Trump: US virus crisis to ‘get worse before it gets better’
US leader’s grim tone on pandemic comes on day that fatalities go back above 1,000
US President Donald Trump on July 21 returned to giving televised briefings on the novel coronavirus situation in the United States from the White House and predicted that it “will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better”.
“Some areas of the country are doing very well, others doing less well. It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better. I don’t like saying that, but that’s the way it is,” he said.
But in his first virus-focused briefing in nearly three months, Trump basically painted a positive picture of what he described as US progress in fighting the current surge of coronavirus cases in the South and West, on the development of a vaccine, and in providing the nation’s governors with all they need to counter increasing numbers of infections.
Trump read from a script, and unlike previous coronavirus briefings, he did not spar with reporters when they asked questions.
He said that the American response had been “better than most” and reiterated his belief that “the virus will disappear”.
Trump’s briefing came at a time when polls show former vice-president Joe Biden leading him in the November presidential race and on a day when the US recorded more than 1,000 deaths, the first time the country had topped that mark in nearly 50 days. It was the highest single-day death total since June 2, when 1,052 fatalities were reported.
More than 3.8 million coronavirus infections have been reported in the US, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on July 21 that an analysis of new data suggests the number of infections may be 10 times higher.
Trump detailed what he said was data that puts the country in a better position to defeat the virus than other countries, saying that the US has a lower fatality rate than “almost everywhere else in the world”.
But data from Johns Hopkins University shows the country has the 10th highest case fatality rate (3.7 percent) out of 20 countries most affected by the coronavirus, and the third highest rate of deaths per 100,000 people.
Trump also claimed that none of the 50 governors in the country “need anything right now” to address new outbreaks.
Some governors have disputed that claim. Oregon Governor Kate Brown, a Democrat, told PBS on July 20 that “we need help with testing supplies and equipment”, and earlier on July 21, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, warned of testing shortages.
The president, who did not wear a mask during the briefing, urged Americans to wear face coverings, though he has been reluctant to do so and previously has said wearing a mask was a personal choice.
“We’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask,” Trump said. “Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact.” He later added that he “will use it gladly, no problem with it”.
Trump stood at a lectern and appeared without Vice-President Mike Pence, Dr Deborah Birx or Dr Anthony Fauci, key members of his White House Coronavirus Task Force.
Asked about Fauci and Birx, Trump said, “Dr Birx is right outside.” He did not comment on Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert.
Fauci said on July 21 that he had not been invited to attend Trump’s briefing and defended himself against comments Trump had made in a Fox News interview on July 19, when the president called him a “little bit of an alarmist”.
“People have their opinion about my reaction to things,” Fauci said in a CNN interview on July 21. “I consider myself more of a realist than an alarmist.”
After reviewing his administration’s progress on fighting the virus, Trump took questions from reporters.
When asked by a reporter if he takes responsibility for the death toll from the virus, he said: “We’re all responsible.” He was also asked if the US would work with China, which is developing a vaccine, and said the country would work with anyone.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo added 10 more states to his quarantine list, increasing the total to 31 as he tries to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus to his constituents.
Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia and Washington state all meet the metrics to qualify as hot spots.