President Donald Trump told the nation Friday “we are near the peak” of the coronavirus outbreak and that the government’s comprehensive and aggressive strategy against “the invisible enemy” is working.
At the daily coronavirus task force press briefing at the White House, Trump announced the creation of the “Opening Our Country Council,” a group of business leaders and doctors who will oversee the reopening of the nation’s economic sector amid the still-growing pandemic.
The members of the new panel will be announced on Tuesday, Trump said, adding that he would surround himself “with the greatest minds” when making the decision to lift social distancing guidelines and resume full-scale commerce throughout the country.
“It's the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Trump said.
Trump said the toll from the virus is now expected to be substantially lower than the hundreds of thousands of deaths that were initially predicted, which could set the stage for reopening the country by the president’s new target date of May 1.
Still, Trump said he would listen to his public health advisers “very carefully” if they opposed the move.
“It’s looking like it’s slowing,” Trump said of the virus.
On Friday, however, the number of deaths continued to surge in the U.S., surpassing 18,000 of the nearly half million total cases, according to John Hopkins University.
The president said the fatality rate in the U.S. was still lower than the rest of the world, where the number of cases swelled to 1.67 million and more than 101,000 deaths.
At the briefing, Trump announced new federal subsidies to farmers to “who are hurting very, very badly right now.”
The president said he would work with big and small farmers to ensure the nation remains fed throughout the prolonged crisis.
“We must keep our food supply chains moving,” Trump said.
Trump also said administration officials would be meeting with airlines and Boeing over the weekend. Reports said Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin was on the phone much of the day with airline CEOs about a $32 billion payroll grant package, which could be announced soon.
Trump emphasized at the briefing that the government “cannot let anything” happen to Boeing.
On the virus front, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, later said the U.S. is starting to see signs of “leveling off” and “coming down” but warned against complacency, saying this is not the time for “pulling back at all.”
Vice President Mike Pence advised Americans to continue to follow the coronavirus guidelines on social distancing, which are in place through at least April 30.
White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx also said the virus is beginning to show signs of curving in the U.S. “like Italy’s did about a week ago.”
Birx said that although it was a promising development, “as encouraging as they are, we have not reached the peak.”
Impact on African-Americans
In another notable moment during the briefing, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams clarified that African-Americans are not predisposed biologically or genetically to COVID-19, but are socially disposed through existing health conditions. Adams, who has asthma, pulled out his own inhaler to emphasize the point.
Adams was addressing the alarm that emerged this week after early data shows an overwhelming number of African-Americans were among the people to die of COVID-19.
Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials roughly 42% of the nations deaths from coronavirus have been black, according to an Associated Press analysis. Dr. Anthony Fauci, acknowledged the higher death rate among African Americans during Tuesday's White House briefing.
In Chicago alone, black residents accounted for 72% of deaths from COVID-19 complications and 52% of positive tests for the coronavirus, despite making up only 30% of the city’s population, according to the city’s public health agency, AP reported.
Adams said the government would release more details on how to prevent more black and Hispanics from dying from the virus.
Funding for WHO
Trump revealed during questions that he still planned to freeze $500 million in funding to the World Health Organization, but said he would make an official announcement “sometime next week.”
“We’ll have a lot to say about it,” Trump said.
Earlier this week Trump accused the world body of failing in its response to the coronavirus pandemic and possibly withholding information early on in the outbreak.
— This is a developing story. Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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