Donald Trump says coronavirus to end soon, pledges $2.5 bn to fight the epidemic

Citing China’s “hard work”, US President Donald Trump said on February 25 that the issue of deadly coronavirus will be over soon as Beijing is getting it “under control”. Addressing India Inc CEOs in New Delhi, Trump said that the United States has planned to spend about $2.5 billion to fight the novel coronavirus COVID-19 which has claimed more than 2,600 lives across the world.

"China is working very very hard, I have spoken to President Xi they are working very hard. They had a rough patch and right now it seems they are getting it under control, they are getting it more and more under control so I think it is a problem that is going to go away," said Trump.

Businesses hit by epidemic

The penetration of coronavirus outside China has become a huge concern across the globe and has created fear of a pandemic. The businesses in China has been majorly hit and Trump, during the high-profile CEO roundtable, assured that the problem is going to “work out fine”.

“We are working very hard, we are spending a tremendous amount of money also ...about $2.5 billion on getting everything ready just in case something should happen and also helping other nations who are unequipped to do it," said the US President.

The CEO roundtable was attended by several major Indian business leaders including Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.

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According to the latest report, 71 new deaths in China due to coronavirus infections have been confirmed, taking the total death toll because of the deadly virus to 2,663. While most of the cases are from Hubei province of China and the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, other countries, including Italy, Japan and the Philippines, have also reported deaths related to COVID-19.

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The epidemic has not been declared as pandemic yet and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General said that using the word ‘pandemic’ does not fit the facts. “This is not the time to focus on what word to use. That will not prevent a single infection today,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press briefing on COVID-19.

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(With PTI inputs)