Trump revealed that the government will begin by moving a total of $2.5 billion in funding to various programs to fight the coronavirus, noting that Washington is "very, very ready" for an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
US Vice President Mike Pence explained that he has been appointed as the head of a task force overseeing various groups and will ensure they have the necessary resources for the government response. He also asserted that Trump took "unprecedented steps" against the disease since Washington was alerted of its presence in the US.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar contended that Trump's early and decisive response to the coronavirus "succeeded in buying us incredibly valuable time."
Azar explained that the White House has issued a 5-priority request to Congress calling for the expansion of the government's surveillance network, supporting local governments, developing therapeutics, researching vaccines and the manufacturing of gowns and masks.
Trump warned that Washington was prepared to investigate credible reports of the price gouging of products related to anti-coronavirus efforts.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC Principal Deputy Director, advised individuals to cover their coughs, stay home if they are sick and wash their hands. The health official noted that many of the precautions one takes to avoid getting the flu are applicable to COVID-19.
Congressional Democrats Criticize
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slammed Trump on Wednesday and said the US president’s actions were “too late” and “anemic,” but also asserted that it was necessary to have health officials in place and have “resources that are adequate” ready to go if the coronavirus continues to spread in the US.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi slams President Trump's dealing with the coronavirus: "Now they're trying to take the Ebola money and spend it here." pic.twitter.com/oHXbTuUwgR
— The Hill (@thehill) February 26, 2020
Earlier that day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued a proposal looking to funnel some $8.5 billion into a number of efforts related to combating COVID-19. The US president made note of the Democrats' proposal during his Wednesday news conference, but argued that $2.5 billion was appropriate at this time.
My proposal to bring $8.5B in desperately-needed resources to the global fight against coronavirus:
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 26, 2020
$1.5B: CDC
$3B: Public Health & Social Service Emergency Fund
$2B: State & Local reimbursement
$1B: USAID Emerging Health Threats Funding
$1B: NIH—Rapid Vaccine Development https://t.co/mHVMLBTbUt
Pathology Experts Weigh In
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday that a total of 59 people in the US have been diagnosed with coronavirus. Of those confirmed cases, 12 were identified as “travel-related,” two individuals contracted the disease from person-to-person contact and another three were repatriated from Wuhan, China - COVID-19’s epicenter. The remaining 42 infected citizens were passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and also repatriated to the US.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one repatriated ex-passenger of the cruise ship will be the first trial participant in the research center’s experimental treatment for the novel strain of coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH, explained during the February 26 press conference that it may take a anywhere between a year to a year-and-a-half to develop the vaccine.
Previously, Trump had announced that the threat of the coronavirus was “very much under control” in a Monday tweet which also made light of the February 24 decline in the US stock market.
The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2020
Trump on the Defensive
In addition to the stock markets plummeting for three consecutive days, the CDC has warned that it does expect COVID-19 to spread in the US.
“We expect we will see community spread in this country,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, reported the Wall Street Journal. “It’s more of a question of when.”
When reporters brought up the CDC's comments during the press conference on Wednesday, Trump fired back, saying that he does not believe that it is inevitable that the coronavirus will spread in the country.
Trump, who was highly critical of former US President Barack Obama for his handling of the West African Ebola virus epidemic, received similar treatment Wednesday from Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, who took a swipe at the US president over his administration’s preparedness for and response to COVID-19 in the US.
