July 23 Coronavirus Update from the Trump Administration

Vaccines Agreement with Pfizer

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Today, my Administration reached a historic agreement with Pfizer to produce and deliver 100 million doses of their vaccine immediately, following its approval.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “As part of Operation Warp Speed, this agreement will also ensure that we receive an additional 500 million doses shortly thereafter. This is another crucial step in our effort to develop, manufacture, and distribute a vaccine in record-breaking time.”

Keeping Our Nursing Homes Safe

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Today, I’d like to provide an update on the additional actions we’ve been able to take, and they’ve been very constructive.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “First, we are requiring increased testing of the nursing home personnel in states where you had the worst outbreaks. … We’re distributing 15,000 rapid point-of-care diagnostic devices to support this effort.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Second, HHS will be distributing an additional five billion dollars from the Provider Relief Fund to all nursing homes. Nursing homes and high-risk areas will be receiving more funding.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  “Third, we’ve been identifying especially high risk nursing homes and sharing that information with the governor’s so that the governors and their staffs can take appropriate action.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “CMS and CDC are implementing a national training program focused on infection control for those nursing homes that need it most and we have them surveyed and we have them mostly pinpointed. Over the past few months, we’ve created a surveillance system to detect outbreaks and currently 99% of all nursing homes are reporting directly to it — so we have great data.”

Update on Cases

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “As far as the outbreak in the Sun Belt, I said yesterday, we continue to vigorously combat the rise of cases in the south, and southwest, and the west. We are closely monitoring and aggressively acting to control the infection in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida —Arizona, starting to come down.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Our case fatality rate continues to decline and we want to push this rate even lower.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Nationwide, beyond the outbreak in several states, cases remain low and very stable. Nineteen states have positive test rates of less than 5%. Eight states have positive tests rates of less than 2%. Our nationwide positive test rate is beginning to decline and is currently at 8.8%, compared to over 16% at its peak in April.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  “There are likely a number of causes for the spike in infections. Cases started to rise among young Americans shortly after demonstrations, which you know very well about. Which presumably triggered a broader relaxation of mitigation efforts nationwide and a substantial increased in travel also was a cause.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “As discussed yesterday, the China virus poses the greatest threat to our senior citizens, as we all know. The median age for those who die from the virus is 78 years old, and nearly half of the deaths have occurred among those living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. … In other words, approximately half of the fatalities have occurred among less than 1% of the U.S. population.”

Testing and Therapeutics

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Today, we surpassed — the first time — we surpassed 50 million tests, that’s far more than any country in the world. India is second, we believe, we think, of 1.4 billion people that’s about 12 million tests.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We’re working with every state to ensure the supply of Remdesivir for early case intervention and steroid treatment and various other treatments for those that are seriously ill.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “The therapeutic research continues daily on new and very promising treatments, including antibody treatments and the use of blood thinners and steroids.”

Essential Precaustions

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Our strategy is to shelter the highest-risk Americans while allowing younger and healthier citizens to return to work or school, while being careful and very vigilant. Wear a mask, socially distance and repeatedly wash your hands. Practice very, very good sanitary means.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We want young Americans to avoid packed bars and other crowded indoor gatherings, and we’re all in this together. And as Americans, we’re going to get this complete. We’re going to do it properly.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Well a lot of the governors — they have different requirements. Some of the governors are very strong on masks, others aren’t. I think it’s really going to ultimately be up to them. We’ve given them the facts, we given them everything we know. … I think all are suggesting if you want to wear a mask, you wear it. I bring one. I have one. I’ve worn it. And I think when I’m in certain settings, like hospitals and various — or when I’m close, you know, when you can social distance, I believe in it.”

Reopening Schools

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We do have a national strategy. But, as you know, ultimately, it’s up to the governors of the states. I think most governors, many governors, want the schools to open. I would like to see the schools open.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We have great statistics on young people and on safety. So, we would like to see schools open.”