they already suffer the same situation \u2014 countries \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 of course, like China and South Korea, but now recently \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 Italy and Spain.  And how \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, Italy is having a \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    \u2014 is that coordination done?  Thank you so much, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Italy is having a very \u2014 yeah \u2014 we\u2019re in touch with Italy and, you know, it\u2019s a \u2014 it\u2019s a country that we love.  We have tremendous \u2014 millions and millions of people, originally \u2014 origins from Italy.  And we\u2019re working with them.  They\u2019re in a very \u2014 they\u2019re in, probably, relatively speaking, the toughest position of all.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re in touch with everybody.  We\u2019re in touch with \u2014 when I say \u201ceverybody,\u201d we\u2019re in touch with many of the countries that you know about, that you\u2019re writing about.  And they\u2019re calling us asking for advice.  They\u2019re asking for the advice of the people behind me.<\/p>\n<p>Italy has got a tough situation, but they\u2019re \u2014 they\u2019re really \u2014 they have really clamped down and I think they\u2019re going to see some very good results.  It\u2019s tough.  What they did \u2014 they really took their medicine, but they\u2019re going to see some much better results.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, Jeff.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, sir.  With regard to domestic travel: Should Americans feel safe or should Americans at all be traveling to states such as Washington State, New York, and other hotspots within this country?<\/p>\n<p>And a follow-up on Brazil: You\u2019re asking people who come back from America \u2014 from Europe \u2014 Americans who are coming back from Europe to self-quarantine for a couple weeks.  You were in a picture with somebody who now has coronavirus from Brazil, at Mar-a-Lago.  How is that different?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I\u2019ll tell you, first of all, I\u2019m not coming back from someplace.<\/p>\n<p>Q    But you were exposed.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  We \u2014 and there was somebody that they say has it.  I have no idea who he is, but I take pictures and it lasts for, literally, seconds.  I don\u2019t know the gentleman that we\u2019re talking about.  I have no idea who he is.  I haven\u2019t seen the picture.  I said, \u201cThere\u2019s a picture of somebody,\u201d but I take sometimes hundreds of pictures a day.  And that night I was taking hundreds of pictures.  So I just don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>Now I did sit with the President for probably two hours, but he has tested negative.  So that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>Q    It\u2019s just a matter of \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And the domestic travel, sir?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    The travel?  The first part of the question was domestic travel.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I would say, if you stay home, it\u2019s not bad.  It\u2019s not bad.  Now, there are certain parts of the country that are \u2014 essentially, have no \u2014 have zero problem.  Washington has been very tough \u2014 in particular, a nursing home.  And, but Washington \u2014 the State of Washington has been very tough.  It\u2019s been a big percentage of \u2014 when you talk about the 40 deaths, that\u2019s been has been a big percentage of the deaths, as you know very well.  And they all came from a very certain area, unfortunately.<\/p>\n<p>Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Go ahead.  Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Cordelia Lynch, Sky News.  You talked this week about the UK doing a good job in tackling coronavirus.  In light of the rising cases, are you changing your mind about that?  You also just spoke about possible travel restrictions.  Have you discussed when they might be put in place?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, in light of the results, as we discussed before \u2014 in light of the results, we\u2019re going to be looking at it.  And I know the task force is looking at it very strongly \u2014 the Vice President, everybody.  It was looking good, but they\u2019ve \u2013the results have been building up pretty rapidly.  So we\u2019ll \u2014 we\u2019ll be taking another look at that.  Yes, absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, thank you.  I want to first follow up on Jeff\u2019s question, because the person you were standing next to, whether you know who he is or not, tested positive for coronavirus.   Dr. Fauci said this morning, \u201cIf you stand next to somebody who tested positive, you should self-isolate and get a test.\u201d  You say your White House doctor is telling you something different.  Who should Americans listen to?<\/p>\n<p>And my second question is \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think they have to listen to their doctors, and I think they shouldn\u2019t be jumping to get the test unless it\u2019s necessary.  But I think they have to listen to their doctors.  And I mean, I don\u2019t know the \u2014 I haven\u2019t seen the picture.  Somebody said there\u2019s a picture with somebody taking a picture with me, but I haven\u2019t seen it.  But I can tell you \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    Well, doctors have said you might have it even if you don\u2019t have symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    Are you being selfish by not getting tested and potentially exposing \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I didn\u2019t say I wasn\u2019t going to be tested.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Are you going to be?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Most likely, yeah.  Most likely.<\/p>\n<p>Q    When do you think that will happen?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Not for that reason, but because I think I will do it any way.  Fairly soon.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Will you let us know the results?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  We\u2019re working on that.  We\u2019re working out a schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Q    My second question, Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  You go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    That was a follow-up.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible.)  (Off-mic.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q    I know there\u2019s been a lot of talk about testing.  I just want to make sure we\u2019re clear though, because we\u2019ve been hearing from doctors who say, as of today, they still can\u2019t get patients tested who need a test.  So, as of today, can everyone who a doctor wants to have tested get tested?  And if not, when?  When will doctors \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, that\u2019s been true for a while.  But I\u2019ll let Mike \u2014 why don\u2019t you answer that, Mike, please?<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, as the President said and Dr. Fauci has articulated, the nature of our current system \u2014 where the CDC has sample sent and tests are performed or state labs perform tests or, in some cases, university and hospital labs perform tests \u2014 is generally adequate for an infectious disease or for people getting diagnostic work done.  But given the sheer scale of this, the President tasked us with bringing together this extraordinary public and private partnership.<\/p>\n<p>Today, by some estimates, when you add all the labs together \u2014 and, today, the President made it possible for every state in the country and their state labs to authorize labs across their state to do coronavirus testing.<\/p>\n<p>We \u2014 we\u2019re estimating somewhere between 15- and 20,000 tests a day are able to be performed.  But very soon, with the program that was announced today, Americans will be able to visit one of the sites closest to them, as described on the website, if they\u2019re symptomatic \u2014 if the questionnaire indicates it \u2014 to be able to have a test there.  And these incredible companies will process the test and they\u2019ll receive that information.<\/p>\n<p>But, for now, the best advice that we can give for people is to speak to their doctor, as the President just said.  And if the doctor indicates, that physician \u2014 if it\u2019s not a university hospital or otherwise authorized lab \u2014 can contact the state lab.  And, again, every state lab in the country can perform tests today.<\/p>\n<p>But what the President charged us with, when I was tasked to take over the White House Coronavirus Task Force, was: Open up tests all across the country.  And the President said, a few days ago, that we made it clear that any American that wanted to get a test would be able, clinically, to get a test.  Because I literally heard from the Governor of Washington State, who said the doctors in Washington State were saying that if you were only mildly symptomatic, they would not order a test.  And fortunately, the President directed CDC to clarify that.<\/p>\n<p>Now anyone in consultation with their physician, regardless of their symptoms can request a test and their doctors will contact those agencies, those labs in their state.  But very soon, Americans will be able to go to these \u2014 these drive-in sites and be able to obtain and participate in a test.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Birx, is there more to amplify that?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:  No, I think \u2014 I think that\u2019s perfectly said.  I think, just to review one more time about the testing: With LabCorp and Quest \u2014 I think many of you have been to a doctor\u2019s office and seen the little boxes outside \u2014 what they do is they deliver both the specimen collection piece \u2014 because, remember, it\u2019s a nasal swab; it\u2019s not a tube of blood.  So they\u2019ve delivered that to doctors\u2019 offices and hospitals, and then they will arrange to pick that up.<\/p>\n<p>The important piece in this all is they\u2019ve gone from a machine that may have a lower throughput, to the potential to have automated extraction.  I know you don\u2019t want all of these details, but it\u2019s really key for the laboratory people.  It\u2019s an automated extraction of the RNA that then runs in an automated way on the machine, with no one touching it, and the result comes out at the other end.<\/p>\n<p>So, sample to machine to results.  That cuts out a lot of the manual pieces that were happening that were delaying the test results.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And so, with that, what\u2019s the timeline \u2014 like from when you\u2019re tested to when you get results?  Like, next week, what should people expect?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:  Well, with the prior testing, it was taking several days because the test is slower.  We believe with this test, because of its throughput, that the testing can be from start \u2014 remember, it has to transport \u2014 to the laboratory that will run it.  And then we\u2019re hoping that all can be finished within 24 hours, which is very similar to other tests that you receive today.<\/p>\n<p>These are not point-of-care tests.  We are working on point-of-care tests, but we have to realize point-of-care tests take six months or more to develop.  So we\u2019re not waiting for those.  We\u2019re still diagnosing this on nucleic acid, so as an antibody.   This is actually the antigen \u2014 the actual virus in your nose that we\u2019re amplifying.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think you have to remember, though: We\u2019re working very closely with states, and you have a smaller form and more targeted form of government going in and doing it \u2014 like, in New York, where the relationship is very good; like Gavin Newsom, where he made some very complimentary \u2014 because that\u2019s California \u2014 he made some really complimentary comments the other day about how we\u2019re working together.  We worked on the ship together, but we worked on a lot of other things together, having to do with this.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re \u2014 well, really, the relationship that we have \u2014 I can\u2019t think of a bad relationship.  We\u2019re helping them.  We\u2019re funding them, in some cases, depending on what it is you\u2019re talking about.  And we\u2019re all working together very closely.  So we\u2019ve done, really, I think a tremendous job of teamwork with the different states.<\/p>\n<p>All right.  One or two more.  And if you have \u2014 if you have questions for these folks \u2014 does anybody have a question for the folks up here?  Who has a question up here?  You have?  Okay, go ahead.  If you have a question, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you.  I have one for you as well.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  I thought \u2014 I knew you would.<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Laughs.)  No, but I do have one for them, because I haven\u2019t heard this yet.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I was waiting for that.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Because I haven\u2019t heard this yet.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Ask them first, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Yes, I will.  Okay.  With regards to the CEOs, can you please tell us when you expect to see items like hand sanitizer that have been going out of stock very quickly back on the shelves?  There have been a lot of reports about that.<\/p>\n<p>And, for you, Mr. President, could you talk about a potential bailout for the cruise industry?  You had suggested that could happen.  Is that something you\u2019re still looking at?  And how much would that be?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I didn\u2019t suggest that it could happen, but I can tell you it\u2019s an industry that was very badly impacted by what\u2019s going on with the virus.  And it\u2019s a great industry.  It\u2019s a very important industry and we will be helping them.  And we will be helping the airline industry, if we have to \u2014 assuming we have to.<\/p>\n<p>So far, people haven\u2019t been asking.  But if they should be asking, we\u2019ll \u2014 we want to make sure our airlines are very strong.  And then, one day \u2014 and one day, all of a sudden, it wasn\u2019t looking so good.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, we were just talking \u2014 I was talking to Doug, and the numbers they\u2019re doing from the retailing standpoint \u2014 I guess, because of this, your business is like the opposite.  All of you have done \u2014 you\u2019ve been selling a lot of \u2014 a lot of stuff.  Do you want to answer the question, as to the hand sanitizers?<\/p>\n<p>MR. MCMILLON:  Sure.  Yeah, specifically the areas where we\u2019re seeing pressure in the supply chain are surface cleaners, cleaning supplies, paper goods, in particular.  Hand sanitizer is going to be very difficult to have 100 percent in stock on for some time.  We\u2019re still replenishing it and shipping it, but as soon as it hits the stores, it\u2019s going.  The same thing is true for the categories I just mentioned.  So all of the retailers will be working hand-in-hand with the suppliers to bring that to the market as fast as we can.<\/p>\n<p>Q    What is your advice though for Americans who are seeking those items?  What is your advice?  They\u2019re selling out online.  They\u2019re selling out in the stores.  What \u2014<\/p>\n<p>MR. MCMILLON:  I think \u2014 I think this team has given you other examples of what people can do to fight back against this virus, and you should look at the entire list.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Please.<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:  Please.  I mean, obviously, it sounds very simplistic, but wash your hands as often as you possibly can.  And I know you\u2019re not always in a position to be able to wash your hands, but wash them as much as you can.  If you don\u2019t have the alcohol wipes, try and get them.  If you can\u2019t get them, just try as best as possible to do it.  I mean you got to do the best you can.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Alex, please.<\/p>\n<p>SECRETARY AZAR:  Well, just general preparedness.  You know, you want to wash your hands.  You want to keep distance from people.  And if you\u2019re around someone sick, keep away from them.  Just basic, basic public health.<\/p>\n<p>No, these guys are selling a lot of toilet paper.  I don\u2019t know, there seems \u2014 Tony, do you need to give some guidance that toilet paper is not an effective protection against getting the coronavirus?  (Laughs.)  They\u2019re selling out.  But the \u2014 soap and water.  Hot water, soap, 20 seconds.  That\u2019s how you do it.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  One more.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.  No.  Over here.  Behind you.  Behind you.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.  You have a great team, of course.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  That\u2019s true.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Q    My question is to Mr. President: Are you happy from the Chinese response?  What correctly really told you \u2014 what really happened those days?<\/p>\n<p>And second, Prime Minister Modi, or India, have closed borders until April 15th.  If you have spoken with the Prime Minister of India, and if they have needed any help?<\/p>\n<p>And finally, sir, any message for the small businesses?  Because they are losing some businesses because of this.  Thank you, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, on small businesses, the Small Business Administration is now stacked with money to help them, and we\u2019re going to make the money readily available if they need it \u2014 small businesses.<\/p>\n<p>We had a great time in India.  It was an incredible two days, and he\u2019s a great friend of mine.  And he\u2019s a friend of his people, because he was greeted incredibly warmly, as was I.  And that stadium \u2014 that was an incredible event.  And I loved being with him, so just say hello to him.  But we \u2014 we talked about everything.  We talked about far more than just borders.<\/p>\n<p>And as far as President Xi \u2014  likewise, he\u2019s a friend of mine.  I believe that we are dealing in good faith.  And we just worked to, as you know, and as I just said \u2014 we just worked an incredible deal.  A big deal.  One of the biggest deals ever made of any kind.  Big even by the standards of some of the people here \u2014 the deal with China.  But I think that they want to get to the bottom of things also.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re working \u2014 our drug companies, our pharmaceutical companies are working very closely with China and with India, as you know, and with \u2014 all over the world.  And they\u2019re all over the world.  These are magnificent companies that are very, very knowledgeable.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s \u2014 we\u2019re very lucky to have them, because I think you\u2019re going to come up with \u2014 whether it\u2019s therapeutic or whether it\u2019s just help \u2014 helping getting better. And then ultimately, a vaccine, which takes a little bit longer because of the test periods and a couple of other reasons. You\u2019re going to have it very quickly because of the great knowledge.  And they\u2019ll have it very quickly.  They\u2019ve made a tremendous amount of progress.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you all very much.  We appreciate it.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Thank you very much, everyone. Thank you. Thank you. A beautiful day in the Rose Garden. Appreciate everybody being here. Today, I\u2019d like to provide an update to the American people on several decisive new actions we\u2019re taking in our very vigilant effort to combat and ultimately defeat the coronavirus. We\u2019ve been working very [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,33,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-health-fitness","category-life-style","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-3132020-81357-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}