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Published 11:01 IST, May 20th 2020

Trump on virus testing, possible Brazil travel ban

President Donald Trump says the number of positive coronavirus cases are a good thing because it shows how much testing is being done in the country.

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Trump on virus testing, possible Brazil travel ban
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President Donald Trump says the number of positive coronavirus cases are a good thing because it shows how much testing is being done in the country.

"So if we were testing a million people instead of 14 million people, we would have far fewer cases. Right," said Trump.

"I view it as a badge of honor. Really? It's a badge of honor. It's a great tribute to the testing and all of the work that a lot of professionals have done."

The U.S. has recorded 1.5 million confirmed infections and over 91,000 deaths.

More than 4.8 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected by the virus, and about 320,000 deaths have been recorded, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that experts believe is too low.

The president also talked about the possibility of a travel ban for people coming fron Brazil.

"I worry about everything. I don't want people coming in here and infecting our people," said Trump.

"We are considering it. We hope that we're not going to have a problem."

The worst-hit country in Latin America remains Brazil, which is third in the world for reported infections - at more than 250,000 , even with limited testing. More than 85 percent of intensive care beds are full in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

And Trump also would not commit to wearing a mask when asked if he would on his visit to a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan later this week.

11:00 IST, May 20th 2020