INTO SUPER TUESDAY TOMORROW. >> JOSH, PER FOEKTFECT TIMING.
THE BRIEFING HAS BEGUN.
THANK YOU, MR. LETTERMAN.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
WE JUST FINISHED THE MONDAY
MEETING OF THE WHITE HOUSE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE.
SINCE THE TIME THE PRESIDENT
ESTABLISHED THE TASK FORCE HERE
AT THE WHITE HOUSE IT’S
LITERALLY MET DAILY AND
CONTINUED THAT EFFORT TODAY.
WE ADDED THE HEAD OF THE CENTER
FOR MEDICAID AND MEDICARE
SERVICES, THE TASK FORCE TODAY
AS WELL AS ROBLT WELKE WITH THE
VA.
VA. FIRST A FEW BASIC FACTS AND
REPORTS AND THEN HEARING FROM
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE
ABOUT ONGOING EFFORTS.
AT THE PRESENT MOMENT WE HAVE 43
DOMESTIC CASES OF THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. 48 CASES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE
RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES.
OF THE DOMESTIC CASES, 29 OF THE
43 ARE EITHER IN CALIFORNIA OR
WASHINGTON STATE.
WASHINGTON STATE. AND WE HAVE COMMUNITYS THAT ARE
FACING WHAT THE EXPERTS TELL US
COULD BE POTENTIALLY A CLUSTER
IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SADLY TODAY THERE WERE FOUR
ADDITION ALPHA
ADDITION ALPHA ADDITIONAL FATALITIES THAT SIX
AMERICANS LOST THEIR LIFE TO
CORONAVIRUS AND ON BEHALF OF THE
PRESIDENT AND ALL OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, WE EXTEND OUR
DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND
SYMPATHIES TO THE FAMILIES OF
THOSE THAT WERE LOST.
DESPITE TODAY’S SAD NEWS, LET’S
BE CLEAR.
BE CLEAR. THE RISK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
OF THE CORONAVIRUS REMAINS LOW.
ACCORDING TO ALL OF THE EXPERTS
THAT WE’RE WORKING WITH ACROSS
THE GOVERNMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT. THIS PRESIDENT HAS SAID WE’RE
READY FOR ANYTHING.
BUT THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK
EFFORT.
EFFORT. TODAY’S ACTIVITY REALLY REFLECTS
THE PRESIDENT’S EFFORT TO BRING
THE BEST MINDS OF PRIVATE
INDUSTRY TOGETHER, THE BEST
LEADERSHIP FROM AROUND THE
COUNTRY AT EVERY LEVEL.
WE HAD A GOOD MEETING THIS
MORNING WITH GOVERNORS OF 50
STATES AND 3 TERRITORIES.
I WAS ABLE TO CONVEY TO THEM THE
GRATITUDE THAT THE PRESIDENT AND
OUR ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION FEELS,
PARTICULARLY FOR GOVERNORS THAT
ARE DEALING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS
IN THEIR STATES, THOSE THAT HAVE
TAKEN REPATRIOTED PERSONNEL.
WHAT I HEAR FROM THE NATION’S
GOVERNORS IS THERE’S A SEAMLESS
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALL THE
AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND STATES THUS FAR.
AND WE’RE ENCOURAGED TO HEAR
THAT BUT I TOLD THEM THAT WE ARE
COMMITTED TO A FULL PARTNERSHIP
WITH STATE GOVERNMENTS AND TO
HEALTH OFFICIALS AND TO LOCAL
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS GOING
FORWARD.
FORWARD. WE ALSO MET TODAY WITH SOME OF
THE LEADERS OF THE TOP
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THE PRESIDENT SPOKE TO THEM NOT
JUST ABOUT VACCINES WHICH MANY
OF THE COMPANIES ARE ALREADY
BEGINNING TO WORK ON BUT JUST AS
IMPORTANTLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THERAPEUTICS AND IT IS
REMARKABLE TO THINK THERE MAY
WELL BE A VACCINE GOING TO
CLINICAL TRIALS IN SIX WEEKS.
THE NATURE OF THE TRIALS AS THE
EXPERTS EXPLAINED TO US IS THAT
THE VACCINE MIGHT NOT YET BE
AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE THIS YEAR
OR EARLY NEXT BUT THE
THERAPEUTICS GIVING RELIEF TO
PEOPLE COULD BE AVAILABLE BY
THIS SUMMER OR EARLY FALL.
THE MOST ENCOURAGING NEWS FROM
THAT MEETING WAS THAT OUR
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WHICH
ARE RECOGNIZED AS THE GREATEST
IN THE WORLD ALL HAVE ALREADY
FORMED A CONSORTIUM TO WORK
TOGETHER TO SHARE INFORMATION IN
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEY ARERAPEU
AND VACCINES.
AND VACCINES. QUICK UPDATE.
QUICK UPDATE. YESTERDAY, WE WERE FULLY
IMPLEMENTING THE NEW TRAVEL
ADVISORIES FOR PORTIONS OF ITALY
AND SOUTH KOREA.
AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
SCREENING OF PERSONNEL FROM
ACROSS THOSE COUNTRIES WHO ARE
TRYING TO TAKE A DIRECT FLIGHT
TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I WAS PLEASED IN THE WHITE HOUSE
TASK FORCE MEETING TODAY TO
LEARN THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 12
HOURS THERE WILL BE 100%
SCREENING ALL DIRECT FLIGHTS AT
ALL AIRPORTS ACROSS ITALY AND
ACROSS SOUTH KOREA.
THE PRESIDENT HAS DIRECTED US TO
BRING THE FULL RESOURCES OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO BRING
THE VERY BEST MINDS IN THIS
COUNTRY TO BEAR ON THIS EFFORT.
AND FINALLY TODAY I’M PLEASED TO
WELCOME TO OUR WHITE HOUSE TEAM
A WORLD RENOWNED GLOBAL HEALTH
OFFICIAL AND A PHYSICIAN.
SHE WILL BE MY RIGHT ARM THROUGH
THIS EFFORT AS THE PRESIDENT
TASKED ME TO LEAD THE WHITE
HOUSE RESPONSE TO THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. AND I’M GRATEFUL THAT AMBASSADOR
DEBORAH BIRX ALSO DR. DEBORAH
BIRX ON OUR TEAM AND ALREADY
BEEN CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY
TO OUR DISCUSSION.
DR. B I RX SERVES AS THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT LEADER TODAY FOR
COMBATTING HIV/AIDS GLOBAL AND
SHE IS A SCIENTIST, A PHYSICIAN,
SOMEONE WITH THREE DECADES OF
PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTISE AND
VIRULENT DISEASES, VACCINES AND
VAST EXPERIENCE OF INTERAGENCY
COORDINATION.
COORDINATION. AND DR. BIRX AND I HAVE TALKED
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING