President Donald Trump and his Coronavirus Task Force spoke to the media Tuesday about what will be required to ensure he meets the hope of eradicating the coronavirus pandemic by Easter Day.
Trump and others spoke at a 6 p.m. news conference Tuesday about the hopes that the Senate will pass the $6 trillion stimulus bill and that Americans will continue to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19. He reiterated that his goal is to see everyone back to work by Easter.
"I think that would be a great thing for our country," Trump said. "We're all working very hard to make that a reality. Easter is a very special day for many reasons. ... What a great timeline that would be."
The most significant impact on that timeline will be containing the spread of the virus in New York, which is where 60% of new cases of coronavirus have been reported, according to Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence referred to the efforts as “15 days to slow the spread.”
“Our experts ... told us if every American would embrace these guidelines that we could significantly reduce the number of Americans that would contract the coronavirus and protect the most vulnerable,” Pence said Tuesday. “We’re calling on any American in the New York City metropolitan area who has traveled, our task force is encouraging you to monitor your symptoms.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the task force, went a step further in her appeal to those inhabitants of the metro New York City area.
“Everyone who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days,” Birx said.
"Everyone who was in New York should be self quarantining for the next 14 days," Dr. Birx said.
— Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) March 24, 2020
The president announced that FEMA will send medical support to areas across the country, including New York. There will be 8 million ventilators, 14 million masks and millions of other medical supplies distributed across the country via the federal support, Trump said Tuesday. In New York, four temporary medical centers will be built and there will be 4,000 ventilators sent, which will assist with hospitalized COVID-19 patients with troubled breathing.
“This is a medical crisis. This isn’t a financial crisis,” Trump said. “Our first priority is always the health and safety of the American people.”
