Voice of America
30 Mar 2020, 06:05 GMT+10
WASHINGTON - U.S President Donald Trump has extended social distancing and other coronavirus-fighting guidelines through April 30, saying what has been done so far is saving lives.
"The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end," Trump said Sunday moving the daily coronavirus briefing from the White House press room outside to the Rose Garden.
"I want our life back again," he said.
Trump Accuses Hospitals of Hoarding Ventilators Trump, whose critics have accused him of trying to deflect blame over his handling of the crisis, did not cite any evidence to back his accusation that hospitals were hoarding the devices
The initial two-week period of government-recommended mitigation was set to expire Monday.
Trump predicted that the U.S. death rate will peak in two weeks and said the country will be "well on our way to recovery" by June 1.
Trump had said he wanted the country back in business by Easter, April 12, saying he didn't want the cure of an economic shutdown to be worse than the disease.
He backed away from that promise Sunday, now calling that Easter deadline "aspirational."
Trump said he will have more details on extending the guidance on Tuesday and also promised "interesting things" will be announced over the next few weeks, telling people they will be "amazed."
Trump's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the decision to extend federal social distancing guidelines was "wise and prudent." He said what has been done to date has had an effect, although he stands by his previous forecast of more than 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S.
Coronavirus task force member, Dr. Deborah Birx, said up to 2.2 million Americans could have died, and perhaps more, if people did not take social distancing and other measures seriously.
Trump also thanked the Food and Drug Administration for its speedy approval of a new coronavirus test that he says produces "lightning-fast" results in five minutes.
He called the test a "whole new ballgame" and said the reason the U.S. leads the world in confirmed coronavirus cases is because it has done the most testing, although the U.S. trails South Korea and Italy in the number of tests administered per capita.
Trump's recent job approval rating has hit an all-time high for his presidency - 49% -- in part over the way he has handled the outbreak. But he said he doesn't want popularity this way and would rather be credited for a strong economy.
Along with deaths directly from the virus, Trump forecasted an upswing in suicides, depression, and drug addiction if people's lives are continued to be turned upside down because of the disease.
But he thanked Americans for what he described as their "patriotism" and "selfless, inspiring, and valiant" efforts in overcoming the crisis.
Trump Friday signed the $2 trillion economic stimulus package to help Americans and businesses weather the outbreak. The centerpiece of the bill is direct cash payments to most U.S. families.
He said most people will start seeing checks within weeks.
Get a daily dose of Breaking Property News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Breaking Property News.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, New York: Walmart is set to close a major Sam's Club fulfillment center in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of a shift in...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: A U.S. judge has dismissed a copyright lawsuit filed by 13 authors against Meta Platforms, the company that...
DUBAI, U.A.E: Oman is set to introduce a personal income tax as part of its strategy to reduce dependency on hydrocarbon revenues....
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell on Friday announcing he had terminated trade talks with Canada....
Federal officials, then-Governor of Indiana Eric Holcomb, union leaders, company representatives, and dozens of guests assembled at...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: New York City's financial markets reacted sharply this week as shares of local banks and real estate investment...
Federal officials, then-Governor of Indiana Eric Holcomb, union leaders, company representatives, and dozens of guests assembled at...
SEOUL, June 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's real wage, adjusted for inflation, rose for the second successive month in April, labor ministry...
SEOUL, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among South Korean businesses over economic conditions worsened in four months due to geopolitical...
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The latest sign of trouble in the U.S. housing market: A pickup in home purchase agreements falling through before...
AFL star Chris Judd dons a $27,000 Rolex as he steps out solo in Melbourne
Trump is showing his big talk isnt just hollow rhetoric