Trump declares coronavirus national emergency, says he will most likely be tested

By Steve Holland, Jeff Mason and Makini Brice

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he meets with Ireland's Prime Minister, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus to open up $50 billion (£40.5 million) in federal aid and said he would "most likely" be tested for the virus soon himself after facing possible exposure.

 

Trump made the announcement at a Rose Garden news conference as he battled to show Americans he is aggressively addressing the health crisis after appearing to play down the threat for weeks.

 

"It could get worse. The next eight weeks will be critical," Trump said.

 

Trump appeared on stage with members of his coronavirus task force and business executives after meeting them inside the White House over how to accelerate testing of Americans for the virus to better track the contagion's spread.

 

Shaking hands freely with the gathered business executives, the 73-year-old Trump later acknowledged he expected to be tested for the virus. He had come into contact with a Brazilian official last Saturday who later tested positive for coronavirus.

 

"Most likely, yeah, most likely. Not for that reason but because I think I will do it anyways," Trump said. "Fairly soon. We're working out a schedule."

 

"We have no symptoms whatsoever," he said to a question about whether he should get a test.

 

Trump said Walmart Inc Chief Executive Doug McMillon had agreed to set up drive-thru testing at store parking lots across the country and that Alphabet Inc's Google will create a website to help determine whether individuals need a coronavirus test.

 

Trump, who on Wednesday ordered citizens from 26 European nations not to enter the United States for 30 days as of midnight Friday, said his administration “may be adding” the United Kingdom and a couple of other countries.

 

The virus that emerged in central China in December has now spread to over 130 countries and territories and infected more than 138,000 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It has so far led to 46 U.S. deaths after six more were reported on Friday in hard-hit Washington state.

 

Trump said his declaration of a national emergency will "unleash the full power of the federal government" to help states and territories in the fight.

 

"Through talent or through luck, call it whatever you want, but through a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus," Trump said.

 

Asked whether he would provide an economic bailout to the battered cruise ship industry, Trump said they could expect help. "We will be helping them and we will be helping the airline industry if we have to, assuming we have to," he said.

 

Trump, who had been heavily focused on hard-hit industries in making sure the U.S. economy is not devastated by a slowdown in consumer activity as a result of the virus, used much of his appearance on Friday to focus on the potential human toll of the respiratory illness than can cause pneumonia in severe cases.

 

He urged every state to set up emergency centres to help fight the coronavirus. "We'll remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they're entitled to. No resource will be spared, nothing whatsoever,” he said.

 

'A LONG WAY TO GO'

 

Pressure has been mounting for Trump to declare an infectious disease emergency under the 1988 law that would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide disaster funds to state and local governments and to deploy support teams. President Bill Clinton in 2000 employed the rarely used measure to declare such an emergency for West Nile virus.

 

Trump said the federal government was partnering with the private sector to accelerate production of test kits to make them more widely available to Americans.

 

He said there will be about 5 million coronavirus tests available soon but doubted that that many will be needed. He urged Americans to only seek out the test if they feel they need it.

 

"We don't want people to take a test if we feel that they shouldn't be doing it and we don't want everyone running out and taking - only if you have certain symptoms," he said.

 

Trump shrugged off a question about whether he was responsible for what many experts have said was slow progress toward expansion of tests to track the virus. "I don't take any responsibility at all," he said.

 

Alongside Trump was Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health expert who is on Trump's coronavirus task force. He offered a cautious outlook for what may unfold in the short term.

 

"We still have a long way to go. There will be many more cases. But we'll take care of that," said Fauci, long the nation's top infectious disease expert. "What's going on here today is going to help it end sooner than it would have."

 

Trump said the federal government would waive interest on student loans and ordered the Energy Department to take advantage of low oil prices to top up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Makini Brice, Lisa Lambert and Susan Heavey, Editing by Franklin Paul and Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-14

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32 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus

Yes Sir Mr President sir .. Though as far as 180 about turns go it's about as comprehensive as you can go considering a couple of days ago he was claiming it would just " go away " .. 

 

32 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Trump shrugged off a question about whether he was responsible for what many experts have said was slow progress toward expansion of tests to track the virus. "I don't take any responsibility at all," he said.

Accept no responsibility .! Very Presidential but isn't that in the job description for a Prez .. 

 

32 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Most likely, yeah, most likely. Not for that reason but because I think I will do it anyways," Trump said. "Fairly soon. We're working out a schedule."

 

"We have no symptoms whatsoever," he said to a question about whether he should get a test.

Test for what .. Mad cow disease .. but working on the principle it's for corona I should say so given that he was shaking mitts with the Brazilian dude who has gone down with it .. 

Edited March 13, 20206 yr by Justgrazing
Sp

 I watch none of his press conferences. He has lost all credibility. I could get more accurate information by watching SpongeBob square pants. 

I am sure all those Trump supporters will be happy now to have such a competent president.

He repeats all the time how great he is - we just have to believe him. ???? 

Good plan Mr. President. Showing what true leadership is all about. 

MAGA 

5 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Good plan Mr. President. Showing what true leadership is all about. 

MAGA 

His leadership has resulted in a best case scenario model of 165,000 dead. Worst case modeling 10 times higher. Laugh it off.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/487489-worst-case-coronavirus-models-show-massive-us-toll

The Corona virus is all about Trump. I should have known.  ???? 

Never has this been more appropriate.

21 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Good plan Mr. President. Showing what true leadership is all about. 

MAGA 

True leadership - 555

 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

True leadership - 555

 

 

You gotta feel for any Secret Service agent charged with taking a bullet for that piece of <deleted>.

waaaa late something like this should have happened weeks ago he wouldent take responsibility and tryed to blame others what I found most revolting is how the others were compelled to grovel and praise that incompetent old fool absolutely revolting 

34 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

His leadership has resulted in a best case scenario model of 165,000 dead. Worst case modeling 10 times higher. Laugh it off.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/487489-worst-case-coronavirus-models-show-massive-us-toll

Models? Like the dodgy IPCC ones 5555

 

A 103yo woman survived it

 

If it was so bad how come a 103yo woman lived?

 

Something fishy with this con job

25 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

Never has this been more appropriate.

No they arent. Most people are smart enough to look at it in real terms.

 

Trump haters are just sad people. Any excuse to whine.

 

A 103yo woman lived thru it.

 

That says a lot.

3 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

Models? Like the dodgy IPCC ones 5555

 

A 103yo woman survived it

 

If it was so bad how come a 103yo woman lived?

 

Something fishy with this con job

 

Well, the model is only as good as the available data. The government has failed to test Americans in numbers that would allow for more precise modeling. The numbers could be worse, I don't know. When I took computer programming in school decades ago I became familiar with the GIGO principal "garbage in, garbage out".

This beauty just claimed no responsibility for disbanding the pandemic task force with the NSC a couple of years ago, blamed Obama and may may not get tested. Bizarre! 

6 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

No they arent. Most people are smart enough to look at it in real terms.

 

Trump haters are just sad people. Any excuse to whine.

 

A 103yo woman lived thru it.

 

That says a lot.

China felt compelled to shutdown their country and economy that sir says a lot 

1 minute ago, Tug said:

China felt compelled to shutdown their country and economy that sir says a lot 

China is telling people to go back to work

 

Sir

43 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

His leadership has resulted in a best case scenario model of 165,000 dead. Worst case modeling 10 times higher. Laugh it off.

Yall seem to happily jumping on the graves cheering on the death toll. Anyhting that hurts your President is great, yes?

 

40 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

The Corona virus is all about Trump. I should have known.  ???? 

For some people, even a hangnail is about Trump. Hatred of him is their entire reason for existence. Look at it this way...would you go to a Forum about cooking and post nothing but diatribes about Trump? Take a look here..you got guys with 10000 posts who know nothing bout Thailand, never been to Thailand and all they do is spew hatred of Presidnt Trump and folks who have and will again vote for him. Talk about obsession.

 

9 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

Trump haters are just sad people. Any excuse to whine.

Exactly. And for those of us forced to listen to their echo chamber (to the extent that no one can have an intelligent debate here without having to deal with irrational anti Trump screeching) it is getting soooooo old. It hurts this forum too.

4 minutes ago, Tug said:

China felt compelled to shutdown their country and economy that sir says a lot 

China is a murderous Communist dictatorship that can do whatever it wants to people within its borders.

 

If the only way to cure an epidemic would be culls, the ditches would be dug in a heartbeat by the Chinese.

6 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Yall seem to happily jumping on the graves cheering on the death toll. Anyhting that hurts your President is great, yes?

 

 

I'm not interested in hurting the president. In most circumstances, these past 3 years, I haven't regarded him at all. I sort of dismissed him as a flim flam man/grifter when I first saw him back in the early 80's. Nothing he's done since has changed that opinion I have of him. My criticism has to do with how this president hurts the people he is charged to protect and serve.

Edited March 14, 20206 yr by lannarebirth

Interesting Trump is now using the royal "we".

US death toll is 9

 

Will it rise? Yep

 

No need to panic.

 

Sadly the internet has caused a lot of this panic

 

Buying 6 months of loo paper is madness

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Interesting Trump is now using the royal "we".

I use the Royal "we" due to my family heritage as a direct descendant of Ghengis Khan.

17 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

US death toll is 9

 

Will it rise? Yep

 

No need to panic.

 

Sadly the internet has caused a lot of this panic

 

Buying 6 months of loo paper is madness

US death toll is 48 and not 9.

 

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

The numbers are rising fast in Europe and USA. Check the stats everyday.

Edited March 14, 20206 yr by EricTh

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am sure all those Trump supporters will be happy now to have such a competent president.

He repeats all the time how great he is - we just have to believe him. ???? 

He will be elected in the next election because people believe he made "America great again" by getting back American jobs from China.

50 billion dollars available due to the national emergency declaration.  How long before he starts to use it on the Trump Border Wall? I can hear it now. Those Hondurans have coronavirus and we need to stop them...

15 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

I use the Royal "we" due to my family heritage as a direct descendant of Ghengis Khan.

Sounds like we should be polite to you, as he knocked off about 40 million people.

 

Active Cases

2,180

Currently Infected Patients

2,170 (100%)

in Mild Condition

10 (0%)

Serious or Critical

10/2180 = 0.0046%

 

It seems there's something fishy about these 2 to 6% death rates.

 

No doubt many didnt get tested

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Sounds like we should be polite to you, as he knocked off about 40 million people.

Wonder if they hoarded toilet paper as he approached Samarkand.