Trump takes coronavirus test, extends travel ban to Britain, Ireland

By Jan Wolfe and Brendan O'Brien

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press briefing with members of the Coronavirus Task Force at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had taken a coronavirus test but that his temperature was "totally normal," as he extended a travel ban to Britain and Ireland to try to slow the spread of a pandemic that has shut down much of the daily routine of American life.

 

After White House officials took the unprecedented step of checking the temperatures of journalists entering the briefing room, Trump told reporters he took a test for the virus on Friday night and that he expects the results in "a day or two days." He met with a Brazilian delegation last week, at least one member of which has since tested positive.

 

Trump said Americans should reconsider non-essential travel, and that his administration was also considering domestic travel restrictions.

 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the country has recorded 2,226 case of the new coronavirus but has not yet reached the peak of the outbreak.

 

"This will get worse before it gets better," Surgeon General Jerome Adams said at the briefing. But, he added, "99% of people will recover and people need to know that."

 

Critics have accused Trump of focussing too much on markets, which on Friday saw the three major Wall Street indexes gain more than 9% after having had their worst day since 1987 on Thursday.

 

All three indexes were nevertheless down at least 8% for the week and about 20% below mid-February record highs.

 

At the briefing, Trump told reporters he was "honored to see that the stock market set a record in a short period of time over a 45-minute period." He called it an "all-time record" that he hoped would be repeated daily.

 

"They said, 'Sir, you just set a record in the history of the stock market. That was pretty good. Those great companies that were there, they couldn't have been too unhappy about it ... They are all big, publicly listed companies, so they did a good job," he said before turning the microphone over to Vice President Mike Pence, who is running the White House's response to the outbreak.

 

Pence said the administration was extending to Britain and Ireland travel restrictions that were first imposed on China and expanded this week to continental Europe.

 

AIRLINES PLAN FLIGHT CUTS

 

U.S. airlines, which have already been battered by the restrictions and a steep drop in demand, said on Saturday that they were preparing more flight cuts. Pence said the new restrictions will take effect at midnight on Monday.

 

Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Trump decided to add Britain to the travel ban because of the rising number of coronavirus cases there. Health authorities in England announced on Saturday a further 10 deaths caused by COVID-19, almost doubling the number of fatalities in Britain since Friday.

 

A senior DHS official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Britain and Ireland were added because the United States was not able effectively to determine whether travellers from those countries were trying to sidestep the European travel ban.

 

"The travel investigation couldn't be effectively managed on our side," the senior DHS official said.

 

U.S. citizens and legal residents will still be able to return home and will be funnelled through certain airports, Pence said.

 

The vice president also told reporters that visits to nursing homes were being suspended to protect the most vulnerable. A nursing home in Washington state has been the site of most of the U.S. deaths caused by the coronavirus.

 

Earlier on Saturday, officials in New York said an 82-year-old woman became the state's first coronavirus fatality.

 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the woman, who had previously suffered from emphysema, was hospitalized on March 3. He told reporters that the state's tally of cases had risen to 524. Nationwide, 50 people have died.

 

SHELVES PICKED CLEAN

 

The pandemic has forced public schools, sports events and cultural and entertainment venues to close across the United States.

 

American shoppers picked grocery store shelves clean of products ranging from disinfectants and toilet paper to rice and milk, causing retailers to race to restock their stores. In response to the run on certain items, major retailers have imposed some purchase limits. On Saturday morning, about 500 people were lined up for two blocks outside a Costco in Garden Grove, California, waiting for the store to open.

 

Long lines of shoppers were reported outside food stores in other parts of the United States.

 

On Friday, Trump declared a national emergency in a move that he said would bring "the full power of the federal government" to bear on the escalating health crisis by freeing up some $50 billion in aid. He also urged every state to set up emergency centres to help fight the virus.

 

Early on Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a coronavirus aid package that would provide free testing and paid sick leave, in a bid to limit the economic damage from the outbreak.

 

Economists say the impact of the outbreak on businesses could tip the U.S. economy into recession.

 

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Jan Wolfe, David Shepardson, Jeff Mason and Joel Schectman in Washington, and Barbara Goldberg and Kate Duguid in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-15

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4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The question of whether or not to believe a statement made by a serial liar is nothing to do with ‘conspiracy theory’.

Oh sure it does. The people who would have been involved in him getting tested would have been threatened to keep their mouth shut. Sorry, but your desire to create drama is missing something: EVIDENCE.

 

Oh and given the test results were announced by the White House physician, that makes it a conspiracy. Or will you now assert the White House physician is acting on his own?

Edited March 15, 20206 yr by Crazy Alex

1 minute ago, Tug said:

Anyone who crosses trump comes under attack that evidence is all around you if you care to look

Speaking of evidence, do you have any evidence that indicates the White House physician is lying? Yes or no?

23 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

He’s just made an idiot of his doctors and that letter his doctor wrote.

 

But then is he telling the truth?

May I suggest you read some more facts about this before you continue with your conspiracy theories? Please, it's for your own good. Knowledge is power. Get some.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/487613-trump-tests-negative-for-coronavirus

16 minutes ago, Tug said:

Anyone who crosses trump comes under attack that evidence is all around you if you care to look

I don't think you actually know, but you certainly can pretend that you do. I am sure you would be a much better president since the virtue signaling is so prevalent. 

Troll posts and the trolling replies have been removed.  If the trolling does not stop, suspensions will be issued. 

Isn't it disrespectful and rude to wear a hat indoors in the U.S.?  Believe Trump is the first POTUS to constantly do this.  I know, its a bad hair thing likely - ????

" for etiquette, you know that every courteous gentleman will always remove his hat upon entering a building. The rule applies to all hats—no bowler, boater, or beanie is exempt."  https://bestlifeonline.com/rude-to-wear-a-hat-indoors/

 

Just sayin

Peace

I want to know how the White House physician was able to obtain the lab results in a matter of hours after Trump was tested ?

 

Why does it take at least 24 hours for everyone else in the US ? 

 

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, to quote the Bard 

A negative test result, so no good news again.

Stocks first. People last. That has been the Trump way since he took office. It is the only thing he cares about.

It very well is good news that our Commander in Chief does not have the Wuhan Flu. 

Stay strong, Donald! 

MAGA 

2 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

Speaking of evidence, do you have any evidence that indicates the White House physician is lying? Yes or no?

 

It's the same guy the other day who said he didn't believe Trump needed to be tested, even though Trump met the government's own criteria for testing based on his close exposure to confirmed CV people (the Brazilians) during the recent event at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Same scenario likely applicable to Thailand:

 

Quote

 

A medical professor at Johns Hopkins University urged Americans not to believe low numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, warning the actual number of people walking around with the virus could be “between 50,000 and half a million.”

 

Dr. Marty Makary told Yahoo Finance's "On the Move" on Friday that he believes the number of coronavirus cases is much higher than the 1,600 confirmed cases and 41 deaths that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported.

 

“Don’t believe the numbers when you see, even on our Johns Hopkins website, that 1,600 Americans have the virus,” Makary said. 

 

 

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/487562-johns-hopkins-professor-estimates-at-least-50000-people-have-coronavirus-in

Edited March 15, 20206 yr by metisdead
Edited as per fair use policy.

46 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

It very well is good news that our Commander in Chief does not have the Wuhan Flu. 

Stay strong, Donald! 

MAGA 

Time will tell

4 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

Speaking of evidence, do you have any evidence that indicates the White House physician is lying? Yes or no?

There is no statement from a doctor regarding the results of Trump's test. In fact there is only Trump's statement that he took the test and his statement that he has no fever. 

2 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

I want to know how the White House physician was able to obtain the lab results in a matter of hours after Trump was tested ?

 

Why does it take at least 24 hours for everyone else in the US ?

The actual test takes about four to five hours.

And as he is not everyone else, I guess the test was not appended to the queue and transport to the lab by helicopter or motorcade?

38 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

There is no statement from a doctor regarding the results of Trump's test. In fact there is only Trump's statement that he took the test and his statement that he has no fever. 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/14/politics/trump-press-conference-coronavirus/index.html

 

 

4 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Isn't it disrespectful and rude to wear a hat indoors in the U.S.?  Believe Trump is the first POTUS to constantly do this.  I know, its a bad hair thing likely - ????

" for etiquette, you know that every courteous gentleman will always remove his hat upon entering a building. The rule applies to all hats—no bowler, boater, or beanie is exempt."  https://bestlifeonline.com/rude-to-wear-a-hat-indoors/

 

Just sayin

Peace

I confess to wearing a hat when outside the house wherever I go. It is a vanity thing. Seems someone scalped the back of my head when I was not looking. I have considered wearing a Yarmulke or priest’s beanie if it offends ...

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

There is no statement from a doctor regarding the results of Trump's test. In fact there is only Trump's statement that he took the test and his statement that he has no fever. 

 

I thought, the White House issued a letter/statement by Trump's government doctor stating the result.

 

Quote

 

President Trump tested negative for the coronavirus, his doctor said in a memo released Saturday evening. The president’s health had been a concern since he spent time at his Florida resort last weekend with a Brazilian official who was later found to have the illness.

“One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation at Mar-a-Lago, the president remains symptom-free,” said Dr. Sean P. Conley, Mr. Trump’s doctor, in that memo.

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/world/coronavirus-news.html#link-5226af8d

 

 

5 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Isn't it disrespectful and rude to wear a hat indoors in the U.S.?  Believe Trump is the first POTUS to constantly do this.  I know, its a bad hair thing likely - ????

" for etiquette, you know that every courteous gentleman will always remove his hat upon entering a building. The rule applies to all hats—no bowler, boater, or beanie is exempt."  https://bestlifeonline.com/rude-to-wear-a-hat-indoors/

 

Just sayin

Peace

Respect? That entire concept and Trump cannot be discussed in the same sentence. He has shown an astonishing degree of respect toward all but his ardent devotees. Plus anyone who is not wealthy, and anyone who is not white. 

A post using a trolling representation of Trump's name has been removed. 

23 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I thought, the White House issued a letter/statement by Trump's government doctor stating the result.

Since the only thing this chaos administration has a proven track record in is lying and gaslighting, it’s understandable that people don’t trust such statement. Even if they weren’t pathological liars they wouldn’t tell people because of fear it could cause more panic. So this statement is more or less useless.

 

What a buffoon. He praises himself for the stock market recovering after the biggest crash in recent history where trading had to be suspended even. Then the government gives them 1.5 trillion in free money and he takes credit for a record-setting recovery. 

28 minutes ago, Guitar God said:

What a buffoon.

 

A lot smarter than most in the US government.

He was the first to tell Nancy Pelosi he wasn't coming to her stupid

St. Paddy's bash.....you dont need me to tell you why that was a brilliant move.

Wont be surprised if that bash is now cancelled.

2 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Since the only thing this chaos administration has a proven track record in is lying and gaslighting, it’s understandable that people don’t trust such statement. Even if they weren’t pathological liars they wouldn’t tell people because of fear it could cause more panic. So this statement is more or less useless.

 

 

I tend to agree with your comments. I was merely pointing out, there WAS a statement by his physician that gave the supposed test result. Whether it's worth the paper it's printed on, that's an entirely different matter.

 

7 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Isn't it disrespectful and rude to wear a hat indoors in the U.S.?  Believe Trump is the first POTUS to constantly do this.  I know, its a bad hair thing likely - ????

" for etiquette, you know that every courteous gentleman will always remove his hat upon entering a building. The rule applies to all hats—no bowler, boater, or beanie is exempt."  https://bestlifeonline.com/rude-to-wear-a-hat-indoors/

 

Just sayin

Peace

It’s totally okay if you are GOP President to turn up looking like you’ve just been out on a bender.

 

If you are democrat however, wearing a tan suit is criminal. A link to MSNBC which will get the chest thumpers hot under the collar (pun intended).

 

 

Edited March 15, 20206 yr by samran

Why shouldn't people trust the good news Trump tested negative ?

Confirmed by the doctor and Trump looks radiant

trump have smart good men. but ALL countries need travel banned to thailand ewerythink people not can go in or out thailand has important and best what can do. ewery western countries need banned thailand not can go.

That wouldn't be the same doctor that signed  off  on a " perfect ' clean bill of health when he was first running for office after a 10 minute check up ?

1 hour ago, looking on the bright side said:

Why shouldn't people trust the good news Trump tested negative ?

Confirmed by the doctor and Trump looks radiant

No, that’s the orange fake tan...