April 13th Coronavirus Update from the Trump Administration

Signs of Progress

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We’re seeing hospital admissions declining very substantially, as I said. And nationwide, the number of new cases per day is flattening substantially, suggesting that we’re near the peak and our comprehensive strategy is working.”

1. DEBORAH BIRX: “For those of you who are watching epidemic curves every day … you can see for the first time that in the United States we’re starting to level on the logarithmic phase, like Italy did about a week ago. And so, this gives us great heart that, not only in specific places, but we’re starting to see that change.”

Testing and Therapeutics

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “More than 2 million coronavirus tests have now been completed. And we’re conducting approximately 100,000 more every day.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “On the medical front, the FDA has issued 47 emergency use authorizations for advancements in testing, new ventilator designs, innovations, and personal protective equipment, and experimental medicines.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Since Monday, we’ve deployed two major shipments of hydroxychloroquine from our national stockpile, it’s going to various cities.”

1. DEBORAH BIRX: “In the areas where we had an outbreak, these large metros, Louisiana, Denver, Detroit, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, by per capita, we’ve done more tests than any other place in the world. That was intentional.”

Supplies of Critical Medical Equipment

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Speaking of the Department of Defense, they’re going to be sending us 10 million N95 masks that they had.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Now, we’ve launched Project Air Bridge to deliver nearly 300 million pieces of personal protective equipment from and around the globe.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The U.S. military has deployed thousands of personnel to build 23 temporary hospitals with more than 16,000 beds. And we have potential to build many more if we needed them.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I spoke with the Governor of Louisiana and, as you know, we’re building them additional beds right now – the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “In Washington State, we’ve made enough progress that the governor is now able to return an army field hospital, so we’re going to take that hospital.”

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “On supplies, more than $5 billion have been obligated to the states. 29,600 National Guard have been activated. And at the President’s direction more than 4,700 active duty military personnel have been deployed, medical, military personnel, in nine states focusing on the areas of the most significant epidemic.”

FDA Approval for Mask Sterilization

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We’re also shipping out 60 sterilization systems to 10 different cities that can each sterilize up to 80,000 masks each day.”

FDA COMMISSIONER HAHN: “FDA has worked with industry and has now authorized two companies who will supply machines to sterilize N95 masks. Admiral Polowczyk and FEMA are purchasing, on behalf of U.S. government, 60 sterilization machines, as mentioned by the President. And they will be positioned around the country to increase the amount of supply of N95 masks. Each machine will be able to sterilize 80,000 N95 masks per day, and we hope to actually increase that further.”

Supporting Farmers, Ranchers and Producers

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Yesterday, I directed Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to expedite aid to American farmers and Secretary Perdue will be using all of the tools at his disposal to develop a program and very quickly of at least $16 billion dollars to provide relief for farmers, ranchers and producers impacted by the coronavirus.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I expect Secretary Perdue to use all of the funds and authorities at his disposal to make sure that our food supply is stable and safe and our great farmers are prosperous and continue to be prosperous.”

Coronavirus Impact on African American Communities

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “My administration is closely monitoring the data on the virus’ impact on our cherished African American communities, because they have been hit hard.”

SURGEON GENERAL ADAMS: “We do not think people of color are biologically or genetically predisposed to get COVID-19. There is nothing inherently wrong with you. But they are socially predisposed to coronavirus exposure and to have a higher incidence of the very diseases that put you at risk for severe complications of coronavirus.”

SURGEON GENERAL ADAMS: “It’s even more important that in communities of color we adhere to the task force guidelines to slow the spread.”

SURGEON GENERAL ADAMS: “This epidemic is a tragedy, but it will be all the more tragic if we fail to recognize and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and an array of other diseases and risk factors on communities of color. The task force and this administration is determined not to let that happen. The President, the Vice President have said ‘we