After initially calling COVID-19 a Democratic “hoax” designed to destroy his reelection hopes, Donald Trump finally declared a Coronavirus National Emergency on Friday.
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As of today, there are currently 3,100 cases of diagnosed coronavirus in the US. Of those cases, 32 are now dead. Those numbers are widely expected to balloon within the coming days. So, here’s what that means right now for America and what we can expect in the coming days and weeks ahead:
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WHAT IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY?
By declaring a Coronavirus National Emergency, Donald Trump invoked the Stafford Act, which immediately released $40 billion dollars in aid to fight the global pandemic. This declaration now puts FEMA (in conjunction with the Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the driver’s seat to act as sort of a coordinator for coronavirus response.
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DONALD TRUMP
As proof that he’s still not taking his own Coronavirus National Emergency seriously, Donald Trump has continuously allowed his ego to proceed with business as usual. During his Friday afternoon Rose Garden press conference, Trump ignored the “6-foot rule” and stood shoulder to shoulder with Mike Pence and the medical professionals handling his pandemic response. Trump also gleefully shook hands with all who joined him to speak, until Bruce Greenstein of the LHC Health Group broke the practice and offered ‘The Donald’ an elbow bump in place of his hand.
While taking questions from the press, Trump was asked why he disbanded the US Pandemic Response Unit created by President Obama. Responding true to form, Trump deemed the question “nasty” and refused to properly answer it. Then on Sunday, instead of focusing like a laser on this global pandemic and proving what’s really at the forefront of his mind, Trump not only (once again) bragged that we’re getting the pandemic under control (we’re not), but he also announced he’s considering pardoning former NSA director Michael Flynn, whom he believes was treated “very unfairly” during the Mueller investigation.
On Friday, Trump gloated that he had no symptoms and therefore did not need a coronavirus test, despite spending an evening next to a Brazilian official and the Mayor of Miami, who each tested positive for the virus. He eventually relented and said he took the test over the weekend and announced that the result was negative.
Trump lied about coronavirus tests being readily available now for anyone. He lied about there being a Google website for any American to check if they have coronavirus symptoms. He lied about goods not being allowed into the US from Europe. In fact, he has lied about so much during this pandemic, it’s difficult to keep up. Because of this well-known penchant for lying, no one knows if his “negative” test results are accurate or not.
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JOE BIDEN
Proving just how much Donald Trump has been in way over his head in leading the US through this Coronavirus National Emergency, Joe Biden delivered his own press conference to remind Americans just how a real president should act during a global crisis.
Saying the coronavirus has “laid bare the severe shortcomings of the current administration,” Mr. Biden absolutely shred Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
“Public fears are being compounded by a pervasive lack of trust in this president, fueled by the adversarial relationship with the truth he continues to have,” the former vice-president said.
Biden also said that when he is president, he will “lead with science” and “listen to the experts,” and would aim to build the United States’ leadership role on the global stage. He then added: “I’ll always tell you the truth.”
Mr. Biden then resumed chastising Donald Trump and his failed actions during a Sunday night debate against Bernie Sanders that made him appear extremely ready to serve as Commander-In-Chief.
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TRAVEL
After calling for a near-immediate end to incoming flights from Europe (the epicenter of the virus) into the United States, Donald Trump’s “solution” gave birth to an entirely new problem at America’s airports: overcrowding.
New York’s JFK, Chicago’s O’Hare, Los Angeles’ LAX, and other major airports nationwide became madhouses over the weekend as American’s spent thousands of dollars apiece for rush tickets to fly back to the US before the ban took place. Customs and Immigration booths at airports were gravely undermanned, causing a backlog of up to 6 hours for arriving passengers to go through passport and health verifications before being allowed into the country. The crowds were so dense for so many hours, it’s almost an impossibility that the virus was not spread among the waiting passengers, who will now, unfortunately, spread it throughout America’s communities.
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MONEY & POLITICS
After investors withstood days of a plummeting stock market, the Federal Reserve announced Sunday that interest rates have been slashed to near zero. The move was made to rally the stock market from last week’s nose-dive and to help investors recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats passed a coronavirus relief bill to aide in the fight against the pandemic. However, Republicans actively tried to slip anti-abortion language into the bill, proving they believe their partisanship is more important than the pandemic.
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HOW ARE AMERICANS RESPONDING?
After raiding grocery store shelves to a level that would rival a scene from “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” (most) Americans have hunkered down and followed orders to stay home and help slow the viral spread. However, another large contingency of Americans (mostly younger citizens) has completely ignored calls to remain indoors, to avoid crowds, and to maintain social distancing.
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Over the weekend, bars from coast to coast were filled with revelers celebrating St. Patrick’s Day — as if a global pandemic was just a figment of our imaginations.
In response to this immature and irresponsible thumbing of the nose toward the coronavirus, Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois ordered all bars and restaurants in his state to close amid the threat of furthering the pandemic.
“The time for persuasion and public appeals is over,” the governor said. “This is not a joke. No one is immune to this.”
Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio and Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York City also followed suit in closing all bars and (sit down) restaurants.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauchi, who is advising the White House coronavirus response team, Donald Trump is considering a similar ban nationwide, so as to stop Americans from frequenting bars and other social gatherings during this health crisis.
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO STAY SAFE?
Call your doctor if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing.
Those are just a few of the recommendations from the CDC, which also suggests that we:
- Stay home: People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness. You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care.
- Avoid public areas: Do not go to work, school, or public areas.
Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis. - Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
- Limit contact with pets & animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.
Other safeguards from the CDC can be found HERE.
Thanks for this update DJ. Just want to share some additional updated info about the numbers.
As per CNN, this morning there are currently at least 3,485 diagnosed with coronavirus in the US and 65 are now dead. We know that those numbers will continue to increase day by day for Lord knows how long (until we actually take the critical steps needed to get a handle on this thing).
Of course, the most troubling part of this whole urgent crisis is the fact We (Our country) are in the hands of the political/governing version of the Keystone Cops…the pathological lying version of the Keystone Cops.