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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 3:58 am
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Subject: Outrage erupts over White House not releasing Trump’s coronavirus test results: Sat Mar 14, 2020 3:00 pm
March 14, 2020
Outrage erupts over White House not releasing Trump’s coronavirus test results:
President Donald Trump told the nation that he was tested for coronavirus Friday evening, but claimed that he would not receive test results for “a day, or two days.”
Virologist and epidemiologist Joseph Fair told that the results should already be known.
“A test like this, what we call a RTP-CR [reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction] takes around two hours completely. And I would think if the president was tested, it would be a two-hour turn around on the assay.”
The internet also doubted Trump’s claim that the results were not known, and wondered if there would ever be an honest answer from the White House.
((((Trump has a HUGE problem with telling the truth, so I’m gonna need to see the test results before I take him at his word. )))
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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 3:07 pm
Bill Gates’s nonprofit announced at the beginning of February that it was donating $100 million to help find treatments and expand testing for the novel coronavirus, which he has said may be the “once-in-a-century pathogen we’ve been worried about.”
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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 3:09 pm
Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 3:24 pm
1 Newborn baby tests positive for coronavirus in London 2 Coronavirus can damage lung function after recovery, HK doctors find 3 Coronavirus: HOS law for truck drivers suspended for first time ever In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration suspended an 82-year-old road safety law for some truck drivers, showing how much coronavirus is pressuring retailers and hospitals to maintain cleaning and medical supplies 4 'Recession risk has risen dramatically': A Wall Street expert warns the coronavirus-induced market meltdown is just getting started — and says policy responses are way behind the curve 5 Apple just made a major decision to temporarily close all stores outside of China because of the coronavirus — and its actions can tell us a lot about what's going to happen next 6 The UK government is in "genuine disbelief" about how badly US President Donald Trump has handled the coronavirus outbreak, with officials reacting with "incredulity" to the president's attempts to downplay the epidemic. 7 Coronavirus live updates: More than 153,000 people have been infected and over 5,700 have died. The US has reported 50 deaths. 8 Burial pits from Iran's coronavirus outbreak have grown so large you can see them from space
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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:10 pm
Doctor says Trump tests negative for coronavirus Associated Press AAMER MADHANI and JILL COLVIN • March 14, 2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to the president's personal physician.
The White House released the test results Saturday night after Trump told reporters hours earlier that he had taken the coronavirus test, following days of resisting being screened despite the fact that he had been in recent contact with three people who have tested positive for the virus, including members of the Brazilian president's delegation who visited with him at his Florida resort.
“One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the President remains symptom-free,” Sean Conley, the president’s physician, said in a memo.
Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Saturday that he had his temperature taken and it was “totally normal,” shortly before stepping into the room to discuss the government’s efforts to halt the spread of the virus. The pandemic has now infected more than 2,200 people in the U.S. and caused at least 50 deaths.
The president had multiple direct and indirect contacts with people who have since tested positive for the virus, including three people he spent time with last weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
The Brazilian Embassy in Washington said late Friday that the country’s chargé d’affaires, Nestor Forster, tested positive after sitting at Trump’s dinner table. So, too, have a top aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who took a photo with Trump and attended a party with him, and another person who attended a campaign fundraiser with the president that Sunday, according to two Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private health matters.
Trump, after days of insisting that he was not exhibiting symptoms of the virus, relented after being pressed by reporters about his resistance to testing when multiple lawmakers and countless citizens across the country who have had the same degree of exposure have not only tried to get tested, but also chosen to try to avoid potentially infecting others.
The president, according to two people close to the White House, had been reluctant to take the test for fear it would project weakness or worry. Trump has wanted to appear in full control during the crisis, and had expressed concerns that taking personal steps could undermine that appearance.
Trump came into office as self-described germaphobe who tried to avoid handshakes as he conducted his real estate business. But he acknowledged Saturday that he’s now finding it difficult to resist shaking hands, a habit that he says he’s picked up since becoming a full-time politician.
At a news conference Friday to announce he was declaring a national emergency, Trump eagerly shook the hands of several corporate executives, even though health policy experts on White House coronavirus task force have urged Americans to avoid physical contact to help stem the spread of the virus.
“People come up to me, they shake hands, they put their hand out,” Trump said. “It's sort of a natural reflex, and we're all getting out of it. All of us have that problem.”
The White House is stepping up efforts to try to keep the virus at bay.
On Saturday, the White House announced that it is now conducting temperature checks on anyone who is in close contact with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, including reporters who attend a White House briefing and anyone entering the Oval Office.
Pence also wrote a memo to White House staff Saturday reminding them to take precautions such as avoiding physical contact, washing hands frequently and staying home when sick.
“It’s imperative each one of us do our part to take the proper precautions to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe,” Pence wrote. “As an employee aboard the White House Complex, we have an additional duty to protect the health of our Executive Branch and those working with us.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, who is helping coordinate the U.S. response to the outbreak, noted that testing results reflect a snapshot in time and that it’s crucial for people to maintain precautions.
“When you get a negative test, that means you're negative that day,” Birx said. “That doesn't mean that you couldn't get the virus spreading overnight, because it replicates in your nose and your nasal secretions, and you would have a positive test tomorrow.”
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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:22 pm
“ Mr. Colvin does not believe he was price gouging. While he charged $20 on Amazon for two bottles of Purell that retail for $1 each, he said people forget that his price includes his labor, Amazon’s fees and about $10 in shipping. (Alcohol-based sanitizer is pricey to ship because officials consider it a hazardous material.)”
By “labor”, does he mean driving through multiple states to wipe clean all the stocks from multiple stores? Ahhh when people show their true nature in times of pandemics.
Give all these supplies to the hospitals that will need them now more than ever for free. Anything less will be unacceptable.
Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 14, 2020 11:34 pm
Beijing is seeking to turn the coronavirus, initially a disaster for China's public image, into an opportunity to advance its global leadership and bolster its soft power abroad.
In a message viewed by Axios, an employee of CNPC Economics & Technology Research Institute said __ they were exploring the possibility of a Beijing-led global health organization that would rival the WHO.
China is seeking to recast itself as a global leader in the fight against the coronavirus, rather than the country where it originated and spread due to the government's initial suppression of information related to the outbreak.
"According to our analysis, the situation of coronavirus around the world is urgent, therefore, we consider that perhaps the world needs a leadership country/organization coordinating all the countries affected in fighting against coronavirus, just like the leadership role of U.S. in W.H.O," wrote the think tank employee.
In China, state-sponsored think tanks can double as diplomatic back channels, allowing leaders a low-risk means to float new ideas and explore how they might be perceived.
Carice Witte, the founder and executive director of SIGNAL, told Axios the idea of a Beijing-led WHO alternative is "very interesting in the context of China's aim to reshape global governance, including setting up parallel institutions."
"Our research purpose is to predict the development of coronavirus around the word and how to fight against the epidemics.
We also asked experts other questions such as the public response to the crisis and how does the public view the measures taken by the government to fight against coronavirus." said Sun Li, a research fellow at CNPC ETRI.
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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:00 am
Subject: Trump's Attempt To Buy Coronavirus Vaccine For ''US only.'' Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:41 pm
March 16, 2020
German officials reject Trump's attempt to buy coronavirus vaccine for US only.
Trump reportedly offered a German company a 'large sum' of money to make a vaccine that would be available exclusively in the United States.
The German government on Sunday confirmed a report that Donald Trump tried to get exclusive rights to any future coronavirus vaccines being developed by a German research firm.
According to the report from Die Welt, Trump offered the firm CureVac a "large sum" — up to $1 billion — for access to the forthcoming vaccine, "but for the US only."
The German government expressed its strong opposition to any such acquisition. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said it is "off the table" for the Trump administration to take over CureVac, and that the vaccine will be developed "for the whole world" and "not for individual countries," the Guardian reported.
According to the New York Times, Trump first made the offer to Daniel Menichella, then the CEO of CureVac, during a March 2 meeting at the White House.
In a statement the day after the meeting, Menichella said he was "very confident that we will be able to develop a potent vaccine candidate within a few months."
Menichella is now out as CEO, according to a company announcement on March 11, which gave no explanation about why Menichella was abruptly leaving the company after leading it for two years.
Meanwhile, the Times reported that German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said he had heard about the Trump administration's effort to gain exclusive access to CureVac's possible vaccine "from several members of the government" and that a "crisis team" of German officials will discuss the effort in a meeting on Monday.
Germany's economic affairs minister, Peter Altmaier, lauded CureVac for not taking the Trump administration's offer.
"It was a great decision," Altmaier said on a German television show Sunday night, according to the Times. "Germany is not for sale."
Subject: Bad News'; A Warning From The Federal Government ---- Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:46 pm
2 hours ago on March 17, 2020
Feds’ 100-page coronavirus plan warns it will ‘last 18 months’ and cause ‘critical shortages’
The federal government’s plan for responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic was obtained by The New York Times.
“A federal government plan to combat the coronavirus warned policymakers last week that a pandemic ‘will last 18 months or longer’ and could include ‘multiple waves,’ resulting in widespread shortages that would strain consumers and the nation’s health care system.”
“The 100-page plan, dated Friday, the same day President Trump declared a national emergency, laid out a grim prognosis for the spread of the virus and outlined a response that would activate agencies across the government and potentially employ special presidential powers to mobilize the private sector,” The Times reported.
The document warned of ongoing shortages.
“Shortages of products may occur, impacting health care, emergency services, and other elements of critical infrastructure,” the plan warned. “This includes potentially critical shortages of diagnostics, medical supplies (including [personal protective equipment] and pharmaceuticals), and staffing in some locations.”
“State and local governments, as well as critical infrastructure and communications channels, will be stressed and potentially less reliable. These stresses may also increase the challenges of getting updated messages and coordinating guidance to these jurisdictions directly,” the plan continued.
The document was marked, “For Official Use Only // Not For Public Distribution or Release.”
Coronavirus can survive on some surfaces for days: study
The novel coronavirus can survive on some surfaces for days or in the air for several hours, according to a US-government funded study published Tuesday.
Scientists found that the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease had similar levels of viability outside the body to its predecessor that caused SARS.
This means that other factors like greater transmission between people with no symptoms might be why the current pandemic is far greater than the SARS outbreak of 2002-2003.
The new paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and carried out by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), University of California, Los Angeles and Princeton.
The new coronavirus was detectable for up to four hours on copper and two to three days on plastic and stainless steel, and for up to 24 hours on cardboard.
The team used a nebulizer to simulate a person coughing or sneezing, and found that the virus became an aerosol — meaning its particles became suspended in the air — making it detectable for almost three hours.
The study was first posted on a medical pre-print website last week before it was peer-reviewed, and attracted much attention, including some criticism from scientists who said that it may have overstated the airborne threat.
The virus is predominantly transmitted by respiratory droplets and in this form it is viable for only a few seconds after a person coughs or sneezes.
Critics questioned whether a nebulizer accurately mimicked a human cough or sneeze.
That said, there is other evidence to suggest it can become an aerosol, albeit in rare circumstances.
SARS comparison:
A Chinese paper that was posted last week and is awaiting peer-review found an aerosolized form of the new coronavirus was present in the bathrooms of patients in a Wuhan hospital, as the virus is shed in stools.
An aerosolized form of SARS was responsible for infecting hundreds of people in a Hong Kong apartment complex in 2003, when a sewage line leaked on to a ceiling fan creating a virus-laden plume.
The team behind the NEJM study performed similar tests on the SARS virus, finding the two viruses behave similarly.
But their similar viability fails to explain why the novel coronavirus pandemic has infected close to 200,000 people and caused almost 8,000 deaths, while the SARS epidemic infected about 8,000 and killed nearly 800.
“This indicates that differences in the epidemiologic characteristics of these viruses probably arise from other factors, including high viral loads in the upper respiratory tract and the potential for persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 to shed and transmit the virus while asymptomatic,” wrote the researchers.
SARS-CoV-2 is the technical name for the new coronavirus.
The findings affirm guidance from public health professionals regarding social distancing, avoiding touching the face, covering your cough or sneeze and frequently disinfecting objects using cleaning sprays or wipes.
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U.S. Virus Plan Anticipates 18-Month Pandemic and Widespread Shortages The New York Times Peter Baker and Eileen Sullivan • March 18, 2020
WASHINGTON — A federal government plan to combat the coronavirus warned policymakers last week that a pandemic “will last 18 months or longer” and could include “multiple waves,” resulting in widespread shortages that would strain consumers and the nation’s health care system.
The 100-page plan, dated Friday, the same day President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, laid out a grim prognosis for the spread of the virus and outlined a response that would activate agencies across the government and potentially employ special presidential powers to mobilize the private sector.
Among the “additional key federal decisions” listed among the options for Trump was invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950, a Korean War-era law that authorizes a president to take extraordinary action to force American industry to ramp up production of critical equipment and supplies such as ventilators, respirators and protective gear for health care workers.
“Shortages of products may occur, impacting health care, emergency services, and other elements of critical infrastructure,” the plan warned. “This includes potentially critical shortages of diagnostics, medical supplies (including PPE and pharmaceuticals), and staffing in some locations.” PPE refers to personal protective equipment.
The plan continued: “State and local governments, as well as critical infrastructure and communications channels, will be stressed and potentially less reliable. These stresses may also increase the challenges of getting updated messages and coordinating guidance to these jurisdictions directly.”
The plan, which was unclassified but marked “For Official Use Only // Not For Public Distribution or Release,” was shared with The New York Times as Trump escalated his efforts to curb the spread of the virus. After weeks of playing down the seriousness of the pandemic, saying it would miraculously disappear, Trump began shifting to a more sober tone during a news conference Friday announcing the national emergency.
Much of the plan is bureaucratic in nature, describing coordination among agencies and actions that in some cases have already been taken, like urging schools to close and large events to be canceled. But its discussion of the Defense Production Act came as lawmakers and others urged Trump to invoke its powers.
“While the administration’s response has so far lacked the urgency this crisis has called for, there are still steps you can take to mitigate the damage,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., wrote in a letter to Trump on Tuesday. “Invoking the powers vested in the DPA will enable the federal government to step up and take the type of aggressive steps needed in this time of uncertainty.”
Another letter sent last week by 57 House Democrats led by Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan made similar points: “During World War II, our country adapted to the demands of the time to produce mass quantities of bombers, tanks, and many smaller items needed to save democracy and freedom in the world. We know what the demands of this time are, and we must act now to meet these demands.”
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said that Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper told him on Tuesday that the Pentagon would provide federal health workers with 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators. “The American public is on wartime footing in terms of battling the spread of this disease, and the Pentagon has to be part of the effort to help protect the health and safety of the American people,” Reed said.
But Trump said on Tuesday that he was not ready to invoke the Defense Production Act. “We’re able to do that if we have to,” he told reporters. “Right now, we haven’t had to, but it’s certainly ready. If I want it, we can do it very quickly. We’ve studied it very closely over two weeks ago, actually. We’ll make that decision pretty quickly if we need it. We hope we don’t need it. It’s a big step.”
Passed in 1950 shortly after U.S. troops went to war defending South Korea against an invasion from North Korea, the Defense Production Act was based on powers used during World War II and authorized the president to require businesses to prioritize and accept contracts necessary for national defense.
Over the years, its scope has been expanded to include domestic preparedness and national emergencies. A president can make direct loans or loan guarantees and purchase commitments, subsidies or other incentives to influence industry to help in times of crisis.
Other key decisions outlined as options for the president include distributing medical supplies and equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, providing money to states to help them meet demands caused by the coronavirus outbreak and prioritizing the distribution of essential resources to focus on areas most in need.
“The spread and severity of COVID-19 will be difficult to forecast and characterize,” the government plan said. It warned of “significant shortages for government, private sector, and individual U.S. consumers.”
Trump has lost most Americans’ trust thanks to his constant coronavirus falsehoods
When it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, most Americans have little faith that President Donald Trump will tell them the truth.
A new NPR/Marist poll reveals that 60 percent of Americans say that they have little or no trust in what the president is telling them about the pandemic, which means that he is even less trusted than the mainstream news media that he regularly attacks.
“The president rates worst of all groups tested, be it public health officials, state and local leaders or the news media,” reports NPR. “And more Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the pandemic. But that does not differ greatly from his overall job approval rating, which stands at 43 percent.”
Throughout the last several weeks, Trump has repeatedly given false or misleading information about the disease. Just one week ago, the president was still comparing the coronavirus to the seasonal flu and suggested it was no big deal.
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Subject: Trending News- Trump at Work; Watch--- His Calendar-- Wed Mar 18, 2020 6:20 pm
3/18/2020 ((this post is Not about covid12 it solely about trump.no belong here nope.
Subject: Dr. Fauci facepalms on Trump Rant-- Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:29 pm
Dr. Fauci facepalms right behind Trump after he rants about ‘Deep State Department’
Dr. Anthony Fauci was caught on camera putting his hand over his face during one of President Donald Trump’s rants about the “deep state” on Friday.
While at a press conference about the coronavirus pandemic, Trump said that he would like to see Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “go back to the State Department — or as they call it, the Deep State Department — and do his job.”
At this point, Fauci facepalmed even as Trump kept talking.
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Subject: Trump’s Ban On Fetal Tissue Research Is Hindering Treatment For Coronavirus: Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:14 pm
March 18, 2020
Trump’s ban on fetal tissue research is hindering treatment for coronavirus: Senior scientist
Thanks to the Trump administration’s restrictions on fetal tissue research, a senior scientist at a government biomedical research laboratory says his ability to conduct research for a potential coronavirus treatment has been hindered.
According to the Washington Post, immunologist Kim Hasenkrug has been fighting for an exemption to the ban on using tissues from abortions for medical research — research that numerous experts speaking on condition of anonymity say could yield positive results.
“Kim Hasenkrug is one of the world experts in immune responses to persistent viral infection, including HIV and a whole bunch of other viruses,” said Irving Weissman, a leading stem cell researcher at Stanford University. “It isn’t clear if this added layer of urgent investigations will find more effective” treatments for coronavirus, “but it’s stupid not to try.”
As of now, no therapies or vaccines for the virus exist.
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Subject: New details about the “ominous” warnings about COVID-19 coronavirus were reported Friday. Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:50 pm
March 20, 2020 AP New details about the “ominous” warnings about COVID-19 coronavirus were reported Friday.
“U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while President Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread of the pathogen,” the newspaper reported, citing “U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting.”
“Taken together, the reports and warnings painted an early picture of a virus that showed the characteristics of a globe-encircling pandemic that could require governments to take swift actions to contain it. But despite that constant flow of reporting, Trump continued publicly and privately to play down the threat the virus posed to Americans,” the newspaper reported.
“Intelligence agencies ‘have been warning on this since January,’ said a U.S. official who had access to intelligence reporting that was disseminated to members of Congress and their staffs as well as to officials in the Trump administration, and who, along with others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive information.”
“Donald Trump may not have been expecting this, but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn’t get him to do anything about it,” the official said. “The system was blinking red.”
U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread
U.S. intelligence reports from January and February warned about a likely pandemic. Officials reported that China appeared to be downplaying the outbreak and said swift action could be needed to contain the coronavirus.
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Subject: Re: Trump / Pence / Covid-19. Sat Mar 21, 2020 6:01 am
Published 56 mins ago Deroy Murdock: Trump fights coronavirus effectively – political attacks on his response should stop By Deroy Murdock | Fox News
President Trump's message to America: 'There is tremendous hope' 'Our country has been incredible,' says President Trump addressing the American people over the coronavirus outbreak
According to President Trump’s enemies, his response to the coronavirus lies somewhere between reckless indifference and negligent homicide. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Team Trump has battled the virus that causes the respiratory disease COVID-19 with vigor and ingenuity since before this unprecedented global crisis suddenly exploded without warning.
This worldwide pandemic should be free of partisan sniping. Alas, too many Democrats are more focused on attacking the president than the pathogen.
“Unfortunately, this virus laid bare the severe shortcomings of the current administration,” said former Vice President Joe Biden, the unforeseen odds-on favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“We need leadership that listens to science,” Biden said via Twitter. “We need leaders who listen to experts and heed their advice. …That is the responsibility of a president.”
According to sputtering presidential candidate and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, “the current administration is largely incompetent, and its incompetence and recklessness has [sic] threatened the lives of many people.” He added, “President Trump is unable and unwilling to lead selflessly.”
“The government has entirely failed,” MSNBC’s Chris Hayes lamented.
“The president of the United States doesn’t care about us,” radio host Pete Dominick claimed on MSNBC. “He doesn’t care about the public.”
All these partisan complaints are baseless, as the chronicle below confirms. This timeline summarizes news accounts, government documents, and Think Global Health’s international chronology.
Dec. 31, 2019: China informs the World Health Organization of a pneumonia-like disease in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province.
Jan. 7: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launches its Coronavirus Incident Management System.
Jan. 11: China reports the first coronavirus death.
Jan. 27: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar leads the first daily meeting of the President’s Coronavirus Task Force.
Jan. 29: President Trump chairs his task force and then identifies its members. Among them: Azar, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci, an internationally recognized immunologist, has led the institute since 1984 under Democratic and Republican presidents
Jan. 30: The World Health Organization proclaims the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Jan. 31: Azar declares “a public health emergency in the United States.”
Trump bans the entry of foreigners who were in China within 14 days of reaching America.
Biden denounces this “hysterical xenophobia.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., calls this “just an excuse to further his [Trump’s] ongoing war against immigrants.”
Fauci later praises Trump’s “original decision” restricting entry into the U.S. He tells journalists on Feb. 29: “If we had not done that, we would have had many, many more cases right here that we would have to be dealing with.”
Feb. 5: As expected for months, the Senate acquits Trump on two articles of impeachment, finally derailing a Democratic-built effort to overturn the 2016 election that distracted America while this pandemic incubated.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping confer by phone. Trump promises $100 million to help China and other coronavirus-plagued nations.
The CDC ships coronavirus test kits to some 100 U.S. laboratories.
Feb. 11:The WHO brands COVID-19, short for “coronavirus disease 2019.”
Feb. 22-24: The CDC discourages travel to and from Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
Feb. 26: Trump assigns Vice President Mike Pence to spearhead anti-COVID-19 efforts.
CNN attacks the “lack of diversity” in the Coronavirus Task Force, as if germs gave a damn.
Feb. 29: The Food and Drug Administration frees health diagnostics companies LabCorp, Quest and others to develop coronavirus tests and liberates states to engage some 2,000 such laboratories.
March 4: Trump meets with health insurance company leaders. They agree to cost-free COVID-19 tests.
The Coronavirus Task Force urges nursing homes to limit family visits to shield at-risk seniors from the virus.
March 6: Trump signs legislation providing $8.3 billion to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
March 11: Trump restricts arrivals from Europe, which reels beneath this disease.
March 13: Trump declares a national emergency, unleashes $42 billion, waives student loan interest, deregulates to promote telemedicine, allows doctors to practice across state lines, and approves rules changes to make it easier for hospitals to hire new physicians.
Trump meets with Costco, Walmart and other private retailers. They soon launch drive-through COVID-19 tests.
The FDA lets Roche and Thermo Fisher produce COVID-19 tests.
March 15: Trump confers with grocers, who agree to stay open.
March 16: Phase 1 clinical trials begin on the first COVID-19 vaccine candidate, just 64 days after China isolated its genome on Jan. 12. “This is record time for the development of a vaccine,” says FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, resulting from “an impressive public/private partnership.”
March 18: Trump signs financial relief for COVID-19’s economic casualties.
This bill’s liability protection emboldens 3M, Honeywell, and others to market N95 industrial masks for medical use.
Trump presses Navy hospital ships Comfort and Mercy into action.
March 19: Trump announces that Carnival Cruise Lines has offered to allow idled cruise ships to be used as hospitals.
March 20: Trump postpones Tax Day from April 15 to July 15, for filing and payment.
Trump and his colleagues’ labors finally have earned some of his harshest critics’ respect:
President Trump “is being the kind of leader that people need at least in tone … in times of crisis and uncertainty,” said CNN reporter Dana Bash.
“I spoke to the president this morning, again. He is ready, willing, and able to help,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., said March 17. “His team is on it. They have been responsive late at night, early in the morning. And thus far, they have been doing everything that they can do, and I want to say thank you, and I want to say that I appreciate it.”
“He said everything I could have hoped for,” Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., remarked about his discussions with Trump. “We had a very long conversation, and every single thing he said, they followed through on.”
Trump suspended foreclosures on Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages, proposed sending payments to economically stressed families and individuals, and triggered the Defense Production Act to require companies to manufacture indispensable supplies needed to vanquish COVID-19.
“Politics aside, this is incredible and the right response in this critical time,” said, via Twitter, none other than Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., usually one of Trump’s harshest critics.
One final key date:
March 3: President Trump donated his $100,000 quarterly salary to the Department of Health and Human Services to bolster its war on COVID-19. This is the behavior of a man who doesn’t care about the public?
Here are the key moments in each phase, and what Trump said at those times — fact-checked.
The disease emerges Dec. 31: China confirms existence of a new virus.
Jan. 20: World Health Organization reports cases in China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
Jan. 21: The first U.S. case is announced in Washington state (as well as Vietnam and Singapore). WHO says the virus risk globally is high.
Jan. 22: A reporter asks if there are worries about a pandemic. Trump responds:
"No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s — going to be just fine."
Jan. 24: Trump tweets, "It will all work out well."
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!
Jan 29: The White House forms a coronavirus response task force, initially led by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Jan. 30: The WHO declares a global health emergency.
Phase Two: Keeping it out of the United States Jan. 30: Trump blocks travel from China.
The same night, he holds a campaign rally in Iowa.
"We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five. ... we think it’s going to have a very good ending for it."
Feb. 2: Trump tells Fox News host Sean Hannity, "We pretty much shut it down coming in from China."
Feb. 4: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. Over 2,600 guests and over 1,000 crew. Within two days, over 40 people test positive for COVID-19, including eight Americans.
Feb. 11: WHO names the new virus COVID-19.
Feb 14: Trump discusses the "very small" number of U.S. coronavirus cases with Border Patrol Council members:
"We have a very small number of people in the country, right now, with it. It’s like around 12. Many of them are getting better. Some are fully recovered already. So we’re in very good shape."
Feb. 20: WHO reports nearly 77,000 cases worldwide in 27 countries.
Feb. 24: Stock market plummets as Dow Jones Industrials falls more than 1,000 points.
The same day, Trump asks for $1.25 billion in emergency aid. It grows to $8.3 billion in Congress.He tweets that the virus "is very much under control" and the stock market "starting to look very good to me!"
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!
Feb. 26: The first case emerges in California with no clear source, suggesting community spread of the virus.
In a news conference that day, Trump says the United States is "really prepared." He puts Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the White House task force.
Feb. 28: Cases rise across Europe, including Italy, Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Belarus.
Phase Three: Containing the spread Feb. 29: FDA eases guidelines to speed the broader use of testing.
March 4: House passes $8.3 billion emergency bill, aimed mainly at the immediate health response to the virus.
In a Fox News interview, Trump deflects criticism to his response by saying the Obama administration (including the vice president, Joe Biden) "didn't do anything about" swine flu. We rated the claim False.
Trump continues to blame the Obama administration in an exchange with reporters at the White House.
"The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing."
Our fact-check shows the process dated back to 2006, before Obama took office. So the claim is False.
March 6: Grand Princess cruise ship with over 2,000 passengers waits to dock off the California coast.
Asked about the docking of the Grand Princess, Trump says the following:
"I would rather (Grand Princess passengers stay aboard) because I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship."
Trump went on to say that he thought it was more important for passengers to debark than to keep the numbers down.
In a news conference, Trump downplays the concerns around testing:
"Anybody that wants a test can get a test."
With tests in short supply, we rated the claim Pants on Fire.
The same day, Trump tweets out blame to the media and the Democrats for trying to "inflame" the situation "far beyond what the facts would warrant."
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Surgeon General, “The risk is low to the average American.”
March 11: On the same day the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic, Trump uses a prime-time Oval Office address to announce a ban on travel for non-Americans from most of Europe. He misstates a freeze on cargo and falsely said the health insurance industry has "agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments." In reality, getting tested would be free, but treatment would not be covered.
March 13: Trump declares a national emergency to access $50 billion for states and territories, and clear the way for fast-track waivers for hospitals and doctors as they respond to the virus.
March 14: The House passes a worker and business relief bill with paid leave guarantees for certain workers, expanded food assistance and unemployment insurance benefits, and employer tax credits. Trump signs it four days later.
March 17: Trump said in a news conference that for the next 14 days, "we’re asking everyone to work at home, if possible, postpone unnecessary travel, and limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people."
Trump says there was no shift in tone from the White House.
"I've always known this is a real, this is a pandemic. I've felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic."
As this timeline shows, Trump minimized the threat of a pandemic for many weeks. Pants on Fire!
Asked if the World Health Organization had offered detection tests to the United States, Trump said WHO had not, and that the WHO coronavirus test "was a bad test." False. WHO said three independent labs had validated the test, and the White House coordinator for coronavirus response said she assumed the WHO test is effective.
March 19: The U.S. Senate unveils a $1 trillion-plus economic stimulus package. California orders lockdown for 40 million residents.
March 20: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential businesses to keep their workers home.
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