President Trump LIVE Briefings April 3, 2020
WATCH VIDEO HERE Starts at 25 minutes
President Trump
Just met with Kevin McCarthy (Hopefully future Speaker of the House)
has done a fantastic job in CA
Kevin McCarthy
Thank Secretary M - for work done for small businesses
Saw Bank of America today has more than 10k loans in 2 hours
loan for rent, paying employees, utilities - is a grant; part of the Cares Act
a lot of small biz will hire people back and get economy moving again as we move through this virus
Thank you.
President Trump
Our hearts go out to NY people as they are in the hot spot now - others also very bad - LA, MI, NJ is doing much better than anybody would have thought, NY First liners showing great courage under pressure
we will not spare anything to get it back into shape - Gov doing an excellent job
Javits Center - we are going to allow their beds to be a system where this horrible disease and patients can be looked after (it was going to be for regular medical problems- but gov said not too many accidents bc not too many people driving)
CDC also announcing additional steps AMERICANS can take (TODAY)
we now know people are spreading even without symptoms
use non medical face cloth coverings as an additional VOLUNTARY measure - you don't have to do it... President Trump is not going to do it - basic cloth or fabric mask - purchase online or home material - wash and reuse them - not recommending medical grade masks
(R note: I saw a news story today that Dallas was arresting people who were out without masks? Not sure if this is true - but contradicts what President Trump said if it is.)
Medical protective gear must be reserved for front line workers.
New masking guidelines PLUS other ones
1. stay in your home when you can
2. stand 6 feet apart
Possibly - we will do a lot differently moving forward - shaking hands, etc.... we could lower flu deaths if stop shaking hands
REPEATED ONLY A RECOMMENDATION NOT MANDATORY
Blue Cross System will NOT require any co-pays from patients of the virus for next 60 days - Cigna, Humana, Anthem ALL DOING THE SAME THINGS
ANNOUNCE TODAY : Hospitals and Healthcare Providers will be reimbursed by ECONOMIC RELIEF PACKAGE passed last month; should alleviate any concern uninsured Americans should have about seeking COVID19 treatment - in the favor of the people
ALSO SIGNING DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT - to prevent export of health supplies from profiteers - homeland security and FEMA will work to prevent this - we need these for domestic use
Already leveraged the DPA to stop hoarding and price gouging - took custody of 200k N95, 130k masks, 600k gloves, many bottles and sprays being hoarded - all given to healthcare workers - given a lot out to NJ, NY, and other
FED GOVT in the name of the Dept of Defense is providing 8.1 million N95 respirators - already given 200k to NYC (Mayor D). They were grateful.
Increasing that to more.
millions of masks delivered and more coming...
Today spoke with New Orleans health systems - CEOs - they currently feel they have enough ventilators.
CEO Warner Thomas said needs 230k gowns; FEMA will deliver tomorrow. (LA - New Orleans)
Expanding role of armed forces in our response.
expanding the role of armed forces in our response
US MILITARY - supporting field hospitals and medical facilities (ie. Javits where we took over and it will be manned by the military bc tough to get people in NY so using military)
"Invisible enemy"
approval to use National Guards in different states - they are protecting people and delivering materials
Army Corp of Engineers - assessed over 100 sites - alternative care sites (listed in states) -
additional states will be announce tomorrow
FEMA and them doing a good job
deploying medical scientists and researchers
still looking into hydroxy chloriquine - looks like it's having good results
we have it in 1500 people - Dr Zucker in NY (terrific guy) and Gov Cuomo last night and this morning - about it - it's been there 3 1/2 days -
also being tested in other places
have a tremendous supply of it - ordered it in the case it works - could have big impacts
Relief to American workers and businesses - DAY 1 PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM ; >3.5 BILLION in guaranteed loans have been processed to keep small biz workers
Bank of America stepped forward and done a great job + Community banks
This is way ahead of schedule
SBA and TREASURY working around the clock.
Getting money to small biz ASAP and they should now keep their employees and open for business and eventually supersede where we were
ENERGY hit hard this afternoon - PHILIPS 66, DEVON ENERGY, CONTINENTAL RESOURCES, OXYDENTAL... PETROLEUM, ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, CHEVRON, ExXON MOBILE... etc.... President will be making space for surplus oil to be sold at a later time... bc virus has stopped demand.... so working with these people - we will make sure they stay in good shape -
America is engaged in a historic battle to save lives... our greatest weapon is determination of every citizen to stay at home and stay healthy for a long time - this will end... see bad and good things.
We will heal our citizen
We will care for our neighbors
We will unleash the full might of the USA to vanquish the virus
This is artificially induced. They said "close it down"; we did. We will get better soon.
MIKE PENCE
Today - cases remain at a steady rate (where they first started)
Commend people for putting into practice all the social distancing measures
Prioritizing resources to support people dealing with COVID19 in those communities----
1.4 million test done
260+k tested positive
Abbott instruments can now do a 15 minute test - have 18k machines across nation today - FEMA is acquiring 1200 more to distribute to every state and Indian Healthcare service
FDA - approved antibody test by Selex? in record time
trying to scale up these rapid tests and innovative new tests - to meet this moment and to lay a foundation for testing in months ahead
Pres met with energy executives, commercial retailers (thanks to them - malls, shopping centers how they have embraced the guidelines) -their patriotic commitment to put health first - inspiring
Airbridge - we had a flight from CHINA to COLUMBUS, OHIO arrived today
(R: flight from China?)
watching the data - making sure ventilators are available as this epidemic makes it way through regions and communities - working hour by hour and day by day to give support
seen over 1.5 billion loans go out over paycheck protection today
CDC new face-covering guidance
no American will ever have to pay for testing or treatment of CORONAVIRUS
medicaid, medicare, major insurance companies - some are waiving copays for 60 days....
even those without insurance can receive treatment and never worry about a bill
(see Gov Cuomo's briefing where he said get insurance by May date)
We will get through this to renewed health and renewed prosperity the President describes - we will get there sooner and together.
Dr. Birx
discipline and determination - what we are asking every American (about the guidelines)
We are in Week 3 in this full guidance measure
thank you to CA and WA states - their curve is different from NY, NJ, CT
believe every citizen's work in those states is making a difference - and will matter to health care providers
they continue to get ready for a different potential - so they can give patients options and availability if they do get sick (?)
New Orleans, NY City Metro, NJ, CT - hot spot areas
working at a granular level talking directly to hospitals making sure they have the supplies they need - coordinating with the local and state
We have to support one another as each of these different metro areas move through their peak of new infections (like Gov Cuomo said)
We want to recognize the number of Americans who have lost their lives to this virus - and the sacrifice health care workers are making
Watching CHICAGO, DETROIT, COLORADO, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania
each of these will follow their own curves
move through this together in solidarity
moving supplies across the country to meet the needs as they happen
CDC Director
Thank you HHS team and front line health care workers, service workers, delivery, clean, stocking shelves....
@26 minutes
Getting the UNINSURED access they need is Trump priority
rolling out 1 billion
THE CARES ACT - includes another 100 billion for healthcare providers -
- cover providers cost for care for uninsured
- sent through same mechanism used for testing
- providers forbidden to bill the patient
- they will bill per Medicare price
- deciding how the rest of the billion will be spent (?)
...
if you have lost your health insurance coverage: YOUR OPTIONS
1. special enrollment period on Healthcare exchanges
2. Medicaid in your state
Trump working for new treatment options -
1. experimental therapies - they need data
Oracle has developed and donated a web platform to gather crowd sourced date from providers - doesn't replace clinical trials but gives them data quickly
ATTENTION Doctors! Sign up TODAY covid19.oracle.com to help give data
President Trump
Q:
A: Don't want to wear face mask - as I greet Prime Ministers, Queens, Kings, in the oval office.... hopefully this will pass and hopefully very quickly.
Most people can make something out of a certain material. I won't be doing it personally. It's a recommendation.
Surgeon General
Guidance on Masks - to clear up confusion
Originally recommended against the public wearing masks bc evidence at the time it did not look like it would impact healthy people
have always recommended symptomatic people wear it to not transmit to others
WHAT HAS CHANGED:
now we know a significant portion of people with COVID lack symptoms - and can transmit the virus BEFORE they show symptoms- therefore it can spread
- coughing
- speaking
- sneezing
NOW CDC and TASK FORCE recommends wearing CLOTH FACE COVERINGS
Grocery Stores & Pharmacies
Significant Community Based Transmission
maintain 6 feet social distancing - KEY + USE CLOTH COVERINGS to prevent spread
NOT N95 respirators - those are still critical supplies for first responders
Cloth Face Coverings - can be made at home - used as an additional VOLUNTARY health measure
These complement the guidelines - DO NOT REPLACE THEM
CDC is always looking at the data and evolving their recommendations
If you do choose to wear a mask
1. wash your hands first
2. do not touch your face while wearing the covering (germs from surface to face)
3. please leave the N95 masks and medical supplies for front line workers
This is not a substitute for social distancing.
This is about you protecting me and me protecting you.
This is about community protecting each other.
Avoid asymptomatic spread.
President:
Q: Should all states now be at a STAY AT HOME ORDERS?
A: Leave it up to the Governors - they know what they are doing and doing a great job. up to 90% anyway.
Q: Is US cutting oil production - what came out of the meeting?
A: a lot came out - it was vital - they all were given the test before they came into the room - they all passed with flying colors - they left happy - tremendous over abundance - they were producing a lot of energy and virus knocked 30-40% off the market - so there is too much oil - there's a glut - they / we will figure it out - it's a free market
Q:
A: they were having a competition - it will work out very well... there is massive excess of oil and gas - like probably there has never been - works out well for drivers - some places 90-95 cents per gallon - but we have a tremendous energy for jobs - we need to make sure we stay energy dependent
Q: gay donors?
A: no I did not know about that - done by FDA - very capable FDA
Q: push back on respirators
A: we are not happy with 3M...
Q: Where is Dr. Fauci
A: I don't know - but every time he is not here - no problem at all.. sometimes I will ask him to come - bc fake news establishment asks... we are doing great together
Q: April 2019 - what keeps you up most at night in biodefense world - own HHS aware this could happen - who dropped the ball
A: I always knew pandemics are worse that can happen - 1917 probably worst - started here and went to Europe - I've heard about this for a long time - I don't think he was talking about this - but in general it could happen... the concept of it
CDC
For 15 years - we have done a massive effort to prepare for pandemic - like flu, SARS, MERS (early variations of the Coronavirus which none of those achieved what we are saying today).
Just in Nov President signed Pandemic Order and Updated Pandemic Crisis Action Plan and Pandemic Flu Plan - from which we are working.
We have all been focused on Pandemic Preparedness - that's what we do - but this particular strain.
Q (JIM): then why is it we don't have enough mask etc
A: Previous admins gave us very little - shelves were empty - military shelves were as well; very little medical supply also
Q: DPA - ban on exporting all...
A: If Italy, Spain, France ordered it - they have long term orders and they are in there - I would let them go out bc fair - they have bigger problems proportionately than ours... if masks need to go to Italy - I'm not going to be stopping that - not fair
Speaking of fair - I allowed 2 Cruiseliners to dock today -
great military doctors - we have to take care of people - sent many back to Canada - the UK - took care of the Americans - took care of the sick - 3-5 people had died on one of the boats - we could have let them float aimlessly looking for port and I decided we had to take them in - homeland security and others did great - we had to take care of them -some were dying - some died
(R: Our President acted like the GOOD SAMARITAN)
Q: are you concerned people you are around may have it?
A: No I am not concerned - I had a test yesterday.
Abbot testing great and other tests being developed now that are fantastic - took 13-15 minutes and all energy executives were fine
Q: if US stops exporting and other countries copy then... net deficiency
A: we are very well supplied - we are not the principal - the hospitals, states, cities are to stock up in case something like this happens -no one could have predicted this
NY, LA, MI, Los Angeles, to Belvue, NY - sent supplies to them today
over 8 million N95 masks
getting more
rapidly replacing them
gowns too
our people have done incredible jobs
Governors have said THANK YOU -
ex. how many do you want? they say 1000. He says, here's 1500. Then they say "He should have given us 10k" - that's a shame (ie. Jim Acosta?)
As of this morning people are happy
Q: Did execs ask for a bailout?
A: No - we discussed concept of tariffs - was a dispute with some countries - they had a competition - Russia and Saudia Arabia - they are working very hard
Q: Jared Kushner - notion of federal stockpile
A: Why are you asking ? A gotcha.
OUR means United States of America - and we take that OUR and we distribute that to the states. We need it for the federal government. To keep for our country bc our federal govt needs it too not just the states. Ex. we have almost 10k ventilators and we are ready to rock with them - bring them to areas that need them.
It's such a basic simple question and you try to make it sound so bad. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. He said OUR - means for the country and the states are part of the country.
Q: follow up - when we have the federal stockpile - isn't that designed to distribute to the states
A: sure but also for the federal govt - they states have to have for themselves - some were in good shape - some were not - we are not an ordering clerk - we have spent billions of dollars making sure they have what they have - ie. take NY - I built them 4 hospitals, sent them a ship, vast numbers of ventilators, gowns, masks.... they had a chance to order years ago - we were there and we helped them - I think Gov Cuomo was happy
we can use our federal stockpile for states or ourselves l we have a very big federal govt
Q:
A: not a traffic cop - we are a humanitarian cop
like the 2 ships - do I take them in or do I save lives? I decided to take them in.
We are testing all of the others (cruise ships) very very carefully - and we solved a humanitarian catastrophe - bc nobody else would take them
I think we docked them in Ft Lauderdale
Q:
A: We do say that and we use the Act. We have used it a number of times very powerfully. We also have companies who act very well - mostly them. A lot of times you don't have to use it but just say you may have to.
Q:
A: Millions of stimulus checks going out - I don't want to sign them. The people are getting their money. A lot of Stimulus going many different ways.
Again - we had the strongest economy in the world. Our best ever. Bigger than China and anybody. One day we have to say Close it up , stop, everybody go home.
Q: Rumors checks won't go home 4 months
A: We are way ahead of schedule - there is a problem - 40 year old equipment by the states - hopefully they can do it (I don't know they are equipped) - I wanted to give the money out direct but the Democrats and some people said let's do it the complicated way
Q: What % of population is asymptomatic?
A: Dr. BIRX - while we are working diligently - we are doing 3 things simultaneously - the antibody piece is critical - let's say asymptomatic is related to age - we have to know that to know how many people have been infected
called universities to work on an ELIZA based test
same time- private sector is working on these tests
we want these to be finger prick on a cassette - positive - get a line, negative - no line
we are pushing for that and developing the blood tube - could we use dried blood spots
also testing all sailors on the Roosevelt to get to this critical issue of asymptomatic and pre-existing - if the first responders and nurses and school teachers knew - then it's an important dialogue
Who knew what when?
There are a 150 countries working on this collectively together - this is devastating for every country. When we get through it - then we can validate every model known to man - in the middle of it you have to concentrate on serving the needs of every American. At the same time being prepared scientifically, therapeutically, and vaccine wise. But concentrate now on what we can do right now - do the social distancing and all of the pieces that we know are starting to work around the globe. Then when we get through it - we can ask if we could have done a piece better as a global community.
Remember:
- WHO on FEB 3 said no reason to do travel ban
- JAN 14 human to human transmission
President Trump:
Q: does the health insurance benefits treatment include the 11 million illegals?
A: we will talk about that at a different time
Q: release data of people succumbing
A: we will talk about that
Q: how is stimulus money ...
A: CDC - if you lost your job AND the insurance you now have a special enrollment period where you can enroll in one of the exchanges
PLUS if you are a provider and care for anyone uninsured - we will compensate you are the MEDICARE rates and cannot bill the uninsured individual
what President Trump is doing with this money is an unprecedented support of care to make sure people get treatment
(R: so people with insurance have to pay?)
Q;
A: They should have had more ventilators at the time - they are underserviced - we are doing best we can for NY - we have a lot of states and territories we need to serve too - big problem in LA, MI, and 7 other really strong hot spots - we are doing the best we can - I wish they would have ordered the original order 3 years ago....
we supplied some just today to NY and yesterday to NYC
Q:
A: No Jared K did not misspeak - he used the word OUR - the states to the best of my knowledge are part of the country; we want the flexibility bc we don't know when the surge is coming and it's going to be big. Some areas may not have it. Some states are really troubled. It's tough to take them back. It could be NY or LA or NJ ....
Q: CDC Guidelines - Social Distancing, number of people gathered in group, now masks; tell us more why you don't wear a mask - set an example
A: not mandatory guidelines; it's a voluntary thing
MAN: We are not defenseless against this virus - we have a powerful tool and weapon = social distancing; new data - greater number of people asymptomatically infected than we previously thought (may be inversely related to age)
1. embrace social distancing
the great weakness - it can't jump from one person to another if it has to swim 6 feet
2. we know a face barrier can interupt the virus particles
the face covering is to be another strategy to protect someone from spreading the virus to someone else
PresTrump - I was just tested so I assume I don't have the virus. Okay?
Q:
A: Tariffs make money for our country - I put them on China, others... countries have ripped us off like no one can believe - manufacturing, exporting, military,
They create financial barriers and then sell to us - tariffs are a way of evening the score - neutralizing - they have tariffs on us, we do on them.... not thinking about imposing on oil now - but a tool to use in the toolbox if not treated fairly
The two countries are having a dispute and it's hurting the rest of the world - Russia and Saudia Arabia are being hurt unbelievably badly - this is a price from the 1950's - I think they will settle their dispute very quickly.
Q:
A: They have increased production. They are going to stop bc the market will get them to stop. They both increased production to a level - water is more valuable than oil. Who would have ever thought. There is so much oil. There is no demand and tremendous supply.
Q:
A: If it were important to the American people I would talk to Pelosi. If not, I chave other people I can talk to.
Infrastructure is important to me.
8 trillion spent in Middle East - stupid - we have to fix our infrastructure.
Bc we are so strong we are borrowing at ZERO!
this is a great time (that has not happened before)
This is the time to fix our infrastructure.
Q: trajectory on the models -
A: have to ask Dr F and Dr B - have the models changed?
Dr. Birx-
many ways to look at this
we are about 5.5-6.5x Italy, different factor in Spain
we look at all of those
a lot of the work is how this virus has moved through other populations
there are also terrific models - every day/night - looks at healthdata.org looks at mortality
were at 93k in the model
all of that can be changed by our behaviors (if we do or do not follow those)
President Trump
the models show .... I want to come way under the model. The professionals did the model. I want MUCH LESS than the hundreds of thousands - I want none but it's too late for that. I hope the models are wrong and we can go under those.
Q: Gov Wisconsin talking about delaying primary; steps for General Election
A: General Election will happen Nov 3rd; Wisconsin a Republican Judge put out something - why did he do this 2 weeks ago... an election taking place gets delayed - Pres Trump endorsed him (Repub) today - numbers went up - Democrat governor says today we will move this election.
No - bc a lot of people cheat with mail in voting. Voter ID is very important.
Your picture ID should have your voter ID - you go to a booth and you proudly display yourself - not in the MAIL - all sorts of things can happen. You should have VOTER ID - that's the real deal.
@1 hour 16 minutes - over
Reporter asked - Why did the definition of stockpile change on your website?
~Peace Be With You All,
Rachelle :)
