Trump Warns More Cases ‘Likely’ As He Considers Restricting Travel To More Countries, Invoking War Powers Act
President Donald Trump tried to soothe fears about the virus outbreak and said he would meet with pharmaceutical companies on Monday to discuss potential vaccines, which experts say wouldn't be available anytime soon. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the administration would invoke the War Powers Act "if we need to" but would prefer to work cooperatively with private vendors to produce needed medical supplies.
Reuters:
Additional U.S. Coronavirus Cases Are 'Likely,' Trump Says
President Donald Trump said additional coronavirus cases in the United States were "likely" but that the country was prepared for any circumstance, at a news conference on Saturday after reports of the first U.S. patient death from the virus. The first U.S. death from the flu-like illness was a medically high-risk patient in her late fifties in the state of Washington, Trump told reporters at the White House conference. (2/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Considering New Steps To Take On Coronavirus
Mr. Trump said that he was considering restricting travel from additional countries that are experiencing major coronavirus outbreaks, without specifying which countries he had in mind. “We’re looking at that right now and we’re looking at a couple of countries—a few countries—that have a little bit disproportionately high number,” he told reporters, adding that he would make a decision “very soon.” Mr. Trump had previously signaled he was considering restrictions on travelers from Italy and South Korea, on top of existing restrictions rolled out last month regarding China, the epicenter of the outbreak. (Restuccia and Buehren, 2/28)
The New York Times:
In Trump’s Words: Praise For The Taliban And Optimism About The Coronavirus
The president said the administration was thinking about closing the Mexican border to fight the spread of the coronavirus only to say a few minutes later that the border was not a problem. He said the first American victim was a woman, based on information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only to have Washington State health officials correct the record after a period of confusion over the patient’s identity. (2/29)
Stat:
Trump Expands Coronavirus Travel Ban To Include Iran
The Trump administration on Saturday announced it would expand an existing ban on travel from Iran in response to the accelerating novel coronavirus outbreak, barring any foreigner who has visited Iran within the last 14 days from entering the United States. Later in the day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upped its travel alerts for Italy and Iran yesterday to the highest level, Level 3, which means avoid all non-essential travel. The State Department also increased its warning advising Americans not to travel to certain regions of Italy and South Korea affected by the virus. (Facher, 2/29)
WBUR:
MAP: Which Countries Have CDC Travel Advisories Because Of Coronavirus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regularly issues "Travel Health Notices" that address disease outbreaks and other health-related matters in international destinations. The newly discovered coronavirus is now a topic of concern. The point of the warnings is to indicate countries where the CDC believes there is a risk of infection with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. (Adeline and Wood, 2/29)
Politico:
Alex Azar: War Powers On The Table To Increase Medical Supplies
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the administration could use the War Powers Act to increase the production of protective medical gear in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday,“ Azar said the administration is already using authority under the Defense Production Act to make its orders the top priority for private contractors, specifically for personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks. (Choi, 3/1)
Bloomberg:
White House Weighs Use Of Defense Law For Coronavirus Supplies
That could include manufacturing face masks needed by medical workers, for which the administration has said there could be a shortage in the event of an outbreak. No decision has been made on invoking the act, Azar told reporters on Friday. (Wingrove, 2/28)
And in other news —
The New York Times:
For American Military, Coronavirus Is An Enemy To Be Fought
The commander of an American military post near the center of a coronavirus outbreak in South Korea delivered the sobering news to his troops in warriors’ terms: “We had a breach in our perimeter.” A soldier at the post, Army Garrison Daegu, had tested positive for the virus on Tuesday — the military’s first active-duty case — and the commander, Col. Edward Ballanco, told the troops in a video address, “Let’s regroup and attack the virus.” (Philipps, 2/29)
