The 37 Most Mind-boggling Lines From Donald Trump's Sunday COVID-19 Briefing

Source: CNN    -  Analysis by Chris Cilliza, CNN Editor-at-large
    Updated at 12:22 pm EDT, Monday, 30 March 2020

   On Sunday night, President Donald Trump held a Rose Garden press briefing on the latest developments on the country's fight against COVID-19, a near-daily event in the new normal of Washington. As the number of those sickened and killed by the virus has soared, Trump has increasingly used these press briefings as a chance to vent his frustrations - at governors, the media, and anyone else he can think of.
   What he did on Sunday night was, somehow, worse - coarser, more detached from reality - than what he has done before.  I went through the transcript of the briefing and pulled out the lines you need to see.  They are below:

1. "Appreciate everybody being here, beautiful day in the Rose Garden, tremendous distance between chairs -- social distancing."
     "Tremendous distance between chairs."  -  And away we go!

2. "And as you know, even before this development, we've been doing more tests -- tests than any other country, anywhere in the world."
      Please see "The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to COVID-19" - in The New York Times on 28 March 2020

3. "Let's see how it works. It may; it may not. But we may have some incredible results."
     Here Trump is referencing experimental drug treatments for COVID-19.  But really, this is him talking about his response to every issue that arises during his presidency.  It might work.  It might not.  But it could be incredible.

4. "We have some interesting things that will be announced, I think over the next few weeks, but we'll see what happens."
      Again, classic Trump.  He hints at possible medical breakthroughs without offering any evidence.  I hope he's not just bluffing but, if past is prologue, he probably is.

5. "Even though this is different, something is going on, and you ought to look into it as reporters.  Where are the masks going?  Are they going out the back door?  How do you go from 10,000 to 300,000?"
       In which the President of the United States suggests, with zero evidence, that hospitals in New York are somehow stealing masks or purposely asking for too many from the federal government.  This is a truly outrageous charge.  And deeply disrespectful of the medical professionals on the front lines fighting the virus.

6. "So, somebody should probably look into that, because I just don't see, from a practical standpoint, how that's possible to go from that to that."
      "So, somebody should probably look into that," says the President about an accusation he made without any proof.

7. "I hope I didn't get any of your clients in trouble, but it could be that they are in trouble.  So they have to look at that in New York."
      He. Just. Won't. Stop.

8. "Many of the states are stocked up.  Some of them don't admit it, but they have -- we have sent just so much -- so many things to them and -- including ventilators."
      No big deal, just the President casually accusing states of lying about their medical needs in the midst of a global pandemic.  Very normal stuff!

9. "Today I spoke with Wolfgang Puck."
       I did not see that coming!  Trump talked to the chef about how to save restaurants amid the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19.

10. "Think of it: 151 countries. Somebody said to me today that wasn't in this particular world -- they didn't know that we had that many countries.  A hundred and fifty-one countries.  That's something."
       Trump now looks directly at the camera, Jim Halpert-style.

11. "Something we did very well is, when we stopped the inflow from China at a very early level, that was a good thing to do, a great thing to do.  We would have had thousands and thousands of more deaths."
       Note that the US now has more COVID-19 cases than any nation in the world, including China.

12. "No, I want the people  of New York to check -- Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio -- that when a hospital that's getting 10,000 masks goes to 300,000 masks during the same period -- and that's a rapid period -- I would like them to check that.  Because I hear stories like that all the time."
       So, because he "hear[s] stories like that all the time," Trump felt comfortable suggesting that New York is lying about their protective medical equipment needs?  OK.

13. "So I think people should check that because there's something going on, whether -- it's not -- I don't think it's hoarding; I think it's maybe worse than hoarding."
       Worse than hoarding?  Like, what?  Selling them on a black market?  Who knows -- because Trump never said.

14. "Just like -- I'll never forget the day when a general came and said, 'Sir' -- my first week in office - - 'we have no ammunition.' "
       Nope.  This NEVER happened.  This is an outright LIE.

15. "It was just an aspiration.  We actually will be hitting, potentially -- and this was with our meeting before -- on Easter, we probably -- they -- well, that could be a peak."
       Trump is rewriting history here.  At the time he said he hoped church pews would be full for Easter Sunday he never suggested that was an aspirational goal.  He just said it.

16. "So that was an apirational number.  I didn't say "Easter."  I said, "It would be a great thing, if we could do it by Easter."'
       Here is exactly what Trump said on March 24 in a Fox News town hall in the Rose Garden: "I'd love to have it open by Easter, OK/  I would love to have it open by Easter.  I will tell you that right now.  It's such an important day for other reasons, but I'll make it an important day for this, too.  I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter."

17. "You know, I see things -- I see numbers.  They don't matter to me."
       If you don't think poll numbers matter to Trump, may I refer you to his Twitter feed for the past five years, including yesterday.

18. "I mean, I know insurance companies better than anybody."
       There are a lot of things Trump knows "better than anybody"....

19. "I didn't do that at all.  Read the statement.  Read the statement.  Read what I said.  I said we're going to look into 'possibly quarantine.'  I didn't say we're 'going to quarantine.' "
       The question here was whether Trump regretted threatening a quarantine of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  Here is exactly what Trump said at that time:"I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing 'hot spots', New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.  A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly."

20. "So the concept of quarantine was thrown out to me.  Really, would love to do it -- they would love to do it.  And I thought it was too much to do, because the people are doing a great job with it."
       Oh, so the idea of a quarantine was someone else's idea, eh?  And the President didn't want to do it -- despite tweeting out the possibility to his 70+ million followers?  Riiiiiiight.

21. "I didn't say that."
       This is how Trump responded to a question about him telling Sean Hannity that some governors were requesting ventilators they didn't actually need.  This is the transcript of Trump's quote from the show:  "And you know, they'd say, like Governor Cuomo and others that say we want, you know, 30,000 of them, 30,000.  All right.  Think of this.  You know, you go to hospitals, they'll have one in a hospital.  And now, all of a sudden everybody's asking for these vast numbers."   -  So, yeah.

22. "Why don't you act a little more positive?  It's always trying to 'get you.' "
       Two things here.  One, it's not the media's job to be "positive." It's our job to cover the story and hold people in power to account.  Two, it's not "gotcha" journalism to ask the President why he said what he said last Friday about governors and ventilators.

23. "You didn't hear me.  That's why you used to work for the Times and now you work for somebody else.  Look, let me tell you something:  Be nice.  Don't be threatening."
       In which the President of the United States tells an African American female reporter (Yamiche Alcindor) that (a) she was removed from The New York Times for asking negative questions - she wasn't fired, she left to join PBS'  "Newshour"-  (b) she should be nice - again, not the media's job - and (c) her question was "threatening" - it was not; it was about what Trump said on TV two days ago.  -  Unreal!

24. "When journalists get up and ask questions that are so threatening -- we're all on the same team."
       I shouldn't really need to write this, but:  Holding people in power to account is an act of patriotism.

25. "When I hear facemasks go from 10,000 to 300,000, and they constantly need more, and the biggest man in the business is, like, shocked."
       Just a reminder:  The reason mask requests are soaring is because we are dealing with a virus for which humans have no immunity and for which there is no vaccine, and which is a pandemic.

26. "And remember, we started with a system that was broken.  For many years, it was broken.  And I'm not blaming the last administration."
       He is blaming the last administration.  And he also allowed his administration to close the national pandemic office in the White House. 

27. "We took over a dead, barren system.  We took over a system that was obsolete.  It was -- it was good for a tiny, little sample of people."
       The key takeaway for Trump in all of this:  It's not his fault!  You can't blame him!   -  And, yet, his transition team ran through a simulation of a pandemic with the out-going administration's team, which explained all the ways they could combat it, using many agencies.

28. "We could have done it on Easter, but there was a good chance that if it's coming down or if it's still going up -- maybe it's going to be coming down by then."
       Trump again stares into the camera in silence.

29. "You know, again, because of what we've done and because of the fact that we've stopped the flow from China so early -- because the question is, from a lot of my friends, 'Why didn't we just wing it?  Why didn't we just wing it?' "
       Really???  Trump's friends were asking why we didn't just "wing" our response to a global pandemic?

30.  "So you're going to have tremendous suicides, but you know what you're going to have more than anything else?  Drug addiction.  You will see drugs being used like nobody has ever used them before."
       In which the President tries to justify his now-walked-back claim that extended periods of social distancing would destroy the economy and cause more deaths than the virus if left to its own devices.  This is insanity.

31. "I spoke to great people today that have done a great job.  And one day, at the top of their business, they're celebrity chefs, they've got the most successful restaurants, and in one day they have nothing."
       Yeah - "they're celebrity chefs."

32. "Anxiety causes, you know, disease, they say.  A lot of people -- you're going to have tremendous."
       What? Tremendous anxiety? Tremendous disease? What?

33. "But I didn't say that. I didn't say that."
       That question -- from CNN's Jeremy Diamond -- was why Trump had said "If they don't treat you right, I don't call" about the nation's governors last week.   See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sov6nQhqwis

34. "No, I don't call.  No, I don't call the governor of Washington now."
       So, Trump is saying he didn'y say the thing he did, but then admitting that he is actually not calling governors who he doesn't believe are appreciative enough of the help the federal government is providing?  Truly mind-boggling stuff.

35. "I don't have to call because I'm probably better off not, because we don't get -- he's a failed presidential candidate.  He's a nasty person.  I don't like the governor of Washington."
       ("Modern day presidential...?")

36. "In 100 years, you could bet your life that he would never be here with CNN and all their cameras, if they're bad, because we help their ratings."
       Totally false.  In the midst of a global pandemic, it's the media's job to cover - and contextualize - what the President and his advisers are saying and doing.  Ratings have zero to do with it.  Zero.

37. "Unfortunately, the enemy is death.  It's death.  A lot of people are dying, so it's very unpleasant.  It's a very unpleasant thing to go through."
        - Ummm...  This feels like a good place to end.

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A Kentucky Derby Run in September?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of changes around the world.  Countries, provinces, states, counties and cities are under separate quarantines, depending upon where you live.  The United Kingdom has shut down horse racing completely - both on the flat and over fences.  Equestrian trials and competitions have been closed all over the world - but the United States continues to have horse racing, in some localities.
   On Saturday, 28 March, Gulfstream Park hosted the Curlin Florida Derby - without anyone in the stands or club house.  Just the horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, gate men, outriders, starter, announcer, barn workers and stewards.  A field of eight colts started in the 1 1/8 mile race, for a total purse of $750,000.  The winner was the favorite, Tiz the Law, who won by 4 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:50.00.  Second was Shivaree by 3/4 length; Ete Indien was third by a neck; and Governour Morris was fourth. The other four starters finished in this order: Independence Hall, My First Grammy, As Seen On Tv, and Rogue Element.  All were fine Sunday.
   Now, the Kentucky Derby is usually run on the first Saturday in May.  The first edition of the Kentucky Derby was actually on May 17, 1875 - and Aristides was the winner in a field of 15, at a distance of 1 and 1/2 miles.  During the first 20 years, the Derby fluctuated between the first and second Saturday in May; then settled down on the first Saturday. 
   The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes  have missed runnings - in the 1890s, and during World War I, but the Kentucky Derby has always been run in early May, in every year, since 1875. 
   The big challenge of the Kentucky Derby was for a young horse to be able to run such a great distance at such an early age.  (Remember, no matter when a foal is born - even June or July - it is counted a year old on 1 January of the following year - and 3 years old on 1 January 2020, no matter when it was actually born in 2017. - This isn't so bad in this day and age, when mares are coaxed with special lights to be ready for breeding in January; but that wasn't done in 1875.)  Many things have changed since 1875....
   With the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been decided to run the Kentucky Derby on September 5 of this year.  Soon after, Governor Hogan of Maryland declared the Preakness would also be run in September.  With a move to that month, the Maryland Jockey Club will have to make a decision on where to host the race. Pimlico's racing season has been abbreviated in recent years to a short window in May, anchored by the Preakness. September racing is usually held at Laurel Park.  An October Belmont Stakes would align with NYRA's racing calendar, as Belmont Park hosts fall racing between Saratoga's and Aqueduct's dates.

Tiz the Law winning the 2020 Florida Derby

  BUT that means this series of the Triple Crown the 2020 editions of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes - will forever have an asterisk beside them. - these colts will be 4 months older than all of their counterparts who ran these races before this year.  They will (possibly) have more racing experience than they would in May. They will have more training, more muscle, more life experience. They will be more mature individuals.
   They will be running over the same tracks.  They will be carrying the same weights. But they will be much different individuals in September and October than they will be in May and June.  Depending on what's happening in the world at that time, it may be much hotter or much cooler than it would have been in the Spring. 
   It will be interesting to see what happens - will track records be broken during the Triple Crown?  Will favorites make it to fall racing?  And so much depends on plain old... "racing luck"....

The United States Sent Tons of Medical Supplies to China Even as Senators Warned of Virus Threat Here

From Mother Jones : written by Fernanda Echavarri     29 March 2020

Now the Trump administration is begging other countries to send us masks and respirators.
   The United States government sent nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to China - including masks, ventilators, and respirators - almost three weeks after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the state of Washington.
   In a press release from the State Department dated February 7, the agency announced it was prepared to send up to $100 million to assist China as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to rise there. The day the press release went out, Trump tweeted that he spoke with China's President Xi Jinping and that China would be "successful especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker and then gone."
   At the time, sending supplies overseas may have seemed like the right thing to do.  But it's worth noting that this release of vital medical supplies came two days after several senators, including Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, offered to allocate congressional emergency funding for preventative health measures and research to ward off the virus in the United States - and President Donald Trump turned it down.  On 5 February, at 9:09 am, Senator Murphy Tweeted: "Local health systems need supplies, training, screening staff, etc....  ... and they need it now."

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy

   Trump would go on to call the virus the Democrats'  "new hoax" and deny that it posed a risk to Americans for weeks after that.
   How the tables have turned.  As of Saturday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 103,321 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 1,688 deaths, the highest number of confirmed cases worldwide.  Hospitals across the country are now experiencing an unprecedented shortage of ventilators, respirators, and masks.  Desperate nurses and doctors are taking to social media to show their need for protective equipment with the hashtag #GetMePPE, as they treat patients who are dying of the virus.
   On Wednesday, the Trump administration asked the international community for donations of equipment, including N-95 masks, gloves, respirators, and hand sanitizer.  But even as his officials ask for foreign aid, as CNN points  out, Trump has a very different public message. As he boasted during Tuesday's COVID-19 briefing at the White House: "We should never be reliant on a foreign country for the means of our own survival."
   Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday morning that Trump's response at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic ultimately cost American lives.  "His denial at the beginning was deadly," Pelosi said.  Trump's continuous delay in "getting equipment to where it's needed, is deadly."

Five Points From Vice-President Joe Biden's Town Hall On the COVID-19 Response

* Just as a personal idiosyncrasy, I will continue to refer to the novel coronavirus as COVID-19, the World Health Organization's name for this virus - there are many coronaviruses at large in the world, but we are speaking of the one causing today's pandemic - so I will use COVID-19 and not the  general term of "coronavirus".... *

-  Source: CNN -  Written by Eric Bradner, Dan Merica, and Gregory Krieg of CNN;  Updated at 10:16 pm EDT, Friday, 27 March 2020

   "Joe Biden during a CNN town hall Friday night detailed how he'd respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  From a remote feed in his home in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said he starts his mornings with back-to-back briefings on the health and economic fallout of the pandemic - and that he is regularly speaking with governors who are managing their states' responses as the numbers of confirmed cases grow beyond 100,000 nationwide.
   Biden was critical of President Donald Trump's actions, saying his administration has moved too slowly to deploy needed resources to hospitals.
   But he offered an uplifting message - one in tune with his campaign's core theme - about the soul of the nation being on display in Americans' reaction to the crisis.  "We are seeing the soul of America now.  Take a look at what is happening.  Everywhere you look, you see people reaching out to help people," Biden said.  "Tis is an incredible nation.  The American people are generous, decent, good, fair, bright, and it makes you so proud to be an American."
   Here are five takeaways from the Biden town hall:

1. No evictions, no health care costs
   Biden staked out two clear positions to protect Americans from the economic fallout of the pandemic: A 3-month freeze on rent payments; and government coverage of all health care expenses relate to COVID-19.
   "Freeze it and forgive it so that yo're able to stay in that place," the former Vice President said of rent payments.
   He left room for conditions, suggesting at one point that the freeze might not apply to those whose income up to $75,000 is replaced by unemployment insurance.  But then he said: "There should be a rent freeze. No one should be evicted during this period - period."
   The federal government is already covering the cost of COVID-19 tests, but Biden also said the House and Senate would need to add to the $2 trillion stimulus deal approved this week to cover all health care costs related to the virus.

2.  Biden backs a temporary nationwide shutdown
   Biden is with Bill Gates, not Donald Trump.  The former Vice President said that he, as President, would recommend the governors temporarily lock down their states for a period of time to stop the spread of COVID-19, aligning himself closer to the billionaire Microsoft founder's suggestion that the country needs a lengthy shutdown, not the President's hope that the country reopen in mid-April.
   "For the time being, I would, yes," Biden said.  "Here is the point.  ... You don't know who doesn't have it.  You don't know who doesn't have the virus.  So a lot of people walking around looking like they're pretty healthy and they may very well have the virus and transmit it."
   States have moved at different paces in closing some or most businesses.  Biden also said on Friday that he had talked to a group of the nation's governors, including Washington's Jay Inslee, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, and Pennsylvania's Tom Wolf.  He said he missed a call on Friday afternoon from Louisiana's John Bel Edwards, and that he has spoken with Republicans as well.

Former Vice President Joe Biden during his video Town Hall on

the US's COVID-19 Repsonse

3.  Pitting public health against economic health is a 'false choice'
   Biden rejected Trump's assertion that public efforts to combat the crisis could do more damage to the economy than the virus itself.  Describing Trump's view as a "false choice," Biden argued that the economy could only rebound once the public health emergency was brought under control.
   "It's a false choice to make, saying that you can either open the economy or everything goes to hell," Biden said.  "You cannot make this economy grow until you deal with the virus."
   Trump this week repeatedly warned that "the cure" - in the form of efforts like social distancing and stay-at-home orders - could "be worse than the problem'" and suggested Easter as a potential date for "opening up" the economy, well ahead of when most medical experts believe would be safe. 
   "They're one and the same," Biden said of the twin dangers.  "You can't deal with the economic crisis until you deal with the health care crisis."

4.  Working from home
   Joe Biden: He's just like the rest of us.  The former Vice President described his days at home in Delaware, where he is observing the same "stay-at-home" orders that now apply to millions of Americans.  For Biden that means calls with family and the occasional visit from a couple grandkids who live nearby and walk over to say hello.
   "We sit on our back porch and they sit out on the lawn with two chairs," Biden says. "They talk through everything that's happened during their day now that they are home from school, who's driving who crazy."
   But it's not all lawn chairs and patios.  Biden said he begins each day with a pair of briefings from his campaign staff - one on the health end of the crisis, and another on the economic situation.  The health briefing covers "how much has been done" and the "equipment we can get to people."  Then come the economists, some of whom worked with him the White House, who have discussed the stimulus package and "what the Trump administration has done, has not done."

5. Biden on human suffering
   Biden gave an emotional response when asked about the difficulty that comes from not being able to be with loved ones dying from COVID-19, relating the question to the significant loss he has faced in life.
   "I've lost a couple of children, I've lost a wife and it is incredibly difficult to go through and it's harder to go through when you haven't had an opportunity to be with the person while they're dying," Biden said.  After noting that he was able to be with his mother, father and son when they died, he said he was not able to do the same with his first wife.
   COVID_19 victims are unable to be surrounded by family as they die because the virus is particularly contagious, leading many people to die alone.  Biden urged people to "seek help afterwards" and "talk to people who have been through it so ... they can tell you that you can get through it."
   Biden appeared to almost offer his cell phone number during the nationally televised town hall, but stopped himself and instead urged Americans who have lost loved ones to get in touch with his campaign so that he could talk with them. "
 

Andrew Cuomo Calls Trump "Incorrect and Grossly Uninformed" About New York's Ventilator Situation As Fight Escalates

  From CNN:  By Shimon Prokupecz and Caroline Kelly, CNN   - Updated 9:17 pm EDT, 27 March
      CNN's Dan Merica and Kevin Liptak also contributed to this report.

Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo slammed President Donald Trump for his call to distribute federal ventilators the state had in storage as the two leaders' war of words over the coronavirus pandemic escalates.  Cuomo argued that the ventilators were stored in preparation for when New York hospitals exceed their capacity as the state has become the epicenter of the American coronavirus outbreak. Cuomo told CNN on Friday that Trump's assessment of the situation was "incorrect and grossly uniformed."
   "Of course we didn't - that's the whole point," Cuomo said.  "THe hospitals don't need them yet.  The hospitals aren't at their apex.  The hospitals have enogh ventilators today, but their numbers are going up."   Cuomom added that his office was planning for a peak in cases "in about 21 days - that's when we need the 30,000 ventilators, not today."
   "So the point is, 'well, they're in a stockpile, you must not need them' is just ignorant - of course you don't need them today!" Cuomo continued, "You need them when you hit the apex, which is 30,000.  We're not there yet."
   Trump had earlier tweeted that New York should distribute the ventilators immediately.  That statement came hours after Trump said in a Fox News interview that  he doubted states calling for tens of thousands of ventilators would need them.  "Thousand of Federal Government (delivered) Ventilators found in New York storage," Trump tweeted Friday.  "N.Y. must distribute NOW!"

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

   Trump and Cuomo, two Queens natives prone to shifting quickly between approval and antagonism, have  known each other for years.  But coordinating the federal and state response to New York's outbreak, which saw a running total of at least 44,635 cases and 519 deaths on Friday, has put a spotlight on their alternately frosty and supportive working relationship.

   A White House official told CNN that Cuomo's pressers have become mandatory viewing in the West Wing, with the New York governor's command and directness driving Trump's own desire to use the briefing room every day to drive coverage of the coronavirus.  The two mane are interacting multiple times each day, according to sources familiar with their interactions, with the duo speaking upwards of 3 or 4 times on some days.

   Trump's comments Friday suggested that  his stance had taken a turn with regards to the ventilators since Thursday night, when the President told Sean Hannity on Fox News that he was "getting along" with Cuomo but slammed the governor for wanting tens of thousands of ventilators, which the President doubts are necessary.

   "And they say, like Governor Cuomo and others, that say we want 30,000 of them.  30,000.  Think of this," Trump told Hannity, "You go to hospitals who have, don't even have one, in a hospital and all of a sudden everybody is asking for vast numbers."  He added later, "But generally speaking, I'm getting along very well with Governor Cuomo."

   When asked about Trump's dismissal of his projected ventilator needs later Friday, Cuomo told CNN's Erin Burnett, "I hope the President's right.  I'll go better than what the President said - I hope I don't need any ventilators. - But I can't govern that way - I govern on the data and on the numbers and on the science," he said, adding that if "you count the numbers and the trajectory, we're looking at 40,000 possible ventilators, 140,000 hospital beds - those are the numbers."

   Cuomo highlighted his and Trump's working relationship, stressing that "this is no time for politics -  this is a time for exquisite coordination between the federal government and the state governments, because we need each other."  He also praised Trump for invoking the Defense Production Act, because it "gives him the muscle of the law to get companies to actually respond to the production of ventilators, which is exactly what we want," Cuomo said, later adding that Trumps "needs (accelerated production) and he's right - these ventilators are going to be a matter of life and death."

   But the New York governor also got in one jab, when asked about Trump's assertion during Friday's coronavirus briefing that the federal government sent ventilators for New York to a new Jersey warehouse "at the time they were complaining about it."  

   "First I've heard that the warehouse was in New Jersey, funny way of delivering it to New York," he said.  "But I knew very well that the federal government has delivered 4,000 ventilators."

A Desperate Need For Hospital Ventilators

  As someone who was saved, many years ago, by being on a ventilator due to an almost-life  ending allergic reaction, I can certainly testify to the fact that they are desperately needed.  Having worked in a tertiary care Teaching Hospital, and being trained to work in all units, including the ICUs, I have a working knowledge of ventilators and respirators, their uses and normal functions.
  As someone who is a "highly susceptible"- rated person in this COVID-19 outbreak, due to my age, chronic hypertension, and COPD, I can truly appreciate the need for breathing machines.  And, finally, having been diagnosed 3 times with pneumonia while here in Colorado, and since I only have Medicare coverage, and was sent home with medications and instructions each time I was diagnosed, I can really appreciate the need for ventilators and respirators.  Two of the three times I was diagnosed I was ill, in bed, for more than 9 weeks; and those two times, friends thought they'd find me dead in my bed each day for several weeks....  But I managed to hang on.
 
   So, first, from "Talking Points Memo" a column written by Cristina Cabrera, published today:
" Trump Claims NY Doesn't Need 30K Ventilators Despite Doctors Saying So
   In his ongoing campaign to play down the COVID-19 outbreak, President Donald Trump on Thursday night tried to cast doubt on the ventilator shortage crisis in New York hospitals.
   Trump claimed during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D) request for an additional 30,000 ventilators was overblown.
   "I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators," the President told Hannity.  "You go into major hospitals sometimes and they'll have two ventilators," he continued. "And now all of a  sudden they're saying 'Can we order 30,000 ventilators?'"
   Trump piggybacked that comment with yet another push for Americans to go back to work as soon as possible despite medical professionals' emphasis on social distancing to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. "So it's a very bad situation, we haven't seen anything like it but the end result is we've got to get back to work," Trump said. "And I think we can start by opening up certain parts of the country."
   In reality, numerous health care workers have sounded the alarm over the shortage of ventilators, which are critical to combating the deadly virus. Dr. Colleen SMith, an emergency room doctor at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York, told the New York Times that her hospital had only received five ventilators one day.  "Unless people die, I suspect we'll be back to needing to beg for ventilators again in another day or two," she said.

*******

From today US edition of The Guardian, an article from Daniel Strauss:

  "How US governors are fighting coronavirus - and Donald Trump

   America's state governors have found themselves under an intense national spotlight in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  The additional scrutiny has also highlighted an evolving dynamic between these chief executives who operate the country's states and a White House run by a mercurial president whose public statements and policy turns are often impossible to predict.

   As the virus crisis has grown stronger governors' daily press conferences and media calls on the coronavirus have become prime time events for a worried and often fearful populace. Governors, the typically aloof top state officials, are currently some of the most reliable sources of information on confirmed COVID-19 cases and updates on medical supplies in response to the virus.  "The governors are acting in a way governors traditionally act, it just so happens that governors have more of an audience for it now," said the former Delaware governor Jack Markell, a Democrat.   

   Responses to the pandemic have varied from state to state. Partially because not every governor has the same amount of authority.  Some governors can activate the national guard or order schools closed essentially on their own.  Others have had to take legislative routes or make other bureaucratic moves. 

   There have been some markings of a deeper ideological divide to responding to the virus.  Some Republican governors, such as Arizona's Doug Ducey, have loudly touted new partnerships with private business to fight the pandemic while some Democrats have leaned more on executive orders to slow the outbreak down.  Governors have also received more attention from Donald Trump than they otherwise would.

   New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has received both praise and criticism from the president.  Cuomo has regularly been in touch with Trump but at time criticized the federal government's help to his state.  Illinois' governor, J B Pritzker, and Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, have gotten into public spats with Trump on Twitter.

   At the same time, Republican and Democratic governors are learning how to shape their public comments under the intense scrutiny of a TV-obsessed president eager to return praise and respond to criticism with more criticism.  It is a tough tightrope to walk and in the face of dealing with a pandemic comes with life-or-death high stakes.

   California's governor, Gavin Newsom, usually an eager critic of the president, has repeatedly praised the Trump administration for how it has responded to the crisis.  Newsom has praised Trump for the president's "focus on treatments."

   Conversely, Pritzker found himself in a Twitter feud with the president where, at one point, the top Illinois Democrat called Trump a carnival barker.  Trump has also fumed at Washington's governor, Jay Inslee, calling him a "snake."

   "It's a two-way street," Trump said of dealing with the governors during a Fox News town hall.  "They have to treat us well."

   There's been an increased level of coordination and note trading between governors as well.  Usually, each governor is mostly siloed off from even their closest neighbors.  But conference calls with the White House or one-on-one calls and joint statements between governors have become more regular.   ......"

*******

And, finally, from The Vox - the first two sentences from an article posted on 25 March at 2 pm, written by Aaron Rupar:

   "President Donald Trump says he's willing to help blue-state governors who are struggling to contain coronavirus outbreaks - but only if they're willing to stop criticizing him in exchange.

   "It's a two-way street," Trump told Fox News on Tuesday.  "They have to treat us well, also.  They can't say, 'Oh, gee, we should get this, we should get that.'"  ........"

Ad Uses Nothing But Trump's Own Words - He Sends Cease And Desist Letters

From: The Daily Kos - written by Kerry Eleveld

   "Donald Trump is angry. The Democratic Super PAC Priorities USA assembled an ad that features the sound bites of Trump and Trump only, and guess what? Turns out he's an unhinged maniacal liar who's gotten everything about the coronavirus wrong. That may not be news to you, but it is apparently news to Trump. And his dangerously factless musings on the coronavirus over the past several weeks have not worn well.
   So on Wednesday, a Trump campaign attorney released a cease and desist letter demanding that TV stations across the nation pull the ad immediately. "On behalf of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., President Trump's principal campaign committee, this letter notifies you that your station is airing a patently false, misleading, and deceptive advertisement," wrote Alex Cannon, special counsel to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.  "Because [the ad's central point is deliberately false and misleading, your station has an obligation to cease and desist from airing it immediately to comply with FCC licensing requirements, to serve the public interest, and to avoid costly and time-consuming litigation."   Um, yeah; the ad simply regurgitates all Trump's falsehoods on the virus, sound bite by sound bite.  So if it's "patently false" and "misleading," that's because Trump narrates the entire thing in his own words.   ....."

 See:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMwvmJLnc0

Dr. Anthony Fauci Speaks About the US Returning to Work and Normalcy

From the CNN - Politics section, today, 26 March 2020:
   " Washington -  Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, had a straightforward message Wednesday night about how long the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) could affect daily life in the US: "You don't make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline."
   "You've got to be realistic," Fauci told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "Prime Time."
   "And you've got to understand that you don't make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline. So you've got to respond, in what you see happen. And if you keep seeing this acceleration, it doesn't matter what you say. One week, two weeks, three weeks -- you've go to go with what the situation on the ground is."
   His comments appear at odds with President Donald Trump's growing desire to ease the public health guidelines that have shuttered businesses and kept workers at home as the virus has spread. The President has even said he wants the nation "opened up and just raring to go by Easter" -- a date just weeks away that  few health experts believe will be sufficient in containing the outbreak.
   "You may see in a relatively shorter period of time, when you're seeing the inkling of the flattening and coming down,' Fauci said in reference to slowing the speed of the outbreak. "But you know, you can't make an arbitrary decision until you see what you're dealing with. You need the data."
   Fauci, a veteran doctor, also hasn't been afraid to refute Trump to the President's face.
   The dynamic was on full display when Trump was asked earlier this month about a timeline for a vaccine during a White House meeting opened up to reporters.  "I don't know what the the time will be. I've heard very quick numbers, that of months. And I've heard pretty much a year would be the outside number. So I think that's not a bad range. But if you're talking about three to four months in a couple of cases, a year in other cases," Trump said.
   Fauci, who was in the room, immediately corrected the President: "Let me make sure you get the ... information. A vaccine that you make and start testing in a year is not a vaccine that's deployable."

  CNN's Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.

Dr. Anthony Fauci receives the Presidential Medal of Honor in 2008

from President George W. Bush

A Timeline of COVID-19 Around the World, From News Resources, For March 2020

And so we enter March, the month Spring begins.  I am starting to write this on the 20th day of March from Boulder, Colorado.  The numbers I read this morning regarding the spread of COVID-19 were not pleasant.  The Global number of cases was listed as 254,653+, and the Global deaths at 10,415+.  The United States numbers were: number of cases 15,771 and US deaths are listed at 204.  Here in Colorado, we list 277 cases and 4 deaths. My nephew is one of the presumptive positive cases in the state, but I don't know if he is included in this count or not.
   Besides the daily Situation Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), an integral part of the United Nations, today I am using Snopes.com in looking at quotes from the 45th President, and the website of devex.com.  Devex is (a) a media platform for the global development community, (b) a social enterprise working to help the $200 billion aid and development industry do more good for more people, and (c) the largest provider of recruiting and business development services for global development. The article from Devex that I use is written by Jenny Lei Ravelo and Sara Jerving, and is titled: "COVID-19 -- A timeline of the coronavirus outbreak"
   For this month, I'll place reporting first, the WHO Situation Report second,the US CDC Report, the JohnsHospkins University COVID-19 Report, the Colorado COVID-19 Report and the quotes from Trump and his minions last.....

1 March 2020 -   From Devex article: "The United Nations releases $15 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to the World Health Fund and UNICEF to support vulnerable countries in areas including monitoring the spread of COVID-19, investigating cases, and operating national laboratories.
   The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Hubei province, China - the epicenter of the outbreak - increased for two successive days following a period of decline in the number of new cases.
   Countries should work to increase the availability of pulse oximeters and medical oxygen systems according to WHO."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Armenia reports its first case.
Australia confirms a total of 26 cases.  It also confirmed its first death, a passenger from Diamond Princess.
Austria confirms a total of 14 cases.
Bahrain confirms a total of 47 cases.
Canada confirms a total of 24 cases.
China confirms a total of 79, 824 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2,870 deaths.
Czech Republic reports its first 3 confirmed cases.
Dominican Republic reports its first confirmed case.
Ecuador confirms a total of 6 cases.
Egypt confirms a total of 2 cases.
Finland confirms a total of 6 cases.
France confirms a total of 130 cases.
Germany confirms a total of 129 cases.
Hong Kong confirms a total of 98 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 978 cases, and also confirms a total of 54 deaths.  Also, 23 members of the Iranian Parliament, about 8% of that company, have tested positive for the virus.
Iraq confirms a total of 19 cases.
Israel confirms a total of 10 cases.
Italy conforms a total of 1,694 cases, and confirms a total of 34 deaths.
Japan confirms a total of 6 deaths from COVID-19.
Malaysia confirms a total of 29 cases.
Mexico confirms a total of 5 cases.
The Netherlands confirms a total of 10 cases.
Saint Barthelemy reports its first case.
Saint Martin confirms its first case.
San Marino confirms a total of 8 cases.  It also confirms its first death.
Scotland reports its first case.
Singapore confirms a total of 106 cases.
South Korea confirms a total of 3,736 cases.  It also confirms a total of 18 deaths.
Spain confirms a total of 84 cases.  It also confirms its first death.
Sweden confirms a total of 4 cases.
Thailand confirms its first death, a 35-year-old who also had Dengue Fever.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 35 cases.
The United States confirms a total of 89 cases.  It also confirms a second death.

  -  On NBC's "Meet the Press" Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was asked about COVID-19.  Azar responded, "The risk to the average Americans remains low.  We are working to keep it low."

2 March 2020 -  From Devex article: "The United States commits $37 million from the Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious Diseases at the US Agency for International Development for countries affected by COVID-19 or at high risk of its spread.  These are the first funds committed from the pledge of up to $100 million, announced on Feb. 7.  Countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burma,Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgystan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, South AFrica, Tajikistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
  A team of WHO experts lands in Iran to support the outbreak response with technical assistance, bringing medical supplies and protective equipment for over 15,000 health care workers and enough laboratory kits to test nearly 100,000 people.  A WHO staff member in Iran tests positive for COVID-19.
  Over the past 24 hours, there were nearly 9 times more new cases reported outside China than within China.
  Influenza is different than COVID-19 because there are treatments, vaccines, and there is an understanding of its transmission and patterns, says Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director at the WHO Health Emergencies Program, during a press conference.  "Here we have a disease in which we have no vaccine, no treatment, we don't fully understand transmission, we don't really understand case fatality.  What we have been genuinely heartened by is that unlike influenza, where countries have fought back, where they've put in place strong measures, we've remarkably seen that the virus is suppressed." "
  From the WHO Situation Report:
Andorra reports its first case.
Australia confirms a total of 30 cases.
Bahrain confirms a total of 49 cases.
Canada confirms a total of 27 cases.
China confirms a total of 80,026 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2,912 deaths.
France confirms a total of 191 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.
Germany confirms a total of 150 cases.
India reports the first case since its initial outbreak, bringing total cases to 6.
Indonesia reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Iran confirms a total of 1,501 cases.  It also confirms a total of 66 deaths.
Iraq confirms a total of 21 cases.
Israel confirms a total of 12 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 2,064 cases.  It also confirms a total of 52 deaths.
Jordan reports its first confirmed case.
Kuwait confirms a total of 56 cases.
Latvia reports its first confirmed case.
Morocco reports its first confirmed case.
The Netherlands confirms a total of 18 cases.
Portugal reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Qatar confirms a total of 7 cases.
Saudi Arabia reports its first confirmed case.
Senegal reports its first confirmed case.
Singapore confirms a total of 108 cases.
South Korea confirms a total of 4,335 cases.  It also confirms a total of 22 deaths.
Spain confirms a total of 120 cases.
Sweden confirms a total of 15 cases.
Taiwan confirms a total of 41 cases.
Thailand confirms a total of 43 cases.
Tunisia reports its first confirmed case.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 39.
The United States confirms a total of 102 cases.  It also confirms a total of 6 deaths.

  - On 2 March, @realDonaldTrump Tweeted about COVID-19 planning: "I am meeting with the major pharmaceutical companies today at the White House about progress on a vaccine and cure.  Progress being made!"
  - From Vox and the White House: At the meeting referenced in the above Tweet, with public health officials and pharmaceutical executives, Trump asked, "You take a solid flu vaccine, you don't think that could have an impact, or much of an impact, on corona?"  One of the health officials flatly responded, "No."
  During the meeting Trump also said, "The White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, has been meeting daily and coordinating closely with the state and local governments. Mike had a call today with 53 governors, and I heard it was a very good call, and everybody is very well coordinated. And the governors and the states - all of them; I can't think of an exception - they've been really working closely with us. It's been - it's been a very good - a very good relationship.
  We will continue to confront this challenge together, and we will continue to do exactly what we're doing. And we're going to be very successful. A lot of things are happening. A lot of exciting things are happening, and they are happening very rapidly."

Health care workers in China in full protective gear

3 March 2020 -   From Devex article: "The World Bank Group commits $12 billion in immediate support to help countries strengthen health systems and to help cope with economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
   To meet global demand for personal protective equipment, the World Health Organization estimates that industry needs to increase manufacturing by 40%.  An estimated 89 million medical masks, 76 million examination gloves, and 1.6 million goggles are required each month for the COVID-19 response."
  From the WHO Situation Report:
Argentina reports its first confirmed case.
Australia confirms a total of 38 cases.
Canada confirms a total of 33 cases.
Chile reports its first case.
China confirms a total of 80,151 cases.  It also confirms 2,943 deaths.
Ecuador confirms a total of 10 cases.
France confirms a total of 212 cases. It also confirms a total of 4 deaths.
Germany confirms a total of 188 cases.
Gibraltar reports its first confirmed case.
Iran confirms a total of 2,336 cases.  It also confirms 77 deaths.
Ireland confirms a total of 2 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 2,502 cases.  It also confirms 80 deaths.
Liechtenstein reports its first case.
Malaysia confirms a total of 36 cases.
San Marino confirms a total of 10 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 110 cases.
South Korea confirms a total of 5,186 cases.  It also confirms a total of 36 deaths.
Spain confirms a total of 151 cases.  It also confirms a death from COVID-19 on 13 February, the earliest death in Europe.
Sweden confirms a total of 30 cases.
Ukraine reports its first confirmed case.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 51 cases.
The United States confirms a total of 126 cases.  It also confirms a total of 9 deaths.

4 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization says COVID-19 has disrupted the education of 290.5 million students globally, which is an "unprecedented" figure.  This includes school closures in 13 countries.
  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria  says countries may use savings from their existing grants for COVID-19 response. ..."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Brazil confirms a total of 4 cases.
Canada confirms a total of 34 cases.
China confirms a total of 80,270 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2,981 deaths.
Faroe Islands reports its first confirmed case.
France confirms a total of 285 cases.
Germany confirms a total of 240 cases.
Hong Kong confirms a case of human-to-animal transmission, involving a pet dog.
Hungary reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
India confirms a total of 29 cases.
Iraq confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Italy confirms a total of 3,089 cases.  It also confirms a total of 107 deaths.
*Japan confirms another case; this marks 1,001 cases, but also includes the 706 cases from Diamond Princess, which, technically, is normally listed by itself as "an international conveyance."
Malaysia confirms a total of 50 cases.
New Zealand confirms a total of 2 cases.
Poland reports its first confirmed case.
San Marino confirms a total of 15 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 112 cases.
Slovenia reports its first case.
South Korea confirms a total of 5,621 cases.
Sweden confirmed a total of 52 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 87 cases.
The United States confirms a total of 159 cases.  It also confirms a total of 11 deaths.

   -  Source: The White House:  During an interview on Fox News, President Trump said,"If we have thousands of people that get better just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work - some of them go to work, but they get better."  -  (At this time, the CDC was urging employers to have workers stay at home.)
     - Source: CBS News:  Trump's "work" comment caused significant controversy, leading him to clarify his remarks on Twitter on 5 March at 8:30 am:  Tweet from @realDonaldTrump  "I NEVER said people that are feeling sick should go to work. This is just more Fake News and disinformation put out by the Democrats, in particular MSDNC. Comcast cover the CoronaVirus situation horribly, only looking to do harm to the incredible & successful effort being made!"   - Wile Trump truly did say that "some of them go to work," which may have downplayed the seriousness of the situation, he didn't recommend at this time that people should keep going to work despite the pandemic.

5 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The International Monetary Fund chief, Kristalina Georgieva, says emerging market and low-income countries dealing with, or at-risk of, COVID-19 will have access to $50 billion through IMF's rapid-disbursing emergency financing facilities. Twenty percent of this, or $10 billion, is available at 0% interest for lowest-income countries.
   "Under any scenario, global growth in 2020 will drop below last year's level.  Hoe far it will fall, and for how  long, is difficult to predict, and would depend on the epidemic, but also on the timeliness and effectiveness of our actions," Georgieva writes in the IMF blog.
   Australia's support to the Indo-Pacific region to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak is being partly paid for from existing official development assistance funding, but its impact on other existing or planned projects is unknown.
   The US Congress approves an emergency spending package to fund efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.  About $1.25 billion will be spent internationally.
   As the global health community tries to fast-track the development of a avccine, it is looking for answers from lessons learned - or not learned - from past outbreaks."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Algeria confirms a total of 17 cases.
Belgium confirms a total of 50 cases.
Brazil confirms a total of 8 cases.
Bosnia and Herzegovina reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Canada confirms a total of 45 cases.
China confirms a total of 80,409 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3,012 deaths.
Ecuador confirms a total of 13 cases.
Egypt confirms a total of 3 cases.
France confirms a total of 423 cases.  It also confirms a total of 7 deaths.
Georgia confirms a total of 8 cases.
Germany confirms a total of 349 cases.
Greece confirms a total of 31 cases.
India confirms a total of 30 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 3,513 cases.  It also confirms a total of 107 deaths.
Ireland confirms a total of 13 cases.
Israel confirms a total of 17 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 3,850 cases.  It also confirms 148 deaths.
Martinique reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
The Netherlands confirms a total of 82 cases.
New Zealand confirms a total of 3 cases.
Norway confirms a total of 66 cases.
Pakistan confirms a total of 6 cases.
Palestine reports its first 7 confirmed cases.
Russia confirms a total of 7 cases.
Saudi Arabia confirms a total of 5 cases.
Scotland confirms a total of 6 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 117 cases.
South Africa reports its first confirmed case.
South Korea confirms a total of 5,766 cases.  It also confirms a total of 35 deaths.
Spain confirms a total of 234 cases.
Sweden confirms a total of 94 cases.
Switzerland reports its first death from COVID-19.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 116 cases.  It also confirms its first death.
The United States confirms a total of 228 cases.  It also confirms a total of 14 deaths.

Martinique reported its first confirmed case om 5 March

6 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The United Kingdom announces a $59.9 million package for the COVID-19 response, funded by the country's international development budget. It includes funding for the development of a vaccine and a rapid diagnostic test.
   WHO says there are more than 200 clinical trials registered that look at different therapeutics to treat COVID-19, as well as traditional Chinese medicine, according to Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, technical  lead of the WHO Health Emergencies Program."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Austria confirms a total of 55 cases.
Belgium confirms a total of 109 cases.
Bhutan reports its first confirmed case.
Brazil confirms a total of 13 cases.
Cameroon reports its first case.
Canada confirms a total of 51 cases.
China confirms a total of 80,556 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3,042 deaths.
Columbia reports its first confirmed case.
Costa Rica reports its first case.
Egypt confirms a total of 15 cases.
France confirms a total of 613 cases.  It also confirms a total of 9 deaths.
Germany confirms a total of 639 cases.
Grand Princess, a cruise ship, reports 21 cases on board.
Greece confirms a total of 45 cases.
Iceland confirms a total of 43 cases.
India confirms a total of 31 cases.
Indonesia confirms a total of 4 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 4,747 cases.  It also confirms a total of 124 deaths.
Italy confirms a total of 4,628 cases.  It also confirms a total of 197 deaths.
Malaysia confirms a total of 83 cases.
The Netherlands confirms a total of 128 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.
New Zealand confirms a total of 4 cases.
North Macedonia confirms a total of 3 cases.
Peru reports its first confirmed case.
Poland confirms a total of 5 cases.
Portugal confirms a total of 13 cases.
Qatar confirms a total of 11 cases.
Russia confirms a total of 13 cases.
Serbia reports its first confirmed case.
Singapore confirms a total of 130 cases.
Slovakia reports its first case.
Spain confirms a total of 360 cases.
Sweden confirms a total of 137 cases.
Switzerland confirms a total of 210 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Togo reports its first confirmed case.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 163 cases.
The United States confirms a total of 332 cases.  It also confirms a total of 17 deaths. ** WHO has different data - it says 148 cases, and 10 deaths. **
Vatican City reports its first confirmed case.
Vietnam confirms a total of 17 cases; it was the first case added in 3 weeks.

 - Source: The White House:  The following are a series of comments made by President Trump while he was visiting and touring the CDC facilities in Atlanta, Georgia on 6 March for information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, and at a press conference afterwards.  (Comments from Snopes.com are in parentheses following quotes.)
  "I think we're doing a really good job in this country at keeping it down.  We've really been very vigilant, and we've done a tremendous job at keeping it down.   .....
     But who would have thought? Look, how long ago is it? Six, seven, eight weeks ago  - who would have thought we would even be having the subject? We were going to hit 30,000 on the Dow like it was clockwork. Right? It was all going  - it was right up, and then all of a sudden, this came out."  (At the time Trump made this comment, cases of COVID-19 in the US had jumped to over 300.)
   Trump also said, "Anybody right now, and yesterday, anybody that needs a test gets a test.  And the tests are beautiful. They are perfect just like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect. Right? This was not as perfect as that but pretty good."   (At the time, the US had only conducted about 2,000 coronavirus tests.) [And my question is what letter and transcription is he referring to?  This makes no sense...]
    Later Trump said, "I like this stuff.  I really get it.  People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, 'How do you know so much about this?' Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president."
    When Trump was asked about bringing passengers from the cruise ship Grand Princess, that was being held in quarantine off the coast of San Francisco, California for a COVID-19 outbreak on board, so they could receive better care on land, Trump stated, "I like the numbers being where they are.  I don't need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn't our fault."

7 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The number of COVID-19 cases surpasses 100,000."
 From the WHO Situation Report: 
Afghanistan confirms a total of 4 cases.
Argentina confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Bahrain confirms a total of 79 cases.
Belgium confirms a total of 169 cases.
Brazil confirms a total of 19 cases.
Canada confirms a total of 57 cases.
Egypt confirms a total of 48 cases.
France confirms a total of 949 cases.  It also confirms a total of 16 deaths.
Germany confirms a total of 800 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 5,823 cases. It also confirms a total of 145 deaths.  They also confirmed 16,000 suspected cases were hospitalized.
Iraq confirms a total of 46 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 5,875 cases.  It also confirms a total of 233 deaths.
Maldives reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Malaysia confirms a total of 93 cases.
Malta reports its first 3 confirmed cases.
Moldova reports its first confirmed case.
New Zealand confirms a total of 5 cases.
Paraguay reports its first case.
Peru confirms a total of 6 cases.
Poland confirms a total  of 6 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 138 cases.
South Korea confirms a total of 7, 041 cases.  It also confirms a total of 39 deaths.
Spain confirms a total of 516 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.
United Arab Emirates confirms a total of 45 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 209 cases.
The United States  confirms a total of 444 cases.  ** WHO says 213 cases and 11 deaths. **
Vietnam confirms a total of 20 cases.

8 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Over 100 countries report cases of COVID-19."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Albania reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Austria confirms a total of 104 cases.
Bahrain confirms a total of 94 cases.
Bangladesh  reports its first 3 confirmed cases.
Belgium confirms a total of 200 cases.
Brazil confirms a total of 25 cases.
Bulgaria reports its first 4 confirmed cases.
Canada confirms a total of 69 cases.
Egypt confirms its first death from COVID-19 - the first death in Africa.
France confirms a total of 1,126 cases.  It also confirms a total of 19 deaths.
Germany confirms a total of 1,018 cases.
Hong Kong confirms a total  of 114. It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.
India confirms a total of 39 cases.
Indonesia confirms a total of 6 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 6,566 cases.  It also confirms a total of 194 deaths.
Israel confirms a total of 29 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 7,375 cases.  It also confirms a total of 366 deaths.
Kuwait confirms a total of 62 cases.
Latvia confirms a total of 2 cases.
Lebanon confirms a total of 32 cases.
Malaysia confirms a total of 99 cases.
Poland confirms a total of 11 cases.
Portugal confirms a total of 17 cases.
Qatar confirms a total of 15 cases.
Saudi Arabia confirms a total of 11 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 150 cases.
Spain confirms a total of 616 cases.  It also confirms a total of 17 deaths.
South Africa confirms a total of 3 cases.
South Korea confirms a total of 7,134 cases.  It also confirms a total of 41 deaths.
Switzerland confirms a total of 332 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 278 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.
The United States confirms a total of 564 cases.  It also confirms a total of 21 deaths.  ** WHO says 213 cases, and 11 deaths. **
Vietnam confirms a total of 30 cases.

   - Source: Twitter:  On 8 March, at 8:45 am  @realDonaldTrump Tweeted: "We have a perfectly coordinated and fine tuned plan at the White House for our attack on CoronaVirus. We moved VERY early to close borders to certain areas which was a Godsend. V.P. doing a great job. The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to make us look bad. Sad!"

9 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "WHO moves closer to declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.  "Now that the virus has a foothold in so many coutries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real," Dr. Tedros says during a press conference.
    WHO experts say they are concerned about how the world will respond to that declaration - potentially causing an abandonment of efforts to control the spread of the virus.
   "Will the reaction to the word [pandemic] be: Let's fight? Let's push this disease back? Or will the reaction to the word be: Let's give up," asks Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program."
 From the WHO Situation Report: 
Australia confirms a total of 80 cases.
Bahrain confirms a total of 118 cases.
Belgium confirms a total of 239 cases.
Brazil confirms a total of 30 cases.
Brunei reports its first confirmed case.
Canada confirms a total of 79 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Colombia confirms a total of 3 cases.
Cyprus reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Finland confirms a total of 30 cases.
France confirms a total of 1,412 cases.
Germany confirms a total of 1,176 cases.   It also reports its first 2 deaths from COVID-19.
Guernsey reports its first confirmed case.
Hungary confirms a total of 4 cases.
India confirms a total of 44 cases.
Indonesia confirms a total of 19 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 7,161 cases.  It also confirms a total of 237 deaths.
Ireland confirms a total of 24 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 9,172 cases.  It also confirms a total of 463 deaths.
Kuwait confirms a total of 65 cases.
Lebanon confirms a total of 41 cases.
Malaysia confirms a total of 117 cases.
The Netherlands confirms a total of 184 cases.
Nigeria confirms a total of 2 cases.
Norway confirms a total of 227 cases.
Oman confirms a total of 18 cases.
Panama reports its first confirmed case.
The Philippines confirms a total of 24 cases.
Pakistan confirms a total of 16 cases.
Poland confirms a total of 16 cases.
Saudi Arabia confirms a total of15 cases.
Scotland confirms a total of 11 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 160 cases.
South Africa confirms a total of 7 cases.
South Korea confirms a total of 7,478 cases.
Spain confirms a total of 1,231 cases.  It also confirms a total of 30 deaths.
Sweden confirms a total of 252 cases.
Switzerland confirms a total of 374 cases.
UAE confirms a total of 59 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 317 cases. It also confirms a total of 5 deaths.
The United States confirms a total of 717 cases.  It also confirms a total of 26 deaths. ** WHO's numbers have no changed from yesterday. **
Vietnam confirms a total of 31 cases.

 - Source:  Twitter:  On 9 March, @realDonaldTrump Tweeted: "The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democratic party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Surgeon General, "The risk is low to the average American."

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation make COVID-19 research donation

10 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, is investing a further $4.4 million for vaccine development efforts against COVID-19, bringing the organization's total investments to $23.7 million.  The money will be used to help Novavax and the University of Oxford in their vaccine development work.
   The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard commit up to $125 million to speed up the response to the COVID-19 epidemic by developing and scaling up treatments, with a focus on making products broadly available and affordable.
   UK Health Minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for COVID-19."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Australia confirms a total of 107 cases.
Austria confirms a total of 182 cases.
Bahrain confirms a total of 119 cases.
Belgium confirms a total of 267 cases.
Bolivia reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Brazil confirms a total of 34 cases.
Brunei confirms a total of 6 cases.
Bulgaria confirms a total o 6 cases.
Burkina Faso reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
China confirms a total  of 80,575 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3,059 deaths.
Democratic Republic of Congo reports its first confirmed case.
Denmark confirms a total of 264 cases.
France confirms a total of 1,784 cases.  It also confirms a total of 33 deaths.
Georgia confirms a total of 23 cases.
Germany confirms a total of 1,565 cases.
Greece confirms a total of 89 cases.
Hong Kong confirms a total of 120 cases and 1 presumed case.
India confirms a total of 62 cases.
Indonesia confirms a total of 27 cases.
Iran confirms a total of 8,042 cases.  It also confirms a total of 291 deaths.
Ireland confirms a total of 34 cases.
Israel confirms a total of 58 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 10,149 cases.  It also confirms a total of 631 deaths.
Jamaica reports its first confirmed case.
Japan confirms a total of 454 cases.  It also confirms a total of 8 deaths.
Jersey reports its first confirmed case.
Kuwait confirms a total of 69 cases.
Lebanon confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Malaysia confirms a total of 129 cases.
Moldova confirms a total of 3 cases.
Mongolia reports its first confirmed case.
Morocco confirms a total of 3 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.
The Netherlands confirms a total of 255 cases.  It also confirms a total of 4 deaths.
Northern Cyprus reports its first confirmed case.
Norway confirms a total of 374 cases.
Panama confirms a total of 8 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Pakistan reports a total of 20 cases.
Palestine confirms a total of 26 cases.
The Philippines confirms a total of 33 cases.  (Erroneously reported at 35 earlier.)
Poland confirms a total of 22 cases.
Qatar confirms a total of 24 cases.
Romania confirms a total of 25 cases.
Russia confirms a total of 17 cases.
San Marino confirms a total of 62 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.
Saudi Arabia confirms a total of 20 cases.
Scotland confirms a total of 18 cases.
Serbia confirms a total of 5 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 166 cases.
Slovenia confirms a total of 16 cases.
Spain confirms a total of 1,674 cases.  It also confirms a total of 35 deaths.
Sweden confirms a total of 326 cases.
Tunisia confirms a total of 5 cases.
Turkey reports its first confirmed case.
The UAE confirms a total of 74 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 382 cases.  It also confirms a total of 6 deaths.
The United States confirms a total of 1,000 cases.  It also confirms a total of 31 deaths.
Vietnam confirms a total of 34 cases.

- Source: The White House:   On 10 March, after meeting with Republican Senators on Capitol Hill, Trump answered a few questions from reporters.  He was asked about the US response to COVID-19. He said, "Well, this was unexpected. This was something that came out of China, and it hit us and many other countries. You look at the numbers; I see the numbers with just by watching you folks. I see it - it's over 100 different countries. And it hit the world.
  And we're prepared, and we're doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.
  We want to protect our shipping industry, our cruise industry, cruise ships. We want to protect our airline industry - very important. But everybody has to be vigilant and has to be careful."

11 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declares the global COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. "We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction, " he says, adding that "we have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action." The decision has been made based on input from experts both internally and externally.
   While only 8 countries in Africa have reported cases of COVID-19, there is concern that weak surveillance systems are not identifying existing cases, says Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, during a press conference. "We believe there may be an element of under-diagnosis in some countries and we are chasing that and trying to activate surveillance on the whole continent," he says.
    After the first case of COVID-19 was detected in DRC this week, WHO is redirecting some of its Ebola response capacity toward the potential isolation and treatment of cases, Ryan says. Last week, the last Ebola patient was discharged from a treatment center. Responders say that resources are still needed to ensure there is not a resurgence of the virus.
   The U.K. announces up to $192.4 million in aid funding from the nation's budget to "mitigate the impact of coronavirus on the world's most vulnerable countries."
   In places such as Iran, North Korea, and Syria, sanctions are hindering the response to the outbreak, impacting countries' ability to purchase test kits, medicines, equipment, and other necessary items."
 From the WHO Situation Report:

** The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.  The declaration followed extensive criticism that the WHO response had been weak and inappropriately favorable toward the government of China. **

Albania confirms a total of 15 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Armenia confirms a total of 4 cases.

Australia confirms a total of 126 cases. (Two are Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson filming there.)

Austria confirms a total of 206 cases.

Bahrain confirms a total of 189 cases.

Belgium confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Bosnia and Herzegovina confirms a total of 9 cases.

Brazil confirms a total of 69 cases.

China confirms a total of 80,595 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3,081 deaths.

Colombia confirms a total of 9 cases.

Cuba reports its first 3 confirmed cases.

Denmark confirms a total of442 cases.

Egypt confirms a total of 67 cases.

France confirms a total of 2,281 cases.  It also confirms a total of 48 deaths.

French Polynesia reports its first confirmed case.

Georgia confirms a total of 23 cases.

Germany confirms a total of 1,908 cases.

Greece confirms a total of 99 cases.

Honduras reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Indonesia confirms a total of 34 cases.  It also confirms its first death to COVID-19.

Iran confirms a total of 9,000 cases.  It also confirms a total of 354 deaths.

Ireland confirms a total of 43 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19

Israel confirms a total of 97 cases.

Italy confirms a total of 12,462 cases.  It also confirms a total of 827 deaths.

Ivory Coast reports its first confirmed case.

Kuwait confirms a total of 72 cases.

Lebanon confirms a total of 59 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Lithuania confirms a total of 3 cases.

Malaysia confirms a total of 149 cases.

Maldives confirms a total of 4 cases.

Morocco confirms a total of 5 cases.

The Netherlands confirms a total of 503 cases.  It also confirms a total of 5 deaths.

Norway confirms a total of 602 cases.

Paraguay confirms a total of 4 cases.

Panama confirms a total of 14 cases.

The Philippines confirms a total of 49 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Portugal confirms a total of 35 cases.

Qatar confirms a total of 262 cases.

Reunion reports its first confirmed case.

Romania confirms a total of 47 cases.

Saudi Arabia confirms a total of 21 cases.

Scotland confirms a total of 36 cases.

Singapore confirms a total of 178 cases.

South Africa confirms a total of 13 cases.

South Korea confirms a total of 7,820 cases.  It also confirms a total of 47 deaths.

Spain confirms a total of 2,231 cases.  It also confirms a total of 54 deaths.

Sri Lanka confirms a total of 2 cases.

Sweden confirms a total of 500 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Taiwan confirms a total of 48 cases.

Thailand confirms a total of 59 cases.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 460 cases.  It also confirms a total of 8 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 1,272 cases.  It also confirms a total of 38 deaths.

Vietnam confirms a total of 38 cases.

12 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The Asian Development Bank asks its staff at its Manila headquarters to work from home temporarily after a visitor tested positive for COVID-19. But bank operations continue. ADB announces $200 million will be made available to companies in the supply chain critical in combating the COVID-19 outbreak. The money will be made available through its Supply Chain Finance Program.

   A diplomat from the Philippines test positive for COVID-19, marking the first case at the United Nations headquarters in New York City."

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Algeria confirms a total of 22 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Brazil confirms a total of 149 cases.

Brunei confirms a total of 11 cases.

Bulgaria confirms a total of 23 cases.

Colombia confirms a total of 13 cases.

Egypt confirms a total of 80 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

France confirms a total of 2,876 deaths.  It also confirms a total of 61 deaths.

Germany confirms a total of 2,745 cases.  It also confirms a total of 6 deaths.

India confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Italy confirms a total of 15,113 cases.  It also confirms a total of 1,016 deaths.

Ireland confirms a total of 70 cases.

Kuwait confirms a total of 80 cases.

Norway confirms its first death from COVID-19.

The Philippines confirm a total of 52 cases.

Romania confirms a total of 48 cases.

San Marino confirms a total of 77 cases.  It aso confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Singapore confirms a total of 187 cases.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines reports its first confirmed case.

Spain confirms a total of 3,059 cases.  It also confirms a total of 86 deaths.

Sri Lanka confirms a total of 3 cases.

Switzerland confirms a total of 586 cases.  It also confirms a total of 4 deaths.

Trinidad & Tobago reports its first confirmed case.

Ukraine confirms a total of 3 cases.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 596 cases.  It also confirms a total of 10 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 1,645 cases.  It also confirms a total of 41 deaths.

Vietnam confirms a total of 44 cases.

 - Source: Politico:  At a press briefing about COVID-19, Donald Trump said, "It's going to go away.  ...  The United States, because of what I did and what the administration did with China, we have 32 deaths at this point... when you look at the kind of numbers that you're seeing coming out of other countries, it's pretty amazing when you think of it."

[More than 24 hours after WHO announced the pandemic, there was still no announcement from the White House, Congress, or CDC regarding COVID-19.]

US declares National Emergency - Dr. Fauci at left with arms crossed

13 November 2020 -  From the Devex article: " "Europe has now become the epicenter of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China," WHO Director General Dr. Tedros says during a press conference. "More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic."

   Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead of the WHO Health Emergencie Program, speaks during a press conference about the need to support countries as they expand the nuber of people tested for the virus. "If there are countries that are starting to identify cases and starting to identify large numbers of cases because they are looking, because they are doing aggressive case and contact finding, they shouldn't be punished for that. It's really important that we support countries in doing the right measures, and sometimes that's going to mean the numbers are going to increase," she says. 

   WHO, the United Nations Foundation, and partners launch the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to support at-risk countries with weak health systems in preparing for and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

   The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approves a $1.1 billion package to help companies in the region with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

   The International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group advise employees at their Washington, DC headquarters to work from home after an IMF employee is confirmed positive for the virus."

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Antigua and Barbuda reports its first confirmed case.

Aruba reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Bulgaria confirms a total of 31 cases.

Brazil confirms a total of 171 cases.

Brunei confirms a total of 25 cases.

The Cayman Islands reports its first confirmed case.

Colombia confirms a total of 16 cases.

Costa Rica confirms a total of 26 cases.

Curacao reports its first confirmed case.

Ethiopia reports its first confirmed case.

France confirms a total of 2,876 cases.  It also confirms a total of 81 deaths.

Gabon reports its first confirmed case.

Germany confirms a total of 3,675 cases.

Ghana reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Guadeloupe reports its first confirmed case.

Guatemala reports its first confirmed case.

Guinea reports its first confirmed case.

Italy confirms a total of 17,660 cases. It also confirms a total of 1,266 deaths.

Kazakhstan reports its first 2 confirmed cases - the first in Central Asia.

Kenya reports its first confirmed case.

Kosovo reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Lithuania confirms a total of 6 cases.

Malaysia confirms a total of 197 cases.

The Philippines confirms a total of 64 cases.

Pakistan confirms a total of 27 cases.

Puerto Rico reports its first 3 confirmed cases.

Saint Lucia reports its first confirmed case.

Singapore confirms a total of 200 cases.

Slovakia confirms a total of 32 cases.

Spain confirms a total of 4,231 cases.  It also confirms a total of 121 deaths.

Sri Lanka confirms a total of 6 cases.

Sudan reports its first confirmed case.  It also reports its first death form COVID-19.

Suriname reports its first confirmed case.

Switzerland confirms a total of 1,125 cases.

Panama confirms a total of 36 cases.

Turkey confirms a total of 5 cases.

Ukraine confirms its first death from COVID-19.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 798 cases. It also confirms a total of 11 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 2,204 cases.  It also confirms a total of 49 deaths.

U.S. Virgin Islands reports its first confirmed case.

Uruguay reports its first 4 confirmed cases.

Venezuela reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Vietnam confirms a total of 47 cases.

- Source: The White House: President Trump declares a National Emergency to help the government respond to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020.

- Source: The New York Times :  Trump's False Claims About His Response To The Coronavirus

  As he declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, President Trump attempted to deflect criticisms of his administration's response to the virus with inaccurate claims [during a press conference].  Here's a fact-check response.

   Mr Trump wrongly blamed the Obama administration for coronavirus testing shortages and falsely said it "didn't do testing" during the swine flu epidemic of 2009.

    What Trump said: "I don't take responsibility at all because we were given a set of circumstances and we were given different rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time."

  False.  The Food and Drug Administration issued a "draft guidance" in 2014 in which it sought to extend its authority to regulate laboratory-developed tests.  But its wrong to blame that effort for the scattered and insufficient delivery of coronavirus tests, as the guidance was not particularly relevant to emergency situations and was never finalized, or generally enforced.

   A law enacted in 2004 created the process and requirements for the use of unapproved products in public health emergencies. Under the law and guidance set up by the Trump administration itself, the FDA requires developers of laboratory-developed tests to submit information and to comply with certain procedures.

   The agency said in early March that it would permit unapproved tests for the coronavirus for 15 days while developers are preparing their emergency authorization request. Neither the 2004 law, nor the subsequent amendments restricted the Trump administration from doing so, nor did it hamper previous administrations in fast-tracking testing for other health crises.

   What Trump said: "If you go back to the swine flu, it was nothing like this. They didn't do testing like this, and actually they lost approximately 14,000 people, and they didn't do the testing.  They started thinking about testing when it was far too late."

  False.  This is blatantly wrong. Diagnostic tests for the swine flu were approved and shipped out less than 2 weeks after the H1N1 virus was identified and a day before the first death in the United States.

   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the first case of the virus on 14 April 2009. The Obama administration declared swine flu a public health emergency on April 26. The FDA approved a rapid test for the virus 2 days later. At the time, the CDC had reported 64 cases and 0 deaths. The CDC began shipping test kits to public health laboratories on May 1 (with 141 cases and 1 death) and a second test was approved in July. From May to September 2009, the agency shipped more than 1,000 kits, each one able to test 1,000 specimens.

   Different tests developed by companies also came into widespread use, though researchers found flaws and limitations in them. A vaccine became available in early October but, amid reports of shortages, Obama declared the outbreak a national emergency later that month. The estimated death toll in the us from the H1N1 epidemic was 12,469 from April 2009 to April 2010.

   Mr. Trump inaccurately described a website in development to mitigate the outbreak. [He was given information about the website by son-in-law Jared Kushner.]

   What Trump said: "I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website, it's going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location."

   Misleading.  Trump misstated the company developing the website and exaggerated its scope. After Mr. Trump spoke, Google issued a statement on Twitter from Verily, a separate subsidiary of Google's parent company.  "We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time," the statement read.

   A spokeswoman for Verily said it had originally intended for the website to be used only by health care workers.  Mr. Trump's statement prompted the company to make it available to the public. The site will direct people to "pilot sites" for testing in the Bay Area, the spokeswoman said.  If the pilot goes well, Verily aims to deploy the project nationwide, but there is no timetable for a national roll out.

  Mr. Trump again mischaracterized travel restrictions imposed on certain European countries.

 What Trump said: "As you know, Europe was just designated as the hot spot right now and we closed that border a while ago."

   Misleading.  Trump imposed some travel restrictions on 26 European countries on Wednesday night, but those restrictions do not go into effect until midnight on Friday and do not amount to a total shutting down of the border.

   The restrictions bar the entry of foreign nationals who have been to any of the 26 countries that make up Europe's Schengen Area of open borders within 14 days. That area does not include more than 20 other European countries, including Britain.  The proclamation also does not apply to American citizens, permanent residents, their immediate families, or those who are members of air or sea crews.

  Mr. Trump described telemedicine technology as "fairly new," though it's been used for decades.

  What Trump said: "This includes the following critical authorities - the ability to waive laws to enable telehealth, a fairly new and incredible thing that has happened in the not-so-distant past."

   Exaggerated.  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expanded access to telehealth services - for example, virtual check-ins and telephone consultations with doctors - for Medicare beneficiaries this week.  But these technologies have been in use sine the 1960s.

   The University of Nebraska used video links to provide exams and diagnoses with a state hospital 112 miles away in 1964.  Three years later, the University of Miami and a local fire department transmitted cardiac rhythms using radio channels. Federal agencies initiated a host of other services in the 1970s and 1980s.

   A 1997 government report noted that a severely injured sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln was able to be treated by a doctor in San Diego 6,000 miles away through telemedicine.  By 2014, "more than 20 federal agencies were engaged in some aspect of telehealth," according to the Congressional Research Service, with the Department of Veterans Affairs providing more than 2.1 million telehealth consultations in the 2015 fiscal year.

   Mr. Trump said he was not responsible for disbanding the White House's pandemic team.

  What Trump said: "When you say me, I didn't do it. We have a group of people I could ask - perhaps my administration - but I could perhaps ask Tony about that because I don't know anything about it."

   Misleading.  The top White House official tasked with leading the country's response to a pandemic left the administration in May 2018, and his team was disbanded by Trump's national security adviser at the time, John Bolton, The Washington Post has reported.

   While there is no evidence that Trump personally directed the ousting of these officials, he also did not replace any of them in the nearly 2 years since, despite repeated bipartisan urgings from lawmakers and experts.

  Mr. Trump announced his administration would temporarily waive interest on some student loans.

  What Trump said: "To help our students and their families, I have waived interest that all student loans held by federal government agencies, and that will be until further notice."

    Context is needed.  Interest rates will be temporarily waived for borrowers, but their monthly payments will not actually decrease, according to a Department of Education spokeswoman. Instead, borrowers' full payments will go toward the principal on their loans.

   The waiver also does not cover student loans issued through state agencies, big private lenders, a majority of Federal Family Education Loans or school-held Perkins loans.

14 March 2020 -  From the WHO Situation Report:

Brazil confirms a total of 178 cases.

Brunei confirms a total of 40 cases.

Bulgaria confirms a total of 37 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Central African Republic reports its first confirmed case.

Colombia confirms a total of 24 cases.

Congo Republic  reports its first confirmed case.

Denmark confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Equatorial Guinea reports its first confirmed case.

Eswatini reports its first confirmed case.

France confirms a total of 4,499 cases.  It also confirms a total of 91 deaths.

Iran confirms a total of 12,729 cases.  It also confirms  a total of 611 deaths.

Ireland confirms a total of 129 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Italy confirms a total of 21,157 cases.  It also confirms a total of 1,441 deaths.

Malaysia confirms a total of 238 cases.

Mauritania reports its first confirmed case.

Mayotte reports its first confirmed case.

Moldova confirms a total of 7 cases.

Namibia reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

New Zealand confirms a total of 6 cases.

Panama confirms a total of 43 cases.

The Philippines confirms a total of 111 cases.

Rwanda reports its first confirmed case.

Saudi Arabia confirms a total of 103 cases.

Singapore confirms a total of 212 cases.

Seychelles reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Spain confirms a total of 5,753 cases.  It also confirms a total of 183 deaths.

Sri Lanka confirms a total of 11 cases.

Thailand confirmed a total of 82 cases.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 1,140 cases.  It also confirms a total of 21 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 2,826 cases.  It also confirms a total of 60 deaths.

Vietnam confirms a total of 53 cases.

15 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Cases in Africa are on the rise. A week ago there were 27 cases on the continent.  Now, there are 273 confirmed cases in 26 countries and 6 deaths. Countries respond with travel restrictions.

   German government sources tell Reuters that the United States [in actuality Donald Trump] is trying to convince German firm CureVac to move research on a potential vaccine to the US. 

   The European Commission implements restrictions on export of personal protective equipment supplies, such as masks, face shields, and protective garments, outside the European Union.  Any exports of this equipment require authorization by EU member states."

From the WHO Situation Report:

Akrotiri and Dhekelia British military bases in Cyprus report their first 2 confirmed cases.

Bahamas reports its first confirmed case.

Brunei confirms a total of 50 cases.

Bulgaria confirms a total of 51 cases.

*Finland stops testing all, except health professionals*

Guam reports its first 3 confirmed cases.

Indonesia confirms a total of 117 cases.

Ireland confirms a total of 169 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Italy confirms a total of 24,747  cases.  It also confirms a total of 1,809 deaths.

Malaysia confirms a total of 428 cases.

Moldova confirms a total of 23 cases.

New Zealand confirms a total of 8 cases.

Saudi Arabia confirms a total of 118 cases.

Singapore confirms a total of 226 cases.

Sri Lanka confirms a total of 19 cases

Panama confirms a total of 55 cases.

Thailand confirms a total of 114 cases.

Turkey confirms a total of 18 cases.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 1,372 cases.  It also confirms a total of 35 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 3,485 cases.  It also confirms a total of 65 deaths.

Uzbekistan reports its first confirmed case.

Vietnam confirms a total of 57 cases.

 - Source: CNBC :  "President Donald Trump urged Americans not to hoard food [and toilet paper] on Sunday during a White House press conference that came just minutes after the Federal Reserve announced new steps to shield the US economy from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  "You don't have to buy so much," Trump said. "Take it easy. Relax." 

16 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "For the first time since the beginning of the outbreak, infections and deaths outside China surpass those within China.

   The Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation are sending 500,000 testing kits ans 1 million masks in donations to the United States.

   "We have also seen a rapid escalation in social distancing measures, like closing schools and cancelling sporting events and other gatherings. But we have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing - which is the backbone of the response," WHO Director General Dr. Tedros says during a press conference.  "This is the defining global health crisis of our time," he said.

   WHO announces its staff is now working through "teleworking arrangements," except for workers whose position requires them to access the agency's facilities.

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Benin reports its first confirmed case.

Bulgarai confirms a total of 62 cases.

Costa Rica confirms a total of 40 cases.

Cyprus confirms a total of 46 cases.

Egypt confirms a total of 166 cases.  It also confirms a total of 4 deaths.

France confirms a total of 6,633 cases.  It also confirms a total of 148 deaths.

Germany confirms a total of 7,272 cases.  It also confirms a total of 17 deaths.

Greece confirms a total of 352 cases.

Greenland reports its first confirmed case.

Guatemala confirms a total of 6 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Indonesia confirms a total of 134 cases.

Iran confirms a total of 13,938 cases.  It also confirms a total of 853 deaths.

Ireland confirms a total of 223 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2 deaths.

Italy confirms a total of 27,980 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2,158 deaths.

Jordan confirms a total of 15 cases.

Kuwait confirms a total of 123 cases.

Liberia reports its first confirmed case.

Malaysia confirms a total of 553 cases.

Moldova confirms a total of 29 cases.

Oman confirms a total of 24 cases.

Qatar confirms a total of 401 cases.

Singapore confirms a total of 243 cases.

Somalia reports its first confirmed case.

Spain confirms a total of 9,942 cases.  It also confirms a total of 342 deaths.

Sri Lanka confirms a total of 29 cases.

Tanzania reports its first confirmed case.

Turkey confirms a total of 47 cases.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 1,543 cases.

The United States confirms a total of 4,459 cases.  It also reports a total of 87 deaths.

Ukraine confirms a total of 7 cases.

Vietnam confirms a total of 61 cases.

 -Source: CNBC:  "Trump says coronavirus crisis could stretch into August...

  ... Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, said his administration may look at lock downs for "certain areas" or "hot spots" in the nation.  But the president said he isn't considering a full national lock down. "At  this moment, no, we're not," Trump said.

   The latest daily briefing came as the number of infections and deaths from the COVID-19 virus continued to rise in the US, prompting drastic action at every level of government to try to mitigate its spread.

   Asked when the US might expect to turn a corner in its efforts to rein in the virus, Trump said that "If we do a really good job, we'll not only hold the death down to a level that is much lowwer than the other way, had we not done a good job, but people are talking about July, AUgust, something like that."

   Equities plunged as Trump spoke, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing down nearly 13%."

17 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Bloomberg Philanthropies announces $40 million for a COVID-19 global response initiative to prevent and slow the spread in low- and middle-income countries. This includes funding rapid response teams, training health care workers, increasing lab capacity, measuring acceptance of social distancing activities through phone surveys, providing communications support for public education campaigns, and providing expertise for health organizations. It will have a "strong focus" on African nations.

   WHO confirms two staff members at its Geneva headquarters tested positive with COVID-19.

   Cases of COVID-19 surpass 480 in Southeast Asia. WHO calls on countries in the region "to urgently scale-up aggressive measures" to combat its spread.

   The International Organization for Migration and The UN Refugee Agency temporarily suspend refugee resettlement departures to reduce the spread of the virus.

   The World Bank Group announces an additional $2 billion in funding to help with the COVID-19 pandemic."

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Barbados reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Bulgaria confirms a total of 81 cases.

Brazil confirms its first death from COVID-19.

France confirms a total of 7.730 cases.  It also confirms a total of 175 deaths.

Gambia reports its first confirmed case.

Hungary confirms a total of 0 cases.

Indonesia confirms a total of 172 cases.

Ireland confirms a total of 292 cases.

Italy confirms a total of 31,506 cases.  It also confirms 2,503 deaths.

Kuwait confirms a total of 130 cases.

Malaysia confirms a total of 673 cases.  It also reports its first 2 deaths from COVID-19.

Montenegro reports its first 2 confirmed cases; it was the only country in Europe without any.

The Netherlands confirms a total of 1,705 cases.  It also confirms a total of 43 deaths.

New Zealand confirms a total of 12 cases.

Pakistan reports its first death from COVID-19.

The Philippines  confirms a total of 187 cases.

Singapore confirms a total of 266 cases.

Saint Maarten reports its first confirmed case.

Slovakia confirms a total of 97 cases.

Panama confirms a total  of 86 cases.

Ukraine confirms a total of 14 cases.  Its also reports a total of 2 deaths.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 1,950 cases.

The United States confirms a total of 6,135 cases.  It also confirms a total of 112 deaths.

Vietnam confirms a total of 66 cases.

 - Source: The White House: Remarks by President Trump in Meeting With Tourism Industry Executives [read hotel, motel and resort execs] Regarding COVID-19

   President Trump said, ".... We know that your industry is among the hardest hit by the economic impact of the Chinese virus.  Our goal is to beat the Chinese virus that came, and we will - we call it the hidden virus, the hidden enemy - with aggressive action now so that we can rebound stronger than ever before, and that's what we're doing. And everyone is cooperating. We're really getting tremendous spirit. Republicans are getting along with Democrats, and a lot of good things are happening.

   Yesterday we issued new guidelines for how all Americans can minimize their risk of exposure and stop the transmission of the virus.

   My administration has taken decisive action to support American workers and businesses. We love our workers. We love those workers. They're incredible. And we're going to come out stronger than ever before. And it's not going to be so long.  ..."

18 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Two Washington, DC-based employees of the World Bank Group have tested positive for COVID-19, World Bank President David Malpass has said in a memo obtained by Devex. In the memo, Malpass says it is likely that more cases will be diagnosed among the bank's employees in the coming days and weeks. World Bank Group staff members at the Washington headquarters were advised last week to work from home after an International Monetary Fund employee tested positive for the virus.

   The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations provides $620,000 to the University of Hong Kong to support pre-clinical testing of another vaccine candidate against COVID-19. This is the 7th vaccine development project against COVID-19 CEPI has invested in since January.

   WHO launches a study to compare untested treatments of COVID-19 against one another called the "solidarity trial." Countries currently included are Argentina, Bahrain,Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Thailand.  "Multiple small trials with different methodologies may not give us the clear, strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives," WHO Director General Dr. Tedros says at a press conference.

   The African Development Bank announces that staff will work through telecommuting and video conferencing, while visits to buildings will be suspended along with the cancellation of all travel, meetings, and conferences."

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Bermuda reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Bangladesh reports its first death from COVID-19.

Costa Rica reports its first confirmed death from COVID-19

Djibouti reports its first confirmed case.

Guatemala confirms a total of 8 cases.

Ireland confirms a total of 366 cases.

Italy confirms a total of 35,713 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2,978 deaths.

Kyrgyzstan reports its first 3 confirmed cases.

Malaysia confirms a total of 790 cases.

Moldova confirms a total of 36 cases.  It also reports its first death from COVID-19.

Montserrat reports its first confirmed case.

New Caledonia reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

New Zealand confirms a total of 20 cases.

Panama confirms a TOTAL OF 109 CASES.

Singapore confirms a total of 313 cases.

Slovakia reports its first death from COVID-19.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 2,626 cases.  It also confirms a total of 104 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 8,736 cases.  It also confirms a total of 149 deaths.

Vietnam confirms a total of 76 cases.

Zambia reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

 - Source: Twitter:  Tweets from @realDonaldTrump on 18 March -

 - at 6:41 am: "For the people that are now out of work because of the important and necessary containment policies, for instance the shutting down of hotels, bars and restaurants, money will soon be coming to you. The onslaught of the Chinese virus is not your fault! Will be stronger than ever!"

 - at 6:53 am: "I will totally protect your Medicare & Social Security!"

 - at 7:46 am: "I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the "borders" from China - against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!"

 - at 5:47 pm: "I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!"

- Source: ABC News:  18 March 2020: Government Response Updates...

   "President Trump on Wednesday started his latest briefing to the nation on the government response to the coronavirus crisis by saying, "I would like to begin by announcing some important developments in our war against the Chines virus," again casting the effort in military terms and referring to the disease with a term that has sparked backlash.

   "We'll be invoking the Defense Production Act, just in case we need it," Trump said. "In other words - I think you will know what it is - and it can do a lot of good things if we need it, and we will have it all completed, signing it in just a little while, right after I'm finished with this conference. I'll be signing it," he said, giving him the power to direct civilian businesses to help meet orders for products necessary for the national defense if invoked.

   "We are sending, upon request, the two hospital ships. They are being prepared right now. They are massive ships. They're the big white ships with the red cross on the sides. One is called the Mercy and the other is called the Comfort. And they are in tip-top shape," he said. [Note: both ships are in dry dock undergoing repairs. One might be ready to sail in one week, the other in two to four weeks. Both will need to be staffed by civilians, which will also take time to set up.]

   At one point, Trump called himself "in a sense, a wartime president."

   "Now it's our time.  We must sacrifice together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through this together. It's the invisible enemy. That's always the toughest enemy," Trump said. "But we are going to defeat the invisible enemy. I think we we are going to do it even faster than we thought, and it'll be a complete victory. It'll be a total victory."

   Asked about the lack of test kits and testing, the President proceeded to again blame previous administrations, saying,"Nothing has been so contagious. The level of contagion has been incredible, actually. Nobody's seen anything quite like this."

   "We inherited a very obsolete system. This was a system that was out  of date, obsolete, it was a system that was never meant to take care of the kind of quantity."

   "If you go back to years past, even recently, like the flu - nobody had tests before. They didn't test the entire nation to see whether or not they had the flu. They had the flu. They got better," Trump said. "Now all of a sudden they do this very complex testing."

   Asked by ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Cecelia Vega if his use of the term "Chinese Virus" is racist, Trump said, "it's not racist at all."

   "It comes from China, that's why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate," he continued. "China tried to say at one point that - maybe they've stopped now, that it was caused by American soldiers. That can't happen. It's not going to happen. Not as long as I'm president. It comes from China."

   

19 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Cases of COVID-19 surpass 200,000 globally. It took over 3 months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases, and then just 12 days to reach the next 100,000.

   World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley tests positive for COVID-19 after returning to the US following a visit to Canada.

   The Rockefeller Foundation commits $20 million to the COVID-19 response, with a particular focus in Bellagio, Italy; New York, NY; Washington, DC: Nairobi, Kenya; and Bangkok, Thailand.

   "For the younger patients the bigger risk is developing pulmonary fibrosis after surviving the disease," says Dr. Frank Minja, associate professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at Yale University School of Medicine during a conference call hosted by the Africa CDC. "This may be something as radiologists we may be diagnosing for years to come as more and more patients are being exposed to this disease," Minja says.

   For the first time since the outbreak began, Wuhan, China reported no new cases."

From the WHO Situation Report:

Chad reports its first confirmed case.

El Salvador reports its first confirmed case.

Fiji reports its first confirmed case.

Guatemala confirms a total of 9 cases.

Ireland confirms a total of 557 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.

Isle of Man reports its first confirmed case.

Italy confirms a total of 41,035 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3,405 deaths.

Malaysia confirms a total of 900 cases.

New Zealand confirms a total of 28 cases.

Nicaragua reports its first confirmed case.

Niger reports its first confirmed case.

Pakistan confirms a total of 97 cases.

Russia confirms its first death from COVID-19.

Singapore confirms a total of 345 cases.

Spain confirms a total of 17,147 cases.  It also confirms a total of 767 deaths.

The United Kingdom confirms a total of 3,229 cases.  It also confirms a total of 144 deaths.

The United States confirms a total of 13,133 cases.  It also confirms a total of 195 deaths.

Vietnam confirms a total of 85 cases.

  ** Personally, I watched New York Governor Andrew Cuomo make his daily presentation to his constituents on MSNBC today.  The man was clear, concise, understanding, self-denigrating, and a complete winner in his delivery of what's happening, what's planned, and what's up in the air. He was at ease in front of the cameras and microphones, and easily answered questions.  He impressed me. **

Jack Ma Foundation & Alibaba Foundation donate medical equipment

20 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "The Asian Development Bank is making adjustments to its annual meeting this year. The bank is moving its full annual meeting to Sept. 18 - 21, in Incheon, South Korea. Meanwhile, its board of governors will meet May 22 in Manila, Philippines, to consider the bank's financial statements and net income allocation.
   WHO says it's identified some producers in China that have agreed to supply WHO with personal protective equipment. The agency is now finalizing arrangements and coordinating shipments in order to refill its warehouse in Dubai and make global shipments.
   WHO launches a health alert messaging service through WhatsApp and Facebook. People can access this service by sending "hi" to this WhatsApp number: +41 798 931 892.
   "One of the things that we are learning is hat although older people are the hardest hit, younger people are not spared. Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 make up a significant proportion of patients requiring hospitalization," WHO Director General Dr. Tedros sayas at a press conference."
From the WHO Situation Report:
Cape Verde reports its first confirmed case.
East Timor reports its first confirmed case.
Guatemala confirms a total of 12 cases.
Ireland confirms a total of 683 cases.
Madagascar reports its first 3 confirmed cases.
Malaysia confirms a total of 1,030 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.
New Zealand confirms a total of 39 cases.
Panama confirms a total of 200 cases.
Papua New Guinea reports its first confirmed case.
Singapore confirms a total of 385 cases.
Uganda reports its first confirmed case.
Ukraine confirms a total of 41 cases.
The United States confirms a total of 18,763 cases.  It also confirms a total of 258 deaths.
Vietnam confirms a total of 91 cases.
Zimbabwe reports its first confirmed case.

-  Source: MSNBC, Vanity Fair: Daily White House News Briefing on COVID-19 on 20 March...
 "During a press conference at the White House, NBC reporter Peter Alexander asked Trump, "What do you say to the Americans who are scared, though?  Nearly 200 dead, 14,000 who are sick, millions, as you have witnessed, who are scared right now. What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?"   - In reality this was a softball question that anyone with a semblance of a soul would be able to answer, responding with something like,"That's an understandable feeling.  I would tell them we're in this together and we're doing everything we can, as fast as we can." - But Trump literally only thinks about himself, so, instead he told Alexander: "I say that yo're a terrible reporter. That's what I say. I think it's a very nasty question, and I think it's a very bad signal you're putting out to the American people. The American people are looking for answers and they're looking for hope, and you're doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and con-cast. I don't call it Comcast, I call it 'con-cast.' Let me just tell you something. That's really bad reporting, and you ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism."
   The day, Trump had claimed that an anti-malarial drug would a a cure for COVID-19, but Dr. Fauci of the COVID-19 team said that it wouldn't work. Seemingly responding to criticism that he'd irresponsibly hyped the drug chloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, depite the fact that it hasn't yet been approved by the FDA for the virus, Trump snarled,"Let's see if it works. It might and it might not. I happen to feel good about it, but who knows. I've been right a lot."

 - Source: The Intercept:  "Trump Disagrees With Top Immunologist....
"... In another unnerving White House briefing on Friday, Donald Trump publicly disagreed with the government's most senior immunologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on the likelihood that the anti-malarial drug chloroquine could be an effective treatment for COVID-19, the pandemic coronavirus respiratory illness.
   Fauci was asked about the drug because the president had called it a potential "game-changer" on Thursday and claimed, incorrectly, that the FDA had already approved its use and the government would "make that drug available almost immediately."
   Moments after the doctor had made it clear that there were anecdotal reports but no clinical evidence that chloriquine might be effective or safe for patients with COVID-19, or could be used as a prophylaxis, as Trump had suggested, the president said, "I think, without seeing too much, I'm probably more of a fan of that, maybe than anybody."
   When Peter Alexander of NBC News then noted that Fauci had made it clear that "there is no magic drug for coronavirus," Trump said: "I disagree. Maybe and maybe not." ..."

21 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Total cases of of March 21, 266,073; total deaths: 11,184.
   South Africa leads the African continent with the highest number of COVID-19 cases. It reports 240 cases, which are concentrated in Gauteng Province, where Johannesburg and Pretoria are located. The country's first case was reported just over 2 weeks ago, on March 5."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Eritrea reports its first confirmed case.
Guatemala confirms a total of 17 cases.
Ireland confirms a total of 785 cases.
Malaysia confirms a total of 1,183 cases.  It also confirms a total of 8 deaths.
New Zealand confirms a total of 52 cases.
The Philippines confirms a total of 307 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 432 cases.  It also reports the first 2 deaths from COVID-19.
The United States confirms a total of 23,649 cases.  It also confirms a total of 302 deaths.
Vietnam confirms a total of 94 cases.

 - Source: Twitter:  Two part Tweet from @realDonaldTrump  on 21 March at 8:13 am:
"HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains - Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)....
....be put in use IMMEDIATELY. PEOPLE ARE DYING, MOVE FAST, and GOD BLESS EVERYONE! @US_FDA @SteveFDA @CDCgov @DHSgov"
    An almost immediate reply from Dr. Dena Grayson:  "Replying to @realDonaldTrump
[icon of a red stop sign] Hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil) can prolong the QT interval (heart rhythm) and can cause a FATAL arrhythmia. Azithromycin can also prolong the QT interval, so use of these 2 drugs together should ONLY be done under the immediate supervision of a doctor.

 - Source: The Duluth News-Tribune: Opinion Exchange article by Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen (citizen.org) a nonprofit consumer-advocacy organization in Washington, DC.  He wrote this originally for InsideSources.com
  "In a time when protecting the nation's public health demands clear, truthful, and compassionate leadership, President Donald Trump has offered exactly the opposite. He is a clear and present danger to the nation's public health, and he should resign immediately.

  Trump has dissembled about the seriousness of the coronavirus epidemic, either because he refuses to accept the truth or fears the effect on his political fortunes — or both. Months too late, he has finally started to acknowledge that the crisis is real, serious and likely to persist. Even so, as late as March 15, he untruthfully claimed that the U.S. government has the virus under “tremendous control.”

   Trump repeatedly has refused to make science-based recommendations (e.g., older people should avoid cruise ships and plane travel) or declare a public health emergency, reportedly out of fear about the effect on the stock market. It turns out that denying the truth visible to all doesn’t fool the market; in fact, when Trump did finally declare a public health emergency, markets reacted positively.

  Trump has misstated his administration’s own policies, making multiple material misstatements in just one news conference, wreaking havoc across the world. At that one news conference, he stated there would be a ban on European cargo imports, which would have massively disrupted the global economy and in fact has not been imposed. He also failed to make clear that Americans in Europe would be permitted to return home, sparking a pointless, desperate scramble and emotional turmoil for countless Americans who sought a plane back to the United States before new travel restrictions kicked in (in fact, the restrictions don’t stop Americans from returning home).

  Trump has presided over an administration that inexplicably has failed to deliver vitally needed coronavirus tests to health care providers around the country and then repeatedly lied to or misled the American public about remedying the problem. Instead of taking responsibility for the problem and fixing it, Trump bizarrely blamed it on his predecessor, President Barack Obama, saying, “No, I don’t take responsibility at all.”

  This testing failure may be the single most consequential human factor responsible for the spread of the disease. It has been impossible for public health authorities to calibrate appropriate responses without a clear understanding of COVID-19 incidence in the United States. Even now, public health experts are merely guessing about the actual extent of disease spread in the United States. Nearly two months into the start of the disease in the United States, South Korea is testing 161 times more people per capita than the United States.

  Beyond the testing debacle, there has been a shocking lack of leadership from the federal government under Trump. Governors and local authorities have stepped into the gap, but they are all clear that they are desperate for federal leadership. It has not been forthcoming. With states seeking federal assistance in providing the equipment needed to treat COVID-19 patients, Trump replied, “Try getting it yourselves.” Even for Trump, this Marie Antoinette response was shocking.

Crisis moments typically give rise to inspirational words from our leaders. Whether naturally gifted orators or not, they typically rise to the moment. They understand the need to share the truth with their compatriots. They understand the need both to calm and galvanize the nation in the face of fear and great challenges. And they understand the need to bring people together for shared national purpose, to spark kindness and solidarity.

  Leaders do these things because they care about their people and their country — and because they understand that honesty, calm, shared purpose, and solidarity are necessary to meet fearsome national challenges.

  That Trump is doing the opposite of all this is not just a shortcoming or just another example of his boundless self-absorption.

  Trump’s failings have nothing to do with political ideology or legitimate areas of policy disagreement. They are intolerable failures of leadership in a time of national crisis that have endangered the lives of all Americans. Trump should step down immediately.

22 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 300,000.
    A cargo flight lands in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with 5.4 million face masks, 1.08 million COVID-19 diagnostic tests, 40,000 sets of protective clothing, and 60,000 sets of pritective face shields for distribution throughout the continent. The medical supplies were donated by the Jack Ma Foundation and the Alibaba Foundation. Ma also announced that his foundation would donate emergency supplies to 17 countries in Asia and Latin America."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Malaysia confirms a total of 1,306 cases.  It also confirms a total of 10 deaths.
New Zealand confirms a total of 66 cases.
Romania confirms a total of 367 cases.  It also reports its first death from COVID-19.
Singapore confirms a total of 455 cases.

 - Source: Twitter:  Tweet from @realDonaldTrump at 10:25 am -  "Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! @fema  Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are? @REpMarkMeadows @GOPLeader @senatemajldr "
 ** Um, does he not realize they will have to get specifications and re-tool? **

  Tweet from @realDonaldTrump on 22 March at 12:14 pm:  ".@JBPritzker , Governor of Illinois, and a very small group of certain other Governors, together with Fake News @CNN & Concast (MSDNC), shouldn't be blaming the Federal Government for their own shortcomings. We are there to back you up should you fail, and always will be! "

  - Source: The Guardian  US edition: "Trump Tries to Blunt Criticism of COVID-19 Response As US Cases Pass 33,000      [report on today's White House press conference]
   ... [New York Governor] Cuomo had urged the president to invoke the powers of the Defense Protection Act for the government to assume the acquisition and distribution of medical supplies and prevent states have to compete with each other for essential equipment. He said masks that would usually cost 85 cents were costing his state, where more than 15,000 have the virus and 117 have died, about $7 apiece.
   But Trump insisted that private companies stepping up to manufacture much-needed equipment was the way to go. "Doing it the way we're doing it is much better," he said. "We have the threat of doing it if we need it but we have millions of masks being done, ventilators, respirators, we have a lot of good things happening right now
   "Companies are calling us, General Motors spoke to us about doing ventilators. If I call companies and say, 'you build us ventilators,' they don't even know hat a ventilator is."  [See his first Tweet quoted today...]
   Trump also suggested that hospitals could sterilize face masks so they could be re-used.   ...
... [Senator Paul Rand announced he was positive for COVID-19 after swimming in the pool at the Senate gym this morning, and having multiple luncheon meeting this past week. Senator Mitt Romney has met with Rand several times, and said he was thinking about self-quarantine.] Soon after Romney spoke, he and Utah Senator Mike Lee both entered voluntary quarantine. Trump, a fierce critic of Romney since the former presidential candidate was the only Republican to vote for impeachment in his recent senate trial, expressed sarcastic sympathy.  "Gee, that's too bad," he said.
   Earlier in the press conference, Trump had attempted to strike a reassuring tone that critics have pointed out was absent from prior press conferences.
   "For those worried and afraid, please know that as long as I am your president you can feel confident that you have a leader who will always fight for you and I will not stop until we win," he said.  ..."

23 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "The World Health Organization says there is "a rise in criminals disguising themselves as WHO to steal money or Sensitive information."
   World Bank Group President David Malpass calls on bilateral creditors of the lowest-income countries to provide debt relief so these countries can focus resources on the COVID-19 pandemic, during a G-20 finance ministers conference call. He also calls on countries to implement structural reforms including removing "obstacles" such as "excessive regulations, subsidies, licensing regimes, trade protection or litigiousness."
   African finance ministers call for $100 billion in funding for economic stimulus and a suspension of interest payments on public debt and sovereign bonds.
   Norway creates a multi-donor fund with the United Nations to assist low- and middle-income countries respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
   "Asking people to stay at home and other physical distancing measures are an important way of slowing down the spread of the virus and buying time - but they are defensive measures.  To win, we need to attack the virus with aggressive and targeted tactics - testing every suspected case, isolating and caring for every confirmed case, and tracing and quarantining every close contact," WHO Director General Dr. Tedros says at a press conference.
   Hacking attempts on the World Health Organization have doubled, Reuters reports. "
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Belize reports its first confirmed case.
Indonesia confirms a total of 579 cases.
Ireland confirms a total of 1,125 cases.  It also confirms a total of 6 deaths.
Myanmar reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
New Zealand confirms a total of 102 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 509 cases.
Turks and Caicos Islands reports its first confirmed case.
Vietnam confirms a total of 123 cases.

CDC in the US Report:
42,443 cases                 517 deaths

 - Source: CNN:   "Fauci on Trump: ......
   "The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, described the challenges of working with the Trump administration during the coronavirus pandemic in an interview with the journal Science published Sunday.
   Asked how he responds to falsehoods from the President during press conferences, Fauci said, "I can't jump in front of the microphone and push him down," according to the interview.
   "OK, he said it.  Let's try and get it corrected for the next time," Fauci said.
   The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci has advised 6 presidents and has played a central role in the White House's Coronavirus Task Force.
   "I'm sort of exhausted," Fauci said in the interview. "But other than that, I'm good. Imean, I'm not, to my knowledge, coronavirus infected. To my knowledge, I haven't been fired."  ...... "

 - Source: Twitter:   23 March at 10:28 am   @realDonaldTrump Tweeted:  "The New York Times changed headlines 3 times in order to satisfy the Radical Left. What should have been a good story got "worse & worse", until the headline alone made it very unfair. Fake & Corrupt News that is very dangerous for our Country!"

 - Source: Twitter: 23 March at 11:06 am   @realDonaldTrump Tweeted: "WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE  THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!"

- Source: CBS News:  White House Coronavirus Daily Briefing
   President Trump on Monday signaled he wants the economy to be back in full swing as quickly as possible amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. He said during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing that his administration will reevaluate the 15-day guideline the White House issued last week when that time is up and he will soon issue new guidelines on how to return to a more normalized workforce and economy.
   "Our country wasn't built to be shut down. This is not a country built for this. It was not built to be shut down," Mr. Trump said in a briefing that heavily emphasized the need to reopen and boost businesses and the economy. "    We're not gonna let the cure be worse than the problem."
   The president's tone Monday represented a significant shift after a week of the White House issuing dire warnings and urging people to take social distancing seriously. Only days ago, the president stood at the same podium warning Americans the outbreak could last into July or August.
   Mr. Trump said Monday that the US "will soon be open for business," even as public health officials warned Americans should be prepared to continue social distancing and closures for the time being. Mr. Trump insisted the country has learned from altering its habits and can "do two things at one time" - social distancing and returning people to work. He also said he thinks his public health officials aren't opposed to the idea of easing up on restrictions in the future.
   Absent at Monday night's press conference was Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading expert in infectious diseases. Asked if Fauci agrees with his desire to move the economy back to normal soon, Mr. Trump said Fauci "doesn't not agree."
   "He isn't here because we're not discussing what he's best at," Mr. Trump said. Fauci is a leading expert on infectious diseases and a key member of the Coronavirus Task Force, who has made himself available for a wide range of media interviews to inform the public.
   As CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid has  reported, the president wants the economy to be set into gear as soon as possible, as business closures eliminate jobs and send the stock market spiraling.
   The president announced the administration is working on distributing millions of masks to the hardest-hit areas. "FEMA is distributing 8 million N95 respirator masks and 13.3 million surgical masks across the country right now. Focusing on areas with the greatest need, we have shipped 73 pallets of personal protective gear to NYC and 56 pallets to the state of Washington," the president said.   .... "

24 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "Total cases as of March 24:  396,249 and 17,252 deaths.
   India's Prime Minister Nrendra Modi announces a lock down of 21 days for the country's 1.3 billion residents.  This is the largest lock down announced since the beginning of the outbreak.
   The Chinese government announces it will lift the lock down on Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak, on April 8.
   Japan Prime Minister Abe and the International Olympic Committee announce the 2020 Olympic Games will be held in 2021 due to the pandemic. "
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Easter Island reports its first confirmed case.
Indonesia confirms a total of 686 cases.
Italy confirms a total of 69,176 cases.  It also confirms a total of 6,820 deaths.
Laos reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Libya reports its first confirmed case.
Malaysia confirms a total of 1,624 cases.  It also confirms a total of 15 deaths.
New Caledonia confirms a total of 9 cases.
New Zealand confirms a total of 155 cases.
Panama confirms a total of 345 cases.  It also confirms a total of 6 deaths.
Singapore confirms a total of 558 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 8,077 cases.  It also confirms a total of 422 deaths.

CDC in the US Report:
   44,183 cases         544 deaths

 - Source: Naval Technology:  "USNS Mercy Departs From San Diego To Support COVID-19 Response
    USNS Mercy (T-AH 19)  hospital ship has departed from a naval base in San Diego to Los Angeles to support the US's response efforts to contain COVID-19.  USNS Mercy departed from its base carrying over 800 Navy medical personnel and support staff, a medical treatment facility (MTF), and over 70 civil service mariners.
   Acting as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, the vessel will provide general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults.
   Mercy Military Treatment Facility commanding officer Captain John Rotruck said: "This global crisis demands whole-of-government response, and we are ready to support.
   "Mercy brings a team of medical professionals, medical equipment, and supplies, all of which will act, in essence, as a 'relief valve' for local civilian hospitals in Los Angeles so that local health professionals can better focus on COVID-19 cases."  The presence of this ship will enable the shore-based hospitals to have extra beds, freeing up intensive care units (ICU) and ventilators for coronavirus patients.
   The hospital ship is operated and navigated by civil service mariners, who also provide essential services to keep the MTF operational.
   Rotruck added: "We will use our agility and responsiveness as an afloat medical treatment facility to do what the country asks, and bring relief where we are needed most."
   USNS Mercy provides a mobile, acute surgical medical faciliy to the US military and is adaptable to support expeditionary warfare.  Mercy also provides full hospital services to support US disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.
   Converted San Clemente-class supertanker, Mercy, is the first of two Mercy-class hospital ships delivered to the Navy's Military Sealift Command on 8 November 1986."
 
 - Source: CBS News:  "President Trump on Tuesday said he wants the US "opened up" by Easter Sunday, which falls on April 12, despite an acceleration of coronavirus cases across the country. Mr. Trump's comments came during a town hall meeting on Fox News, where he signaled impatience over the widespread closing of businesses and economic slowdown.
   When asked about the timeline at an afternoon briefing, Mr. Trump said, "I just thought it was a beautiful time," adding, "It was based on a certain level of weeks from the time we started. I'd love to see it come even sooner but I just think it would be a beautiful timeline."
   "We'll only do it if it's good," Mr. Trump added. "And maybe we do sections of the country, we do large sections of the country. That could be too."  He said the administration is "very in touch" with Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx, and would follow "Whatever they would do."
   But Dr. Tom Inglesby, the director of Johns Hopkins' Center for Health Security, raised concerns in an interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell.
   "I think it's going to take at least until Easter to even begin to see the impact of the social distancing measures that have been put in place in the last week," Inglesby said.
   As of Tuesday evening, more than 54,800 cases have been reported in the US and more than 780 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. "

 - Source: Twitter :  On 24 March at 6:14 am   @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "The World market for face masks and ventilators is Crazy. We are helping the states to get equipment, but it is not easy. Just got 400 Ventilators for @NYCMayor Bill de Blasio. Work beginning on 4 hospitals in New York! Millions of different type items coming!"
             On 24 March at 8:04 am  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "This is not about the ridiculous Green New Deal. It is about putting our workers and companies BACK TO WORK!"
             On 24 March at 8:45 am  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "Congress must approve the deal, without all of this nonsense, today. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy. Our workers will be hurt!"
              On 24 March at 10:16 am  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "Our people want to return to work. They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM! Congress MUST ACT NOW. We will come back strong!"
           
 - Source: CNBC:  Congress and the Developing Coronavirus Stimulus Bill
   As Republicans and Democrats forged ahead toward a deal on a massive economic stimulus proposal to combat the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, details of the developing proposal have started to emerge.  Senate Democrats struck down the bill in a procedural vote on Monday, amid a gulf over what both parties wanted to include in it.  But they made progress by Tuesday morning, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said the sides were at "the 2-yard line." Even so, Senators did not reach an agreement by 5:30 pm EDT.
    - Monday, many Democrats had complained that the draft aid package did not go far enough to provide health care and unemployment aid for Americans, and failed to put restraints on a proposed $500 billion "slush fund" for corporations, saying the ban on corporate stock buy-backs are weak and the limits on executive pay would last only two years.
   Democrats also pushed for add-ons, including food security aid, small business loans and other measures for workers - saying the three months of unemployment insurance offered under the draft plan was insufficient.
   Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the draft package "significantly cut back our hospitals, our cities, our states, our medical workers, and so many others needed in this crisis."
   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, said the will hold a cloture vote again at a time of his choosing, adding, "hopefully some adults will show up on the other side of the room and understand the gravity of the situation before the markets go down further ... we've never been confronted by anything like this before."
   Schumer later reiterated Democrats' initial concerns over not wanting to move the bill forward. "We voted no on the McConnell-GOP bill because among other problems it includes huge bailouts without protections for people and workers and without accountability, and because it short-changes our hospitals and health care workers who need our help," Schumer tweeted. "These changes need to be made."
   "We're not here to create a slush fund for Donald Trump and his family, or a slush fund for the Treasury Department to be able to hand out to their friends," Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said earlier. "We're here to help workers, we're here to help hospitals."
   The urgency to act has been mounting, as jobless claims have risen, many businesses shuttered and the financial markets are set to re-open eager for signs that Washington could soften the blow of the health-care crisis and what experts have warned could be a looming recession.
   At issue: how best to keep paychecks flowing for millions of workers abruptly sidelined by the crisis, shore up businesses, and aid hospitals.
   While congressional leaders worked to send help, alarms were being sounded from coast  to coast about the wave of coronavirus cases about to crash on the nation's health system. -
   Here are some of the expected components of the plan, expected to cost roughly $2 trillion, according to comments from congressional leaders and aides, Trump administration officials, and a draft of the bill as of 2:30 pm EDT, compiled by NBC News and CNBC:
  * Cash payments of up to $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for married couples and $500 per child, reduced if an individual makes more than $75,000 or a couple makes more than $150,000.
  * A $350 billion fund for small businesses to mitigate layoffs and support payroll
  * $500 billion available to the Treasury Department to make loans, loan guarantees, and investments to, or in, industries damaged by the pandemic
  * Requires that recipients of loans do not buy back stock during the time the loan is  outstanding, and that executives or employees who made more than $425,000 in 2019 do not get a raise for the next two years
  * Requires group health plans and insurance providers to cover without cost-sharing any coronavirus preventative services
  * An employee retention tax credit
  * $240 billion in health-care relief
  * $75 billion in aid for hospitals
  * $20 billion for health care for veterans
  * $20 billion for emergency public transportation relief
  * $10 billion for airport relief
  * $4.5 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  * $50 billion in relief to airlines in the form of loans or grants, and another $8 billion for cargo carriers
  * $17 billion in relief for unspecified "businesses critical to maintaining national security"
  * Strengthened unemployment insurance, which could potentially add $600 per week for up to four months on top of what a state would give beneficiaries

   Congress has rushed to approve a relief plan as the coronavirus pandemic overwhelms health-care resources, wreaks havoc on the US economy, and forces widespread layoffs. Compounding the urgency, multiple lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing others to quarantine and consider the prospect of voting remotely. "

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, during one of his daily press briefings

25 March 2020 -  From the Devex article: "Cases of COVID-19 surpass 400,000.  It took over 3 months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases; 12 days to reach 200,000; 3 days to reach 300,000; and 2 days to reach 400,000."
   *Note from BND - Late this morning the US news sources were reporting an agreement on the above US Economic Stimulus bill.  However, it also had a new condition regarding the $500 billion Treasury Department loans and guarantees payouts: No monies are to be given/loaned/guaranteed to the President, the Vice-President, heads of US Departments (or acting heads of Departments), or anyone serving in the US Congress - OR their spouses and/or children.
   Now, in late afternoon, several Senators are fighting over the apportionments and the bill has yet to be voted on.  *
  Again, from the Devex article, added after 9;30 pm MDT on 25 March:  "The United Nations launches a $2 billion global humanitarian response plan appeal to assist vulnerable countries in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds would go to laboratory equipment, medical supplies, hand-washing stations, public information campaigns, and the creation of air bridges and hubs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies.
   "COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity - and so the whole of humanity must fight back.  Individual country responses are not going to be enough," says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres when announcing the appeal.
   During a press conference, World Heath Organization Director General Dr. Tedros lists 6 steps countries should take as they are in lockdown mode: (1) expand, train, and deploy health care workforce; (2) create systems to find all suspected cases at community levels; (3) increase production and availability of testing; (4) identify and equip facilities needed to treat and isolate patients; (5) develop plans on how to quarantine contacts; and (6) focus the whole government on the suppression and control of the pandemic.
   "These measures are the best way to suppress and stop transmission, so that when restrictions are lifted, the virus doesn't resurge. The last thing any country needs is to open schools and businesses, only to be forced to close them again because of a resurgence," he says. "
  From the WHO Situation Report:
British Virgin Islands reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Guinea-Bissau reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Ireland confirms a total of 1,564 cases.  It also confirms a total of 9 deaths.
Mali reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
New Zealand confirms a total of 205 cases.
Saint Kitts and Nevis reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 631 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 9,529 cases.  It also confirms a total of 463 deaths.

CDC in the US Report:
    54,453 cases          737 deaths

 - Source: Twitter:   On 25 March at 10:44 am  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "Just reported that the United States has done far more "testing" than any other nation, by far! In fact, over an eight day span, the United States now does more testing than what South Korea (which has been a very successful tester) does over an eight week span. Great job!"
 *Note from BND:  According to the CDC database, as of today, the US has completed 94,514 tests for COVID-19.  As of 20 March, South Korea had tested 316,664 people, according to WHO. *

 - Source: Twitter:  On 25 March at 10:54 am  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "Congratulations to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and the IOC, on their very wise decision to present the Olympics in 2021. It will be a great success, and I look forward to being there!"

 - Source: Twitter:  On 25 March at 4:04 pm  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "The LameStream Media is the dominant force in trying to get me to keep our Country closed as long as possible in the hope that it will be detrimental to my election success. The real people want to get back to work ASAP. We will be stronger than ever before!"

 - Source: Twitter:  On 25 March at 5:14 pm  a 2-part Tweet was sent by  @realDonaldTrump :"I hear that Fake News CNN just reported that I am isolated in the White House, wondering out loud, "when will life return to normal?" Does anybody really believe that? There was no leak, they made it up - they are CORRUPT & FAKE NEWS.....
 ....I have been packed all day with meetings, I have no time for stupidity. We are working around the clock to KEEP AMERICA SAFE! "

 - Source: Vanity Fair:  "  "They Are a Clown Show": Media Orgs Wrestle With Covering Trump's Campaign-Rally COVID-19 Briefings
   Around 4 p.m. on Monday, a troubling email landed in the inboxes of White House reporters. "We have been informed that one of our colleagues has a suspected case of COVID-19," members of the White House Correspondents' Association were informed. "The individual was at the White House on March 9, 11, 16 and 18. We encourage all journalists who were at the White House during this time period to review public health guidance, consult their medical professionals and take the appropriate next steps."
   Until recently, the briefing room had more or less become obsolete, given the elimination of the press secretary's daily gab sessions with the Fourth Estate under Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Stephanie Grisham. Now the COVID-19 panic has brought the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room back to life,as President Trump and members of his coronavirus task force give updates on the latest developments in their handling of the crisis. It's a dangerous irony: White House correspondents finally have a reason to be back in their designated seats, only to risk exposing themselves to a potentially deadly disease. As Yahoo News White House correspondent Hunter Walker tweeted Monday, "The lack of any real safety measures in the briefing room has been unnecessarily reckless. It was a matter of time before something like this happened."
   Some major news organizations, like the Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNBC, have stopped regularly sending reporters due to COVID-19 fears. "Since early March, we've made clear that no staff should feel obligated to attend these briefings, and we've been relying on the live TV coverage," a Times spokesperson said.  ABC News chief Washington correspondent and WHCA president Jonathan Karl said, "there are still more organizations that want to cover the briefings than we have available seats for," and so other outlets are being rotated in for those skipping. The briefing room already scaled back last week, with 25 reporters occupying 49 seats. The social distancing accelerated Monday, with only 14 reporters getting seats. "We fully understand why some news organizations are no longer sending reporters because of obvious concerns about their health," Karl added.
   The COVID-19 briefings themselves have become a grim Trumpian sideshow to the catastrophic public health emergency that is sweeping the globe, and intensifying in the United States as new cases and deaths mount by the hour. Media organizations are grappling with how to cover them, given both their factually challenged content and the notion that they are, in some sense, not unlike Trump campaign events, a replacement while his rallies are on pause. Over the past week and a half, during these televised press conferences meant to inform and reassure the public, Trump has misstated the availability of testing, embellished the use of an antiviral drug, rated his waffling pandemic response a "10," made a seemingly glib remark about Mitt Romney being in self-quarantine, bashed the media at large, and lashed out at an NBC reporter simply for asking what the president would say to Americans who are scared.
   "President Trump is using his daily briefings as a substitute for the campaign rallies that have been forced into extinction by the spread of the novel coronavirus," wrote Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan. "These White House sessions - ostensibly meant to give the public critical and truthful information about this frightening crisis - are in fact working against that end. Rather, they have become a daily stage for Trump to play his greatest hits to captive audience members." .... "

 - Source: PBS: News Hour -"Trump, White House coronavirus task force holds press briefing on outbreak....
   Senate leaders raced to unravel last-minute snags Wednesday and win passage of an unparalleled $2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic.
   The measure is the largest economic relief bill in history, and both parties' leaders were desperate for quick passage as the virus took lives and jobs by the hour.
   Insistently optimistic, President Donald Trump said of the greatest public-health emergency in anyone's lifetime, "I don't think its going to end up being such a rough patch" and anticipated the economy soaring "like a rocket ship" when it's over. Yet he implored Congress late in the day to move on critical aid without further delay.
   The package is intended as relief for an economy spiraling into recession or worse, and a nation facing a grim toll from an infection that's killed nearly 20,000 people worldwide. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, asked how long the aid would keep the economy afloat, said: "We've anticipated three months. Hopefully, we won't need this for three months."  ....... "

26 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "....  Total cases as of March 26:  487,648  and  22,030 deaths.
   The African continent does not have the manufacturing capacity to produce health machines such as ventilators and respirators, says Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, during a press conference, noting that the continent is dependent on Western countries and countries in Asia, including China and India.
   "We would need to rely very much on these types of countries that have really strong industrialization and production capacity immediately, urgently, and see if they can manufacture in sufficient numbers," she says. "We need global solidarity so that those countries that don't have the production capacity can also be enabled to import, working with partners, some of these key items that are needed to support their own response to the outbreak."
   There is also a need for conversations with African countries on repurposing existing manufacturing facilities to produce these machines, says Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the press conference. This could include manufacturing facilities in South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. "It's a conversation that needs to start now, and start urgently," he says. "
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Anguilla reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
* Iran (last reported 16 March) confirms 16,327 cases.  It also confirms 2,234 deaths.*
Ireland confirms a total of 1,819 cases.  It also confirms a total of 19 deaths.
New Zealand confirms a total of 283 cases.
Russia confirms a total of 842 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 683 cases.
Spain confirms a total of 4,000 deaths.

Johns Hopkins University in the US Report:   *CDC updates at noon; JHU updates hourly*
    83,836 cases             1,209 deaths

 - Source: Twitter:  On 26 March at 7:06 pm  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted: "Our great Oil & Gas industry is under seige after having one of the best years in recorded history. It will get better than ever as soon as our Country starts up again. Vital that it does for our National Security!"
   *Note from BND - Why is the gas and oil industry vital to our National Security in a pandemic? *

 - Source: The Guardian - US edition: "US surpasses China for highest number of  confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world.....
    Donald Trump again struggled to reassure a fearful nation on Thursday as it emerged the US now has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world.
   News that America had surpassed virus hotspots China and Italy with 82,404 cases of infection, according to a tracker run by Johns Hopkins University, broke as the president was holding a press conference at the White House.  His instinctive reaction was to question other countries' statistics. "It's a tribute to the amount of testing that we're doing," Trump told reporters. "We're doing tremendous testing, and I'm sure you're not able to tell what China is testing or not testing. I think that's a little hard."
   While the US has increased its testing capacity in recent days the process has been flawed and incoherent, and the country still lags behind leaders such as South Korea in terms of the number of tests administered per capita.
   On a grim day, the death toll in America surpassed 1,000 and it was revealed that last week 3.3 million people file for unemployment - the biggest single-week jump in history. The president has been widely condemned for failing to act fast enough, misjudging the public mood, and seeking to blame others rather than take personal responsibility.
   "It's nobody's fault," Trump said of the jobless figure. "Certainly not in this country. Nobody's fault. We got very lucky when we made a decision not to allow people in from China on a very early date. I say that because some people don't want to accept it, but this was a great decision made by our country, or the numbers that yo're talking about - we're a big country - they'd be far greater, far bigger."
   He added: "I heard it could be 6 million, could be 7 million. It's 3.3 or 3.2, but it's a lot of jobs, but I think we'll come back very strong. The sooner we get back to work - you know, every day we stay out it's harder to bring it back very quickly, and our people don't want to stay out ...  I think you'll see a very fast turnaround once we have a victory over the hidden enemy.
   Trump told the briefing that dates for reopening sections of the country were under discussion but he notably did not refer to Easter - 12 April - as he has been pushing in recent days.
   Critics have long accuse him of lacking compassion, pointing to examples such as when, in 2017, he lobbed paper towels at hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico.  On Thursday he was asked about the thousands of restaurants going out of business, causing personal devastation to owners and staff.  "I understand the restaurant business," he claimed, describing it as "very delicate."  He went on: "You can serve 30 great meals to a person and a family ... one bad meal, 31, and they never come back again. It's a very tough business."
   He added: "It may not be the same restaurant, it may not be the same ownership, but they'll all be back."
   Even as New York hospitals became overwhelmed, with doctors complaining of nightmarish conditions, and cases spiking in cities such as New Orleans, Trump continued to talk down the threat of the virus. "Many people have it. I just spoke to two people that had it. They never went to a doctor, they didn't report it ... The people that actually die, that percentage is much lower than I actually thought."  He added: "The mortality rate, in my opinion, is way down," even though experts have warned that this is likely to worsen in the coming weeks.
   In a tone that again seemed at odds with the gravity of the situation, Trump asked a reporter from Bloomberg News, "How's Michael doing, good?" - a reference to the failed presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg - and dismissed a state governor who took part in a conference call as a "wise guy."
   He also said he will speak by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later on Thursday, claiming they have a "very good relationship." The president has repeatedly used the phrase "Chinese virus," angering some in that country. "No, it came from China," he said, but he added, "if they feel so strongly about it, we'll see."
   Vice-president Mike Pence and Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, also sought to calm fears about a shortage of ventilators, despite media reports to the contrary.
   Birx said of New York: "To wake up this morning and look at people talking about creating DNR situations, Do-Not-Resuscitate situations for patients - there is no situation in the United States right now that warrants that kind of discussion."    ............
   Joe Biden, the front runner in the Democratic presidential race, said: "The president is not responsible for the coronavirus, but he bears full responsibility for the slow and uncoordinated response that has exacerbated both the public health and economic impact on our country. The harsh reality is that at least 3 million people now don't have jobs because our president didn't do his job when it mattered." "

27 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "Total number of cases as of 27 March is 566,269 and 25,423 deaths.
   The African Development Banks launches a $3 billion social bond to help the continent manage the economic and social impact of COVID-19.  It is the largest social bond ever launched in the international capital markets and the largest US dollar benchmark ever issued by the bank.
   The World Health Organization announces that the first patients will shortly be enrolled in Norway and Spain in a trial called the Solidarity Trial, comparing the effectiveness of four different drugs or drug combinations against COVID_19.  "This is a historic trial that will dramatically cut the time needed to generate robust evidence about what drugs work," says WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu during a press conference.  More than 45 countries are contributing to the trial.
   In a conference call focused on how COVID-19 is impacting sexual and reproductive health, Chris Purdy, president and CEO at DKT International, says he wants to "ring the alarm bell" about what is coming. "In every single link of the supply chain we are seeing disruption.  This disruption, I fear, is going to result, if things aren't addressed quickly, in more stock outs, shortages, and a lack of access in coming months," he says.
   United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19. "
From the WHO Situation Report:
Italy confirms a total of 86,498 cases.  It also confirms a total of 9,134 deaths - with a single day record of 919 deaths.
Malaysia confirms a total of 2,031 cases.  It also confirms a total of 24 deaths.
New Zealand confirms a total of 368 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 732 cases.
Spain confirms a total of 64,059 cases.  It also confirms a total of 4,769 deaths.
South Africa confirms it's first death from COVID-19.
The United States confirms a total of 101,242 cases.  It also confirms a total of over 1,500 deaths.

Johns Hopkins University in the US Report:
     104,463 cases                   1,588 deaths

Colorado COVID-19 Report:
  1,734 confirmed cases     31 deaths

*Note from BND - Trump was on a rip today, on Twitter....
 - Source: Twitter:  27 March 2020  Tweets from  @realDonaldTrump  - at 11:16 am:  "As usual with "this" General Motors, things just never seem to work out. They said they were going to give us 40,000 much needed Ventilators, "very quickly". Now they are saying it will only be 6000, in late April, and they want top dollar. Always a mess with Mary B. Invoke "P". "

 -  at 11:23 am:  "General Motors MUST immediately open their stupidly abandoned Lordstown plant in Ohio, or some other plant, and START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!!!!!! FORD, GET GOING ON VENTILATORS, FAST!!!!!! @General Motors @Ford "

 -  at 11:29 am:  "Invoke "P" means Defense Protection Act! "

 -  at 11:31 am:  "We have just purchased many Ventilators from some wonderful companies. Names and numbers will be announced later today! "

 -  at 11:45 am:  "Will someone please explain to the Fake News New York Times (ALL THE NEWS THAT'S NOT FIT TO PRINT) that the Democrats make it almost impossible for us to fill positions within government. They "maximum" delay even the best candidates, including Judges, leaving little time! "

-  at 4:34 pm:  "I just signed the CARES Act, the single biggest economic relief package in American History - twice as large as any relief bill ever enacted. At $2.2 Trillion Dollars, this bill will deliver urgently-needed relief of our nation's families, workers, and businesses. #CARESAct [and an American flag icon] "

 -  at 5:13 pm:  "We are marshalling the full power of government and society to achieve victory over the virus. Together, we will endure, we will prevail, and we will WIN! #CARESAct "

 -  at 10:29 pm:  "I love Michigan, one of the reasons we are doing such a GREAT job for them during this horrible Pandemic. Yet your Governor, Gretchen "Half" Whitmer is way in over her head, she doesn't have a clue. Like blaming everyone for her own ineptitude! #MAGA "

*** Note from BND - for other news sources and articles, see following blogs...  ***

28 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "Total cases as of March 28:  649,904  and  30,249 deaths.
   Cases of COVID-19 worldwide surpass 600,000.
   Spain and Italy hit new records for the number of dead in one day on 27 March."
 From the WHO Situation Report:  *As the numbers of COVID-19 spread, countries reporting numbers are slowing down, and, sometimes disappearing from the WHO reports... *
Ireland confirms a total of 2,415 cases.  It also confirms a total of 36 deaths.
Italy surpassed 10,000 deaths from COVID-19.
New Zealand confirms a total of 451 cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 802 cases.
The United Kingdom confirms a total of 17,089 cases.  It also confirms 1,019 deaths.

Johns Hopkins University in the US Report:
    122,666 cases          2,010 deaths

Colorado COVID-19 Report:
    2,061 cases        44 deaths

 *Apparently the 45th President sent out a Tweet storm today - here are a few..... *
 - Source: Twitter:  The following Tweets were sent son 28 March from  @realDonaldTrump
   -  at 12:21 am -  "Such Fake reporting by the @nytimes, @washingtonpost, @CNN & others. They use a small portion of a sentence out of a full paragraph in order to demean. They really are corrupt and disgusting. No wonder the media is, according to polls, record setting low & untrusted. #MAGA"

   - at 6:13 am -  "So much of the Lamestream Media is writing and broadcasting stories with facts that are made up and knowingly wrong. They are doing it by quoting unnamed sources that simply do not exist. These are very dangerous & corrupt people, who will do anything to win. NAME YOUR SOURCES!"

   - at 6:33 am, a 2-parter:  "One of the reasons that Fake News has become so prevalent & far reaching is the fact that corrupt "journalists" base their stories on SOURCES that they make up in order to totally distort a narrative or story. When you see, "five sources say", don't believe the story, it is...."
  "....very often FAKE NEWS. Lamestream Media should be forced to reveal sources, very much as they did in the long ago past. If they did that, the media would be trusted again, and FAke News would largely be a thing of the past!"

  - at 10:56 am -  "Heading to the Great State of Virginia now, will be there shortly. The #USNSComfort is "loaded to the gills" at Naval Station Norfolk, departing for New York City this afternoon."

  - at 1:31 pm -  "I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing "hot spots", New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. "

  -  at 6:30 pm -  "With the courage of our doctors and nurses, with the skill of our scientists and innovators, with the determination of the American People, and with the Grace of God, WE WILL WIN THIS WAR. When we achieve this victory, we will emerge stronger and more united than ever before!" *Probably written and sent by someone other than Trump *

  - at 8:19 pm, another 2-parter -  "On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor's of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the... "
   "....Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you! "

29 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "Total number of cases as of 29 March:  664,924  and 30,848 deaths.
    ... In the United Kingdom, the Department for International Development - the government department largely responsible for aid - has not made a public announcement on its COVID-19 response for 2 weeks, nor have there been any ministerial statements about how it intends to lead or influence the global response to COVID-19. ..."
 From the WHO Situation Report:
Ireland confirms a total  of 2,615 cases.  It also confirms a total of 46 deaths.
Israel confirms a total of 4,247 cases.  It also confirms a total of 15 deaths.
Malaysia confirms a total of 2,470 cases.  It also confirms a total of 34 deaths.
New Zealand confirms a total of 514 cases.  It also confirms its first death from COVID-19.
Northern Mariana Islands reports its first 2 confirmed cases.
Singapore confirms a total of 844 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3 deaths.

Johns Hopkins University in the US Report:
    140,886 cases        2,468 deaths

Colorado COVID-19 Report:
    2,307 cases       47 deaths

 *Note from BND - 45's Tweets are all over the place today....  Has he sniffed more than his usual amount of Adderall ?
 - Source: Twitter:  On 29 March  @realDonaldTrump  Tweeted:
  - at 12:07 pm: " "With the Tax Cuts and new Trade Deals, we were set for a tremendous growth rate this year.... and then the Virus came along." @larry_kudlow @MariaBartiromo We were breaking records, especially on unemployment. It will all come roaring back again, and fast! "

  - at 12:12 pm:  "Hope the FDA can approve Mask Sterilization equipment ASAP. As per Governor @MikeDeWine, there is a company in Ohio, @Battelle, which has equipment that can sterilize masks quickly."

  - at 12:34 pm:  "The Lamestream Media wants us to fail. That will NEVER happen!"

  - at 12:53 pm:  " Polls are showing tremendous disapproval of the Lamestream Media of the Virus crisis. The Fake News just hasn't figured that out yet! "

  - at 1:06 pm:  " Because the "Ratings" of my News Conferences etc. are so high, "Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers" according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. "Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him." said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.! "

  - at 1:48 pm, a 4-parter, quoting an article:  " "President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of 'The Bachelor.' Numbers are continuing to rise... "
  "...On Monday, nearly 12.2 million people watched Mr. Trump's briefing on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to Nielsen - 'Monday Night Football' numbers. Millions more are watching on ABC, CBS, NBC and online streaming sites, and the audience is expanding. On Monday, Fox News..."
  "...alone attracted 6.2 million viewers for the president's briefing - an astounding number for a 6 p.,. cable broadcast, more akin to the viewership for a popular prime-time sitcom... "
  "...The CBS News poll said 13 percent of Republicans trusted the news media for information about the virus." Michael M. Grynbaum @NYTimes "

  - at 2:10 pm:  "Happy National Vietnam War Veterans Day to all of our Vietnam era Veterans. You have earned our gratitude and thanks by your actions years ago and what you have done since returning home. The nation thanks you and your families for your service and sacrifice. We love you!"
   **  This from the man whose father paid a podiatrist to say the Donald had bone spurs on his heels and was deferred from the military draft 5 times...  **

  - at 3:00 pm:  "I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay! "
  ** The Sussex family has not asked that the US provide them with any security, nor pay for it. **

  - at 4:06 pm:  "So proud of @USACEHQ, @FEMA, and the Federal Government for the 2,900 bed hospital they built in 4 days (way ahead of schedule) in the Javits Center for NY. We are now moving the teams to join others so they can continue to build more hospitals/beds. Keep up the GREAT WORK! "
   *** The Javits Center, a Manhattan convention center, has been converted into a makeshift hospital for non-COVID-19 patients in New York City.  It was not built from the ground up.  It is currently set up to hold 1,000 patients; it can be "expanded" with smaller "rooms" to hold 2,910 patients.  Here is a photo of the current finished product:

Javitz Center conversion to hospital by USACE and FEMA  ***

30 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "Total number of COVID-19 cases world-wide as of March 30:  735,560 and total of deaths 35,019.

   Portugal announces that all foreigners will be treated as residents during the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure they have access to  public services.

   Quarantine measures in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, begin to ease after more than two months of lock down, including restarting rail service in and out of the city.

   Health officials in Illinois, in the United States, announce the death of a baby from COVID-19.  This is the first death of an infant in the country.

   Johnson & Johnson announces the selection of a lead COVID-19 Vaccine candidate.  The company expects to start human trials by September, at the latest, and anticipates the first batches of a vaccine could be available for US Food and Drug Administration "emergency use authorization' in early 2021.

   The University of Washington, University of Oxford, and La Jolla Institute for Immunology receive $20 million to fund clinical trials to identify highly potent immunotherapies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.  The grants come from the COVID-19 Therapuetics Accelerator, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard.

   According to the UN Development Program, income losses are expected to surpass $220 billion in low- and middle-income countries.  Almost half of jobs in Africa could be lost.  "For vast swathes of the globe, the pandemic will leave deep, deep scars," Says Achim Steiner, administrator of UNDP.  "Without support from the international community, we risk a massive reversal of gains made over the last two decades, and an entire geneartion lost, if not in lives then in rights, opportunities, and dignity." "

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Botswana reports its first 3 confirmed cases.

France confirms a total of 44,550 cases.  It also confirms a total of 3,024 deaths.

Iran confirms a total of more than 40,000 cases.  It also confirms a total of 2,757 deaths.

Ireland confirms a total of 2,910 cases.  It also confirms a total of 54 deaths.

New Zealand confirms a total of 589 cases.

Singapore confirms a total of 879 cases.

Spain reports 812 deaths overnight Sunday, 29 March.

Johns Hopkins University in the US Report:

     163,429 cases      3,148 deaths

Colorado COVID-19 Report:

     2,627 cases     51 deaths

31 March 2020 -  From the Devex article:  "Total cases as of March 31: 787,631  and  37,840 deaths.

   WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Dr. Takeshi Kasai expresses concerns about how travel restrictions are impacting Pacific island countries' ability to diagnose COVID-19 cases.  Lacking laboratory capacity, most countries need to ship specimen samples outside their territories. He calls on the international community to prioritize test kits that cab run on GeneXpert machines, as these are available in many Pacific countries.

   An International Rescue Committee international staff member who is working on the Ebola response in the Democratic republic of the Congo tests positive for COVID-19."

 From the WHO Situation Report:

Burundi reports its first 2 confirmed cases.

Guam confirms a total of 58 cases.

Malaysia confirms a total of 2,766 cases.  It also confirms a total of 43 deaths.

New Zealand  confirms a total of 647 cases.

Sierra Leone reports its first confirmed case.

Singapore confirms a total of 926 cases.

Johns Hopkins University in the US Report:

     188,547 cases      3,767 deaths

Colorado COVID-19 Report:

     2,966 cases     69 deaths

Trump's Tweets today (some of them), 31 March:  Source:  Twitter sent from  @realDonaldTrump

  -  at 7:27 am:  " "New York Governor Cuomo says President Trump has been "very helpful." @foxandfriends Thank you, everybody is working very hard! "

 - at 9:18 am:  "I watched a portion of low rated (very) Morning Psycho (Joe) this Morning in order to see hat Nancy Pelosi had to say, & what moves she was planning to further hurt our Country. Actually, other than her usual complaining that I'm a terrible person, she wasn't bad. Still praying! "

 - at 10:48 am:  "With interest rates for the United States being at ZERO, this is the time to do our decades long awaited Infrastructure Bill. It should be VERY BIG & BOLD, Two Trillion Dollars, and be focused solely on jobs and rebuilding the once great infrastructure of our Country! Phase 4 "

   *** Wait.  Most of the nation is on lock down in their homes. Huge numbers can not work because of the lock down.  People cannot pay bills because they can not go to work.  You want to give everyone a ONE-TIME payment of $1200 - and have everyone go back to work during a pandemic?  You want $2 trillion for Infrastructure NOW?  After you have caused the LARGEST deficift in history?  -  Oh. My. God.   -  BND  ***

 - at 3:50 pm:  "Great News! American families will now be able to buy safer, more affordable, and environmentally friendly cars with our new SAFE VEHICLES RULE. Get rid of those old, unsafe clunkers. Build better and safer American cars and create American jobs. Buy American!"

 - at 3:51 pm:  "My Administration is helping U.S. auto workers by replacing the failed Obama Emissions Rule. Impossible to satisfy its Green New Deal Standard; Lots of unnecessary and expensive penalties to car buyers!"

 - at 3:52 pm:  "My proposal to the politically correct Automobile Companies would lower the average price of a car to consumers by more than $3500, while at the same time making the cars substantially safer. Engines would run smoother. Positive impact on the environment. Foolish executives!"

- at 4:27 pm:  "Will be starting The White House news conference at 5:15 P.M. Eastern."

And so ends the 3rd month of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the

President of the United States pushing for a "yuge" Infrastructure

Bill that will nearly triple the nation deficit; with him wanting to

change auto safety and emissions standards; and - don't forget to

watch HIM in his daily presser!

The United States of America has never been in more dire straits than now...