April 10th Coronavirus Update from the Trump Administration

Paycheck Protection Program

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “My administration is also working with Congress to replenish the very successful – incredibly successful, the way it’s going – Paycheck Protection Program which is allowing hundreds of thousands of small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We need both Democrats and Republicans to come together to get this legislation completed.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “The Paycheck Protection Program, now in day five, [is] reporting $125 billion has been approved so far, 30,000 new individual users, and 3,900 lenders are participating.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “The Treasury Department will issue a new frequently asked question document tonight – a F.A.Q. as they’re known – to clarify how seasonal businesses can participate in the Paycheck Protection Program as well.”

SEC. EUGENE SCALIA: “We want to lay the groundwork now for a blue-collar bounce back. We’ll get there in part by helping companies hold onto their workers, which is what the Paycheck Protection Program does.”

Federal Reserve

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The Federal Reserve announced this morning that it’ll provide up to $2.3 trillion in support to businesses, states, and local governments.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “$600 billion in loans will be available for mid-sized businesses with up to 10,000 employees. And $500 billion will be available for states, counties with over two million residents, and cities with a population of over one million.”

Support for Students

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The Department of Education is also announcing the availability of more than $6 billion in emergency grant funding to assist college students impacted by the cancellation of classes.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Previously we waived student loan payments for six months. So student loan payments have been waived for six months. And we’ll discuss that after that — may go further.”

Unemployment Benefits

SECRETARY SCALIA: “Another unprecedented benefit for workers was provided in the CARES Act less than two weeks ago. That law, as you know, includes a $600 week plus sum to unemployment benefits that are provided by the state. … I am pleased that a number of states are now making those $600 additional weekly payments. More states will follow in the coming days.”

SECRETARY SCALIA: “We have already disbursed half a billion dollars to states to help them with their systems in making these payments. We have another half a billion dollars that we are ready to release.”

Resources for Healthcare Workers

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The [Army] Corps of Engineers, what they can do is just incredible. They’ve done a fantastic job, and they’re building, nationwide, 21 temporary hospitals and care facilities, adding 17,000 hospital beds. And they did that all within a very short period of time.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Project Airbridge continues to expand with more than 24 flights already completed, and 49 additional flights now scheduled in the near future.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “we received a report today from the Department of Defense that 4,100 active duty military medical personnel have been deployed in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “The DoD actually worked with the city of New York to establish what amounts to a uniform temp service. They call it ‘the bullpen.’ And today they literally deployed, from the [USNS Comfort] and from the Javits Center, 75 medical personnel to relieve dedicated healthcare workers within the hospital system in the city of New York and we’ll continue to do that.”

VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: “FEMA reports the President has approved 54 major disaster declarations, and states around the country have stood up 29,000 National Guard, 11,000 of which are fully funded by the federal government under Title 32.”

Testing

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Our testing operation has now become far and away the most sophisticated and the best anywhere.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I am reporting today that we passed two million tests completed in the United States, first time.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “I’m pleased to report we’re testing more than 100,000 people a day now.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “Working with the U.S. Public Health Service, states around the country have stood up hundreds of drive through testing sites. And just this week, FEMA and the U.S. Public Health Service announced that we will give an option to states to transition from a federal testing site.”

Therapeutics

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We’re also seeing encouraging signs in our race to develop breakthrough treatments and therapies. Pfizer revealed today that it has found a promising new treatment that might prevent the virus from replicating and that hopes — it hopes to begin testing in clinical trials very soon.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Through the FDA’s coronavirus treatment acceleration program, 19 therapies and treatments are now being tested and 26 more are in the active planning or clinical trial.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Trials for Gilead’s anti-viral drug Remdesivir continue and the company has also expanded emergency use for new patients — getting good early results.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The companies that manufacture hydroxychloroquine are massively ramping up production … and the federal government continues to build our stockpiles and distribute millions of doses for doctors to use as they see fit”

Mental Health

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Earlier today I spoke with hundreds of mental health leaders, and advocates from around the country to discuss the vital work they’re doing.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “We just urge everyone, everyone who may be feeling an emotional burden or a vulnerability during this time to reach out to the many resources that are there and to know that you’re not alone.”

Oil Production

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I just spoke with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman, and we had a big talk as to oil production and OPEC and making it so that our industry does well and the oil industry does better than it’s doing right now.”