MTP DAILY WITH CHUCK TODD STARTS RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >>> WELCOME TO THURSDAY.
IT’S "MEET THE PRESS DAILY."
I’M CHUCK TODD HERE IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. THERE IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS EFFORT
BEING UNDERTAKEN ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. WITH HAVE NEVER BEFORE IN MODERN
LIFE EXPERIENCED THE SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC DISRUPTION THAT’S ABOUT
TO HAPPEN OR IS ALREADY
HAPPENING IN AND AROUND OUR
COMMUNITIES FROM COAST TO COAST.
WE GOT A LOT DEVELOPMENTS TO GET
TO.
TO. A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE WANT MORE
ANSWERS FOR.
ANSWERS FOR. OVER THE NEXT HOUR WE’LL BE
TALKING TO EXPERTS IN MEDICINE,
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, TESTING AND
MITIGATION, REPORTERS COVERING
BEAT AND HEALTH POLITICS.
A GOVERNOR ON THE FRONT LINES
DEALING WITH STATE OF EMERGENCY.
ALL OF THESE FOLKS WILL TRY TO
HELP ALL OF US WRAP OUR ARMS
AROUND THE EXTENT OF THIS
APPROACHING STORM.
APPROACHING STORM. I’M FROM FLORIDA WE WITH KNOW A
THING OR TWO ABOUT PREPARING FOR
SOME PRETTY SCARY STORMS.
YOU EITHER HUNKER DOWN OR GET
OUT OF DODGE.
WE GENERALLY HAVE A SENSE OF HOW
PREPARED TO BE AND HOW MUCH TO
DISRUPT OUR DAILY LIVES BECAUSE
WE HAVE A SEENSNSE OF HOW BIG AN
INTENSE THE APPROACHING STORM
WILL BE AND WHEN IT’S GOING TO
HIT AND PERHAPS HOW LONG IT WILL
TAKE US TO RECOVER.
IN THE CASE OF THE CORONAVIRUS
THERE’S A SENSE OF CONFUSION AND
THAT’S LEADING TO PANIC.
ARE WE PREPARING TOO MUCH?
IS IT JUST RIGHT?
THAT DEPENDS ON THE SIZE AND
SCOPE OF THE VIRUS ITSELF.
THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
WHAT WE’RE LEARNING TODAY FROM
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS IS WE
DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE ACTUAL OR
PREDICTED SCOPE OF THE
APPROACHING STORM.
APPROACHING STORM. THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHETHER WE SHOULD, AT THIS POINT
IN TIME.
IN TIME. THERE’S LARGE ARGUMENT THAT SAYS
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES WE
WOULD KNOW MORE.
ONE OF THE MOS ON THE WHITE
HOUSE CORONAVIRUS CORONAVIRUS
TASK FORCE TESTIFIED THE
COUNTRY’S TESTING REGIMEN IS
FAILING.
FAILING. >> THE SYSTEM DOES NOT -- IS NOT
REALLY GEARED TO WHAT WE NEED
RIGHT NOW.FAILING.
RIGHT NOW.FAILING. LET’S ADMIT IT.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMPONENT THAT
DR. RITFIELD WAS TALKING ABOUT
WAS A SYSTEM WHERE YOU PUT IT
OUT THERE IN PUBLIC AND A
PHYSICIAN ASKS FOR IT AND YOU
GET IT.
GET IT. THE IDEA OF ANYBODY GETTING IT
EASILY, THE WAY PEOPLE IN OTHER
COUNTRIES ARE DOING IT, WE’RE
NOT SET UP FOR THAT.
DO I THINK WE SHOULD BE?
YES, BUT WE’RE NOT.
>> THERE’S FAUCI SAYING IT’S
SYSTEMIC.
SYSTEMIC. RIGHT NOW THE NUMBER OF CASES IN
THE UNITED STATES HAS RISEN TO
ABOUT 1300.
ABOUT 1300. 38 DEATHS WITH THE SOCIAL
GATHERINGS THAT DRIVE LIFE ARE
SHUTTERING BY THE SECOND.
AS WE WENT TO AIR, WE LEARNED OF
DISNEY LAND.
DISNEY LAND. ALL MAJOR SPORTS LEAGUES HAVE
SHUT DOWN.
SHUT DOWN. THE NCAA TOURNAMENT IS OFF.
LARGE GATHERINGS ARE BEING
BANNED.
BANNED. WORK PLAESPLACES WANT YOU TO STA
HOME.
HOME. SINGLE WORST DAY OF DECLINE
SINCE THE 1987 MARKET CRASH AND
THE DISCONCERTING THING IS WE
DON’T KNOW IF THIS MEANS THE
PROEPTSING STORM WILL BE A
CATEGORY ONE OR A FIVE.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI MADE COMMENTS
THAT NO AMOUNT OF TESTING WILL
GIVE US THAT ANSWER EITHER.
>> TESTING NOW IS NOT GOING TO
TELL YOU HOW MANY CASES YOU’RE
GOING TO HAVE.
WHAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU’RE
GOING TO HAVE WILL BE HOW YOU
RESPOND TO IT WITH CONTAINMENT
AND MITIGATION.
AND MITIGATION. RIGHT NOW ALL OF US REGARDLESS
OF WHAT TESTING IS GOING ON NEED
TO BE DOING THE KIND OF
DISTANCING, AVOIDING CROWDS,
TELEWORKING WHERE POSSIBLE.
I SAID IT MANY TIMES AND I’LL
SAY IT AGAIN THIS, THIS IS NOT