theguardian--2020-04-19--Trump and Fauci: America's future hangs on this delicate relationship

As the Aids crisis accelerated in the 1980s , Donald Trump , then building his brand as a boldface name in the New York City tabloids , reacted with paranoia , ruthlessness and bigotry .
When his bosom friend and mentor Roy Cohn contracted the virus , Trump “ dropped him like a hot potato ” , Cohn ’ s secretary has said .
Trump told dinner guests that following Cohn ’ s final visit to his Mar-a-Lago resort , “ I had to spend a fortune to fumigate all the dishes and silverware ” .
The Associated Press reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take an Aids test at his doctor ’ s office before he wines and dines them ” .
Over the same decade , in Bethesda , Maryland , grappling with the HIV epidemic became the life ’ s work of a fellow New York native , Dr Anthony Fauci .
Fauci was one of the first scientists to document “ severe opportunistic infections among apparently previously healthy homosexual men ” .
His lab at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ) led the charge for a cure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government ’ s fight to stop the virus .
In the intervening 30 years , Fauci has continued his life ’ s work , leading the effort to contain infectious diseases from Sars to Ebola to swine flu .
Trump , meanwhile , has gone from playboy to TV star to US president .
That last extraordinary leap , and the rise in the last four months of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic , has now created a most unlikely and delicate partnership between Trump and Fauci on which the future of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to share little by way of philosophy , but each night they share a stage in front of a scared nation in the grip of a terrifying pandemic ; a nation looking to these two very different men to save it from further disaster .
For Fauci , 79 , facing down this coronavirus is a date with destiny he has been working his entire life toward .
For Trump , 73 , the coronavirus is a rare brush with accountability , a moment when boasts and threats and lies do not work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respective definitions of the word , the two men need each other .
Trump needs Fauci to shore up fading public trust in his administration ’ s disaster response .
Fauci needs Trump to take action that saves lives .
Their purposes have been mostly – though not always – well aligned .
But the rise of an anti-Fauci movement on the political right – and the president ’ s frequent intolerance for being overshadowed – have fueled concerns that for all its practical necessity , and the stakes for the nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If that happens , said Derek Hodel , a senior program adviser at Physicians for Human Rights who worked with Fauci as an Aids activist and advocate in the 1990s , it would be a rare defeat for Fauci ’ s political skills .
“ Tony was just a master at relationships , ” Hodel said .
“ This is his sixth administration , and although the dynamics of the Trump administration are louder and crazier than any other administration , they ’ re not all of them different.
” After graduating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cornell medical school in the Vietnam war era , Fauci fulfilled a public health service requirement by taking a researcher post at NIAID , where he became director in 1984 .
He would spend the next five decades there , surfacing in the public eye whenever the country was confronted with the specter of bio-terror ( anthrax ) or deadly contagion ( Ebola ) .
Working with the current president , Fauci appears to sense that keeping his job depends on keeping Trump happy .
When he has contradicted Trump , he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed the lupus drug hydroxychloroquine as a miracle cure , Fauci said : “ In terms of science , I don ’ t think we can definitively say it works.
” Asked by Science magazine why he did not rebut Trump ’ s overblown claims about the efficacy of a ban on foreign travelers from China , Fauci said : “ Let ’ s get real , what do you want me to do ?
… I can ’ t jump in front of the microphone and push him down.
” The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Trump and Fauci as “ media chatter ” and said : “ President Trump is not firing Dr Fauci.
” But the drumbeat of calls for Fauci to be ousted have been promoted most aggressively by pro-Trump zealots in the far-right media ecosystem – political bomb-throwers , medical quacks and an unknown number of foreign bots posing as American internet users .
The critics blame Fauci and his fellow scientists for the economic misery tied to the government ’ s social distancing recommendations – omitting any calculation of what economic and human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were opened .
There are indications that the online mob is gaining traction with the president and other elected officials – and with the American public .
Last week , Trump retweeted one Fauci critic with the hashtag # FireFauci .
The voices are growing louder .
The Republican congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona said on a radio show last week : “ I think it ’ s time for Dr Fauci to move along … He ’ s emasculated the economy and is just totally tone-deaf on that.
” The far-right commentator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ time to get your freedom back ” , tweeting footage of people sitting in a line of cars in a Michigan protest against social distancing .
The more extreme critics accuse Fauci of being a “ deep state plant ” with a shadowy agenda .
It is not the first time Fauci has encountered blowback from telling hard scientific truths .
“ Decades ago , he said things that we didn ’ t want to hear , ” said Hodel , the Aids activist .
“ He said a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , but he said a lot of things we didn ’ t want to hear , about the pace of research , about the inability to pull a cure out of his hat , about the need for safe sex , early on.
” As a boy in Brooklyn growing up in the postwar boom years , Fauci delivered prescriptions on his bicycle for the family business , a pharmacy .
He went to Catholic schools and at 5ft 7in was a standout basketball star .
He was awarded the presidential medal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest civilian honor , in 2008 .
Fauci has been married 35 years , has three daughters , is an avid jogger and – in contrast to the “ executive time ” loving president – is also a notoriously industrious worker who frequently clocks 15 hour days .
On his philosophy for working with political leaders , Fauci has told the New Yorker ’ s Michael Specter that he “ relies on the pseudo-Latin expression Illegitimi non carborundum : don ’ t let the bastards grind you down .
“ You stay completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what it is that you do , ” Fauci said .
“ I ’ m a scientist and I ’ m a physician .
And that ’ s it.
” An adamant 78 % majority of Americans approves of Fauci ’ s performance , according to a Quinnipiac poll this month that found Trump ’ s approval rating at 46 % .
Hodel said Fauci was motivated by a lifelong dedication to science and by an equal dedication to people .
“ I have great confidence in Dr Fauci ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth .
And this is probably not the first time that his career was at risk .
I can also say with great confidence that when history is written , Dr Fauci will be the hero .
”

As the Aids crisis accelerated in the 1980s, Donald Trump, then building his brand as a boldface name in the New York City tabloids, reacted with paranoia, ruthlessness and bigotry.
When his bosom friend and mentor Roy Cohn contracted the virus, Trump “dropped him like a hot potato”, Cohn’s secretary has said. Trump told dinner guests that following Cohn’s final visit to his Mar-a-Lago resort, “I had to spend a fortune to fumigate all the dishes and silverware”. The Associated Press reported in 1991 that Trump “asks women to take an Aids test at his doctor’s office before he wines and dines them”.
Over the same decade, in Bethesda, Maryland, grappling with the HIV epidemic became the life’s work of a fellow New York native, Dr Anthony Fauci. Fauci was one of the first scientists to document “severe opportunistic infections among apparently previously healthy homosexual men”. His lab at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) led the charge for a cure, and he became the public face of the government’s fight to stop the virus.
In the intervening 30 years, Fauci has continued his life’s work, leading the effort to contain infectious diseases from Sars to Ebola to swine flu. Trump, meanwhile, has gone from playboy to TV star to US president.
Donald Trump arrives behind Dr. Anthony Fauci for the start of the daily coronavirus response briefing in Washington.
Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
That last extraordinary leap, and the rise in the last four months of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, has now created a most unlikely and delicate partnership between Trump and Fauci on which the future of the country hinges. The two men appear to share little by way of philosophy, but each night they share a stage in front of a scared nation in the grip of a terrifying pandemic; a nation looking to these two very different men to save it from further disaster.
For Fauci, 79, facing down this coronavirus is a date with destiny he has been working his entire life toward. For Trump, 73, the coronavirus is a rare brush with accountability, a moment when boasts and threats and lies do not work.
To achieve success according to their respective definitions of the word, the two men need each other. Trump needs Fauci to shore up fading public trust in his administration’s disaster response. Fauci needs Trump to take action that saves lives.
Their purposes have been mostly – though not always – well aligned. But the rise of an anti-Fauci movement on the political right – and the president’s frequent intolerance for being overshadowed – have fueled concerns that for all its practical necessity, and the stakes for the nation, the Fauci-Trump partnership could come to pieces.
Tony was just a master at relationships Derek Hodel, worked with Fauci in the 1990s
If that happens, said Derek Hodel, a senior program adviser at Physicians for Human Rights who worked with Fauci as an Aids activist and advocate in the 1990s, it would be a rare defeat for Fauci’s political skills.
“Tony was just a master at relationships,” Hodel said. “This is his sixth administration, and although the dynamics of the Trump administration are louder and crazier than any other administration, they’re not all of them different.”
After graduating at the top of his class from Cornell medical school in the Vietnam war era, Fauci fulfilled a public health service requirement by taking a researcher post at NIAID, where he became director in 1984. He would spend the next five decades there, surfacing in the public eye whenever the country was confronted with the specter of bio-terror (anthrax) or deadly contagion (Ebola).
Working with the current president, Fauci appears to sense that keeping his job depends on keeping Trump happy. When he has contradicted Trump, he has usually done so gently.
When Trump pushed the lupus drug hydroxychloroquine as a miracle cure, Fauci said: “In terms of science, I don’t think we can definitively say it works.” Asked by Science magazine why he did not rebut Trump’s overblown claims about the efficacy of a ban on foreign travelers from China, Fauci said: “Let’s get real, what do you want me to do? … I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down.”
The White House last week dismissed questions about tension between Trump and Fauci as “media chatter” and said: “President Trump is not firing Dr Fauci.”
But the drumbeat of calls for Fauci to be ousted have been promoted most aggressively by pro-Trump zealots in the far-right media ecosystem – political bomb-throwers, medical quacks and an unknown number of foreign bots posing as American internet users.
Dr Anthony Fauci lectures Ronald Reagan and other members of the commission on Aids. Photograph: Diana Walker/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images
The critics blame Fauci and his fellow scientists for the economic misery tied to the government’s social distancing recommendations – omitting any calculation of what economic and human disaster would result if the viral floodgates were opened.
There are indications that the online mob is gaining traction with the president and other elected officials – and with the American public. Last week, Trump retweeted one Fauci critic with the hashtag #FireFauci.
The voices are growing louder. The Republican congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona said on a radio show last week: “I think it’s time for Dr Fauci to move along … He’s emasculated the economy and is just totally tone-deaf on that.”
The far-right commentator Laura Ingraham complained last week that it was “time to get your freedom back”, tweeting footage of people sitting in a line of cars in a Michigan protest against social distancing. The more extreme critics accuse Fauci of being a “deep state plant” with a shadowy agenda.
It is not the first time Fauci has encountered blowback from telling hard scientific truths.
Decades ago, [Fauci] said things that we didn’t want to hear ... about the pace of research, about the inability to pull a cure out of his hat Derek Hodel
“Decades ago, he said things that we didn’t want to hear,” said Hodel, the Aids activist. “He said a lot of things we did want to hear as well, but he said a lot of things we didn’t want to hear, about the pace of research, about the inability to pull a cure out of his hat, about the need for safe sex, early on.”
As a boy in Brooklyn growing up in the postwar boom years, Fauci delivered prescriptions on his bicycle for the family business, a pharmacy. He went to Catholic schools and at 5ft 7in was a standout basketball star. He was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2008. Fauci has been married 35 years, has three daughters, is an avid jogger and – in contrast to the “executive time” loving president – is also a notoriously industrious worker who frequently clocks 15 hour days.
On his philosophy for working with political leaders, Fauci has told the New Yorker’s Michael Specter that he “relies on the pseudo-Latin expression Illegitimi non carborundum: don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Dr Anthony Fauci speaks to NBC on the pandemic. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“You stay completely apolitical and non-ideological, and you stick to what it is that you do,” Fauci said. “I’m a scientist and I’m a physician. And that’s it.”
An adamant 78% majority of Americans approves of Fauci’s performance, according to a Quinnipiac poll this month that found Trump’s approval rating at 46%.
Hodel said Fauci was motivated by a lifelong dedication to science and by an equal dedication to people.
“I have great confidence in Dr Fauci’s ability to maintain his integrity and to speak the truth. And this is probably not the first time that his career was at risk. I can also say with great confidence that when history is written, Dr Fauci will be the hero.”


theguardian--2020-04-20--Coronavirus live: Trump holds briefing as governors ask for more help - as it happened

Our supply-chain group has worked around the clock to secure gowns , gloves , face masks , goggles , face shields , and N95 respirators .
These employees have adapted to a new normal , exploring every lead , no matter how unusual .
Deals , some bizarre and convoluted , and many involving large sums of money , have dissolved at the last minute when we were outbid or outmuscled , sometimes by the federal government .
Then we got lucky , but getting the supplies was not easy .
A lead came from an acquaintance of a friend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours of vetting , we grew confident of the broker ’ s professional pedigree and the potential to secure a large shipment of three-ply face masks and N95 respirators .
The latter were KN95 respirators , N95s that were made in China .
We received samples to confirm that they could be successfully fit-tested .
Despite having cleared this hurdle , we remained concerned that the samples might not be representative of the bulk of the products that we would be buying .
Having acquired the requisite funds – more than five times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar shipment , but still less than what was being requested by other brokers – we set the plan in motion .
Three members of the supply-chain team and a fit tester were flown to a small airport near an industrial warehouse in the mid-Atlantic region .
I arrived by car to make the final call on whether to execute the deal .
Two semi-trailer trucks , cleverly marked as food-service vehicles , met us at the warehouse .
When fully loaded , the trucks would take two distinct routes back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contents would be detained or redirected .
Hours before our planned departure , we were told to expect only a quarter of our original order .
We went anyway , since we desperately needed any supplies we could get .
Upon arrival , we were jubilant to see pallets of KN95 respirators and face masks being unloaded .
We opened several boxes , examined their contents , and hoped that this random sample would be representative of the entire shipment .
Before we could send the funds by wire transfer , two Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their badges , and started questioning me .
No , this shipment was not headed for resale or the black market .
The agents checked my credentials , and I tried to convince them that the shipment of PPE was bound for hospitals .
After receiving my assurances and hearing about our health system ’ s urgent needs , the agents let the boxes of equipment be released and loaded into the trucks .
But I was soon shocked to learn that the Department of Homeland Security was still considering redirecting our PPE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervention by our congressional representative prevented its seizure .
I remained nervous and worried on the long drive back , feelings that did not abate until midnight , when I received the call that the PPE shipment was secured at our warehouse .

Bryan Armen Graham  in New York (now) with Enjoli Liston and Tom Lutz (earlier)

19 Apr 2020 00.55 BST Trump is asked whether he is inciting violence by calling for people to liberate states. “They’ve got cabin fever,” he says. “They want to get back. They want their life back. Their life was taken away from them. And you know, they learned a lot during this period. They learned to do things differently than they have in the past and they’ll do it hopefully until the virus has passed. And when the virus passes, I hope we’re going to be sitting next to each other at baseball games, football games, basketball games, ice hockey games. I hope we’re going to be sitting next to each other. The Masters is going to have 100,000 people, not 25 people waching at the course.” He adds: “I’ve never seen so many American flags at a rally as I’ve seen at these rallies. These people love our country. They want to get back to work.
19 Apr 2020 00.52 BST Trump is asked why he is reading and showing clips full of praise for himself at a time when more than 22 million Americans are unemployed and more the 40,000 have died as a result of the coronavirus. “What I’m doing is I’m standing up for the men and women that have done such an incredible job,” he says. “Nothing is about me.”
“You’re never going to treat me fairly, many of you. And I understand that. I got here with the worst, most unfair press treatment they say in the history of the United States for a president. They did say Abraham Lincoln had very bad treatment, too.” That one is actually true.
Updated at 01.03 BST
19 Apr 2020 00.39 BST Remember about a half hour ago when Trump played that excerpt from the New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s press briefing only to complain the clip wasn’t long enough and the good parts were left out? We’re in luck. Someone on his team has gone and found the complete footage. The lights have gone down again and we’re watching Cuomo’s remark that no one in New York was denied a ventilator if they needed LOL -- a half-hour after he got upset because the clip of Andrew Cuomo praising him didn't play all the way through, Trump finally gets his wish and the rest of it is played pic.twitter.com/DEAnKFq22w — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 19, 2020
Updated at 01.03 BST
19 Apr 2020 00.29 BST Trump is asked what advice he would give to the many protesters who are against the government’s restrictions. “You’re allowed to protest,” he says, adding that “some governors have gone too far”. He says he watched footage of the protests and was happy they were all practicing social distancing, which is very much not true.
Updated at 01.04 BST
19 Apr 2020 00.11 BST Trump is in full stream-of-consciousness mode, very much in the spirit of his campaign rallies. He says the coronavirus has taught the nation an important lesson about the “supply chain” and the need to not have to rely on other countries in times of crisis. He then spends a few minutes criticizing trade policies with hard words for Nafta and the World Trade Organization. “I want to read something I saw on television,” he says, before reading his own tweet from 19 Feburary off a large printed page.
Updated at 00.25 BST
19 Apr 2020 23.57 BST And now the lights go down and Trump plays an excerpt from the New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s press briefing earlier today. After some initial technical difficulties, Cuomo’s words ring through the briefing room: “These were just extraordinary efforts and acts of mobilization and the federal government stepped up and was a great partner and I’m the first person to say it. We needed help and they were there.” President Trump plays a clip of Democrat Andrew Cuomo praising his response to Coronavirus in New York pic.twitter.com/LLox28m594 — TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) April 19, 2020 After Trump returns to the dais, he complains the clip wasn’t long enough and the good parts were left out: “Do you want to put the rest of it up or do you not have it? I just think it’s good because it’s bipartisan.”
Updated at 01.04 BST
19 Apr 2020 23.48 BST After spending a few minutes reading from a Wall Street Journal op-ed praising his response to the pandemic, Trump points to the declining trajectory in new cases in the Seattle, Detroit, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Houston metro areas as “more evidence that our aggressive strategy is working”. “Who ever heard of a thing like this?” he asks, circling back to familiar talking points. “We would’ve had millions of people die if we didn’t do this. Millions of people.”
Updated at 00.11 BST
19 Apr 2020 23.39 BST Donald Trump opens today’s coronavirus task force press briefing by saying they are “close to a deal” with Democrats on the latest relief bill for small businesses and workers, which could be resolved as soon as tomorrow.
He then says 4.18 million Americans have been tested for the coronavirus. “That’s a record anywhere in the world,” Trump says. “More total tests than all the following nations combined: France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Austria, Australia, Sweden and Canada.” Trump says there is a “tremendous capacity” for testing before showing off a medical swab, likening it to a Q-tip. “We have ordered a lot of them,” he said, but notes that some states “don’t know where they are”. Then a return to what’s become a recurring motif over the past few days: “We are now the king of ventilators,” he says. “We have so many ventilators.”
Updated at 23.44 BST
19 Apr 2020 22.25 BST A sensational investigation co-published today by ProPublica and the Seattle Times shows how officials in the first US state to be hit by Covid-19 struggled to send the public a clear, consistent message in the early days of the pandemic, bowing to a professional soccer team’s desire to host a game with 33,000 spectators despite urgent warnings from the health department for a ban on large gatherings.
On March 6, at 2:43 p.m., the health officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County, the hardest-hit region in the first state to be slammed by COVID-19, sent an email to a half-dozen colleagues, saying, “I want to cancel large group gatherings now.” The county’s numbers — 10 known deaths and nearly 60 confirmed cases as of late morning — were bad and getting worse. Many local events had already been called off for fear of spreading the coronavirus. Oyster Fest. The Puget Sound Puppetry Festival. A Women’s Day speaker series at the Gates Foundation. King County had ordered a stop to in-person government meetings unless they were considered essential. The health officer, Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, was to the Seattle area what Anthony Fauci would become for the country, the doctor at the microphone, dispensing guidance. Under Washington law, Duchin also had authority to make his wish an order. Duchin sent his email 28 hours before the Seattle Sounders, defending MLS champions and one of the league’s biggest draws, were to host a match at CenturyLink Field. No event in the coming days would generate a gathering to compare. The game would draw people from across the Puget Sound area, and maybe beyond. In the end, the match went on. Two days after the public health department wrote on Facebook, “We are making a recommendation to postpone or cancel events greater than 10-50 people,” officials in King County allowed a soccer match to be held with 33,000 fans, squeezed together. How that happened is captured in hundreds of pages of emails exchanged among federal, state and local officials, as well as executives from the Sounders, Seahawks, Mariners and XFL Dragons. Those records, obtained by ProPublica and The Seattle Times, show how one meeting would beget another, one email would beget a dozen more, all while the virus was taking rapid hold.
The most recent count of Covid-19 cases in Washington totals 11,802 infections and 624 deaths, according to the state’s Department of Health.
Updated at 22.27 BST
19 Apr 2020 21.44 BST In a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine as part of its ongoing Covid-19 Notes series, the chief executive of a Massachusetts hospital accuses the federal government of running an effective PPE blockade that’s prevented the delivery of critical equipment to states in need. Emphasis ours: Our supply-chain group has worked around the clock to secure gowns, gloves, face masks, goggles, face shields, and N95 respirators. These employees have adapted to a new normal, exploring every lead, no matter how unusual. Deals, some bizarre and convoluted, and many involving large sums of money, have dissolved at the last minute when we were outbid or outmuscled, sometimes by the federal government. Then we got lucky, but getting the supplies was not easy. A lead came from an acquaintance of a friend of a team member. After several hours of vetting, we grew confident of the broker’s professional pedigree and the potential to secure a large shipment of three-ply face masks and N95 respirators. The latter were KN95 respirators, N95s that were made in China. We received samples to confirm that they could be successfully fit-tested. Despite having cleared this hurdle, we remained concerned that the samples might not be representative of the bulk of the products that we would be buying. Having acquired the requisite funds – more than five times the amount we would normally pay for a similar shipment, but still less than what was being requested by other brokers – we set the plan in motion. Three members of the supply-chain team and a fit tester were flown to a small airport near an industrial warehouse in the mid-Atlantic region. I arrived by car to make the final call on whether to execute the deal. Two semi-trailer trucks, cleverly marked as food-service vehicles, met us at the warehouse. When fully loaded, the trucks would take two distinct routes back to Massachusetts to minimize the chances that their contents would be detained or redirected. Hours before our planned departure, we were told to expect only a quarter of our original order. We went anyway, since we desperately needed any supplies we could get. Upon arrival, we were jubilant to see pallets of KN95 respirators and face masks being unloaded. We opened several boxes, examined their contents, and hoped that this random sample would be representative of the entire shipment. Before we could send the funds by wire transfer, two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrived, showed their badges, and started questioning me. No, this shipment was not headed for resale or the black market. The agents checked my credentials, and I tried to convince them that the shipment of PPE was bound for hospitals. After receiving my assurances and hearing about our health system’s urgent needs, the agents let the boxes of equipment be released and loaded into the trucks. But I was soon shocked to learn that the Department of Homeland Security was still considering redirecting our PPE. Only some quick calls leading to intervention by our congressional representative prevented its seizure. I remained nervous and worried on the long drive back, feelings that did not abate until midnight, when I received the call that the PPE shipment was secured at our warehouse.
19 Apr 2020 21.11 BST A number of US governors from both sides of the aisle, including Virginia Democrat Ralph Northam and Maryland Republican Larry Hogan, have accused Donald Trump of making “delusional” and “dangerous” statements amid mounting pressure to roll back stay-at-home measures. As the Guardian’s Richard Luscombe and Edward Helmore report: Many state leaders have said they cannot embark on Trump’s recommended three-phrase programme to ease stay-at-home restrictions without a robust and widespread system of testing in place. Researchers at Harvard University have suggested the US should conduct more than three times the number of coronavirus tests it is currently administering over the course of the next month, the New York Times reported. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN on Sunday that claims by Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were “just delusional”. “We have been fighting for testing,” he said on CNN’s State of the Union. “We don’t even have enough swabs, believe it or not. For the national level to say that we have what we need, and really to have no guidance to the state levels, is just irresponsible, because we’re not there yet.” Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC are still seeing increasing cases even as the epicenter of the US outbreak, New York, has started to see some declines. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths. “The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs,” said Republican governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview. “But to try to push this off, to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren’t doing our jobs, is just absolutely false.”
19 Apr 2020 20.22 BST Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest meat processors, has faced criticism after cases were linked to one of its plants in Waterloo, Iowa. “My personal opinion is that it should be closed,” the Black Hawk county sheriff, Tony Thompson, told the Des Moines Register on Friday. “I think we need a hard boot, reset on that plant. I think we need to be able to sort out and cull the herd between the haves and the have-nots there. I think we need to deep-clean that facility and I think we need to restart that plant on a clean slate.” That news was followed on Sunday by a CNN report that another plant in Tennessee had recorded 90 positive tests for Covid-19. The company says workers are required to wear face coverings during shifts and have their temperatures taken at the start of each shift. A spokesperson for Tyson also said cleaning is a priority. “We have team members dedicated to constantly wiping down and sanitizing common areas. In some cases, this additional cleaning involves suspending a day of production,” the spokesperson said on Sunday.
Updated at 21.10 BST
19 Apr 2020 19.58 BST Donald Trump says the US is the 'king of ventilators' Donald Trump has started his afternoon by declaring the US “the king of ventilators”. Several state governors have said they need more help from the federal government with Covid-19 testing in an effort to curb the pandemic. However, the president thinks he’s on the right course, while implying the onus was on governors rather than the federal government to ramp up testing. Just like I was right on Ventilators (our Country is now the “King of Ventilators”, other countries are calling asking for help-we will!), I am right on testing. Governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be with you ALL THE WAY! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2020 “Just like I was right on Ventilators (our Country is now the “King of Ventilators”, other countries are calling asking for help-we will!), I am right on testing,” the president tweeted. “Governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be with you ALL THE WAY!” On NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, said the FDA had not paid enough attention to companies “putting a slightly different formula together” for tests. “I could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight” if the FDA considered such options, DeWine said.
Updated at 21.10 BST


theguardian--2020-04-19--Europe fatalities pass 100,000, but death rate slows in Spain and Netherlands – as it happened

Trump is now getting a question about why he didn ’ t warn Americans about the virus earlier .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ which network she is from ( CBS ) .
She follows up her question and @ @ @ @ @ relax ” .
He doesn ’ t answer and goes to his stock answer that @ @ @ @ @ flights from China in the end of January .
He ’ s getting quite angry @ @ @ @ @ and forth with the reporter , Trump tells her to “ keep your voice down @ @ @ @ @ shouting at her and telling her she should say to him “ thank you very @ @ @ @ @ good judgement ” .
Another female reporter is asking a question now .
He talks @ @ @ @ @ s hard to hear her question .

Clea Skopeliti (now); Jedidajah Otte, Nadeem Badshah and  Helen Sullivan (earlier)

19 Apr 2020 00.40 BST He’s just told the next reporter that she is “one of the most inaccurate reporters”. This anger at the press is sadly so common at these press conferences.
19 Apr 2020 00.37 BST Trump is now getting a question about why he didn’t warn Americans about the virus earlier. Trump responds by asking the reporter which network she is from (CBS). She follows up her question and he tells her to “relax”. He doesn’t answer and goes to his stock answer that he put a ban on flights from China in the end of January. He’s getting quite angry now. In a back and forth with the reporter, Trump tells her to “keep your voice down”. Now he is shouting at her and telling her she should say to him “thank you very much for (my) good judgement”. Another female reporter is asking a question now. He talks over her and it’s hard to hear her question.
19 Apr 2020 00.31 BST Trump is asked what advice he would give to the many protestors who are against the government’s restrictions.
“You’re allowed to protest,” he says, adding that “some governors have gone too far”. He says he watched footage of the protests and was happy they were all practicing social distancing, which is very much not true. You can follow our detailed coverage of the press conference on our US live blog.
19 Apr 2020 00.25 BST Trump is asked about Iran and if he would help them in the pandemic. Trump says he would be happy to consider it. “They have been hit very hard,” he says.
19 Apr 2020 00.22 BST Trump has gone off script and appears to be in full stream-of-consciousness mode ... very much in the spirit of his campaign rallies. He says the coronavirus has taught the nation and important less about the “supply chain” and the need to not have to rely on other countries in times of crisis. He then spends a few minutes criticising trade policies with hard words for Nafta and the World Trade Organization. “I want to read something I saw on television,” he says, before reading his own tweet from 19 Feburary off a large printed page.
19 Apr 2020 00.07 BST Hello, this is Alison Rourke picking up our live coverage of coronavirus as Donald Trump gives his daily White House briefing. The president began the briefing by saying a deal with the Democrats is “close” on the latest relief bill for small businesses and workers ... and could be resolved as soon as tomorrow.
He says 4.18 million Americans have been tested for the coronavirus. “That’s a record anywhere in the world,” Trump says. “More total tests than all the following nations combined: France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Austria, Australia, Sweden and Canada.” Trump says there is a “tremendous capacity” for testing before showing off a medical swab, likening it to a Q-tip. “We have ordered a lot of them,” he said, but notes that some states “don’t know where they are”. Then a return to what’s become a recurring motif over the past few days: “We are now the king of ventilators,” he says. “We have so many ventilators.”
19 Apr 2020 23.22 BST Lockdowns across Europe have had a dramatic impact on air traffic, with 90% fewer flights taking off from the continent’s largest airports compared to a year ago 02:03 Air traffic before and after Europe's coronavirus lockdowns – video
Updated at 23.24 BST
19 Apr 2020 22.43 BST Wearing face masks, waving black flags and keeping two yards apart, thousands of Israelis demonstrated against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu under strict coronavirus restrictions on Sunday. Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, is under criminal indictment in three corruption cases. He is also negotiating a power-sharing deal with his rival Benny Gantz to form a coalition government that would end a year of political deadlock after three inconclusive elections. Demonstrations are allowed under Israel’s coronavirus restrictions, as long as participants maintain distance from each other and wear face masks. Under the banner of “Save the Democracy,” protesters called on Gantz’s Blue and White party not to join in a coalition led by a premier charged with corruption. Israelis demonstrate against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under strict restrictions made to slow down the coronavirus spread, on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel April 19, 2020 REUTERS/Corinna Kern TPX Photograph: Corinna Kern/Reuters
19 Apr 2020 22.36 BST Dan Collyns Ten Britons and a UK resident who had been stranded by the coronavirus lockdown in the Peruvian city of Cusco for more than a month have left Lima on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt after successfully being transferred from the Andean city to the capital. The group, which included UK citizens who had tested positive for Covid-19, were among more than 30 travellers who boarded the German Boeing-747 to Frankfurt on Sunday afternoon. Among the UK nationals Chris Ramsay, 29, an engineer from Salisbury, and Ian Lindsay, 68, a retired general practitioner living in Dublin, had both been diagnosed with Covid-19 but Peruvian authorities allowed them to leave as they had completed the quarantine and were no longer considered to be infectious. “It was a great relief,” said Lindsay’s sister, Patricia Pacheco, who had been travelling with him along with their partners. “I honestly thought the Peruvian authorities would block it again.” Ten Britons and a UK resident who had been stranded by the coronavirus lockdown in the Peruvian city of Cusco for more than a month have now left Lima Photograph: Alexander Foulkes The group had been turned away from a military flight sent to transfer them to Lima for the last UK repatriation flight on Wednesday following health screening. The acting UK ambassador in Peru, Andrew Soper tweeted : “Pleased we were able to help another group of British travellers start their journey home today, including those who had been stranded in Cusco.”
“Thanks to our German partners for organising the flights. We will continue to do everything we can to support those UK nationals who remain in Peru.” Other travellers who were on the flight to Frankfurt included citizens from Canada, Sweden, Norway, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany.
Updated at 22.55 BST
19 Apr 2020 22.15 BST Tunisia is extending its lockdown to 4 May, then it will ease restrictions gradually on some economic activities, prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh has said. The government has said it expected Tunisia’s economy would shrink by up to 4.3%, the steepest drop since independence in 1956, because of the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. Shops are closed in the Medina of Tunis (old city of Tunis) to prevent the outbreak of the Covid-19, in Tunisia, April 16, 2020. Photo by Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock “The situation is relatively under control, but more caution is required,” Fakhfakh told state-run TV. He added that the pace of normal life will not return quickly even after 4 May. Tunisia’s vital tourism sector could lose $1.4 billion and 400,000 jobs this year, an official letter sent to the IMF showed.
The North African country has confirmed 866 cases of the coronavirus and 37 people have died, according to Reuters.


theguardian--2020-04-19--Governors: Trump making ‘delusional’ comments on testing and restrictions

US governors have accused Donald Trump of making “ delusional ” and “ dangerous ” statements amid mounting tensions between the president and state leaders over coronavirus testing and pressure to roll back stay-at-home measures .
The United States has by far the world ’ s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases , with more than 730,000 infections and over 39,600 deaths .
Many state leaders have said they can not embark on Trump ’ s recommended three-phrase programme to ease stay-at-home restrictions without a robust and widespread system of testing in place .
Researchers at Harvard University have suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times the number of coronavirus tests it is currently administering over the course of the next month , the New York Times reported .
Democratic governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN on Sunday that claims by Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were “ just delusional ” .
“ We have been fighting for testing , ” he said on CNN ’ s State of the Union .
“ We don ’ t even have enough swabs , believe it or not .
For the national level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need , and really to have no guidance to the state levels , is just irresponsible , because we ’ re not there yet.
” Maryland , Virginia and Washington DC are still seeing increasing cases even as the center of the US outbreak , New York , has started to see some declines .
Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths .
“ The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing , they are doing some things with respect to private labs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Maryland during a CNN interview .
“ But to try to push this off , to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing , somehow we aren ’ t doing our jobs , is just absolutely false.
” Several states , including Ohio , Texas and Florida , have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies , perhaps by 1 May or even sooner , but appeared to be staying cautious .
The White House guidelines released late last week on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions .
Yet in a series of tweets from Trump on Friday , the president called for the “ liberation ” of Minnesota , Michigan and Virginia , Democratic-led states with strict stay-at-home orders , and appeared to be the catalyst for protests backed by rightwing groups in several places , including Texas , Maryland and Ohio .
In his tweet on Friday the president claimed without evidence that Virginia citizens ’ second amendment rights were “ under siege ” after Northam signed into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Austin , the Texas state capital , protesters called on Trump to fire Dr Anthony Fauci , the leading US expert on infectious diseases , from his task force tackling the pandemic crisis .
Washington governor Jay Inslee , a Democrat who on Friday blasted Trump ’ s tweets as “ unhinged rantings ” , and one of the most vocal critics of the president , reinforced his position on Sunday .
“ I don ’ t know any other way to characterize it , ” Inslee told host George Stephanopoulos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ To have an American president encourage people to violate the law , I can ’ t remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing .
And it is dangerous because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives .
“ It is doubly frustrating to us governors because this is such a schizophrenia .
The president is basically asking people , ‘ Please ignore Dr Fauci and Dr Birx [ White House taskforce medical advisers ] , please ignore my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ because those guidelines made very clear… that you can not open up Michigan today , or Virginia , under those guidelines .
You need to see a decline in the infections and fatalities .
And that simply has not happened yet.
” Pence insisted in an interview aired on NBC ’ s Meet the Press on Sunday that the country had “ sufficient capacity ” for any state to go to the phase one level .
But Hogan and others said the issue was not as straightforward as Pence presented it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing and fighting and clawing to get more tests , not only from the federal government , but from every private lab in America and from all across the world .
It ’ s not accurate to say there ’ s plenty of testing out there , and the governors should just get it done.
” Hogan said he was sympathetic to the protesters .
“ I ’ m frustrated also , ” he said .
“ But I don ’ t think it ’ s helpful to encourage demonstrations .
To encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you just made recommendations on , it just doesn ’ t make any sense .
We ’ re sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people , as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations.
” Gretchen Whitmer , the Democratic governor of Michigan , where some of the earliest protests took place last week , once again strongly defended strict lockdown restrictions in her state , the 10th largest by population but third highest in the nation in terms of Covid-19 deaths .
“ My stay-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s more conservative but the fact of the matter is it ’ s working .
We are seeing the curve start to flatten and that means we ’ re saving lives , ” she said .
“ [ But ] I can tell you , we could double or even triple the number of tests if we had the swabs and reagents .
That ’ s precisely why it would really be incredibly helpful if the federal government would use the Defense Production Act to start making these swabs and reagents , so @ @ @ @ @ @

Richard Luscombe in Miami and Edward Helmore in New York

US governors have accused Donald Trump of making “delusional” and “dangerous” statements amid mounting tensions between the president and state leaders over coronavirus testing and pressure to roll back stay-at-home measures.
The United States has by far the world’s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and over 39,600 deaths.
Many state leaders have said they cannot embark on Trump’s recommended three-phrase programme to ease stay-at-home restrictions without a robust and widespread system of testing in place.
Researchers at Harvard University have suggested the US should conduct more than three times the number of coronavirus tests it is currently administering over the course of the next month, the New York Times reported.
Democratic governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN on Sunday that claims by Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were “just delusional”.
“We have been fighting for testing,” he said on CNN’s State of the Union. “We don’t even have enough swabs, believe it or not. For the national level to say that we have what we need, and really to have no guidance to the state levels, is just irresponsible, because we’re not there yet.”
"That's just delusional, to be making statements like that," Virginia Gov. Northam says about President Trump's claim that states have enough tests to reopen. "To have no guidance to the state levels is just irresponsible because we're not there yet" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/wzowhOAEUj — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 19, 2020
Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC are still seeing increasing cases even as the center of the US outbreak, New York, has started to see some declines. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths.
“The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs,” said Republican governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview. “But to try to push this off, to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren’t doing our jobs, is just absolutely false.”
Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by 1 May or even sooner, but appeared to be staying cautious.
The White House guidelines released late last week on reopening the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet in a series of tweets from Trump on Friday, the president called for the “liberation” of Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, Democratic-led states with strict stay-at-home orders, and appeared to be the catalyst for protests backed by rightwing groups in several places, including Texas, Maryland and Ohio.
In his tweet on Friday the president claimed without evidence that Virginia citizens’ second amendment rights were “under siege” after Northam signed into law tighter firearms restrictions a week earlier.
In Austin, the Texas state capital, protesters called on Trump to fire Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading US expert on infectious diseases, from his task force tackling the pandemic crisis.
Washington governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat who on Friday blasted Trump’s tweets as “unhinged rantings”, and one of the most vocal critics of the president, reinforced his position on Sunday.
“I don’t know any other way to characterize it,” Inslee told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week. “To have an American president encourage people to violate the law, I can’t remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing. And it is dangerous because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives.
“It is doubly frustrating to us governors because this is such a schizophrenia. The president is basically asking people, ‘Please ignore Dr Fauci and Dr Birx [White House taskforce medical advisers], please ignore my own guidelines that I set forth,’ because those guidelines made very clear… that you cannot open up Michigan today, or Virginia, under those guidelines. You need to see a decline in the infections and fatalities. And that simply has not happened yet.”
Pence insisted in an interview aired on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that the country had “sufficient capacity” for any state to go to the phase one level.
But Hogan and others said the issue was not as straightforward as Pence presented it.
“Every governor in America has been pushing and fighting and clawing to get more tests, not only from the federal government, but from every private lab in America and from all across the world. It’s not accurate to say there’s plenty of testing out there, and the governors should just get it done.”
Hogan said he was sympathetic to the protesters. “I’m frustrated also,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s helpful to encourage demonstrations. To encourage people to go protest the plan that you just made recommendations on, it just doesn’t make any sense. We’re sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people, as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations.”
Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, where some of the earliest protests took place last week, once again strongly defended strict lockdown restrictions in her state, the 10th largest by population but third highest in the nation in terms of Covid-19 deaths.
“My stay-home order is one of the nation’s more conservative but the fact of the matter is it’s working. We are seeing the curve start to flatten and that means we’re saving lives,” she said.
“[But] I can tell you, we could double or even triple the number of tests if we had the swabs and reagents. That’s precisely why it would really be incredibly helpful if the federal government would use the Defense Production Act to start making these swabs and reagents, so we can improve testing.”