PRESSURE GROWS ON TRUMP
Hospitals, govs complain of supply shortage; McConnell proposes $1,200 sent to each person
WASHINGTON — Insisting the federal government is not a “shipping clerk,” President Donald Trump on Thursday called on states to do more to secure their own critically needed masks, ventilators and testing supplies as the pressure mounted on hospitals struggling to cope with a rising number of coronavirus patients.
Hoping to inject some good news into the dreary outlook, Trump held a White House briefing trying to highlight new efforts underway to find treatments for COVID-19 as infections in the country climbed past 11,000, with at least 168 deaths.
But critics quickly accused him of spreading misleading information and overly optimistic projections after the head of the Food and Drug Administration made clear that the drugs Trump discussed were still being tested for their effectiveness and safety. That process takes months.
Trump grew agitated when one reporter noted the economy had essentially ground to a halt. “We know that,” Trump snapped. “Everybody in the room knows that.”
‘We’re not a shipping clerk’
More than eight weeks after the first U.S. case of the virus was detected, the federal government is still struggling to respond. Testing in the U.S. lags dramatically behind other developed nations, and states still say they cannot conduct wide-scale testing because they don’t have the swabs or other materials necessary to process them.
And as the number of confirmed cases mounts, doctors and nurses are sounding warnings about the shortage of crucial supplies, including masks and other gear needed to protect health care workers, along with ventilators to treat respiratory symptoms.
But Trump insisted against the evidence Thursday that there are more than enough supplies available to meet needs. And he said that it was up to states to obtain them.
While willing to “help out wherever we can,” he said “governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work.”
“The federal government’s not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping,” Trump said. “You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.”
After the briefing, Trump traveled to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a teleconference with governors — some of whom have complained about a lack of guidance from Washington.
Again and again during the call, governors said they were having difficulty securing supplies, including the materials needed to process tests, with some sounding panicked. Some said they were competing with the federal government for purchases.
McConnell proposes payments of $1,200 per person
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 for couples as part of an initial Republican response Thursday to the coronavirus outbreak.
McConnell unveiled his plan as Congress raced to craft a $1 trillion rescue package. “We need to take bold and swift action as soon as possible,” McConnell said, announcing his plan on the Senate floor.
Under the GOP leader’s plan, the aid would be phased out at income thresholds of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 per couple. Additionally, there would be $500 payments for each child.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on a conference call with more than 220 House Democrats, urged them to “think big,” according to people on the call.
California orders shelter-in-place
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home, restricting non-essential movements to control the spread of the coronavirus. His move came after counties and communities covering about half the state’s population already had issued similar orders. He said the restriction is “open-ended.”
Italy passes China in deaths
Italy has become the country with the most coronavirus-related deaths, surpassing China by registering 3,405 dead.
Both Italy’s death toll and its new infections shot up again, adding 427 more dead and 5,322 more infections. Overall, Italy has recorded 41,035 infections.
The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected, recorded a second consecutive day with no new confirmed or suspected cases. Nationwide, a total of 39 cases were recorded Friday, the China health ministry said, all of them brought from overseas. Three more deaths were also registered, bringing China’s total to 3,248.
China still leads in overall cases, with 80,967, more than 71,000 of whom have been declared healthy and sent home.
Trump faults China, calls off G-7
Trump at the White House briefing stepped up his criticism of China for not telling the world earlier about the spreading disease that started there. The “world is paying a very big price” because of that, he said. Trump now is repeatedly citing the “Chinese virus” or “China virus.”
“Now the whole world is inflicted with this horrible, horrible virus and it’s too bad,” Trump said, lamenting how the U.S economy was healthy “just a few weeks ago.”
Later Thursday, Trump called off the G-7 meeting at Camp David scheduled for June, citing the coronavirus, the White House said.
Prince Albert II tests positive
The palace of Monaco said Prince Albert II has tested positive for the coronavirus but said there’s little concern for his health.
In a statement, the palace said the 62-yearold is being treated by doctors from the Princess Grace Hospital, named after his U.S. actress mother.