George Stephanopoulos.

Good afternoon.

Let's go straight to Rose Garden.

President Trump, about to hold a news conference on the Corona virus crisis.

There.

You see him, Vice President Much everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Beautiful day in the Rose Garden.

Appreciate everybody being here today, I'd like to provide an update to the American people on several decisive new actions were taken in ivory vigilant effort to combat and ultimately defeat the Corona virus virus C.

We've been working very hard on this.

We've made tremendous progress.

When you compare what we've done to other areas of the world, it's it's pretty incredible.

A lot of that had to do with the early designation and the closing of the borders.

Then, as you know, your I was just designated as the hot spot right down.

Uh, we closed that border while ago, so that was luckier.

Through talent or through luck, call it whatever you want.

But through a very collective action on shared sacrifice, national determination, we will overcome the threat of the virus.

I also announced Wednesday night, following the advice of our medical professionals who are doing a tremendous job.

We appreciate it very much that we're suspending the entry of far nationals of been to Europe in the last 14 days from entering the United States, citizens, permanent residents and our families.

Any of the families returning from Europe will be subject to extra screening as well a self isolation for a period of 14 days, as the World Health Organization confirmed today, many of the things that what we said we're 100% correct, including our designation before them of Europe.

Like our earlier, very aggressive actions with China, this measure will save countless lives.

Uh, I appreciate the number of the folks behind me.

A lot of number of the people behind me said that that saved a lot of lives that early designation.

But it is only the beginning of what we're really doing.

And now where in a different phase we had some very old and obsolete rules that we had to live with.

It worked under certain circumstances, but not under mass circumstances.

They were there for a long time.

They were in place for a long time, and we're breaking them down now, and they're very usable for certain instances, but not for this.

To unleash the full power of the federal government that this effort today I am officially declaring a national emergency.

Two very big words.

The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50 billion of, very importantly, very important and a large amount of money for states and territories and localities and our shared fight against this disease in furtherance of the order emerging every state to set up emergency operation centers.

Effective immediately, you're gonna be hearing from some of the largest companies and greatest retailers and medical companies in the world there, standing with behind me in the side of me, I'm also asking every hospital in this country to activate its emergency preparedness plan so that they can meet the needs of Americans everywhere.

The hospital's Avery engaged New York and various other places were also various engaged.

I just spoke with Governor Cuomo.

We had a very good conversation, and we're working very strongly with many states, including New York Emergency orders I'm issuing today will also confer broad new authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Service.

Is the secretary of HHS will be able to immediately wait for visions of applicability, laws and regulations to give doctors hospital all hospitals than healthcare providers.

Maximum flexibility to respond to the virus and care for patients.

This includes the following critical authorities the ability to waive laws to enable telehealth a fairly new on and incredible thing that's happened in the and the not so distant past.

I tell you, what they've done with telehealth is incredible.

It gives remote doctor's visits and hospital check ins.

The power to waive certain federal license requirements so that doctors from other states can provide service is in states with the greatest need number two.

The ability to waive requirements that critical access hospitals limit the number of beds to 25 the length of stay to 96 hours.

The ability to waive the requirements of a three day hospital stay prior to admission to a nursing home.

Big thing.

The authority to waive the rules to hinder hospital's ability to bring additional physicians on board or obtain needed office space they can do is they want they can do what they have to do.

They know what they have to do now.

They don't have any problem getting it done.

The authority to waive rules that severely restrict where hospitals can care for patients within the hospital itself ensuring that the emergency capacity can be quickly established will remove or eliminate every obstacle necessary to deliver our people the care that they need and that they're entitled to.

No resource will be spared nothing whatsoever.

10 days ago, I brought together CEOs of commercial labs at the White House and directed them to immediately begin working on a solution to dramatically increase the availability of tests.

Other countries have called us and worked with us, and they're doing similar things or will be doing similar things as a result of that action.

Today we're announcing a new partnership with private sector to vastly increase and accelerate our capacity to test for the Corona virus.

We want to make sure that those who need a test can get a test very safely, quickly and conveniently.

But we don't want people to take a test if if we feel that they shouldn't be doing it, and we don't want everyone running out and taking only if you have certain symptoms.

Using federal emergency authorities, the FDA approved a new test for the virus.

We did this within hours after receiving the application from Rush, a process that would normally take weeks.

We therefore expect up to 1/2 a 1,000,000 additional test will be available early next week will be announcing locations, probably on Sunday night.

I wanna thank Roche great company for their incredible work.

I'd also like to thank Thermo Fisher.

The FDA is goal is to hopefully authorize the air application within 24 hours.

It will go very quickly, is going very quickly, which will bring additionally 1.4 million tests on board next week and five million within a month.

I doubt we'll need anywhere near that.

At the same time, we've been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals.

The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swab without having to leave your car.

I want to thank Google.

Google is helping to develop a website.

It's gonna be very quickly done.

Unlike websites of the best to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.

We have many, many locations behind us.

By the way, we cover the this country in large parts of the world.

By the way, we're not gonna be talking about the world right now, but we cover vory very strongly.

Our country stores in virtually every location Google as 1700 engineers working on this right now.

If made tremendous progress, our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus and to help all Americans who have been impacted by this again.

We don't want everybody taking this test.

It's totally unnecessary.

Uh, and this will pass.

Uh, this will pass through.

And, uh, we're gonna be, uh, even stronger for hi, everyone.

George Stephanopoulos Here.

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