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White House Holds Coronavirus Task Force Briefing; Birx: People Who Have Recently Been To New York City Should Self-Quarantine In Their Homes For 14 Days; Mayor Eric Garcetti Of Los Angeles Is Interviewed About The Coronavirus Pandemic And His City's Response To The Crisis. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 24, 2020 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:01]
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: You may have been exposed before you left New York.
And I think, like Governor DeSantis has put out today, everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesn't spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether it's Florida, North Carolina, or out to far, far reaches of Long Island.
We are starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggest people have left the city. So this will be very critical that those individuals do self-quarantine in their homes over these next 14 days to make sure they don't pass the virus to others, based on the time that they left New York.
So if they already are 4 days out, then it's just 10 more days. So I thank you if you help get that message out to others.
Dr. Fauci?
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NIAID DIRECTOR: Thank you very much, Mr. President and Deb. I want to just talk very briefly about two or three things.
First, the issue of testing and how that has really changed the complexion of the approach that we're going to be able to take. We right -- know testing was an issue. We had many questions of testing in this room for a number of times. Now that we literally have hundreds and hundreds of thousands of testing out there, there are a few things that we can do with that.
One of the things is that when we make policy about what we're going to be doing with the rest of the country, particularly those areas that are not hot spots, we need to know what the penetrance of infection is there. So we need to put a light on those dark spots that we don't know. We have to act, policy wise, on data. And we're going to be getting more data -- a lot more data.
The other thing is that the areas of the country that are not hot spots, that are not going through the terrible ordeal that New York and California and Washington State are going through, they still have a window of significant degree of being able to contain. In other words, when you test, you find somebody, you isolate them, you get them out of circulation, and you do the contact tracing.
When you have a big outbreak, it's tough to do anything but mitigation. We have an opportunity now that we have the availability of testing to do that. So you're going to be hearing more about how we can inform where we're going, particularly because we have the ability to test.
The second thing is, I just want to reiterate what Dr. Birx said about New York. It's a very serious situation. They've suffered terribly through no fault of their own. But what we're seeing now is that, understandably, people want to get out of New York. They're going to Florida. They're going to Long Island. They're going to different places.
The idea, if you look at the statistics, it's disturbing. About one per thousand of these individuals are infected. That's about 8 to 10 times more than in other areas, which means when they go to another place, for their own safety, they've got to be careful, monitor themselves. If they get sick, bring it to the attention of a physician. Get tested.
Also, the idea about self-isolating for two weeks will be very important, because we don't want that to be another seeding point to the rest of the country, wherever they go.
And then thirdly, just one -- one just comment about drugs and the testing of drugs. You know, you heard yesterday about drugs being out there that physicians, on an off-label way, can prescribe it to give people hope of something that hasn't been definitively proven to work, but that might have some hope.
I don't want anybody to forget that simultaneously with our doing that, we're also doing randomized clinical trials on a number of candidates. You've heard about candidates, but there are others in the pipeline, where we'll be able to design the study and, over a period of time, particularly since we have so many infections, we'll be able to determine definitively are these safe and are they effective.
We're talking about remdesivir, other drugs, immune sera, convalescent serum, monoclonal antibodies. All of these are in the pipeline now, queuing up to be able to go into clinical trial.
So I will stop there and...
(CROSSTALK)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, thank you, Tony. Great job.
Larry, how about just a quick few minutes on how we're doing over at the Hill, please?
LARRY KUDLOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: Thank you, sir. We're gaining great progress on this phase three legislation.
Negotiations continue. We've had continued reports. I've been up there with Secretary Mnuchin. Secretary Mnuchin continues today with the Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, checking in with the president. They're getting closer and closer. They expect a vote as soon as possible.
I just want to walk through a couple of key points. This legislation is urgently needed to bolster the economy; provide cash injections and liquidity; and stabilize financial markets to get us through a difficult period -- a difficult and challenging period in the economy facing us right now, but also to position us for what I think can be an economic rebound later this year.
We started the year very strong. And then we got hit by the coronavirus in ways that probably nobody imagined possible. We're dealing with that as best we can.
This package will be the single-largest Main Street assistance program in the history of the United States. The single-largest Main Street assistance program in the history of the United States.
Phase two delivered the sick leave for individuals -- hourly workers, families, and so forth.
Phase three, a significant package for small businesses. Loan guarantees will be included. We're going to take out expenses and lost revenues. As the president said, eligibility requires worker retention. We will maintain the people eligible. We'll maintain their payrolls during this crisis period. And, on top of that, we will have direct deposit checks of roughly $3,000 for a family of four and that will bridge to enhanced, plussed-up unemployment insurance benefits that will essentially take those up to full wages. This is one, two, three, four.
You know, a strong work force requires strong business. You can't have a job without a business to work for. And the hope here is that -- the companies that were operating very well at beginning of the year when the economy was in good shape, we will help them and their employees get through this tough period so they will come out the other side -- let's say this -- later this spring or summer -- and will continue their operations. That's the key point.
Now, don't forget there's income tax deferrals for individuals and corporations without interest and penalties. There is student loan interest and principle deferrals without any penalties.
And finally, I want to mention, the Treasury's Exchange Stabilization Refund. That will be replenished. It's important, because that fund opens the door for Federal Reserve firepower to deal a broad-based way throughout the economy for distressed industries, for small businesses, for financial turbulence.
You've already seen the Fed take action. They intend to take more action. And in order to get this, we have to replenish the Treasury's Emergency Fund. It's very, very important; not everybody understands that. That fund, by the way, will be overseen by an oversight board and an inspector general. It will be completely transparent.
So, the total package here comes to roughly $6 trillion: $2 trillion direct assistance, roughly $4 trillion in Federal Reserve lending power. Again, it'll be the largest Main Street financial package in the history the United States. Liquidity and cash for families, small business, individuals, unemployed, to keep this thing going.
We're headed for a rough period, but it's only going to be weeks, we think. Weeks and months. It's not going to be years, that's for sure. And hopefully pave the way for continued economic recovery after this crisis departs.
Thank you, sir.
TRUMP: Thank you, Larry. I've been hearing that voice for so many years -- like 30 years or more, maybe. And it's a great voice and it's a great man. So Larry Kudlow, thank you very much.
KUDLOW: Thank you, sir.
TRUMP: I want to say that that package -- and we went over parts of it, but pretty big parts -- it really sets us up to, I think, even supersede where we were a month ago. I think we can get up there quickly and I think it allows us to supersede.
It allows us to help these great companies that need help, like Boeing, which is -- you know, it had a problem and then, on top of that problem, it had the virus come in. But we'll be helping Boeing. We'll be helping the airlines. We'll be helping the cruise lines. We'll be doing a lot of things and the money will all come back to us, and it will come back to us in a very strong form.
And before we take some questions, I'd like to ask our great Vice President to say a few words, if you wouldn't mind. Please.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, Mr. President.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force met again today. And on behalf of the president of the United States, everyone on our team, and our state leaders, let me just say: Thank you, America. People across this country, businesses large and small are responding to the threat of the coronavirus in ways that are deeply inspiring.
Now, people are acting on the president's 15 Days to Slow the Spread and it is making a material difference.
Our experts standing beside us told us that if every American -- regardless of whether you're in an area that's impacted by an outbreak of the coronavirus or not, if every American would embrace these guidelines, that we could significantly reduce the number of Americans that would contract the coronavirus and protect the most vulnerable. And as the president reflected earlier, tens of millions of Americans are doing just that and we're grateful.
The focus of our task force, of course, is to slow the spread, to promote mitigation strategies. Beyond that, though, the president has us focused on testing and on supplies, and making sure that those that are enduring the symptoms of the coronavirus and those who are ministering to them -- our extraordinary health care workers -- have the support that they need.
In the category of supplies, you just heard Dr. Birx indicate that we've made great progress. We have done more tests in the last eight days than were done in the previous eight weeks. And it's because of the public-private partnership that the president forged with commercial labs.
And I would encourage people around the country to remind your family members and friends: If you don't have symptoms, don't get a test. We want to make sure that people who are having symptoms, who have a concern have the ability to be tested and to have those tests processed.
We're continuing to urge all county hospitals, all labs around the country to report to the CDC all the results of the test, as it'll give these experts around us the ability to continue to advise the president on best practices.
As I mentioned, we all continue to follow the outbreak around the country and the test results. But as several have mentioned, we're particularly focused on New York. The reality is the New York metro area was 60 percent of the new cases in the country.
And specifically, as a lay person, I can tell you that the infection rates are roughly 1 in 1,000 in the New York City metropolitan area, where they are 0. 2 percent per 1,000 or 0. 1 percent for 1,000 in places like Washington State.
It is the reason why today the White House Coronavirus Task Force is calling on any American -- first and foremost, if you're in the New York City metropolitan area or elsewhere -- to take the guidelines that we issued and avoid nonessential travel. But for anyone in the New York metropolitan area who has traveled, our task force is encouraging you to monitor your temperature, be sensitive to symptoms, and we are asking anyone who has traveled out of the New York City metropolitan area to anywhere else in the country to self-isolate for 14 days.
We have to deal with the New York City metropolitan area as a high- risk area. And for that reason we're -- we're taking these steps and ask you for the cooperation of the American people.
Because of the spread in New York City, we will continue to surge resources. The president has described this. FEMA is coordinating with New York State for the arrival of the USS Comfort in just a matter of a few short weeks. Over the next 24 hours, more than 4,000 additional ventilators will be delivered to New York State as well.
New York State has prioritized three alternative medical facilities, and, at the president's direction, the Army Corps of Engineers is working on plans to build those facilities out. You've heard the president speak about the Javits Center -- the
addition of 1,000 beds. And we'll continue -- I want the people of New York City and the Greater New York City area to know that we're with you. We're going to continue to provide resources to support your state and local officials as they confront the spread of the coronavirus in that great city.
On the subject of supplies, we had team meetings today at FEMA, which is working on identifying the critical personal protective equipment and ventilators. At this point, FEMA informs us today that they are distributing 7. 6 million N95 respirator masks, more than 14 million surgical masks, and FEMA has already shipped 73 pallets of personal protective equipment to New York, 36 pallets of personal protective equipment to the State of Washington.
We'll be meeting again tonight. As you know, the president stood FEMA, as the National Response Center, up and they are in the lead for the approach to the coronavirus, which is locally executed, state-managed, and federally supported. And we'll continue to surge those resources and make sure that they're available.
One last word, if I may: The president reflected on the response that businesses around the country have brought to this moment. It truly is extraordinary.
Now, the president did initiate the Defense Production Act last week, but as the president has reflected many times, we will use the Defense Production Act if we need it to mandate production of -- of critical supplies. But so far, no one has said no.
And, in fact, we see industry stepping up. The president mentioned Ford Motor Company working with 3M and GE Health to expand production of medical supplies. We heard that McDonald's is now offering curbside delivery to truckers who are unable to use the drive-through to pick up a Big Mac.
And I spoke today, and the president spoke last week, with Tim Cook of Apple. And, at this moment in time, Apple went to their storehouses and is donating 9 million N95 masks to health care facilities at -- all across the country and to the National Stockpile.
There is a level of generosity that I know is inspiring to the president and is truly inspiring to all of us who are working on the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
The president has made it clear that he hopes -- in weeks, not months -- to be able to open up the country. But let me make one last encouragement to every American: We will get to that day quicker if every American will put into practice the president's coronavirus guidelines for our nation: 15 Days to Slow the Spread. If every American will do this, I have no doubt that we will slow the spread, we will protect our most vulnerable, and we will heal our land.
Thank you, Mr. President.
TRUMP: Thank you very much, Mike. Thank you. Kaitlan.
QUESTION: Mr. President, you just reiterated that you hope to have the country reopened by Easter and you said earlier you would like to see churches packed on that day. My question is -- you have two doctors on stage with you -- have either of them told you that's a realistic timeline?
TRUMP: I think we're looking at a timeline. We're discussing it. We had a very good meeting today. You know, if you add it all up, that's probably nine days plus another two and a half weeks. It's a period of time that's longer than the original two weeks.
So we're going to look at it. We'll only do it if it's good. And maybe we do sections of the country; we do large sections of the country. That could be, too. But, no, we're very much in Tony and with Deborah on everything we're doing.
QUESTION: Who suggested Easter? Who suggested that day?
TRUMP: I just thought it was a beautiful time. It would be a beautiful time, a beautiful timeline. It's a great day.
QUESTION: So that wasn't based on any of the data?
TRUMP: It was -- it was based on a certain level of weeks from the time we started. And it happened to arrive -- actually, we were thinking in terms of sooner. I'd love to see if come even sooner. But I just think it would be a beautiful timeline.
Jon?
QUESTION: Mr. President, if you look at what we've just seen in the last day or so, you've seen the number of known coronavirus cases in the country double in just two days.
Another 95 people died just in the last 24 hours. New York -- New York's governor is saying this is spreading like a bullet train across the country. And the governor of Louisiana is saying that his country -- that his state may not be able to handle the cases that they're facing by the -- by early April. So what are you seeing in all of this that leads you to think that...
TRUMP: Jon, we're working with all of them.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... we can reopen by Easter or even earlier?
TRUMP: Sure. Sure.
We're working with all of them. We can be talking about large sections of our country, because there are sections of our country that you didn't talk about that are doing unbelievably well; they have very little incidents or problem -- very small numbers. It's very possible that they won't be ever subject to what's happening in New York. New York is definitely a hot spot. There's no question about it. And
you know what we're doing in New York to try and help, and I think we're doing an incredible job. We're going to have the hospitals up quickly -- the medical centers, also, quickly.
But we'll just have to see. We have to follow it. We have to see. We're going to look at that curve. We're going to see when it starts coming down. And we'll do the best job that can be done.
John, please.
QUESTION: A question for you, Mr. President and Dr. Fauci, if we could. This would -- looking at this idea of an Easter timeline -- and I know that's probably flexible -- what are the metrics by which you will make the decision as to whether you can say, yes, we can open up this area of the country or, no, we can't open up that area.
I mean, will you be looking at disease numbers? Will you be looking at possible containment, isolation? What are you...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I think we'll be looking at a lot of things. We'll also be looking at very large portions of our country. And I will be guided very much by Dr. Fauci and by Deborah and by some of the other professionals that work with both of you.
And we're going to see what will be, but that would certainly be -- I think that's a goal that perhaps can happen, or at least for a very large portion of our country.
QUESTION: Dr. Fauci, since, as the president said, you and Dr. Birx and others will be guiding him in making the decision, where are you now with this timeline of 19 days from now?
FAUCI: So, I mean, that's really very flexible. we just had a conversation with the president in the Oval Office, talking about -- you know, you can look at a date, but you got to be very flexible. And on a literally day-by-day and week-by-week basis, you need to evaluate the feasibility of what you're trying to do.
And, John, you asked for what kind of metrics what kind of data. When you look at the country, I mean, obviously, no one is going to want to tone down things when you see what's going on in a place like New York City. I mean -- I mean, that's just good public health practice and common sense.
But the country is a big country and there are areas of the country -- and I referred to this in my opening remarks -- that we really need to know more about what the penetrance is there.
So if we do the kind of testing that we're doing -- and testing will always be associated by identification, isolation, and contact tracing. And you find, after a period of time, that there are areas that are very different from other areas of the country. You may not want to essentially treat it as it -- just one force for the entire country, but look at flexibility in different areas.
So I think people might get the misinterpretation you're just going to lift everything up and, even if somebody going like that, you -- I mean, that's -- that's not going to happen. It's going to be looking at the data.
And what we don't have right now that we really do need is we need to know what's going on in those areas of the country where there isn't an obvious outbreak. Is there something underneath the surface that says, Wait a minute, you better be careful and really clamp down, or what looks there that you don't really have to be as harsh as you are in other areas?
So it's looking at information that, up to this point, John, we never had. So it's a flexible situation.
QUESTION: So is New York becoming our Wuhan? Is New York becoming the epicenter...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Well, it certainly is, by far, the -- if you call it hot, if you call it any word you want to use. It is at a level that -- I was speaking to Tony before -- it's a level that no place else is close. It's very unfortunate.
You know, one of the things that's -- that's happened -- that we've done, I think, a really good job on -- I think that it's something special what's happened is I learned from Dr. Birx, a little while ago, when she said -- I learned it actually this afternoon, in eight days -- because we kept hearing about South Korea.
And they had a very tough time at the beginning, if you remember. In eight days, we're doing more testing than they've done in eight weeks. That's a tremendous turn. And with our testing, it's going -- exponentially, it's going up, up, up every day.
So we're going to be able to do things with this very highly sophisticated testing. And it's also -- the test itself is considered the best test. So, on top of doing now more than anybody else, we have a very high-quality test. That makes a big difference. It also makes a big difference, even in terms of opening, because we're going to see those areas like the hot spots. But New York City definitely is a very hot spot.
Steve.
QUESTION: When you talk about areas that you could open up, what specifically are you looking at? What states? Are you talking about out west or the Midwest or the southwest? Where exactly?
TRUMP: Well, you can talk about the Farm Belt. Take a look at the Farm Belt. Take a look at the areas out west. Look at big sections of Texas.
I was talking to the great Governor of Texas. They have done a fantastic job out there. But they have very big sections of Texas where -- you know, it's like numerous states, frankly.
But we can have large sections of -- if we want to do it that way, we can have large sections of the country open. But I think it's very important that we start moving on that and start thinking about it, because our country wants to be open, our people want it to be open, and they want it -- they want -- they're raring to go. And I think it's one of the reasons that we're going to have a tremendous bounce back. I think it's going to go very quickly.
Also, I want to thank -- while I'm here, I want to thank Larry for the job he's done, Steve Mnuchin for the job he's done. If you look at Peter Navarro, he's sort of doing different things. He's really -- he's a force, in terms of getting masks and getting all of the ventilators and all the things. He's been fantastic -- Peter.
But I also want to thank Congress because whether or not we're happy that they haven't quite gotten there yet, they have been working long hours. I'm talking Republicans and Democrats -- all of them. The House, the Senate. I want to thank Congress, because they are really trying to get there. And I think they will.
And I'll see you all tomorrow.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Did you give Governor Cuomo a heads-up, Mr. President, about the quarantining for people who left New York?
TRUMP: What?
COLLINS: Did you give Governor Cuomo a heads-up about quarantining people?
TRUMP: We're talking to them about it.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: What are you asking for, Mr. President?
QUESTION: Is it wise to pack churches on Easter?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: All right, so there you have it, a relatively upbeat assessment by the president of the United States.
He says the U.S. is making tremendous progress, a tremendous bounce- back, he thinks, fairly quickly. He's still sticking by his assertion that, maybe by Easter Sunday, maybe by Easter Sunday, there will be full houses in churches around the country.
A very different, much more cautious assessment from Dr. Fauci, who is the top expert on infectious diseases. He says, you got to look at the data. You got to study it carefully.
[18:25:08]
He certainly wasn't as upbeat about the progress that's being made as the president of the United States. We anticipated that.
Let's bring in Sanjay Gupta.
Dr. Gupta, let's talk a little bit about what you -- what emerged to you as some of the major developments in this briefing.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president sort of started off by saying, look, we're going to follow the data, we're going to take the advice of the scientists and all that.
And then, as the briefing sort of went on, it was this idea, again, that the president raised that, by Easter, all of these restrictions would sort of be lifted and things would be back to normal.
As you mentioned, there were two things that really struck me about what Dr. Fauci said. First, as you pointed out, Wolf, he said, we need to look at the data.
And, Wolf, it's pretty clear that, a week from now, which is going to be the 15-day mark, the data is going to look worse. It is, because the image that we have right now really reflects about 10 to 14 days ago.
And we know there's been continued spread over these last 10 to 14 days. So, even if some of these social distancing measures are starting to work, you're not going to feel that impact in this time.
So, at that 15-day mark, if the numbers look worse, I'm not sure how you could justify possibly starting to loosen some of those restrictions. It just doesn't make sense.
The other thing that Dr. Fauci sort of brought up was this idea -- I have heard it a few times now -- of hot spots. Maybe there's these hot spots around the country, New York obviously being one of them, California, Washington. And could we see a situation where they start to focus in on these hot spots, keep these restrictions in for the country for a longer period of time than just two weeks, but these hot spots get added sort of attention maybe even longer?
Possible. I have heard that phrase twice now. Ambassador Birx brought it up, now Dr. Fauci. So we're going to track that and see where that sort of proposal goes.
But, clearly, Wolf, the 15-day mark, which is next Monday, and this idea that maybe restrictions be loosened at that time, I think that's no longer even really being discussed, Wolf.
BLITZER: And it's also interesting, Sanjay, that both Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci said that anyone who has been in the New York City area over these past few weeks...
GUPTA: Yes. BLITZER: ... and has decided to leave, they said whether to go to
North Carolina or Florida or out on Long Island or anyplace else, they must self-quarantine, at least for 14 days, given -- and they pointed out one of the hot spots is the New York City area right now.
They may not necessarily feel that they have any symptoms or temperature, but they potentially could -- could have contracted the coronavirus.
GUPTA: Yes.
Wolf, so they're sort of drawing a distinction between New York City and, frankly, the rest of the country, and saying, like, think of almost New York City like we thought of China back in January, a place where the virus is clearly circulating, people more likely to have the virus there.
I think that that is all true. But I don't know how this would work, first of all, just practically speaking. What -- people who -- would they self-identify? It would be obviously all voluntary quarantine. Would people sort of go underground and really not want to declare themselves as having traveled from New York?
I think the idea may be sort of an interesting idea, but the application, I think, is going to be really challenging.
And also, Wolf, I mean, take New York-Florida, so a lot of New Yorkers going Florida because people are not working at their workplace. Kids are not going to school, so we will go to Florida. That's the thinking.
Well, look, I mean, the virus is circulating in Florida as well, Wolf, not as robustly as New York, but it's clearly circulating in Florida. It's been going up roughly 20 percent a day the last few days.
So I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense at that point to say, we are going to somehow identify this population as different than this population.
Best advice would be probably don't travel right now. Stay close to home. And everyone's sort of practicing these social distancing measures.
BLITZER: But you can understand, people are scared to be in the New York City area right now, given the high intensity that's going on.
We heard Dr. Birx say that you should self-quarantine if you have left New York City, gone someplace else, for 14 days, even if you have no symptoms at all.
How do they come up with 14 days?
GUPTA: Well, it's a little bit of an arbitrary number.
Where this number comes from is this idea, from the time of exposure to the time of you likely to develop symptoms, it's usually -- it shouldn't take longer than 14 days. If you're going to develop symptoms, you should do it within 14 days, typically, is what they -- is where that came from.
We know that people have developed symptoms later than that. The mean is right around five days. From the time that you're exposed to the time you develop symptoms, on average, is about five days. But it can vary.
And so 14 days is sort of a midrange there in terms of what it is.
[18:30:00]
I think that's where they get the number. But, you know, look, it's an arbitrary number, difficult to enforce, obviously.
And, you know, I mean, Wolf, unlike China to the United States, you know, we are all obviously one contiguous continent. Viruses don't respect borders or boundaries. It's clear that the virus has been circulating New York City for some time, it's been circulating in Seattle for some time, Los Angeles for some time, probably here in Atlanta for some time, many places around the country. There may be places where it's hotter, as Dr. Tony Fauci said, hotspots. But I think, you know, at this point, it's reasonable to assume and people should behave as if they have the virus because it has been in this country now for some time.
BLITZER: I ask the question, Sanjay, because the CDC guidelines don't have a 14-day requirement. It's no longer in the CDC guidelines. And all of a sudden we're hearing at the White House 14 days.
GUPTA: Yes. No, it's confusing, Wolf. As someone who looks at these guidelines on a daily basis, several times a day. First of all, the guidelines continuously evolve and they change. But you absolutely right. You know, previously -- take healthcare workers, for example. The wisdom and the advice initially was, if you've come in contact with somebody who's been diagnosed of coronavirus, you need to quarantine yourself for 14 days. That was - even if you don't have symptoms.
Now, the advises, if you have been in contact with somebody with coronavirus, you can even continue to work at the hospital and you can even continue to work in some situations with minimal symptoms. So the guidelines have completely change, for example, for healthcare workers and as well as for the general public.
What really seems to be the distinguishing factor really, I think is, do you have symptoms or not. That's the big thing. If you have symptoms, of course, you should stay home. Of course, you should not be out potentially infecting other people. We know that it is possible to spread this even if you don't have symptoms. But as Dr. Fauci has said, and others have said, while that is possible, that appears to be a lower sort of driver of this community spread.
So symptoms are not symptoms seems to be a bigger thing than were you in New York City. Were you in New York City, and if you were, in the last few days, you should quarantine yourself. You know, again, that is now the recommendation. We heard it just now from the White House. But it seems like it would be a very difficult thing to enforce and apply and I'm not clear that it would make a difference especially going from states like New York to Florida.
BLITZER: I want to move on, Sanjay, but when the vice president says the infection rate in New York is one in 1,000, in other words, one person out of 1,000 is infected with the coronavirus, that sounds pretty scary.
GUPTA: It does sound scary, Wolf. And you know, look, I mean that those -- even those numbers are probably underestimating here. You know, what you hear ultimately in terms of the percent of the country that likely to be expose to this virus overtime is, you know, I heard 40 to 60 percent of the country is likely to ultimately be exposed to this virus.
So, you know, these numbers don't surprise me. In fact, that they're probably underestimating, because, as we've talk about ad nauseam, we have under tested. We've had inadequate testing. So we really don't have a clear sort of view of exactly what these rates are.
But if you have a contagious virus, a virus that if one person has it, they are likely to spread it to two or three people, you know, and it's been circulating in a densely populated city with public transportation for several weeks, you know, you would not be surprised that many people have been exposed to this virus.
And, again, as so the numbers go up of people who are likely infected. But at the same time, it's also probably means, Wolf, that a lot of people who have been exposed to the virus aren't getting that sick, or they're certainly not getting sick enough to seek out at any kind of a medical care or get tested. So, you know, it's a bad news, good sort of situation. Bad news if more people are infected, but it does bring the fatality and the lethality of the ratio down, Wolf.
BLITZER: Yes. I want to bring in, Gloria, into this conversation.
Gloria, the president began this briefing by saying -- reiterating what he had said earlier in the day that he's hoping by Easter Sunday the churches will be packed, that the U.S. will have gotten over this. He just said now, I'm looking at my notes, I hope we can do this by Easter. We're continuing to evaluate the data. But then yet, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, a rather upbeat assessment right now.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think every day, what you've been hearing from the president who is searching for some way to give Americans hope that we're going to get out of this. And, of course, that's what presidents do.
On the other hand, you don't want to give people any kind of false hope, that things are going to change that quickly. I think it was very important that after Tony Fauci spoke, I mean there was a moment, and I'm looking at my notes here, where the president said maybe we do sections of the country.
[18:35:09]
And then said, he will be guided by professionals.
And what Dr. Fauci said during the briefing was, we have to be flexible here. Maybe with any date, maybe there is certain parts of the country we can treat differently from, say, New York or Washington State or California. But this notion that suddenly, somehow, some curtain will be lifted in this country and everything will go back to normal, is of course, not the case, and that people need to listen, I think, to what the professionals are saying on all kinds of levels here. And this is situation, I think, in which Tony Fauci alluded to a conversation in the Oval Office with the president, in which he told the president, you need to be flexible.
So it's clear, the president had this idea. I'd love to do this all and get it over by Easter, because that's an important day. And the healthcare professionals are saying, wait a minute, we have the look at the facts and the data and see where we are.
BLITZER: He's predicting a tremendous bounce back in the economy fairly quickly. He said, certain areas of the country might not be affected. You mention the farm belt out west, states out west, big sections of Texas.
Daniel Dale, is with us, our CNN Fact Checker, who was listening closely to what the president had to say. What jumped out at you, Daniel?
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: Wolf, what stood out was the disconnect between Trump as he is and the scripted trump. So Trump today in the Fox News, town hall, announced this Easter timeline. Based on nothing but his desire. He explained that it's an important day to him and other Christians and that's why he wants it open.
Then today at the briefing, reading a script, he said don't worry we will be driven by data and facts. But when he was pressed on why he had come up with that Easter timeline, he said because it's a beautiful day. And he so, he made clear even after saying that this will be driven by facts that that timeline was completely arbitrary.
And so I think what we'll be looking for going forward is to what extent is he listening to the views of the expert like Fauci and Birx, who he said today he would consult, and to what extent is he just making this up as he goes along as he often proudly does.
BLITZER: I want to bring in Dr. Seema Yasmin into this conversation as well. Dr. Yasmin, what jumped out to you from what we heard not just from the president but from Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx?
DR. SEEMA YASMIN, FORMER DISEASE DETECTIVE, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: Wolf, honestly it felt like another day, another White House press conference and another batch of mixed messages, which is exactly what you don't need during a global health crisis when there are already so many unknowns about the virus itself. We have to keep our eyes on the virus, and instead we're asking the American people to interpret this mixed messaging that we're hearing where literally the president comes to to podium and says one thing and then a public health expert comes to podium and almost have to backtrack for him.
I was really concerned about the message where he said, we're beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. And I thought what light are you seeing? I hope it's warning light. Because when I talk to my colleagues in emergency rooms here in California and New York, Wolf, they are slammed and they are really worried about not being able to properly care for their patients. So telling the American people we're seeing the light, I think that's really misleading. Yes, you have to offer hope but you cannot sugar coat the truth.
BLITZER: Well that's an important point. And, Sanjay, let me get your thoughts on that when the president says, you know what, there's a hot spot in New York. We're watching that maybe down in Florida eventually, or Washington State or California. But big chunks of the country, they're pretty much clean from this. And they don't necessarily have to worry about it. They don't have to necessarily engage in all the social distancing, the lockdowns, the school closures. What do you make of that?
GUPTA: Well, yes, and you don't hear Dr. Fauci, use this term hot spots as well and Ambassador Birx used it, I believe, yesterday as well. Look, the thing about is it, I agree with Dr. Yasmin, we don't know, we haven't really been able to do adequate testing in many parts of the country.
And, Wolf, the picture that we're seeing in the country really is a behind the curve picture. You know, again, talk about the time between someone is exposed to the time they develop symptoms, several days, they get a test a few days after that. And then so you're thinking you're actually looking a picture from maybe 10 to 14 days ago.
What do we think has been happening in the country over these last 10 to 14 days, the virus has been spreading. Certainly, it's going to spread more robustly and densely populated areas with lots of public transportation, things like that. But it's spreading in other parts as well. And, you know, it's a very contagious virus. People are moving around the country and that's why I think, you know, this idea of sort of trying to get people to stay at home and break the cycle of transmission is so important no matter where you live.
[18:40:06]
And I think that that's going to stay in place for a while.
Again, 15 days is next Monday, I believe. That was the original sort of timeline. But I haven't talked to any public health officials on or off the record who think that, you know, sort of lifting some of the restrictions at that time is a good idea. Easter is three and half weeks from the beginning, and sort of the same answer there, it's too early.
If you look at China and South Korea, you're looking more eight to ten-week sort of timeline. That's painful. But, you know, what you keep hearing is that it's also necessary or it's going to be more painful later on.
BLITZER: And earlier, Daniel Dale, earlier today, the president flatly said that in this particular case, the cure is worse than the problem, which, obviously, you know, raised all sorts of questions about his thinking.
DALE: It did. And it was interesting, you know, we also wonder why is he tweeting or saying what he is saying. And it's often because he is watching Fox News. So this phrase was used by Steve Hilton, a Fox house. The president then tweeted it. And now it's become his mantra.
I think it's important to note, Wolf, just how relentlessly dishonest and/or inaccurate, if you're being generous, Trump has been throughout this process and in these last few days in particular. Again, earlier today, he wildly misstated the fatality rate for the Spanish flu, the flu pandemic in 1918, wrongly saying it was about 50 percent when it was some between two and ten.
He falsely denied that he ever said the testing situation was perfect, even though we have the transcript, he said that to reporters on camera. So this has just been a barrage again and again of the president either misleading generously or deceiving the people of this country.
BLITZER: And, Gloria, as this briefing was going on, they are trying the reach a deal in the Senate to work on some sort of huge $2 trillion economic stimulus package. Although Larry Kudlow, the president's economic adviser, said it was really $6 trillion package, $2 trillion in specific aid, $4 trillion to help the banks and everything else go forward. $6 trillion, that's a new number. I hadn't heard that before.
BORGER: Right. I hadn't heard that number before. And I think it's -- you know, it's sort of one of these -- when you add it all up, that's what it turns into. And it looks like they may not, in fact, get it this evening. We're not sure yet. And perhaps they would have to vote on it in the morning.
What the president though, to me, that seems, he's getting an awful lot of conflicting advice here. He's hearing from friends on Wall Street. He's hearing from some conservatives who were saying, look, you have to figure out the way to open this economy.
We can't let this happen to the economy. He is hearing from business people everywhere, I would think. On the other hand, there are Republicans in Congress, like the number three leader among House Republicans, Liz Chaney, who is saying, you can't do this right now.
And so the president is kind of torn and you can see that in his approach, which varies largely from day-to-day. And it's not clear on which day, Wolf, who he is listening to. Was he listening to some of the CEOs he talked to today? Was he listening to some folks on Wall Street he listens to or his friends? Was he listening to the scientists, the health advisers? Was he listening to Governor Cuomo? Apparently not. Was he listening to members of Congress? And was he listening to Larry Kudlow? It's just not clear. But one interesting thing is that he didn't take this opportunity to dis the Democrats because he knows he has to get this package through. And he, in fact, said they are working very hard towards getting something through. I don't think we all appreciate how difficult this is.
But it's kind of when you want steady leadership, you're just not clear who the president is listening to on any given day or, in fact, any given hour. And I think that's concerning not only to the public but to the governors out there who are trying to kind of set up some system within their states. I mean, Governor Hogan of Maryland called the president plan for Easter an imaginary timeline.
So what do the governors do now? Just some -- you know, I wonder what they are thinking.
BLITZER: Yes. I think you're right there with Governor Hogan is a Republican governor of Maryland.
BORGER: Yes.
BLITZER: Daniel Dale, you know, it's interesting, the president began in his opening statement today to refer to what's called the Defense Production Act, saying, we haven't found that necessary to be the case to actually implement, and even though his FEMA director earlier today, said they actually had started to implement it.
[18:45:03]
He says all these companies are volunteering and providing everything that hospitals and the doctors and the nurses need.
You've been doing some fact checking on this. What have you found out?
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: Well, it's -- basically, the president has seemed to take some delight in fomenting confusion about the status of his use of that act. At one point, he kind of teased or taunted reporters saying, you don't know how we've invoked it, if we used it, how we used it.
So, we did have the FEMA chief saying they did make use of it for the first time in attempting to procure a greater number of tests. Whether Trump was unaware of that, whether he was confused about what was going on, we don't know. But we did have report from somebody with more credibility than the president telling us today that it was being employed.
BLITZER: Yes, it's a very important point.
And, Sanjay, let's get back to this whole notion of New Yorkers. People who have been in New York may not necessarily be New Yorkers, but if they were visiting New York, if they had business in New York, and they've left, they've gone to other parts of the country, they should self-quarantine now for 41 days.
And I just want to hammer that point, that the CDC no longer says if you have no symptoms at all, no temperature, none of the symptoms of the coronavirus, they no longer say 14 days. And a lot of people will be confused when Dr. Birx says the next 14 days, you have to self- quarantine.
GUPTA: Yes, unfortunately, I think Dr. Birx has made this very confusing now. This isn't even part of the CDC guidelines which the public has access to. It's certainly not part of the recommendations for, you know, people who are working like health care work who are told, even if you come in contact with somebody who has had who has been diagnosed with coronavirus, you can still continue to work.
Look, even within the White House, we know that people have come in contact with people with known coronavirus, they weren't told to subsequently quarantine. There have been people who've done it voluntarily, like, I believe Senator Mike Lee,
But this is not an official recommendation at all, in any guidelines. We've been -- again, as I mentioned, Wolf, in following this very closely. So, exactly how do you ask every one traveling from New York City to quarantine themselves, it doesn't fit any kind of guideline. And unfortunately, I think this just served to confuse people even more, Wolf.
I have to say that, you know, the advice of telling people, look, stay at home as much as possible, that makes sense but now to sort of say, hey, look, if you travel outside of New York, even within the state of New York but outside of New York City, you need to quarantine yourself for 14 days. It's not enforceable. It's -- I don't think people are going to understand it.
And I worry that the message gets two blurry and people are just going to be increasingly confused.
BLITZER: Yes, I think --
GUPTA: That is not part of the guidelines, the CDC guidelines at all.
BLITZER: And I noticed that. You noticed that.
Seema, what's your reaction when you hear that? Because a lot of us are confused now based on what we just heard.
YASMIN: I get questions like this, Wolf, from the general public but also from health care workers who are saying, my hospital system is saying one thing and I think that's coming from the state but what is the federal government saying. And it's just the way that public health is set up that you do have 50 different states responding sometimes in 50 different ways. That can be okay but there needs to be a coordinated response and a coordinated message from high up, from the federal government.
Allow states to have their autonomy, but at least be aggregating that data for us, helping us to understand what's happening across the country, instead of this patch work mix of responses and messages. And I'm so worried, Wolf, that we're going to look back in years to come and be counting hundreds, if not thousands of deaths of our loved ones that could have been prevented if right now, we were doing the right thing and doing the right thing relies on us being told what to do, how long to do it for and why we're doing that.
And we are not seeing it.
BLITZER: And, Seema, if -- you know, all of us would love to see the churches full on Easter Sunday and that would be terrific for every one. But if it's premature, describe the potential danger if you have packed crowds in churches when this crisis continues.
YASMIN: So, two dangers here, Wolf. One is that we know those of us who study public health communication but when there's information overload, it makes it really hard for people to know exactly what they are supposed to remember. So, anyone who has watched this press conference may just take away this one thing that, oh, April 12th, this is over or, oh, I can just go to church during Easter. That's not what we want you to remember.
The concern is that we're still approaching our peak. Look at what's happening in New York. Look at the numbers coming out of California. If we see scenarios where people are cramming into churches or other places while this infection is still spreading, we see the chances of much wider spread, more people getting severely ill and more people dying.
[18:50:08]
That is exactly what we're trying to prevent right now. We need clear communication and leadership in order to prevent those deaths.
BLITZER: Very important, indeed. I want everybody to stand by.
The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, is joining us on the phone right now.
I don't know, Mayor, if you heard this news conference over at the White House, the president and the others. But if you did, give me your immediate reaction because you're on the front lines there in Los Angeles.
MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D), LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (via telephone): I think it's way too easy -- too soon for us to be talking about when this is going to be done. We're about six days behind New York City statistically in terms of the number of cases. While we've put in action some of the measures earlier, it's not a matter of if in any place, it's a matter of when.
I've been talking to mayors across the county. My guidance to them is, do it now. Get your city on a stay at home, safer at home order as soon as possible because there's no moat, there's no force field around anyplace in America. This is a virus.
And I think we need to see -- we know that there might be some rays of sunshine in the months ahead, but right now, there are still dark, dark clouds. People are dying in New York City. We have 11 deaths here in Los Angeles, including some young people. And I think all of our energy needs to be focused on saving lives
right now and not on the moment we're going to emerge on this. We have to plan for that, but it's way premature.
BLITZER: Because we were so -- you bring up a really sensitive issue, very sad issue. We were also sad to hear, Mayor, that a young person, someone under the age of 18 has now died from the coronavirus in the Los Angeles area. Our hearts, of course, go out to the family.
Can you share details? Because originally we were told that older people, you know, were most in danger. The younger people not necessarily so unless they had some pre-existing condition.
GARCETTI: No. We are seeing that this can affect young people, not just people who have pre-existing conditions.
Look, it's a low -- lower statistic the younger you get, but it still involves people dying. So when people are thinking it's not going to be me, there actually is a chance it will be you no matter what your age is. And even if it doesn't kill you, it will kill somebody you love if you don't take this seriously, if you don't keep the distance away, the physical distance of six feet.
If you don't take this seriously, you are putting people's lives into your own hands including maybe your own. And our heart does go out to not only the family of the young person who was -- who died in Los Angeles but across this country.
And I really want to underscore this to all local leaders, don't wait. I've been on the phone with two mayors in the last few days in large cities that went forward with their orders, and I said, when it feels wrong, it's right. By the time it feels right, it's too late.
BLITZER: Do you know how young this person was? I know, we're not releasing any names. We don't know the name of this person. But was the person -- you know, was this young person 10, 12, 14?
GARCETTI: Who's a teenager. Who's a teenager.
BLITZER: A teenager. And do you know if the person did have some pre- existing, underlying condition?
GARCETTI: So far, we don't. So, I don't -- it can kill healthy people with no underlying conditions. Now, those statistically are going to be much less, but anybody who thinks that they're going to be spared, this virus can literally kill anyone.
BLITZER: So what's your message to parents out there right now? You know, the kids are going out. They're going to the park. They're having a good time.
What's your message to these people?
GARCETTI: Well, it's not just to the parents but to the young people. I was on a hike. You know, I was distanced, but I saw a pack of four or five young Angelinos. And I went up to them and said, you guys, have you to keep that
distance. One of you could be more vulnerable than you imagine. One of you could be -- being treated for something or have a pre-existing health condition, or one of you is going to take it home to mom, dad, or somebody else you live with and possibly kill them.
I think it's that straight talk, and I know it's tough for us as parents, I'm a parent. I sat down with my 8-year-old daughter and explained it.
They understand it. They want to do their part. But they have to know they, too, are the first responders to this, not just adults, not just health care workers and firefighters.
Each one of us, unlike past disasters, is actually a first responder. And while we can take a life, we certainly can keep a life from being taken as well.
BLITZER: You know, two things the president said today really jumped out at me and I want to get your reaction, Mayor. The president at one point said and I'm quoting him now, we're near the end of our historic battle with the invisible enemy and at another point, he said that the cure is worse than the problem.
When you heard that, what did you make of that?
GARCETTI: Well, in the first place, I don't think in the first comments that he made, we are. I think we have the darkest days still ahead. And I want to be optimistic like the president, I want to and I lift up in my nightly address, my people talking about the hopeful days ahead.
But before we get through those, there are going to be days in which our hospitals don't have capacity, and doctors and medical personnel are going to make excruciating decisions about who lives and who dies.
[18:55:08]
And those people who die will sometimes die alone.
This is real. And I think before we say that this is over, we're seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, we've just entered the tunnel. And I think that for all of us, too, we have to make sure that we are doing everything to understand how our behavior impacts us.
Each one of us isn't just going to expect the cavalry to come from Washington, from our state capitol or even from local governments. It is the actions that we take that is the cavalry. And that's the only thing that can stop us.
BLITZER: In the last hour I spoke with the captain of the U.S. Navy hospital ship, the USNS Mercy. It's on its way to Los Angeles right now. They're not going to actually take up coronavirus patients but they'll open up -- free some beds in the Los Angeles area for other patients to come aboard their ship.
How significant is that?
GARCETTI: Oh, it's extraordinary. And I thank our president, and our vice president, our representatives and our governor.
I was on the phone with the White House and others. We all are really thankful for that because 1,000 beds. It will become the biggest hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and that frees up the emergency room patients and other hospital patients so that our COVID- 19 patients can go in there. A bed equals a bed and it's 1,000 beds.
And the port of Los Angeles is so excited to have that. I was a naval officer for 12-1/2 years. And I've been on that ship. It is a miracle on the sea and we are so excited it's coming to L.A.
BLITZER: Yes, it certainly is. And we're grateful for that.
Mayor Garcetti, thank you so much for joining us. Good luck to everybody in L.A. Appreciate it very much.
GARCETTI: Thank you. God bless, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you.
Also tonight, many Americans still aren't clear about when and where they should get tested for the coronavirus and if they actually need to be tested at all.
Brian Todd is looking into that for us.
Brian, what should our viewers know about testing?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at a time like this with all of the information circulating, it's important not to over- complicate the advice on testing. We went to a drive thru testing site, spoke to officials there, and we spoke to doctors and we've laid out a few simple steps.
A good start is to make the basic determination as to whether you really need a test in the first place.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): In Arlington, Virginia, a well-protected technician approaches a car at a drive through coronavirus test site, gives instructions on a bull horn to a patient on the other side of a closed window. The patient then pulls behind a building to another checkpoint to get tested.
Officials at Virginia Hospital Center which runs this facility say they're doing about 50 to 60 tests a day.
Tonight, millions of people in the United States and around the world are asking critical questions about getting tested.
To start, how do you know if you need a coronavirus test? DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, MASSACHUSETTS
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Upper respiratory symptoms might start this with runny nose, sore throat. It generally then leads to cough and shortness of breath.
TODD: Then when you have a strong indication that you need a test, who should you call first? Officials say, don't just show up, call ahead.
MELODY DICKERSON, CHIEF NURSING OFFICER, VIRGINIA HOSPITAL CENTER: You would first notify your family doctor, and that physician will do a screening to see if you meet criteria to be tested. We don't want to test well individuals. Once the physician's assessed you, he or she will determine if you need an order. They would write that order. Then you would call the scheduling line and make an appointment.
TODD: At this facility in Arlington, when patients arrive they need to keep their windows up until it's time for the test. Here, the test takes about 10 minutes and results are given back in 5 to 7 days. But many remote sites are under more strain than this one.
Some localities like New York City are running so low on masks and gowns, they want to limit testing to those so hard hit, they are hospitalized.
DEANNE CRISWELL, COMMISSIONER, NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT: Every test we give takes up valuable personal protective equipment that can be used when we're treating those in the hospital.
TODD: The Department of Health and Human Services is prioritizing for coronavirus tests patients already hospitalized, health workers with symptoms, elderly people over 65 with symptoms and those with compromised immune symptoms and underlying conditions with symptoms.
If you do take the test, be ready for some discomfort. At the Arlington facility, they insert a swab at the back of the throat but it varies.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The test was very quick but it goes a fair amount up into your sinuses and it's not comfortable.
TODD: The nursing officer that we spoke to at the Arlington site addressed crucial reasons why drive through and other remote test sites have been set up.
MELODY DICKERSON, CHIEF NURSING OFFICER, VIRGINIA HOSPITAL CENTER: We are trying to prevent unnecessary trips to our emergency department for individuals who are seeking this testing, so we're giving them the means to do that. Secondly, it also saves a lot of personal protective equipment to do it this way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Now, one commonly asked question regarding those drive thru testing sites is, can more than one person per car be tested? At that site where we were in Arlington, Virginia, officials there said more than one in a car can be tested as long as everybody has an appointment set up and as long as they've been referred there by their doctor -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Extremely useful information. Brian Todd reporting for us, thank you very much.
And to our viewers out there, be careful. Listen to all the guidelines.
"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.
