President Trump Briefing Notes March 21, 2020

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READ our notes below.  RED are quick highlights that apply most to you.

President Trump

Medical situation, not a financial situation.

148 foreign countries affected.

People are getting along with republicans, democrats, independents, liberals, conservatives... were all one beautiful American family and that’s taking place right now.

Last night I approved major disaster declaration for New York.

This is the first time in our nation's history that a president has used the Stafford act to declare a major disaster and response to a health crisis.

The people standing alongside me are working hard.

Reached agreements with Canada and Mexico on new travel rules at our northern and southern borders.

I assured small businesses that my administration is doing everything within considerable power to support them and their employees.

Yesterday we had a very significant call with the religious leaders of our country.

I signed legislation providing American workers with paid sick leave and paid family medical leave - at no cost to employers - and free testing for those who need it.

Working quickly to pass more legislation that will provide massive relief to small businesses.

I think we're getting very close to the right solution.

Moved tax day from April 15 to July 15 - No interest penalties or any penalties.

Foreclosures and evictions are suspended for single-family homeowners with FHA insured mortgages for the next 60 days.

Department of education will not enforce standardized testing - probably the first time ever.

Waiving interest on federally held student loans - borrowers be allowed to suspend student loan payments without penalty for the next 60 days.

Signed executive order to make sure state and city hospitals get needed supplies - Produce and supply much-needed masks, swabs, sanitizers, ventilators, and everything else.

Hanes is producing masks.

The vaccine is moving along.

Repurposing alcohol production (in AR, KY, TX, WV) to make hand sanitizer... first delivery on Tuesday.

Activated the national response coordination center to level 1 (highest level).

Pence:

Tens of millions of Americans are putting into practice 15 days to slow the spread - we are officially 6 days into our 15 days.

We encourage every American to listen to the authorities.

FDA in record time will be producing millions of surgical masks in a matter of weeks.

Religious leaders - online services.

Testing is expanding rapidly across the USA... over 195K symptomatic Americans have been tested (not including county hospitals or health care labs).

19,343 have tested positive for the corona virus. 

(Mission Corona note: that's about 10% testing positive out of 100% of people tested)

If you don’t have symptoms, don’t do a test - preserve the resources.

For most Americans the risk of serious illness from the coronavirus remains low - we just don’t want to expose anyone who is more at risk...

Giroir:

91 state public health laboratories are up and running.

195k have completed testing (results... not including those who are waiting for results).

Although testing is becoming more available, there are priorities. (Those who are hospitalized or in ICU are a priority for testing).

The elderly have a much higher mortality rate.

Community-based testing sites (CBTS) - state-managed and locally executed.

Fauci:

We know we clearly have an effect, but we can’t quantitate it accurately now.

The dynamics of the outbreak are clearly different and robust (in WA, CA, NYC).

Not every single person in the US needs to be tested - when you get tested, your consuming masks and gowns that are a high priority for the health care workers who are taking care of those with Coronavirus.

Please Cancel medical procedures... to preserve equipment.

Gaynor:

50 states, District of Columbia, 5 territories, and 1 tribe are working directly with FEMA for COVID-19.

In 24 hours we’ve obligated 100 million dollars to states, territories, and tribes.

If you buy medical supplies from foreign sources it is reimbursable.

The response is most successful when it is locally executed, state-managed, and federally supported.

(35:05) On Thursday, a federal _____ fully integrated with our national response coordination center.

All 10 FEMA _____ across the country have been activated.

Ben Carson:

(37:26) We’re in contact with all PHA’s across the country, and are petitioning Congress for the authority to enforce *something about evictions*

Extended deadlines for healthcare and multi-family financial reporting requirement - for over 20K multi-family and health care borrowers until April 30.

(40:00) President Trump (questions):

I just took a test... I feel great.

Workers will keep receiving their paycheck.

We think we’re going to have a tremendous bounce back.

Ideally, we want them to be able to keep their jobs, keep their pay coming, and I think that’s gonna happen.

We are helping states get to where they want (with supplies and tests).

We’re asking people not to go to work... If we’re gonna kill his horrible hidden enemy we’re gonna have to stay away [from each other].

We had the greatest economy in the history of the world until we got hit with this problem... and we can get back very quickly.

I want money to be used for workers and keeping businesses open... not buybacks.

(45:30) Pence:

HHS is completing a half a billion-dollar order of masks, and all are being coordinated through FEMA, and we’re responding specifically to state requests where the needs arrive.

The supply of masks has been vastly increased in the country.

(47:50) Gaynor:

There’s a range of requests across the country and we’re trying to match supply with demand every day.

(48:40) Trump:

They’re starting to sanitize the masks...

(49:30) Fauci:

We’re moving towards getting testing where you don’t have to have PPE... it’s going to be a swab that you can stick in the nose of the person who is either infected or not (self-administered test without mask or PPE).

(50:30) Pence:

Apple is donating 2 million masks for distribution.

Drop off your extra masks to a hospital... it would be a great help.

(51:45) Trump:

This is unprecedented... its really at a level that nobody would have believed or thought possible

We are doing a tremendous amount... now we're making tens of millions of masks.... I think it's unprecedented what we’ve done.

I was the one that closed the country down... by closing the country down so early, we saved more than tens of thousands of lives.

(54:15) Giroir:

We need to preserve our PPE to the degree that we can.

(56:00) Fauci:

It’s going to be days... (not sure what he’s talking about).

(57:00) Trump:

Malaria drug is going to be distributed.

“What do we have to lose”

We don’t have much time... we have a lot of sick people.

We’re going to find out very shortly if it’s [malaria drug?] going to work... I feel very confident

This would be a gift from God if it works [again... malaria drug?].

[the coronavirus] is hurting me [my business], it’s hurting Hilton, it’s hurting all the great hotel chains all over the world, it’s hurting everyone.

I would think it would be a good practice to close [hotels, clubs, places where people come together, etc.]

I wish China would have told us more about what was going on in China long prior to us reading about it.

We’re going to win with as few lives lost as possible.

I want [the states] to do what they want to do (about getting masks, gowns, etc. however they’re able to get them)... if someone can get something faster, I want them to be able to do that.

It’s Japan’s decision... it's up to them... [on whether or not to still do the Olympics].

China has worked very hard... they’ve lost thousands and thousands of people.

China has gone through hell over this... they’re not a beneficiary.

To think of these numbers [of ordering masks, ventilators, etc.] it’s pretty mind-boggling.

(1:13:50) Pence:

The president has given the task force a priority of assessing and expanding the availability of ventilators.

A little more than 13K in the national stockpile.

Ventilators used by anesthesiologists can be converted to be used as ventilators for people struggling with the effects of the coronavirus.

(1:16:20) Giroir:

From March 2 - March 14 we’ve put over 10 million laboratory tests into the US commercial market... we expect it to be well over 27 million into the market (by March 28)

However not every lab can run every test... we need to make sure that every segment of the market has the kind of tests that they can use.

The things we’ve promised are happening.