Published 12:27 IST, April 7th 2020
Donald Trump claims US planning 'massive federal response' to COVID-19 outbreak
Donald Trump has claimed that the White House is planning a “massive federal response” to combat the COVID-19 outbreak during daily task force briefing.
During daily coronavirus task force briefing on April 6, United States President Donald Trump has claimed that White House is planning a “massive federal response” to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. As the death toll of coronavirus infections recently crossed 10,000 and US officials are raising concerns over the upcoming weeks being the “peak” of the pandemic, Trump touted the planning in the country and said that the response would not be “anything like the country has ever seen or done”.
According to the official website of the White House, Donald Trump’s massive response includes a greater number of military deployment, delivery of medical equipment and other things. By April 7, the federal government of the US will deploy over 3,000 military and public health officials to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other parts that are hardest-hit by a coronavirus.
Moreover, within a week, the government has airlifted essential equipment and crucial supplies from “every corner of Earth”. Since last Sunday, the US claimed to have airlifted at least 300 million gloves, almost 8 million masks, and 3 million gowns. The White House is also delivering an additional 600,000 N95 masks to New York City to support the hospitals that currently battle the pandemic amid a shortage of medical equipment. In a few days, the US has not only tested nearly two million people of coronavirus but also delivered an additional 500 ventilators to New Jersey.
Trump confuses ventilators with whistleblowers
While Trump lauded his own administration's response on April 6, in the same briefing on the previous day, Trump confused ventilators with whistleblowers on April 6. Amid global health crisis when the US is witnessing a spike in coronavirus cases and the fatalities, a reporter sparked a question about impeachment and Michael Atkinson’s job in it. However, after giving a befitting reply to the journalist when the next question came at the US President about New York governor being desperate to get ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients that he is planning to get some from China, Trump confused a machine with ‘whistleblower’.
While answering the question about shortage of ventilators in New York, Trump said, “Two very good friends of mine brought him those whistleblower... brought him those ventilators, right? Two very good friends of mine — they brought them. If you’d like their name, I’ll give you their name.”
(Image Source: AP)
Updated 12:27 IST, April 7th 2020