The White House was live at 3 p.m. EDT with statements from President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and a few others.
A new statement from the President puts the trajectory timeline of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to end in July or August.
“It seems to me that if we do a really good job, we’ll not only hold the death down to a level that is much lower than the other way had we not done a good job but people have been talking about July, August something like that where I say it washes through,” said Trump.
Dr. Fauci later spoke to clarify this statement.
“The guidelines are a fifteen day trial guideline to be reconsidering,” Fauci said. “It isn’t that these guidelines are now going to be in effect until July. What the president was saying is that the trajectory of the outbreak may go till then.”
President Trump said he is not considering a nationwide quarantine at this time but is planning on potentially monitoring certain hotspots.
No decision has been made in regard to domestic travel restrictions, Trump said.
Trump also addressed rumors of national curfews.
“We haven’t really determined to do that at all and hopefully we won’t have to. That’s a very big step. It’s a step we can take but, we have not decided to do it,” Trump said.
Paige Fiske can be reached at [email protected]