WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Donald Trump announced new guidelines for the next 15 days, saying every American has a critical role to play in stopping the spread of the virus, including limiting gatherings to 10 people.
“If you are sick, no matter who you are, please stay home,” said Amb. Deborah Birx, the White House’s Coronavirus response coordinator.
Trump said young people need to understand that they can easily spread the virus and put many others in harms way even if they are experiencing milder symptoms.
“It’s all over the world,” said Trump, of the novel Coronavirus 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 normal.
The tougher guidelines to blunt the curve of those contracting the virus include:
• Engage in schooling from home;
• Avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people;
• Avoid discretionary travel;
• Avoid eating in eating and drinking in bars, restaurants and public food courts.
“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.
Vaccine development underway—but for now we are on our own
A vaccine candidate has begun the phase one clinical trial, Trump said.
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,” Birx said.
“These guidelines are very specific, they’re very detailed. They will only work if every American takes this together to heart, and responds as one nation and one people to stop the spread of this virus,” Birx said.
National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthon Fauci said these guidelines will fail if people don’t adhere to them.
“As a whole country, we have to cooperate and collaborate to make sure these get done,” Fauci said.
‘July, August, something like that’
Trump was asked if these guidelines represent a new normal for American, and asked when we could see restrictions lifted.
“My favorite question: I ask it all the time,” Trump replied. “It seems to me, that if we do a really good job, we’ll not only hold the death down to a level that is much lower than the other way, had we not done a good job, but people are talking about July, August, something like that,” Trump said.