US President Donald Trump has put his Vice-President, Mike Pence, in charge of managing the nation’s response to the coronavirus outbreak – all while maintaining the risk to America remains “very low”.
“Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low,” Mr Trump said on Wednesday (Washington time).
“We’re ready to adapt and ready to do whatever we have to as the disease spreads, if it spreads.”
Democrats in the US have called for more than $8 billion ($A12 billion) in emergency funding to combat the virus. Mr Trump confirmed he had asked Congress for $2.5 billion – but said the US would spend “whatever is appropriate” to combat the potential pandemic.
Mr Trump’s briefing at the White House came after sharemarkets around the world have tumbled in recent days as the global outbreak has accelerated. In a tweet on Wednesday, the President said the country was “in great shape!”.
There has also been growing criticism in the US of Mr Trump’s handing of the COVID-19 spread.
On Tuesday, the US Centres for Disease Control warned it was only a matter of time before the illness spread across communities in the US. But Mr Trump pointed out that only 15 Americans had been so far confirmed to have the lethal virus – and all were expected to recover.
“We’re very, very ready for this,” he said.
-more to come
-with AAP
The post Under fire, Trump puts Pence in charge of virus response appeared first on The New Daily.
**Business and Marketing support on best price; Hit the link now----> http://bit.ly/2HsQmSi