WASHINGTON, D.C.—America is at war against the novel Coronavirus COVID-19, President Donald Trump said March 18.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is at a level-one response nationwide, with confirmed COVID-19 cases in all 50 states.
On Monday, March 16, Trump and the Centers for Disease Control announced 15 days to slow the spread by practicing social distancing, listening to state and local authorities, and staying home if sick, or if someone in a household has tested positive or is displaying symptoms.
“All of our experts continue to believe that if every American will do their part and embrace and put into practice these principles that we can significantly limit the reach of the Coronavirus in the weeks and months ahead,” Vice President Mike Pence said March 18.
The genetic sequence of the virus was first published in January, and human trials for vaccine have been reached just eight weeks later, the fastest development in history, Trump said.
But since we don’t currently have a vaccine or a therapeutic to address this novel Coronavirus,“the only thing we have right now is the amazing ingenuity and compassion of the American people,” said Amb. Deborah Birx, the White House’s Coronavirus response coordinator.
Trump deployed the USNS Comfort—a U.S. Navy hospital ship with about 1,000 rooms and operating rooms—to New York harbor, adjacent to New York City, to expand hospital capacity amid what some have warned could be a crushing wave of yet-to-be-diagnosed new cases. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier raised alarms that his state’s hospital capacity is not prepared to handle a surge of critically ill patients, and New Jersey and all states have mirror concerns.
Trump said the country is working to acquired more ventilators and medical supplies for front-line emergency personnel and hospitals.
“It’s all over the world,” said Trump, of COVID-19. “It’s incredible what’s happened in such a short time.”
Trump said, “August, could be July, maybe longer than that,” when asked to speculate on when society may return to normalcy.
Financial markets have plummeted given the circumstances, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping more than 10,000 points and wiping out all gains under the Trump presidency.
The White House is seeking $500 billion in direct payments to taxpayers and President Trump invoked a wartime law to press companies to make medical supplies, The New York Times reports.
“It’s a tough situation… [Six weeks ago] we had the best economy we’ve ever had,” Trump said, “then you have to close it down to defeat this enemy.”
“If everyone makes this change, or these critical changes and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus. And we’re going to have a big celebration all together,” Trump said.
For updates: cdc.gov/coronavirus; or www.nj.gov/health.