Trump urges U.S. to halt most social activity in virus fight, warns of recession

[webfact]

Trump urges U.S. to halt most social activity in virus fight, warns of recession

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about administration efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) during a coronavirus task rorce press briefing with reporters at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 16, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump urged Americans on Monday to halt most social activities for 15 days and not congregate in groups larger than 10 people in a newly aggressive effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the United States.

 

Announcing new guidelines from his coronavirus task force, the president said people should avoid discretionary travel and not go to bars, restaurants, food courts or gyms.

 

As stocks tumbled, Trump warned that a recession was possible, a development that could affect his chances of re-election in November. The Republican president said he was focused on addressing the health crisis and that the economy would get better once that was in line.

 

The task force implored young people to follow the new guidelines even though they were at lesser risk of suffering if they contract the virus. Older people, especially those with underlying health problems, are at the greatest risk if they develop the respiratory disease.

 

"We've made the decision to further toughen the guidelines and blunt the infection now," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We'd much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it."

 

President Donald Trump issued new guidelines on Monday to help fight the coronavirus, including a recommendation that people avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people, discretionary travel, and going to bars, restaurants and food courts.

 

Reporters staggered their seating, sitting in every other seat in the White House briefing room, to follow social distancing measures.

 

Trump said the worst of the virus could be over by July, August or later. He called it an invisible enemy.

 

"With several weeks of focused action, we can turn the corner and turn it quickly," he said.

 

The president has taken criticism for playing down the seriousness of the virus in the early days of its U.S. spread. On Monday, when asked, he gave himself a good grade for his response.

 

Trump said a nationwide curfew was not under consideration at this point.

 

Normally a cheerleader for the U.S. economy, he acknowledged the possibility of a recession while brushing off another dramatic decline on stock markets as investors worried about the virus.

 

"The market will take care of itself," Trump said, adding it would be very strong once the virus was handled. The president has long considered soaring stock markets to be a sign of his administration's success.

 

Trump said the administration had talked regularly about domestic travel restrictions but hoped not to have to put such measures in place.

 

He said he thought it would still be possible for G7 leaders to meet at the Camp David retreat in Maryland in June. Trump upset European countries, which make up a large part of the G7, by instituting travel restrictions from European countries without consulting with them first.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Timothy Ahmann, Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-17

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[Somtamnication]

The most sense this guy has made in 3.5 years!

[Justgrazing]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump said the worst of the virus could be over by July, August or later.

Quite precise there Mr President .. 

 

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump upset European countries

Who'd have thought that Trump upsetting someone .. 

[zydeco]

In other words, the useless tub of goo actually did nothing.

[thaibeachlovers]

If everybody does actually stop doing most things, recession is guaranteed because of everybody stopping doing most things. If no small businesses are making any money, they will go broke. That's pretty obvious but what are governments around the world going to do when it's all over and millions are broke and unemployed?

I doubt that millions are going to say "I'm unemployed and broke, but I'll go on that overseas holiday I missed out on before". I'd say tourism is pretty screwed for a good while, and that industry employs many millions of people.

[OneMoreFarang]

In related news...

Trump gave himself top marks for his administration’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

“I’d rate it a 10,” the president said when asked to rate his response on a scale of 1 to 10. “I think we’ve done a great job.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2020/mar/16/donald-trump-joe-biden-bernie-sanders-coronavirus-live-news-updates

 

Dear President Trump: I need a coronavirus test right now. Where is it?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/16/trump-coronavirus-test-covad-19-new-york

Over the past 11 days, I have tried four times to be tested. The US government has failed me and countless others

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

I don't get the "I want a test" business. Did everyone run out and get a test when they thought they had flue, which kills loads of people?

Unless one has symptoms, why get one? Do they pick it up when one is asymptomatic but infectious? If one has a test and it is negative, does one keep getting them every week, just in case?

[thaibeachlovers]

20 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In related news...

Trump gave himself top marks for his administration’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

“I’d rate it a 10,” the president said when asked to rate his response on a scale of 1 to 10. “I think we’ve done a great job.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2020/mar/16/donald-trump-joe-biden-bernie-sanders-coronavirus-live-news-updates

 

Dear President Trump: I need a coronavirus test right now. Where is it?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/16/trump-coronavirus-test-covad-19-new-york

Over the past 11 days, I have tried four times to be tested. The US government has failed me and countless others

 

 

Why is testing a federal responsibility? Isn't it a state responsibility?

[mtls2005]

Imagining trump on the Titanic donning women's clothes and stampeding melania to be the first one in a boat.

 

 

Trump urges states to secure their own medical supplies for coronavirus

 

"We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself," he reportedly said.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/487900-trump-urges-states-secure-their-own-medical-supplies-coronavirus

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

12 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't get the "I want a test" business. Did everyone run out and get a test when they thought they had flue, which kills loads of people?

Unless one has symptoms, why get one? Do they pick it up when one is asymptomatic but infectious? If one has a test and it is negative, does one keep getting them every week, just in case?

You need to develop empathy for the hypochondriacs. This is their worst nightmare.

[meechai]

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't get the "I want a test" business. Did everyone run out and get a test when they thought they had flue, which kills loads of people?

Unless one has symptoms, why get one? Do they pick it up when one is asymptomatic but infectious? If one has a test and it is negative, does one keep getting them every week, just in case?

You forget snowflakes melt fast at this time of year

 

Kidding aside the usual suspects never let a crisis go to waste

They learned that from Obama's sidekick Rahm Emanuel

[Lacessit]

As an about-face, this takes some beating.

[rvaviator]

Well Beijing is slowly slowly getting back to life .....

 

This is an idea of what the situation looks like now ...

 

https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2020/03/16/public-dining-guidelines-updated-once-again

 

[lannarebirth]

37 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why is testing a federal responsibility? Isn't it a state responsibility?

Creating the test and making it available to states is a federal responsibility. Administering of the tests will be carried out by states, counties, municipalities.

 

 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why is testing a federal responsibility? Isn't it a state responsibility?

I think I read in an article that some kinds of medical tests in the USA have to be done or approved by the federal government.

And then it's of course the responsibility of the federal government to make sure they are able to do those test when needed.

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, zydeco said:

In other words, the useless tub of goo actually did nothing.

What do you want him to do? Not Monday morning quarterbacking about yesterday with a longstanding bias and hostility to our Presdient, but practicaly, what exactly do you want him to do, right now.

[Nyezhov]

58 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't get the "I want a test" business. Did everyone run out and get a test when they thought they had flue, which kills loads of people?

Unless one has symptoms, why get one? Do they pick it up when one is asymptomatic but infectious? If one has a test and it is negative, does one keep getting them every week, just in case?

Its a good thing to complain about when you are scared, panicked and see political opportunity.

[Sujo]

9 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

What do you want him to do? Not Monday morning quarterbacking about yesterday with a longstanding bias and hostility to our Presdient, but practicaly, what exactly do you want him to do, right now.

Resign.

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's pretty obvious but what are governments around the world going to do when it's all over and millions are broke and unemployed?

It's called a Depression and it takes years, sometimes a decade, to work your way out of it. One thing is for certain, the Fed throwing more money, going to NIRP, and directing money to banksters and billionaires isn't going to make things better. In fact, doing that is what made the current crisis into more than that, a catastrophe.

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Imagining trump on the Titanic donning women's clothes and stampeding melania to be the first one in a boat.

 

 

Trump urges states to secure their own medical supplies for coronavirus

 

"We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself," he reportedly said.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/487900-trump-urges-states-secure-their-own-medical-supplies-coronavirus

 

 

 

He's already told you. He said he's not responsible. When the going gets tough, expect Trump to bug out.

[zydeco]

24 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Resign.

Beat me to it.

[thaibeachlovers]

48 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

it's of course the responsibility of the federal government to make sure they are able to do those test when needed.

Are they needed on the scale that people are demanding? Personally I doubt it.

[Chomper Higgot]

38 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

What do you want him to do? Not Monday morning quarterbacking about yesterday with a longstanding bias and hostility to our Presdient, but practicaly, what exactly do you want him to do, right now.

Resign would be a step

[thaibeachlovers]

33 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Its a good thing to complain about when you are scared, panicked and see political opportunity.

I suppose being a nurse of decades experience makes me somewhat blase about it all, but being scared and  panicked isn't going to achieve anything at all. I'm carrying on as usual, and if I should happen to get it I'll either survive or not. Nothing is guaranteed in life, and everyone dies in the end. I don't look on merely living long as the objective, but what one does with the life given us, for as long as we have it.

 

Political opportunity- sadly that is the world we live in.

[Chomper Higgot]

38 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Its a good thing to complain about when you are scared, panicked and see political opportunity.

It something that Trump

failed on and failed because he didn’t want to see data on infections rising.

[zydeco]

38 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

What do you want him to do? Not Monday morning quarterbacking about yesterday with a longstanding bias and hostility to our Presdient, but practicaly, what exactly do you want him to do, right now.

How about redirecting money from bankers and corporations, who spent the last three years taking out low interest loans so they could do stock buybacks and give their executives bonuses. Instead, give $1000 or $2000 to every citizen who filed a tax return last year and/or this year?

[Nyezhov]

13 minutes ago, zydeco said:

How about redirecting money from bankers and corporations, who spent the last three years taking out low interest loans so they could do stock buybacks and give their executives bonuses. Instead, give $1000 or $2000 to every citizen who filed a tax return last year and/or this year?

I dont quite understand your first sentence, which appears to be a talking point screed, but as to the second, would you want it as a one off, or every month?

 

And do you think the Executive has the power to distribute money that way without an act of Congress?

 

And is that your complaint, that he hasnt given away money yet?

 

Would you be in favour of Bill DeBlasios demsnd for nationalization of key industries?

27 minutes ago, zydeco said:

In fact, doing that is what made the current crisis into more than that, a catastrophe.

Already its gone from crisis to catastrophe? As to the USA, when did that happen?

 

27 minutes ago, zydeco said:

When the going gets tough, expect Trump to bug out.

Yet, you can point to nothing as to what he should be doing other than giving free money to every American, including folks like me, who dont need it.

[bristolboy]

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Are they needed on the scale that people are demanding? Personally I doubt it.

South Korea has engaged in a massive program of early testing. The result: COVID infections are already leveling off.

[Chomper Higgot]

“I don’t take responsibility at all”

 

President Donald Trump

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

South Korea has engaged in a massive program of early testing. The result: COVID infections are already leveling off.

That might have happened anyway.