shareblue--2020-03-31--Trump keeps accusing health care workers of stealing medical supplies

As New Yorkers applaud and cheer the city 's health care workers from their windows every day at 7 p.m. , Donald Trump is accusing them of being thieves .
At a Monday press briefing from the Rose Garden , he accused health care professionals of stealing medical equipment , such as much-needed masks , and did so without offering any evidence .
`` I expressed what was told to me by a tremendous power in the business , '' Trump said during his White House press briefing .
He did not name his supposed source , but claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going out the back door '' in hospitals in New York City , one of the global epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` When you go from 10,000 masks to 300,000 masks , '' Trump said , `` there 's something going on . ''
He added that he 's `` not making any charges , '' but then told a reporter to `` go to the hospitals and find out why . ''
The comments came on National Doctors Day , a day already set aside to thank doctors for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the first time Trump accused doctors and nurses of being thieves .
On Sunday , he made the same unfounded allegation during a White House press conference .
`` They 've been delivering for years 10,000 to 20,000 masks , '' Trump said .
`` OK , it 's a New York hospital , it 's packed all the time .
How do you go from 10,000 to 20,000 to 300,000 ... even though this is different ?
Something 's going on , and you oughta look into it .
Where are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the back door ? ''
There is no evidence to back up claims of widespread thievery by New York City hospital workers .
Trump 's accusation did not sit well with New York medical professionals .
In a Sunday statement , Kenneth Raske , the president of the Greater New York Hospital Association , said health care workers `` deserve better than their President suggesting that PPE is 'going out the back door ' of New York hospitals . ''
He added that medical professionals are `` treating exploding numbers of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without complaint . ''
In New York City , many doctors and nurses are being encouraged to reuse protective equipment .
At Mount Sinai West in Manhattan , nurses resorted to wearing trash bags because of the lack of personal protective equipment .
`` Six weeks ago , nobody would 've suggested reusing face masks and other PPE , '' Irwin Redlener , director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University , told the Daily Beast .
`` We 're now operating in the climate of crisis standards of care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's something that we 've always feared . ''
The issue is not just affecting New York City .
Doctors and nurses around the country are facing a shortage of medical equipment as the coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen .
On March 19 , the New York Times reported that a doctor in rural Kentucky was forced to intubate a number of patients in respiratory distress without proper protective equipment .
`` There 's absolutely no way to protect myself , '' Dr. Faezah A. Bux told the Times .
`` Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ca n't protect my patients . ''
According to the New York Times , the number of deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic tripled between Thursday and Tuesday , rising from 1,000 to more than 3,000 .
Health experts expect the crisis to get worse in the coming weeks .
`` I mean , looking at what we 're seeing now , you know , I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 '' deaths , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't want to be held to that . ''
Fauci added that there would likely be `` millions of cases . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

As New Yorkers applaud and cheer the city’s health care workers from their windows every day at 7 p.m., Donald Trump is accusing them of being thieves.
At a Monday press briefing from the Rose Garden, he accused health care professionals of stealing medical equipment, such as much-needed masks, and did so without offering any evidence.
“I expressed what was told to me by a tremendous power in the business,” Trump said during his White House press briefing. He did not name his supposed source, but claimed that he had been told masks are “going out the back door” in hospitals in New York City, one of the global epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When you go from 10,000 masks to 300,000 masks,” Trump said, “there’s something going on.”
He added that he’s “not making any charges,” but then told a reporter to “go to the hospitals and find out why.”
The comments came on National Doctors Day, a day already set aside to thank doctors for all their contributions to society.
Monday was not the first time Trump accused doctors and nurses of being thieves.
On Sunday, he made the same unfounded allegation during a White House press conference.
“They’ve been delivering for years 10,000 to 20,000 masks,” Trump said. “OK, it’s a New York hospital, it’s packed all the time. How do you go from 10,000 to 20,000 to 300,000 … even though this is different? Something’s going on, and you oughta look into it. Where are the masks going? Are they going out the back door?”
There is no evidence to back up claims of widespread thievery by New York City hospital workers.
Trump’s accusation did not sit well with New York medical professionals.
In a Sunday statement, Kenneth Raske, the president of the Greater New York Hospital Association, said health care workers “deserve better than their President suggesting that PPE is ‘going out the back door’ of New York hospitals.” He added that medical professionals are “treating exploding numbers of COVID-19 patients around the clock — willingly and without complaint.”
In New York City, many doctors and nurses are being encouraged to reuse protective equipment.
At Mount Sinai West in Manhattan, nurses resorted to wearing trash bags because of the lack of personal protective equipment.
“Six weeks ago, nobody would’ve suggested reusing face masks and other PPE,” Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, told the Daily Beast. “We’re now operating in the climate of crisis standards of care. It’s already started, and it’s something that we’ve always feared.”
The issue is not just affecting New York City. Doctors and nurses around the country are facing a shortage of medical equipment as the coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen.
On March 19, the New York Times reported that a doctor in rural Kentucky was forced to intubate a number of patients in respiratory distress without proper protective equipment.
“There’s absolutely no way to protect myself,” Dr. Faezah A. Bux told the Times. “Not only can I not protect myself, I can’t protect my patients.”
According to the New York Times, the number of deaths in the U.S. from the coronavirus pandemic tripled between Thursday and Tuesday, rising from 1,000 to more than 3,000. Health experts expect the crisis to get worse in the coming weeks.
“I mean, looking at what we’re seeing now, you know, I would say between 100,000 and 200,000” deaths, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Sunday. “But I don’t want to be held to that.”
Fauci added that there would likely be “millions of cases.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-31--Daily Cuomo: Federal government is 'driving up the price' of ventilators

Donald Trump has told states they must buy ventilators on the open market instead of relying on the federal government .
NEW YORK GOV .
ANDREW CUOMO ( D ) : Look at the bizarre situation we wind up in .
Every state does its own purchasing .
So , New York is purchasing , California is purchasing , Illinois is purchasing , we 're all trying to buy the same commodity — literally the same exact item , so you have 50 states competing to buy the same item .
We all wind up bidding up each other and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally will have a company call you up and say : `` Well , California just outbid you . ''
It 's like being on eBay with 50 other states bidding on a ventilator .
And you see the bid go up because California bid , Illinois bid , Florida bid , New York bids , California re-bids .
That 's literally what we 're doing .
I mean , how inefficient ?
And then , FEMA gets involved and FEMA starts bidding , and now FEMA is bidding on top of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the price .
What sense does this make ?
The federal government , FEMA , should have been the purchasing agent — buy everything and then allocate it by need to the states .
Why would you create a situation where the 50 states are competing with each other and then the federal government through FEMA comes in and competes with the rest of it ?

From a March 31 press briefing:
NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D): Look at the bizarre situation we wind up in. Every state does its own purchasing. So, New York is purchasing, California is purchasing, Illinois is purchasing, we’re all trying to buy the same commodity — literally the same exact item, so you have 50 states competing to buy the same item.
We all wind up bidding up each other and competing against each other where you now literally will have a company call you up and say: “Well, California just outbid you.”
It’s like being on eBay with 50 other states bidding on a ventilator. And you see the bid go up because California bid, Illinois bid, Florida bid, New York bids, California re-bids. That’s literally what we’re doing.
I mean, how inefficient? And then, FEMA gets involved and FEMA starts bidding, and now FEMA is bidding on top of the 50. So, FEMA is driving up the price. What sense does this make?
The federal government, FEMA, should have been the purchasing agent — buy everything and then allocate it by need to the states. Why would you create a situation where the 50 states are competing with each other and then the federal government through FEMA comes in and competes with the rest of it?


shareblue--2020-03-31--Workers strike to demand safer conditions while risking their lives amid outbreak

Employees working for companies deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic are striking over concerns that their employers are not doing enough to keep them safe .
While many Americans are able to work from home and practice social distancing , these workers are providing food , medicine , and other vital supplies to the country while putting themselves at risk of contracting the coronavirus from customers and colleagues .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states Monday that there have now been more than 140,000 confirmed and presumed cases of COVID-19 in the United States .
On Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in sick to demand better protections after several workers for the grocery chain tested positive for the virus .
Workers at a Staten Island warehouse run by Amazon , the parent company of Whole Foods , went on strike Monday after an employee there tested positive .
Organizers said dozens walked out , while the company estimated the number to be about 15 .
At the same time , workers for the Instacart grocery delivery service went on strike over safety conditions and for hazard pay .
Around the country , at-risk workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's restaurants in California ; fast-food restaurants in North Carolina ; a Kroger grocery warehouse in Tennessee ; the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine ; a Perdue Farms plant in Georgia ; and a Fiat Chrysler plant in Michigan .
Sanitation workers in Pennsylvania and bus drivers in Alabama have also walked out .
`` We want better equipment , protective gear .
We have no masks .
We want hazard pay , '' a Pittsburgh garbage collector told local media last week .
`` We risk our life every time we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoppers , as the grocery delivery service workers are called , complained Sunday that the company had only just agreed to provide hand sanitizer to workers .
`` We had been asking for hand sanitizer for many , many weeks , '' they wrote in a Medium post .
`` But apparently the company is capable of sourcing some with 2 days of work ?
Where was this before ?
Where were these efforts back when Shoppers first began asking for it ? ''
They added , `` It 's abhorrent that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but on the bright side , it shows that a strike will work to change their behavior . ''
While the specific demands vary , in general , workers are asking for paid sick leave , hazard pay for those risking their lives to do their essential jobs during the outbreak , and increased safety measures .
These include basics such as gloves , masks , sanitizer , soaps , closure and cleaning of facilities with confirmed coronavirus cases , as well as more social distancing .
On Monday , Amazon confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warehouse employee named Chris Smalls who had organized a strike at his facility .
`` Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us , our families , and our communities safe , '' Smalls said in a statement .
`` I am outraged and disappointed , but I 'm not shocked .
As usual , Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe . ''
The company claimed Smalls was fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact with a colleague who tested positive .
`` Despite that instruction to stay home with pay , he came onsite today , March 30 , further putting the teams at risk , '' a spokesperson told CNBC .
`` This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues . ''
`` At the height of a global pandemic , Chris Smalls and his colleagues publicly protested the lack of precautions that Amazon was taking to protect them from COVID-19 .
Today , Chris Smalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press release on Monday .
`` In New York , the right to organize is codified into law , and any retaliatory action by management related thereto is strictly prohibited .
At a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling and are deeply concerned about their safety , this action was also immoral and inhumane . ''
The Trump administration estimated this week that 200,000 or more Americans could die from the pandemic .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Employees working for companies deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic are striking over concerns that their employers are not doing enough to keep them safe.
While many Americans are able to work from home and practice social distancing, these workers are providing food, medicine, and other vital supplies to the country while putting themselves at risk of contracting the coronavirus from customers and colleagues.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states Monday that there have now been more than 140,000 confirmed and presumed cases of COVID-19 in the United States.
On Tuesday, staffers at Whole Foods opted to call in sick to demand better protections after several workers for the grocery chain tested positive for the virus.
Workers at a Staten Island warehouse run by Amazon, the parent company of Whole Foods, went on strike Monday after an employee there tested positive. Organizers said dozens walked out, while the company estimated the number to be about 15.
At the same time, workers for the Instacart grocery delivery service went on strike over safety conditions and for hazard pay.
Around the country, at-risk workers have also gone on strike at McDonald’s restaurants in California; fast-food restaurants in North Carolina; a Kroger grocery warehouse in Tennessee; the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine; a Perdue Farms plant in Georgia; and a Fiat Chrysler plant in Michigan. Sanitation workers in Pennsylvania and bus drivers in Alabama have also walked out.
“We want better equipment, protective gear. We have no masks. We want hazard pay,” a Pittsburgh garbage collector told local media last week. “We risk our life every time we grab a garbage bag.”
Instacart shoppers, as the grocery delivery service workers are called, complained Sunday that the company had only just agreed to provide hand sanitizer to workers. “We had been asking for hand sanitizer for many, many weeks,” they wrote in a Medium post. “But apparently the company is capable of sourcing some with 2 days of work? Where was this before? Where were these efforts back when Shoppers first began asking for it?”
They added, “It’s abhorrent that it took this long for them to act, but on the bright side, it shows that a strike will work to change their behavior.”
While the specific demands vary, in general, workers are asking for paid sick leave, hazard pay for those risking their lives to do their essential jobs during the outbreak, and increased safety measures. These include basics such as gloves, masks, sanitizer, soaps, closure and cleaning of facilities with confirmed coronavirus cases, as well as more social distancing.
On Monday, Amazon confirmed that it had fired a Staten Island warehouse employee named Chris Smalls who had organized a strike at his facility.
“Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe,” Smalls said in a statement. “I am outraged and disappointed, but I’m not shocked. As usual, Amazon would rather sweep a problem under the rug than act to keep workers and working communities safe.”
The company claimed Smalls was fired for refusing to remain quarantined after close contact with a colleague who tested positive. “Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite today, March 30, further putting the teams at risk,” a spokesperson told CNBC. “This is unacceptable and we have terminated his employment as a result of these multiple safety issues.”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James didn’t buy that explanation.
“At the height of a global pandemic, Chris Smalls and his colleagues publicly protested the lack of precautions that Amazon was taking to protect them from COVID-19. Today, Chris Smalls was fired,” James said in a press release on Monday. “In New York, the right to organize is codified into law, and any retaliatory action by management related thereto is strictly prohibited. At a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling and are deeply concerned about their safety, this action was also immoral and inhumane.”
The Trump administration estimated this week that 200,000 or more Americans could die from the pandemic.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-31--GOP lawmaker slams fellow Republican over stock selloff scandal: 'I am disgusted'

The race for Senate in Georgia is getting ugly , after Rep. Doug Collins attacked appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler for selling off of hundreds of thousands in personal stock right before the market tanked due to coronavirus fears .
`` I am disgusted , but I ca n't say that I am surprised by the actions of Loeffler and those who would put their own interest above that of the American people , '' Collins said Monday , according to Bloomberg 's Erik Wasson .
Loeffler is one of two GOP senators who sold off hundreds of thousands of stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic .
Loeffler also purchased between $ 100,000 and $ 250,000 of stock in Citrix , a company that sells teleworking software — something many companies are now using as employees are forced to work from home — after the briefing , according to the Daily Beast .
Loeffler has defended herself amid calls to resign .
Collins has now seized on the opportunity , apparently viewing the controversy as an opportunity to gain support for his own campaign .
Republicans had always feared a match-up between Collins and Loeffler in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held to fill out the remainder of retired GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson 's term .
All candidates will run on the same ballot in the November election .
If no candidate garners at least 50 % in the race , the two top vote recipients will head to a runoff .
Republicans , including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , have squarely backed Loeffler over Collins , even though Collins was initially Donald Trump 's pick for the seat .
And they tried to force Collins out of the race , thinking that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endanger Republicans ' hold on the seat and hand it over to a Democrat , as Georgia is slowly but surely trending more competitive .
Now , those fears are materializing , as Loeffler finds herself embroiled in a controversy that has attracted loud scrutiny from her own Republican rival .
As of now , it 's unclear if the face-off will change the trajectory of the race , which the political handicapping website Inside Elections rates as a `` likely Republican '' contest .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation @

The race for Senate in Georgia is getting ugly, after Rep. Doug Collins attacked appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler for selling off of hundreds of thousands in personal stock right before the market tanked due to coronavirus fears.
“I am disgusted, but I can’t say that I am surprised by the actions of Loeffler and those who would put their own interest above that of the American people,” Collins said Monday, according to Bloomberg’s Erik Wasson.
Loeffler is one of two GOP senators who sold off hundreds of thousands of stock after an all-senators briefing on the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
Loeffler also purchased between $100,000 and $250,000 of stock in Citrix, a company that sells teleworking software — something many companies are now using as employees are forced to work from home — after the briefing, according to the Daily Beast.
Loeffler has defended herself amid calls to resign.
Collins has now seized on the opportunity, apparently viewing the controversy as an opportunity to gain support for his own campaign.
Republicans had always feared a match-up between Collins and Loeffler in this Senate contest, a special election being held to fill out the remainder of retired GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. All candidates will run on the same ballot in the November election. If no candidate garners at least 50% in the race, the two top vote recipients will head to a runoff.
Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have squarely backed Loeffler over Collins, even though Collins was initially Donald Trump’s pick for the seat.
And they tried to force Collins out of the race, thinking that a protracted battle between Republican candidates could endanger Republicans’ hold on the seat and hand it over to a Democrat, as Georgia is slowly but surely trending more competitive.
Now, those fears are materializing, as Loeffler finds herself embroiled in a controversy that has attracted loud scrutiny from her own Republican rival.
As of now, it’s unclear if the face-off will change the trajectory of the race, which the political handicapping website Inside Elections rates as a “likely Republican” contest.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--Trump keeps trashing governors — but most Americans think they're doing a better job

As the number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus pandemic increases , more than 3 in 5 registered voters ( 61 % ) said Trump was unprepared to handle the outbreak , while only 32 % said he was prepared , according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday .
The poll showed a much more favorable view of governors , with 47 % of respondents saying state leaders were prepared and 45 % saying they were unprepared .
The same poll showed that 62 % rated governors as doing an excellent or good job , with only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In New York , the results of a Siena College poll taken last week and released on Monday also show a stark contrast between opinions of Trump and of the state 's governor .
An overwhelming 87 % of New Yorkers registered to vote approve of how Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , a Democrat , is handling the crisis , including 70 % of Republicans .
The high approval comes even as the state has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the entire country , with more than 76,000 as of Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state 's residents approve of Trump 's handling of the crisis .
In Maryland , a blue state with a Republican governor , more than 80 % of residents approve of Gov .
Larry Hogan 's response to the crisis , according to the results of a poll conducted on the website MarylandReporter.com in the last two weeks of March and released Tuesday .
The positive poll results came even as Trump has been accusing governors of not being prepared .
`` Respirators , ventilators , all of the equipment — try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors during a March 16 conference call , the New York Times reported .
`` We will be backing you , but try getting it yourselves .
Point of sales , much better , much more direct if you can get it yourself . ''
On March 19 , Trump downplayed his own responsibility for helping states deal with the crisis .
`` Governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work , '' Trump said at a White House briefing .
`` The Federal government is not supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then shipping .
You know , we 're not a shipping clerk . ''
Cuomo has repeatedly asked for assistance with ventilators and protective equipment for medical workers in New York , but Trump refused to believe the state needed what Cuomo has requested .
`` I think their estimates are high , '' Trump said of Cuomo 's request for 30,000 ventilators .
On Monday , Trump accused health care workers of stealing masks , saying the protective gear is `` going out the back door . ''
Trump has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , tweeting on March 17 : `` Failing Michigan Governor must work harder and be much more proactive .
We are pushing her to get the job done .
I stand with Michigan ! ''
On March 26 , Whitmer was on the phone with the White House asking for assistance at the same time Trump was calling in to Sean Hannity 's show on Fox News and mocking her .
`` She 's not stepping up , '' Trump said about Whitmer .
`` All she does is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She doesn ’ t get it done .
And we send her a lot . ''
Trump had previously said that governors `` have to treat us well '' in order for states to get the federal support they are requesting .
While Trump blamed state governors for the growing crisis , his own slow response in January and February included repeatedly downplaying the severity of the pandemic .
On Jan. 24 , Trump praised China 's response to the coronavirus outbreak , saying the country was working hard to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will all work out well . ''
On Feb. 2 , three days after issuing restrictions on people traveling from China , Trump again downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak .
`` We pretty much shut it down coming in from China , '' Trump said , adding , `` So we 're gon na see what happens , but we did shut it down , yes . ''
Later that month , on Feb. 26 , Trump predicted that there would soon be no more coronavirus cases in the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero , '' Trump said .
`` That 's a pretty good job we 've done . ''
On that day there were actually 60 confirmed cases , and the number has since grown to more than 188,000 cases as of Wednesday morning .
Trump did not declare a state of emergency until March 13 .
On March 19 , Trump defended his response to the crisis , claiming during a White House briefing , `` Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an epidemic of this proportion . ''
However , in 2016 , President Obama 's National Security Council completed a 69-page playbook with step-by-step tactical and policy options for responding to a health pandemic , Politico reported .
Even though the Trump administration was briefed about the playbook in 2017 , the administration failed to follow the guidance it contained .
`` Donald Trump may not have been expecting this , '' one senior official told the Washington Post in mid-March , `` but a lot of other people in the government were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do anything about it . ''

As the number of infections and deaths from the coronavirus pandemic increases, more than 3 in 5 registered voters (61%) said Trump was unprepared to handle the outbreak, while only 32% said he was prepared, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday.
The poll showed a much more favorable view of governors, with 47% of respondents saying state leaders were prepared and 45% saying they were unprepared.
The same poll showed that 62% rated governors as doing an excellent or good job, with only 43% saying the same of Trump.
In New York, the results of a Siena College poll taken last week and released on Monday also show a stark contrast between opinions of Trump and of the state’s governor.
An overwhelming 87% of New Yorkers registered to vote approve of how Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, is handling the crisis, including 70% of Republicans. The high approval comes even as the state has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the entire country, with more than 76,000 as of Wednesday morning.
But only 41% of the state’s residents approve of Trump’s handling of the crisis.
In Maryland, a blue state with a Republican governor, more than 80% of residents approve of Gov. Larry Hogan’s response to the crisis, according to the results of a poll conducted on the website MarylandReporter.com in the last two weeks of March and released Tuesday.
The positive poll results came even as Trump has been accusing governors of not being prepared.
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,” Trump told governors during a March 16 conference call, the New York Times reported. “We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.”
On March 19, Trump downplayed his own responsibility for helping states deal with the crisis.
“Governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “The Federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping. You know, we’re not a shipping clerk.”
Cuomo has repeatedly asked for assistance with ventilators and protective equipment for medical workers in New York, but Trump refused to believe the state needed what Cuomo has requested.
“I think their estimates are high,” Trump said of Cuomo’s request for 30,000 ventilators.
On Monday, Trump accused health care workers of stealing masks, saying the protective gear is “going out the back door.”
Trump has also repeatedly lashed out at Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, tweeting on March 17: “Failing Michigan Governor must work harder and be much more proactive. We are pushing her to get the job done. I stand with Michigan!”
On March 26, Whitmer was on the phone with the White House asking for assistance at the same time Trump was calling in to Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News and mocking her.
“She’s not stepping up,” Trump said about Whitmer. “All she does is sit there and blame the federal government. She doesn’t get it done. And we send her a lot.”
Trump had previously said that governors “have to treat us well” in order for states to get the federal support they are requesting.
While Trump blamed state governors for the growing crisis, his own slow response in January and February included repeatedly downplaying the severity of the pandemic.
On Jan. 24, Trump praised China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying the country was working hard to contain the virus and reassuring Americans, “It will all work out well.”
On Feb. 2, three days after issuing restrictions on people traveling from China, Trump again downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak.
“We pretty much shut it down coming in from China,” Trump said, adding, “So we’re gonna see what happens, but we did shut it down, yes.”
Later that month, on Feb. 26, Trump predicted that there would soon be no more coronavirus cases in the United States.
“When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero,” Trump said. “That’s a pretty good job we’ve done.”
On that day there were actually 60 confirmed cases, and the number has since grown to more than 188,000 cases as of Wednesday morning.
Trump did not declare a state of emergency until March 13.
On March 19, Trump defended his response to the crisis, claiming during a White House briefing, “Nobody knew there’d be a pandemic or an epidemic of this proportion.”
However, in 2016, President Obama’s National Security Council completed a 69-page playbook with step-by-step tactical and policy options for responding to a health pandemic, Politico reported. Even though the Trump administration was briefed about the playbook in 2017, the administration failed to follow the guidance it contained.
“Donald Trump may not have been expecting this,” one senior official told the Washington Post in mid-March, “but a lot of other people in the government were — they just couldn’t get him to do anything about it.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--GOP governor complains about 'dramatic' effort to fight coronavirus

Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson has been slow to respond to the coronavirus outbreak in his state , and now his allies in the state Senate are publicly resisting efforts to keep residents safe .
On Wednesday , the U.S. surgeon general advised that social distancing and staying at home were the best ways to prevent further spread of the coronavirus .
Parson has refused to issue a stay-at-home order thus far .
`` With social distancing , limited gatherings to no more than 10 and forced business closings under government threat , it seems as if governments have moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a March 27 newsletter post on the Senate 's official website .
Emery , who endorsed Parson 's run for governor in 2019 , hoped that people would `` reject having government direct our lives at the expense of our liberty '' lest `` we think ourselves more helpless than ever without government and submit to even more collectivist central planning . ''
Emery is `` wrong on the facts , '' his newsletter was `` appalling , '' and he `` seems to think the coronavirus is some Marxist plot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas City Star wrote after the post was published .
In late March , State Sen. Cindy O'Laughlin praised Parson for resisting efforts to `` shut everyone down '' to stem the spread of the pandemic .
In a March 22 Facebook post viewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch , O'Laughlin , who also endorsed Parson in 2019 , wrote , `` I see no time in the history of this country when perfectly healthy people have been basically confined to their homes or only able to do essential things as in Kansas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider this unconstitutional and it needs ( to be ) challenged . ''
Parson , Emery , and O'Laughlin are ignoring the pleas of the Missouri State Medical Association , which called on Parson to issue a stay-at-home order on March 23 .
`` If things progress as is , COVID-19 patients will deplete the state 's available hospital beds , ventilators , and precious personal protection equipment , '' the group wrote .
`` Any additional time without a 'shelter-in-place ' requirement wastes crucial health care resources , including manpower . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , saying he fears it would hurt the state economically .
`` The effects that 'll have on everyday people are dramatic , '' Parson said on March 26 .
`` That means businesses will close , people will lose their jobs , the economy will be in worse shape than ever . ''
However , a study of cities that experienced the 1918 flu epidemic found that those that implemented more aggressive social distancing policies saw quicker economic recovery after the pandemic .
In contrast to Parson 's approach , Emil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , said he and the study 's co-authors found `` no evidence that cities that acted more aggressively in public health terms performed worse in economic terms .
If anything , the cities that acted more aggressively performed better . ''
Between last week and this week , Missouri reported a 600 % increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases , the largest increase in the nation over that time period , according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch .
The neighboring state of Illinois , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the number of infections grow by 237 % .
At least 16 people in Missouri have died from the virus as of Wednesday afternoon .
States that have taken aggressive action , such as stay-at-home orders , are able to `` flatten their curve '' of infection rates , Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Wednesday morning , adding that it `` usually takes about three to four weeks from the time you start to lean into it before you level off . ''
As of Wednesday afternoon , there were at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the New York Times .
At least 4,540 people have died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has been slow to respond to the coronavirus outbreak in his state, and now his allies in the state Senate are publicly resisting efforts to keep residents safe.
On Wednesday, the U.S. surgeon general advised that social distancing and staying at home were the best ways to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
Parson has refused to issue a stay-at-home order thus far.
State Sen. Ed Emery, a Republican, recently compared social distancing with authoritarian government overreach.
“With social distancing, limited gatherings to no more than 10 and forced business closings under government threat, it seems as if governments have moved from informing to ordering,” he wrote in a March 27 newsletter post on the Senate’s official website.
Emery, who endorsed Parson’s run for governor in 2019, hoped that people would “reject having government direct our lives at the expense of our liberty” lest “we think ourselves more helpless than ever without government and submit to even more collectivist central planning.”
Emery is “wrong on the facts,” his newsletter was “appalling,” and he “seems to think the coronavirus is some Marxist plot,” the editorial board of the Kansas City Star wrote after the post was published.
In late March, State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin praised Parson for resisting efforts to “shut everyone down” to stem the spread of the pandemic.
In a March 22 Facebook post viewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, O’Laughlin, who also endorsed Parson in 2019, wrote, “I see no time in the history of this country when perfectly healthy people have been basically confined to their homes or only able to do essential things as in Kansas City or St. Louis. Frankly I consider this unconstitutional and it needs (to be) challenged.”
Parson, Emery, and O’Laughlin are ignoring the pleas of the Missouri State Medical Association, which called on Parson to issue a stay-at-home order on March 23.
“If things progress as is, COVID-19 patients will deplete the state’s available hospital beds, ventilators, and precious personal protection equipment,” the group wrote. “Any additional time without a ‘shelter-in-place’ requirement wastes crucial health care resources, including manpower.”
Parson has refused to issue such an order, saying he fears it would hurt the state economically.
“The effects that’ll have on everyday people are dramatic,” Parson said on March 26. “That means businesses will close, people will lose their jobs, the economy will be in worse shape than ever.”
However, a study of cities that experienced the 1918 flu epidemic found that those that implemented more aggressive social distancing policies saw quicker economic recovery after the pandemic.
In contrast to Parson’s approach, Emil Verner, an assistant professor of finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he and the study’s co-authors found “no evidence that cities that acted more aggressively in public health terms performed worse in economic terms. If anything, the cities that acted more aggressively performed better.”
Between last week and this week, Missouri reported a 600% increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, the largest increase in the nation over that time period, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The neighboring state of Illinois, which had a stay-at-home order in place, saw the number of infections grow by 237%.
At least 16 people in Missouri have died from the virus as of Wednesday afternoon.
States that have taken aggressive action, such as stay-at-home orders, are able to “flatten their curve” of infection rates, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Wednesday morning, adding that it “usually takes about three to four weeks from the time you start to lean into it before you level off.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were at least 205,000 confirmed cases in the United States, according to the New York Times. At least 4,540 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--12 GOP governors are still refusing to issue stay-at-home orders

The governors of Florida , Nevada , and Pennsylvania joined scores of other states in issuing stay-at-home orders this week in an attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus .
But as of Wednesday afternoon , 12 governors — all Republicans — had still not done so .
On Wednesday , Surgeon General Jerome Adams was asked about governors who had refused to issue statewide state-at-home directives .
`` My advice to America would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order , '' he told NBC News .
Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott has not used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his `` essential services and activities '' order effectively amounted to one .
The 13 who have not issued orders include : Gov .
Kay Ivy told reporters last week , `` Folks , at this point , we have no current plans [ for a shelter-in-place order ] . ''
She noted , `` Y'all , we are not California , we 're not New York and we are n't even Louisiana . ''
Some parts of the state have issued local stay-at-home orders .
Gov .
Asa Hutchinson has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he tweeted that social distancing efforts in the state were working .
`` This gives Arkansans an objective : to do our part by being self-disciplined , following @ ADHPIO guidelines , limiting our social gatherings , and maintaining social distancing to beat projections , '' he wrote .
`` This will save lives and help us overcome this crisis more quickly . ''
Gov .
Brian Kemp said last week that he would not yet issue a stay-at-home order , saying he wanted to protect jobs and balance the needs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I still have arrows in the quiver if you will , if things get worse , '' he noted .
Some parts of the state have issued local stay-at-home orders .
Gov .
Kim Reynolds urged Iowans to voluntarily practice social distancing on Tuesday , saying , `` I ca n't lock the state down .
I can ’ t lock everybody in their home . ''
Gov .
Mike Parson has declined to issue a stay-at-home order , encouraging `` personal responsibility '' and local control instead .
Some parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Pete Ricketts said last week that he was not considering a `` stay at home '' mandate , as doing so was unnecessary .
Gov .
Doug Burgum said last week that he was not considering a stay-at-home order .
`` That 's the beauty , '' he said .
`` Fifty state governors , many who share borders and supplies , can approach the situation differently .
It 's not about staying home , it 's about avoiding contact . ''
On Sunday , Gov .
Kevin Stitt issued an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to self-quarantine for 14 days .
Thus far , he has only ordered `` vulnerable populations '' from in-state to remain at home .
Some parts of the state have issued local stay-at-home orders .
Gov .
Henry McMaster closed nonessential businesses on Tuesday but did not issue a stay-at-home order .
`` We are not ordering people to stay at home , but from the very beginning we 've been telling people to stay home ... and a lot of people are staying home , '' he said .
Parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gov .
Kristi Noem has encouraged , but not ordered South Dakotans to stay home .
She said last week that the state was `` not at that point '' and said she had no plans to do so .
Gov .
Gary Herbert issued a `` stay safe , stay home '' directive last week , urging Utahns to `` stay at home whenever possible . ''
However , he noted that it was `` not a shelter in place order . ''
As in other states , some parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Mark Gordon said on Monday that he was not yet issuing a stay-at-home order , but that one might come .
`` If we 're going to issue a shelter in place or stay at home order , it will not have multiple exemptions .
It will be a true stay-at-home order , '' he told reporters .
Some parts of the state have issued local stay-at-home orders .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The governors of Florida, Nevada, and Pennsylvania joined scores of other states in issuing stay-at-home orders this week in an attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. But as of Wednesday afternoon, eight governors — all Republicans — had still not done so.
On Wednesday, Surgeon General Jerome Adams was asked about governors who had refused to issue statewide state-at-home directives. “My advice to America would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order,” he told NBC News.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has not used the term “stay-at-home” but acknowledged Tuesday that his “essential services and activities” order effectively amounted to one.
The eight who have not issued orders include:
Arkansas
Gov. Asa Hutchinson has not issued a stay-at-home order. On Tuesday, he tweeted that social distancing efforts in the state were working.
“This gives Arkansans an objective: to do our part by being self-disciplined, following @ADHPIO guidelines, limiting our social gatherings, and maintaining social distancing to beat projections,” he wrote. “This will save lives and help us overcome this crisis more quickly.”
Iowa
Gov. Kim Reynolds urged Iowans to voluntarily practice social distancing on Tuesday, saying, “I can’t lock the state down. I can’t lock everybody in their home.”
Nebraska
Gov. Pete Ricketts said last week that he was not considering a “stay at home” mandate, as doing so was unnecessary.
North Dakota
Gov. Doug Burgum said last week that he was not considering a stay-at-home order. “That’s the beauty,” he said. “Fifty state governors, many who share borders and supplies, can approach the situation differently. It’s not about staying home, it’s about avoiding contact.”
Oklahoma
On Sunday, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an order requiring travelers from six other states to self-quarantine for 14 days. Thus far, he has only ordered “vulnerable populations” from in-state to remain at home.
Some parts of the state have issued local stay-at-home orders.
South Dakota
Gov. Kristi Noem has encouraged, but not ordered South Dakotans to stay home. She said last week that the state was “not at that point” and said she had no plans to do so.
Utah
Gov. Gary Herbert issued a “stay safe, stay home” directive last week, urging Utahns to “stay at home whenever possible.” However, he noted that it was “not a shelter in place order.”
As in other states, some parts of Utah have issued local stay-at-home orders.
Wyoming
Gov. Mark Gordon said on Monday that he was not yet issuing a stay-at-home order, but that one might come.
“If we’re going to issue a shelter in place or stay at home order, it will not have multiple exemptions. It will be a true stay-at-home order,” he told reporters.
Some parts of the state have issued local stay-at-home orders.
Updated after Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves issued a statewide stay-at-home order on April 1. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also signed a shelter-in-place order on April 2, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster finally issued a stay-at-home order on Monday, April 6.
The story has also been updated to note that Alabama Gov. Kay Ivy issued a stay-at-home order on April 3, set to expire on April 30; Missouri Gov. Mike Parson issued a similar order, effective April 6.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--Kellyanne Conway attacks Biden for following stay-at-home orders

In response to Vice President Joe Biden 's criticism of the Trump administration 's slow response to the coronavirus , White House aide Kellyanne Conway told Fox News ' `` Fox & Friends '' on Wednesday morning that Biden was `` in his bunker in Wilmington . ''
She then quickly asserted , `` We 're not talking about politics here at the White House . ''
Conway elaborated on her statement later in the day .
From April 1 at the White House : REPORTER : Kellyanne , you just said that `` Why does n't Vice President Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance ? ''
But we heard from President Trump saying that if he thought he had something to learn from past administrations , he 'd pick up the phone and have those conversations .
So , does this administration want the support of previous leadership — KELLYANNE CONWAY : Let 's talk about President , Vice President Biden , because I was specifically asked about him and his criticism of President Trump and the efforts that we 're working on 24/7 around the clock here .
And you 're all covering the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're talking to our health professionals , our Cabinet members , the president , the vice president , senior staff , as you need to .
So I find it to be petty and a tinge of partisanship and completely unhelpful to the American population to have a former vice president who was here for eight years , in his bunker in Wilmington , just lobbing criticisms , reading from prepared notes — and not that well — when we are looking at this decidedly non-politically .
I really have no time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're talking about ventilators and vaccines , that 's our focus now .
So , I 've seen some of his interviews — if I can get through them — painful to watch , I try to read them instead .
But I have n't learned a single thing in those interviews that would help one American that we 're not helping .
So if he can say that – he 's got a big platform , he 's got a lot of fans out there who ca n't get enough of Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so if he would actually say something in response to question or offer an insight we could take that up .
REPORTER : But when you say he 's in his bunker , are you suggesting that Vice President Biden should be disregarding federal guidelines and be out there — CONWAY : No , and you know I 'm not .
So let 's not be silly .
Let 's not be silly .
Let 's not be silly about it .
REPORTER : What are you implying — CONWAY : I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm not implying a single thing .
I wonder what you 're implying .
But I 'm not implying a single thing other than , he 's out there , daily now , I do n't know who gave him that advice , he 's out there daily — maybe it 's some of those [ unintelligible ] consultants — and he 's saying things that are critical and often inaccurate and false instead of trying to be helpful .
If he wishes to be helpful he could be helpful , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not implying it I 'm stating it pretty clearly : The critics and naysayers , whoever they are , have never seemed so small and so shrill and so irrelevant as they do right now when we have dozens and dozens of companies helping .
We have Democratic female leaders on these governor 's calls , thanking the president and vice president and saying , `` We 've had great collaboration and coordination with your task force , with FEMA and with the government , and here 's the specific ask that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
We 've had person after person coming through , we 've had bipartisan , bicameral legislation come to the president 's desk several times now that he has signed immediately to give relief to individuals and industries that are in specific distress , which is most of America , if not all of America , and so I think that critics have never seemed so irrelevant and so small .
And if you 're a former vice president and you have some type of visibility , you have a great idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't save it for the debates in September and October , if he makes it there , if he 's the nominee , as I see he 's the front-runner .
But I really have no time for Bernie and Biden when we 're talking about ventilators and vaccines here .
So I 'm not implying anything , he can stay in the bunker all he wants , he can cough into , sneeze into his hands all he wants , he can read from prepared notes all he wants , I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Biden that would be helpful to the American people that was different from what we 're doing .
If he 's got one he can call the switchboard , I 'll put him right through .

In response to Vice President Joe Biden’s criticism of the Trump administration’s slow response to the coronavirus, White House aide Kellyanne Conway told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday morning that Biden was “in his bunker in Wilmington.” She then quickly asserted, “We’re not talking about politics here at the White House.”
Conway elaborated on her statement later in the day.
From April 1 at the White House:
REPORTER: Kellyanne, you just said that “Why doesn’t Vice President Biden call the White House and offer his assistance?” But we heard from President Trump saying that if he thought he had something to learn from past administrations, he’d pick up the phone and have those conversations. So, does this administration want the support of previous leadership —
KELLYANNE CONWAY: Let’s talk about President, Vice President Biden, because I was specifically asked about him and his criticism of President Trump and the efforts that we’re working on 24/7 around the clock here.
And you’re all covering the press conferences, the press briefings, you’re talking to our health professionals, our Cabinet members, the president, the vice president, senior staff, as you need to. So I find it to be petty and a tinge of partisanship and completely unhelpful to the American population to have a former vice president who was here for eight years, in his bunker in Wilmington, just lobbing criticisms, reading from prepared notes — and not that well — when we are looking at this decidedly non-politically.
I really have no time to talk about Biden and Bernie when we’re talking about ventilators and vaccines, that’s our focus now. So, I’ve seen some of his interviews — if I can get through them — painful to watch, I try to read them instead. But I haven’t learned a single thing in those interviews that would help one American that we’re not helping. So if he can say that – he’s got a big platform, he’s got a lot of fans out there who can’t get enough of Joe Biden in the bunker in Delaware – so if he would actually say something in response to question or offer an insight we could take that up.
REPORTER: But when you say he’s in his bunker, are you suggesting that Vice President Biden should be disregarding federal guidelines and be out there —
CONWAY: No, and you know I’m not. So let’s not be silly. Let’s not be silly. Let’s not be silly about it.
REPORTER: What are you implying —
CONWAY: I’m not implying anything, in fact I’m not implying a single thing. I wonder what you’re implying. But I’m not implying a single thing other than, he’s out there, daily now, I don’t know who gave him that advice, he’s out there daily — maybe it’s some of those [unintelligible] consultants — and he’s saying things that are critical and often inaccurate and false instead of trying to be helpful.
If he wishes to be helpful he could be helpful, and I have to tell you, I’m not implying it I’m stating it pretty clearly: The critics and naysayers, whoever they are, have never seemed so small and so shrill and so irrelevant as they do right now when we have dozens and dozens of companies helping. We have Democratic female leaders on these governor’s calls, thanking the president and vice president and saying, “We’ve had great collaboration and coordination with your task force, with FEMA and with the government, and here’s the specific ask that we need now, could you help us?”
We’ve had person after person coming through, we’ve had bipartisan, bicameral legislation come to the president’s desk several times now that he has signed immediately to give relief to individuals and industries that are in specific distress, which is most of America, if not all of America, and so I think that critics have never seemed so irrelevant and so small.
And if you’re a former vice president and you have some type of visibility, you have a great idea, let’s hear it. Don’t save it for the debates in September and October, if he makes it there, if he’s the nominee, as I see he’s the front-runner.
But I really have no time for Bernie and Biden when we’re talking about ventilators and vaccines here. So I’m not implying anything, he can stay in the bunker all he wants, he can cough into, sneeze into his hands all he wants, he can read from prepared notes all he wants, I’m yet to hear a single idea from Vice President Biden that would be helpful to the American people that was different from what we’re doing. If he’s got one he can call the switchboard, I’ll put him right through.


shareblue--2020-04-01--Daily Cuomo: The federal government is our 'only hope'

During his daily press briefing on the coronavirus on Wednesday , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo was asked if he believed the Trump administration was being honest about the supply of ventilators available to the states .
`` I do n't know , '' he said , `` but I pray that they do because that is the only option . ''
ANDREW CUOMO : I do n't know what they have in the stockpile .
I only know what I read — and look , I was in the federal government .
I do n't even know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple stockpiles ?
I do n't know .
Do I think the federal government has enough in the collective stockpiles ?
Enough in their possession to meet the need ?
I do n't know , but I pray that they do because that is the only option .
I can not buy a ventilator for a million dollars .
Well , maybe for a million dollars I could buy a ventilator .
But you can not buy ventilators .
Remarkably , in a real cruel twist of fate , China is the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all comes back to China .
Where do we get the masks ?
China .
Where do we get the gowns ?
China .
Where do we get the gloves ?
China .
Where do we get the ventilators ?
China .
I mean it 's — I do n't know how we got into this position .
And then China is selling to the world , literally .
So a state — and every governor will tell you this — they 're trying to buy , I 'm trying to buy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it all comes back to China .
And then you have the federal government that is also buying , so really , the only hope for a state , at this point , is the federal government 's capacity to deliver .

During his daily press briefing on the coronavirus on Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was asked if he believed the Trump administration was being honest about the supply of ventilators available to the states. “I don’t know,” he said, “but I pray that they do because that is the only option.”
From the April 1 press briefing:
ANDREW CUOMO: I don’t know what they have in the stockpile. I only know what I read — and look, I was in the federal government. I don’t even know, is there one stockpile, are there multiple stockpiles? I don’t know.
Do I think the federal government has enough in the collective stockpiles? Enough in their possession to meet the need? I don’t know, but I pray that they do because that is the only option.
I cannot buy a ventilator for a million dollars. Well, maybe for a million dollars I could buy a ventilator. But you cannot buy ventilators.
Remarkably, in a real cruel twist of fate, China is the main manufacturer for all these things. It all comes back to China. Where do we get the masks? China. Where do we get the gowns? China. Where do we get the gloves? China. Where do we get the ventilators? China.
I mean it’s — I don’t know how we got into this position. And then China is selling to the world, literally. So a state — and every governor will tell you this — they’re trying to buy, I’m trying to buy, I’m calling everyone I know, but it all comes back to China.
And then you have the federal government that is also buying, so really, the only hope for a state, at this point, is the federal government’s capacity to deliver.


shareblue--2020-04-01--Surgeon general: 'These guidelines are a national stay-at-home order'

Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Wednesday said Americans should consider the Trump administration 's social distancing guidelines `` a national stay-at-home order . ''
Adams made the remarks during an interview on NBC 's `` Today '' show after being asked about Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ' refusal to issue a stay-at-home order without federal guidance .
`` The task force has not recommended that to me , '' DeSantis said in the clip .
`` If they do , obviously that would be something that would carry a lot of weight with me . ''
In response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My advice to American would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order .
...
The more we social distance , the more we stay at home , the less spread of disease there will be . ''
On Wednesday afternoon , hours after that interview , DeSantis announced a statewide stay-at-home order that will go into effect on Thursday .
Several times during the NBC interview , the surgeon general displayed a copy of the administration 's `` 30 Days To Slow the Spread '' guidelines , which encourage Americans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 10 people , and avoid discretionary travel .
He praised states such as California and Washington that have implemented aggressive mitigation tactics , including stay-at-home orders .
Those states are able to `` flatten their curve '' of infection rates , he said , adding that it `` usually takes about three to four weeks from the time you start to lean into it before you level off '' infection rates .
However , Adams refused to call on governors who have not issued stay-at-home orders to do so .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a system of federalism , and the governors get to make the decisions , '' Adams said .
`` But we 're going to give them the best possible guidance we can , and that 's to stay at home and social distance . ''
The 16 states that have not issued stay-at-home orders as of Wednesday afternoon are Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Mississippi , Missouri , Nebraska , Nevada , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , South Dakota , Texas , Utah , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Nevada have Republican governors .
Prior to Wednesday 's stay-at-home order , DeSantis had refused to close the beaches in Florida .
`` Were there people out there [ on the beaches ] ?
Damn right there were , '' DeSantis said at a Tuesday press conference , according to the Washington Post .
Instead , DeSantis set up interstate checkpoints to screen drivers and passengers from New York and Louisiana entering the state , directing them to self-quarantine for 14 days .
As of Tuesday evening , Florida had more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ double the number the state had reported late last week , the Post added .
Before Wednesday , Florida was the only state with more than 5,000 confirmed cases that did not have a stay-at-home order in place .
Another growing national hotspot , Missouri , saw a 600 % increase in the number of cases from last week to this week , according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch , which reported that the state had the largest increase in the nation over that time period .
On March 23 , the Missouri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parson to issue a statewide stay-at-home order .
`` If things progress as is , COVID-19 patients will deplete the state 's available hospital beds , ventilators , and precious personal protection equipment , '' the group 's letter stated .
`` Any additional time without a 'shelter-in-place ' requirement wastes crucial health care resources , including manpower . ''
Parson refused to heed the request .
`` The effects that 'll have on everyday people are dramatic , '' Parson said on March 25 .
`` That means businesses will close , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy will be in worse shape than ever . ''
One day prior to those comments , the governor had claimed he and other Missourians understood the full extent of the outbreak .
`` I do n't believe I am costing lives at all , '' Parson had said on March 24 .
At that time , the state death toll was eight people .
`` I believe we as Missourians understand what this crisis is , '' he added .
As of Wednesday morning , Missouri had more than 1,300 confirmed COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died .
Across the country , the number of confirmed cases has risen to at least 188,247 , and more than 3,900 people have died .
On Sunday , Donald Trump predicted that between 100,000 and 200,000 people would likely die from the outbreak ; his administration estimated millions of people would become infected .
While some governors drag their feet , even Trump , who recently wanted the country to lift social distancing guidelines by Easter Sunday , April 12 , has backed away from that plan at the behest of medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Wednesday said Americans should consider the Trump administration’s social distancing guidelines “a national stay-at-home order.”
Adams made the remarks during an interview on NBC’s “Today” show after being asked about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ refusal to issue a stay-at-home order without federal guidance.
“The task force has not recommended that to me,” DeSantis said in the clip. “If they do, obviously that would be something that would carry a lot of weight with me.”
In response to that clip, Adams said, “My advice to American would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order. … The more we social distance, the more we stay at home, the less spread of disease there will be.”
On Wednesday afternoon, hours after that interview, DeSantis announced a statewide stay-at-home order that will go into effect on Thursday.
Several times during the NBC interview, the surgeon general displayed a copy of the administration’s “30 Days To Slow the Spread” guidelines, which encourage Americans to work from home, avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, and avoid discretionary travel.
He praised states such as California and Washington that have implemented aggressive mitigation tactics, including stay-at-home orders. Those states are able to “flatten their curve” of infection rates, he said, adding that it “usually takes about three to four weeks from the time you start to lean into it before you level off” infection rates.
However, Adams refused to call on governors who have not issued stay-at-home orders to do so.
“We live in a nation that has a system of federalism, and the governors get to make the decisions,” Adams said. “But we’re going to give them the best possible guidance we can, and that’s to stay at home and social distance.”
The 16 states that have not issued stay-at-home orders as of Wednesday afternoon are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. All of them except Pennsylvania and Nevada have Republican governors.
Prior to Wednesday’s stay-at-home order, DeSantis had refused to close the beaches in Florida.
“Were there people out there [on the beaches]? Damn right there were,” DeSantis said at a Tuesday press conference, according to the Washington Post.
Instead, DeSantis set up interstate checkpoints to screen drivers and passengers from New York and Louisiana entering the state, directing them to self-quarantine for 14 days.
As of Tuesday evening, Florida had more than 6,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases, more than double the number the state had reported late last week, the Post added. Before Wednesday, Florida was the only state with more than 5,000 confirmed cases that did not have a stay-at-home order in place.
Another growing national hotspot, Missouri, saw a 600% increase in the number of cases from last week to this week, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which reported that the state had the largest increase in the nation over that time period.
On March 23, the Missouri State Medical Association asked Gov. Mike Parson to issue a statewide stay-at-home order.
“If things progress as is, COVID-19 patients will deplete the state’s available hospital beds, ventilators, and precious personal protection equipment,” the group’s letter stated. “Any additional time without a ‘shelter-in-place’ requirement wastes crucial health care resources, including manpower.”
Parson refused to heed the request. “The effects that’ll have on everyday people are dramatic,” Parson said on March 25. “That means businesses will close, people will lose their jobs, the economy will be in worse shape than ever.”
One day prior to those comments, the governor had claimed he and other Missourians understood the full extent of the outbreak.
“I don’t believe I am costing lives at all,” Parson had said on March 24. At that time, the state death toll was eight people.
“I believe we as Missourians understand what this crisis is,” he added.
As of Wednesday morning, Missouri had more than 1,300 confirmed COVID-19 cases. At least 15 people have died.
Across the country, the number of confirmed cases has risen to at least 188,247, and more than 3,900 people have died. On Sunday, Donald Trump predicted that between 100,000 and 200,000 people would likely die from the outbreak; his administration estimated millions of people would become infected.
While some governors drag their feet, even Trump, who recently wanted the country to lift social distancing guidelines by Easter Sunday, April 12 , has backed away from that plan at the behest of medical experts, extending the guidelines through April 30.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--Pence says Trump never 'belittled' coronavirus threat. Here are 19 times he did.

Mike Pence on Wednesday tried to rewrite history when he said Donald Trump never `` belittled '' the threat of the novel coronavirus , despite ample evidence showing Trump doing just that .
`` I do n't believe the president has ever belittled the threat of the coronavirus , '' Pence said on CNN , disputing the characterization from anchor Wolf Blitzer that Trump did n't take the virus seriously early on .
Blitzer was pointing to comments from the White House daily briefing on Tuesday , when Trump admitted that he downplayed the virus early on because he wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the threat .
`` I knew everything .
I knew it could be horrible , I knew it could be maybe good , '' Trump said at a news conference at the White House .
`` I do n't want to be a negative person . ''
Trump has downplayed the virus in numerous ways .
In January , he said that the virus would n't spread in the United States even while experts were warning otherwise .
In February , Trump said — without evidence — that the virus would just go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And in March , he downplayed how bad the virus itself was for people who contracted it , comparing it to the flu and suggesting that strict social distancing measures were unnecessary .
Here are 19 times Trump downplayed — or `` belittled '' — the virus and the threat it posed .
Jan. 22 : `` We have it totally under control .
It 's one person coming in from China , and we have it under control .
It 's going to be just fine , '' Trump said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Working closely with China and others on Coronavirus outbreak .
Only 5 people in U.S. , all in good recovery , '' Trump tweeted .
Feb. 7 : Trump tweeted that , `` as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker , and then gone . ''
Feb. 10 : `` Now , the virus that we 're talking about having to do — you know , a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat — as the heat comes in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , '' Trump said at a White House event with governors .
Feb. 10 : `` Looks like by April , you know , in theory , when it gets a little warmer , it miraculously goes away , '' Trump said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire .
Feb. 19 : `` I think when we get into April , in the warmer weather , that has a very negative effect on that and that type of a virus .
So let 's see what happens , but I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump said in an interview with a local Fox News affiliate in Arizona .
Feb. 24 : `` The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA .
We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries .
CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart .
Stock Market starting to look very good to me ! ''
Trump tweeted .
Feb. 26 : `` When you have 15 people , and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty good job we ’ ve done , '' Trump said at a White House news conference .
Feb. 27 : `` Congratulations and thank you to our great Vice President & all of the many professionals doing such a fine job at CDC & all other agencies on the Coronavirus situation .
Only a very small number in U.S. , & China numbers look to be going down .
All countries working well together ! ''
Trump tweeted .
Feb. 27 : `` It ’ s going to disappear .
One day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will disappear , '' Trump said at a White House news conference .
Feb. 28 : `` The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus .
This is their new hoax , '' Trump said at a campaign rally in South Carolina .
March 4 : `` Some people will have this at a very light level and won ’ t even go to a doctor or hospital , and they 'll get better .
There are many people like that , '' Trump said at a briefing with the CEOs of some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 : `` With approximately 100,000 CoronaVirus cases worldwide , and 3,280 deaths , the United States , because of quick action on closing our borders , has , as of now , only 129 cases ( 40 Americans brought in ) and 11 deaths .
We are working very hard to keep these numbers as low as possible ! ''
Trump tweeted .
March 9 : `` The Fake News Media and their partner , the Democrat Party , is doing everything within its semi-considerable power ( it used to be greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , far beyond what the facts would warrant .
Surgeon General , 'The risk is low to the average American . '
'' Trump tweeted .
March 9 : `` So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu .
It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year .
Nothing is shut down , life & the economy go on .
At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus , with 22 deaths .
Think about that ! ''
Trump tweeted .
March 10 : `` We 're prepared , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it .
And it will go away .
Just stay calm .
It will go away , '' Trump said at a briefing with Republican senators .
March 23 : `` America will again , and soon , be open for business — very soon — a lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting .
A lot sooner .
We can not let the cure be worse than the problem itself .
We 're not going to let the cure be worse than the problem , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
March 24 : `` I 'd love to have it open by Easter , I would love to have it open by Easter , I will tell you that right now .
I would love to have that , '' Trump said at a Fox News town hall .
March 24 : `` We 've never closed down the country for the flu .
So you say to yourself , 'What is this all about ? '
`` Trump said at the Fox News town hall , again wrongly comparing COVID-19 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American Independent Foundation .

Mike Pence on Wednesday tried to rewrite history when he said Donald Trump never “belittled” the threat of the novel coronavirus, despite ample evidence showing Trump doing just that.
“I don’t believe the president has ever belittled the threat of the coronavirus,” Pence said on CNN, disputing the characterization from anchor Wolf Blitzer that Trump didn’t take the virus seriously early on.
Blitzer was pointing to comments from the White House daily briefing on Tuesday, when Trump admitted that he downplayed the virus early on because he wanted to be optimistic but has since realized the threat.
“I knew everything. I knew it could be horrible, I knew it could be maybe good,” Trump said at a news conference at the White House. “I don’t want to be a negative person.”
Trump has downplayed the virus in numerous ways.
In January, he said that the virus wouldn’t spread in the United States even while experts were warning otherwise.
In February, Trump said — without evidence — that the virus would just go away in April without any measures taken.
And in March, he downplayed how bad the virus itself was for people who contracted it, comparing it to the flu and suggesting that strict social distancing measures were unnecessary.
Here are 19 times Trump downplayed — or “belittled” — the virus and the threat it posed.
Jan. 22: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC.
Jan. 30: “Working closely with China and others on Coronavirus outbreak. Only 5 people in U.S., all in good recovery,” Trump tweeted.
Feb. 7: Trump tweeted that, “as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone.”
Feb. 10: “Now, the virus that we’re talking about having to do — you know, a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat — as the heat comes in. Typically, that will go away in April,” Trump said at a White House event with governors.
Feb. 10: “Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away,” Trump said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire.
Feb. 19: “I think when we get into April, in the warmer weather, that has a very negative effect on that and that type of a virus. So let’s see what happens, but I think it’s going to work out fine,” Trump said in an interview with a local Fox News affiliate in Arizona.
Feb. 24: “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!” Trump tweeted.
Feb. 26: “When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done,” Trump said at a White House news conference.
Feb. 27: “Congratulations and thank you to our great Vice President & all of the many professionals doing such a fine job at CDC & all other agencies on the Coronavirus situation. Only a very small number in U.S., & China numbers look to be going down. All countries working well together!” Trump tweeted.
Feb. 27: “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear,” Trump said at a White House news conference.
Feb. 28: “The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus. This is their new hoax,” Trump said at a campaign rally in South Carolina.
March 4: “Some people will have this at a very light level and won’t even go to a doctor or hospital, and they’ll get better. There are many people like that,” Trump said at a briefing with the CEOs of some of the country’s major airlines.
March 5: “With approximately 100,000 CoronaVirus cases worldwide, and 3,280 deaths, the United States, because of quick action on closing our borders, has, as of now, only 129 cases (40 Americans brought in) and 11 deaths. We are working very hard to keep these numbers as low as possible!” Trump tweeted.
March 9: “The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Surgeon General, ‘The risk is low to the average American.'” Trump tweeted.
March 9: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!” Trump tweeted.
March 10: “We’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away,” Trump said at a briefing with Republican senators.
March 23: “America will again, and soon, be open for business — very soon — a lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting. A lot sooner. We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself. We’re not going to let the cure be worse than the problem,” Trump said at a White House news conference.
March 24: “I’d love to have it open by Easter, I would love to have it open by Easter, I will tell you that right now. I would love to have that,” Trump said at a Fox News town hall.
March 24: “We’ve never closed down the country for the flu. So you say to yourself, ‘What is this all about?’ ” Trump said at the Fox News town hall, again wrongly comparing COVID-19 to the flu.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--GOP Senate candidate: I'm not 'being racist at all' by using racist term

New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc is insisting on using a racist term for coronavirus , incorrectly calling it the `` China Coronavirus . ''
`` This is n't being racist at all , '' Bolduc said during a March 21 interview with WSMN 1590 radio host Dianna Ploss .
`` I 'm not a racist person at all .
I served 33 years in the military , an institution that was the first to desegregate of any in our society in 1948 .
So I really don ’ t want to hear any noise that gets thrown at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call this the China coronavirus or the president does , or anybody else does , because it is , you know .
And I 'm not racist about it . ''
Bolduc was referring to numerous instances of Donald Trump using racist phrases to refer to the new coronavirus .
The Bolduc campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
Health officials have warned against using terms like `` China virus , '' `` China coronavirus , '' and `` Wuhan coronavirus , '' even if the virus was first reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Control and Prevention said that `` stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate a disease , such as COVID-19 , with a population or nationality , even though not everyone in that population or from that region is specifically at risk for the disease . ''
The agency added that eliminating stigma `` is important to making communities and community members resilient . ''
The World Health Organization has also warned against using racist terms for diseases .
What a virus is called `` may seem like a trivial issue to some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the people who are directly affected , '' Keiji Fukuda , then the organization 's assistant director-general for health security , said in 2015 .
`` We 've seen certain disease names provoke a backlash against members of particular religious or ethnic communities , '' he added .
Hate crimes against Asians in the United States have increased in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic , and some leaders in the Asian American community point to racist language like that used by Trump and Bolduc as contributing to the problem .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents being reported against Asians due to the coronavirus in the last five weeks , '' Rep. Judy Chu ( D-CA ) , chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus , told MSNBC Tuesday `` And now the hate incidents are coming in at about 100 per day . ''
Chu described a stabbing of a family of three , including two children , at a Sam 's Club store in Texas by someone who said they wanted to kill Asians .
Chu said that the racist incidents are not helped when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese virus . ''
`` Every time he says that , it just fans the flames of xenophobia , '' Chu added .
Despite the warnings from health officials and incidents of hate crimes , many Republicans continue to use racist terms .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy used the term `` Chinese virus '' in a March 10 tweet from his official account .
Rep. Jeff Duncan ( R-SC ) , just one day later , posted on Facebook defending his use of racist language , claiming his critics should stop worrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is NOT what we should be spending our time on , '' he wrote .
On March 25 , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly refused to sign on to a G-7 statement about the global pandemic because other world leaders refused to agree with his demand to call the virus the `` Wuhan virus . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate Don Bolduc is insisting on using a racist term for coronavirus, incorrectly calling it the “China Coronavirus.”
“This isn’t being racist at all,” Bolduc said during a March 21 interview with WSMN 1590 radio host Dianna Ploss. “I’m not a racist person at all. I served 33 years in the military, an institution that was the first to desegregate of any in our society in 1948. So I really don’t want to hear any noise that gets thrown at me about being a racist because I call this the China coronavirus or the president does, or anybody else does, because it is, you know. And I’m not racist about it.”
Bolduc was referring to numerous instances of Donald Trump using racist phrases to refer to the new coronavirus.
The Bolduc campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Health officials have warned against using terms like “China virus,” “China coronavirus,” and “Wuhan coronavirus,” even if the virus was first reported in China.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that “stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate a disease, such as COVID-19, with a population or nationality, even though not everyone in that population or from that region is specifically at risk for the disease.”
The agency added that eliminating stigma “is important to making communities and community members resilient.”
The World Health Organization has also warned against using racist terms for diseases. What a virus is called “may seem like a trivial issue to some, but disease names really do matter to the people who are directly affected,” Keiji Fukuda, then the organization’s assistant director-general for health security, said in 2015.
“We’ve seen certain disease names provoke a backlash against members of particular religious or ethnic communities,” he added.
Hate crimes against Asians in the United States have increased in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and some leaders in the Asian American community point to racist language like that used by Trump and Bolduc as contributing to the problem.
“There are at least 1,000 hate crimes incidents being reported against Asians due to the coronavirus in the last five weeks,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, told MSNBC Tuesday “And now the hate incidents are coming in at about 100 per day.”
Chu described a stabbing of a family of three, including two children, at a Sam’s Club store in Texas by someone who said they wanted to kill Asians.
Chu said that the racist incidents are not helped when Trump and others use terms like “Chinese virus.”
“Every time he says that, it just fans the flames of xenophobia,” Chu added.
Despite the warnings from health officials and incidents of hate crimes, many Republicans continue to use racist terms.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy used the term “Chinese virus” in a March 10 tweet from his official account.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), just one day later, posted on Facebook defending his use of racist language, claiming his critics should stop worrying about what he calls it. “This is NOT what we should be spending our time on,” he wrote.
On March 25, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly refused to sign on to a G-7 statement about the global pandemic because other world leaders refused to agree with his demand to call the virus the “Wuhan virus.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-04-01--Florida governor refuses to follow expert advice as cases surge in his state

Update : Gov .
Ron DeSantis finally conceded to health experts and issued a statewide stay-at-home order on Wednesday afternoon .
As the number of new coronavirus cases in the United States continues to grow by the day , at least 30 governors across the nation have instituted stay-at-home orders to slow the pandemic .
But Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis has repeatedly failed to take this step to protect his constituents from COVID-19 , making Florida the most impacted state not to have such an order .
For many students , spring break came as public health officials were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls to shut down Florida 's beaches , DeSantis refused to do so .
Instead , he left the decision up to local governments while urging people to obey social distancing guidelines .
`` We 're also in a situation where we have counties who have no community spread .
We have some counties that do n't have a single positive test yet , '' he claimed on March 19 at a press conference .
`` But I 've stood by every local community — Miami Beach , Fort Lauderdale — we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gimenez just [ closed parks and beaches ] .
That 's great if that 's good for them .
But I also think we 're going to be in a situation where if people are able to go out and be spaced out — so , these are not spring [ breakers ] , '' DeSantis argued .
DeSantis predicted , `` You 're going to see some fatigue on this mitigation in 10 days , two weeks '' and called for `` social distancing in ways that will effectively halt the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustainable if this ends up going , you know , many weeks and many months . ''
Thousands of college students congregated on Florida beaches that week .
And a data firm reported on Tuesday that they may have brought the coronavirus back home and spread it further across the country .
Florida 's Democratic congressional delegation wrote to DeSantis on March 25 asking for a `` statewide shelter-in-place '' order .
Instead , DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order on Monday but only for four south Florida counties — Broward , Miami-Dade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just through April 15 .
`` This codifies a common set of rules regarding 'safer at home ' in Southeast Florida , '' he said at a news conference .
`` It gets all four counties operating under the same sheet of music . ''
According to the state 's health department , three of those are populous counties with large numbers of coronavirus cases .
But Monroe County has reported just 27 cases as of April 1 , well below the totals in unmentioned counties such as Collier ( 146 cases ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillsborough ( 315 cases ) , Orange ( 373 cases ) , and Seminole ( 103 cases ) .
On Friday and Saturday , DeSantis also instituted checkpoints at the state 's border to discourage people from Louisiana and the New York City area from entering the state .
`` We 're just worried about the people fleeing some of those areas , '' he explained .
On Monday , he warned against allowing `` foreigners '' with the virus to disembark from a cruise ship in his state .
Despite doing less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , Donald Trump 's newly adopted home state received all of the emergency medical supplies it requested from the administration , while more proactive states did not .
On Tuesday , DeSantis told reporters he was n't doing a statewide order because Trump 's team had not instructed him to do so .
`` The task force is not recommending this , '' he claimed .
`` If they do , that ’ s something that would carry a lot of weight with me . ''
More than 6,700 positive tests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Tuesday , Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) tweeted a statistical model showing that , by next month , 136 Floridians could die each day of COVID-19 under the state 's current trajectory .
Asked Wednesday about DeSantis and other governors who have refused to issue statewide state-at-home directives , Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC News , `` My advice to America would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Update: Gov. Ron DeSantis finally conceded to health experts and issued a statewide stay-at-home order on Wednesday afternoon.
As the number of new coronavirus cases in the United States continues to grow by the day, at least 30 governors across the nation have instituted stay-at-home orders to slow the pandemic.
But Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly failed to take this step to protect his constituents from COVID-19, making Florida the most impacted state not to have such an order.
For many students, spring break came as public health officials were urging social distancing measures. Despite numerous calls to shut down Florida’s beaches, DeSantis refused to do so.
Instead, he left the decision up to local governments while urging people to obey social distancing guidelines.
“We’re also in a situation where we have counties who have no community spread. We have some counties that don’t have a single positive test yet,” he claimed on March 19 at a press conference.
“But I’ve stood by every local community — Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale — we’re backing them. [Miami-Dade] Mayor Gimenez just [closed parks and beaches]. That’s great if that’s good for them. But I also think we’re going to be in a situation where if people are able to go out and be spaced out — so, these are not spring [breakers],” DeSantis argued.
DeSantis predicted, “You’re going to see some fatigue on this mitigation in 10 days, two weeks” and called for “social distancing in ways that will effectively halt the spread of the virus, but are also sustainable if this ends up going, you know, many weeks and many months.”
Thousands of college students congregated on Florida beaches that week. And a data firm reported on Tuesday that they may have brought the coronavirus back home and spread it further across the country.
Florida’s Democratic congressional delegation wrote to DeSantis on March 25 asking for a “statewide shelter-in-place” order. Instead, DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order on Monday but only for four south Florida counties — Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach — lasting just through April 15.
“This codifies a common set of rules regarding ‘safer at home’ in Southeast Florida,” he said at a news conference. “It gets all four counties operating under the same sheet of music.”
According to the state’s health department, three of those are populous counties with large numbers of coronavirus cases. But Monroe County has reported just 27 cases as of April 1, well below the totals in unmentioned counties such as Collier (146 cases), Duval (207 cases), Hillsborough (315 cases), Orange (373 cases), and Seminole (103 cases).
On Friday and Saturday, DeSantis also instituted checkpoints at the state’s border to discourage people from Louisiana and the New York City area from entering the state. “We’re just worried about the people fleeing some of those areas,” he explained.
On Monday, he warned against allowing “foreigners” with the virus to disembark from a cruise ship in his state.
Despite doing less than many other governors have to address COVID-19, Donald Trump’s newly adopted home state received all of the emergency medical supplies it requested from the administration, while more proactive states did not.
On Tuesday, DeSantis told reporters he wasn’t doing a statewide order because Trump’s team had not instructed him to do so. “The task force is not recommending this,” he claimed. “If they do, that’s something that would carry a lot of weight with me.”
More than 6,700 positive tests for the coronavirus have been confirmed in Florida. On Tuesday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted a statistical model showing that, by next month, 136 Floridians could die each day of COVID-19 under the state’s current trajectory.
Asked Wednesday about DeSantis and other governors who have refused to issue statewide state-at-home directives, Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC News, “My advice to America would be that these guidelines are a national stay-at-home order.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.