Entire White House Press Conference below (From Fox News)
- The president says the virus has spread to 148 countries.
- Trump opens the briefing recounting the actions he’s taken this week, including the moving of tax day to 15 June and last night’s major declaration of disaster in New York state. He says he believes Congress is “very close” to a resolution on coronavirus legislation and is confident that leaders from both parties are acting in good faith. Trump recaps speaking to small and large business leaders, world leaders, religious leaders.
- Legislation signed for sick leave, medical leave, small business relief
- The White House signaled Saturday that American companies were increasing efforts to restock hospitals with crucial supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Vice President Mike Pence said the federal government had ordered “hundreds of millions” of N-95 masks for health care facilities across the country, but he did not say precisely when they would be delivered to workers. And President Trump said another company, Hanes, was now on the roster of major corporations coordinating with the administration.
- Trump urges Americans to “stay at home and save lives”, adding that it’s time for “shared national sacrifice”.
- Vice president Mike Pence, the coronavirus task force leader, says more than 195,000 people who have been symptomatic have been tested. That doesn’t include county hospitals or health-care labs around the nation. He then notes that only 19,343 have returned positive tests for Covid-19.
- Pence confirms that an aide in his office tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “The White House doctor has indicated he has no reason to believe that I was exposed and no need to be tested,” he says. “Given the unique position I have as vice president and as the leader of the White House coronavirus task force, both I and my wife will be tested for the coronavirus later this afternoon.” He adds: “Neither the president or I had direct contact” with the staffer.
- Dr Anthony Fauci speaks about the two dynamic forces at play: the natural course of the outbreak and the mitigation strategies that are being deployed. “We often get asked, how do you know you’re having an effect?” he says. “I can tell you for sure: we know we are clearly having an effect, but we can’t quantitate it for you accurately now.” He adds: “I think we’re getting to a solution everyone in the country is looking for, but not every single person in the US needs to get tested.”
