>>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM OUR NBC NEWS HEADQUARTERS HERE
IN NEW YORK.
I’M STEVE KORNACKI IN FOR BRIAN
WILLIAMS.
WILLIAMS. DAY 1142 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND 242 DAYS TO
GO NOW UNTIL THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES WITH
REPORTED CASES OF THE
CORONAVIRUS HAS NOW RISEN TO AT
LEAST 90 AND THERE ARE NOW
REPORTS OF 100,000 CASES
WORLDWIDE.
WORLDWIDE. TODAY ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS
TRARK
TRARK TRACKING THE GLOBAL SPREAD OF
THE VIRUS NOTED THIS KEY
DEVELOPMENT DURING A BRIEFING
FOR CONGRESSIONAL STAFF.
>> WE’VE RECENTLY PASSED THE
POINT DURING WHICH WE WE HAVE
MORE CASES OUTSIDE CHINA THAN
INSIDE CHINA ON A DAILY BASIS,
WHICH I THINK IS A CRITICAL
SHIFT IN THIS SITUATION.
>> IN THE UNITED STATES THERE
ARE NOW MORE THAN 300 CASES IN
ALMOST HALF THE STATES, AND AT
LEAST 15 DEATHS WITH THE LATEST
DEATH BEING REPORTED TONIGHT OUT
OF FLORIDA.
OF FLORIDA. THERE ARE STILL NOT ENOUGH
CORONAVIRUS TESTS TO MEET THE
NATIONAL DEMAND ADDING TO THE
FEAR THAT THE REAL EXTEND OF THE
OUTBREAK MAY NOT BE FULLY
UNDERSTOOD IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN TAKING A LOT OF HEAT FOR
HOW IT HAS RESPONDED TO THE
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS, AND THERE
HAVE BEEN CONCERNS ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGING WHEN HE
HAS SPOKEN IN PUBLIC.
TODAY THE PRESIDENT VISITED THE
THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
IN ATLANTA AFTER HE SIGNED AN
$8.3 BILLION EMERGENCY FUNDING
BILL THAT HAD JUST PASSED
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. HIS COMMENTS TODAY SEEMED TO
IMPLY THAT THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE
OF TEST KITS.
>> ANYBODY RIGHT NOW AND
YESTERDAY, ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A
TEST GETS A TEST.
THEY’RE THERE.
THEY’RE THERE. THEY HAVE THE TESTS.
THE TESTS ARE BEAUTIFUL.
ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A TEST GETS A
TEST, BUT ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A
TEST CAN HAVE A TEST.
THEY’RE ALL SET.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW AND
YESTERDAY, ANYBODY THAT NEEDS A
TEST, THAT’S THE IMPORTANT
THING.
THING. >> BUT LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER
THAT, VICE PRESIDENT PENCE WHO
IS LEADING THE WHITE HOUSE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE HELD HIS
OWN BRIEFING AND ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS STILL
WORKING ON MAKING ITS TEST KITS
AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
>> TWO OF AMERICA’S LEADING
COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES HAVE
ANNOUNCED THAT TESTS WILL BE
AVAILABLE BY MONDAY OF THIS
WEEK.
WEEK. WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THESE
MAJOR COMMERCIAL LABS, WE TRUST
IN HA MATTER OF WEEKS THE
CORONAVIRUS TESTS WILL BE
BROADLY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
AND AVAILABLE TO ANY AMERICAN
THAT IS SYMPTOMATIC AND HAS A
CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF
HAVING CONTRACTED THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. GR
GR >> DURING TRUMP’S VISIT TO THE
CDC HE SPOKE ABOUT THE GRAND
PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP BEING HELD
OFF THE COAST OF SAN FRANCISCO
WITH 3,500 PEOPLE ON BOARD.
CORONAVIRUS TESTS WERE DELIVERED
TO THE SHIP BY HELICOPTER, AND
THIS AFTERNOON VICE PRESIDENT
PENCE ANNOUNCED THAT 21 PEOPLE,
19 CREW MEMBERS AND TWO
PASSENGERS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE
FOR THE VIRUS.
THE TESTING CAME ABOUT AFTER A
MAN WHO WAS ON A PREVIOUS VOYAGE
TESTED POSITIVE AND DIED FROM
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. TODAY TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T WANT
THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE
PEOPLE OFF THE CRUISE SHIP
BECAUSE IT WOULD DOUBLE THE
NUMBER OF THOSE WITH CORONAVIRUS
IN THE STATES.
>> I WOULD RATHER BECAUSE I LIKE
THE NUMBERS BEING WHERE THEY
ARE, I DON’T NEED TO HAVE THE
NUMBERS DOUBLE BECAUSE OF ONE
SHIP THAT WASN’T OUR FAULT.
>> THE PRESIDENT WENT ON TO
PRAISE HIS ADMINISTRATION’S
EFFORTS.
EFFORTS. >> I THINK WE’RE DOING A REALLY
GOOD JOB IN THIS COUNTRY AT
KEEPING IT DOWN.
WE’VE REALLY BEEN VERY VINYL
INDIVIDUALVIGILANT.
INDIVIDUALVIGILANT. PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED I
UNDERSTAND THAT.
UNDERSTAND THAT. EVERY ONE OF THESE DOCTORS SAID
HOW DO YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT
THIS?
THIS? MAYBE I HAVE A NATURAL ABILITY.
MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT
INSTEAD OF RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> EVEN SO THE CORONAVIRUS
CONTINUES TO TAKE ITS TOLLS WITH
THE FANCIFULINANCIAL MARKETS.
CITY OFFICIALS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS,
HAVE NOW CANCELED THE SOUTH BY
SOUTHWEST FEST ARE VALUE,IVAL WH
TO START A WEEK FROM TODAY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS JUST
ANNOUNCED ANOTHER MAJOR
PERSONNEL SHIFT AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. HE HAS TAPPED MARK MEADOWS,
NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN HOUSE
MEMBER, LEADER OF THE FREEDOM
CAUCUS AND A TIRELESS TRUMP ALLY
TO BE HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
AS USUAL TRUMP ANNOUNCED HIS
DECISION ON TWITTER SAYING,
QUOTE, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
THAT CONGRESSMAN MARK MEADOWS
WILL BECOME WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF.
STAFF. I HAVE LONG KNOWN AND WORKED
WITH MARK AND THE RELATIONSHIP
IS A VERY GOOD ONE.
I WANT TO THANK ACTING CHIEF
MICK MULVANEY FOR HAVING SERVED
THE ADMINISTRATION SO WELL.
HE WILL BECOME THE UNITED STATES
SPECIAL ENVOY FOR NORTHERN