Watch Live: President Trump and members of the coronavirus Task Force hold a news conference

Developing Story (Trump's and Task Force key Comments to follow ... )

President Donald Trump is addressing the nation in a news conference surrounding the coronavirus where it is expected that he will play down the recent rhetoric from US health advisors, such as yesterday's comment from Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, who said, “Current global circumstances suggest it’s likely this virus will cause a pandemic.” 

Upon returning from an overseas trip to India, Trump complained that media outlets were "doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible," misspelling the name of the virus. He then criticized the pushback from Democrats on the administration's response to the outbreak and added, "USA in great shape!".

Key comments

Trump:

• Extends condolences to victims of the shooting. 
• Number one priority is the health and safety of American people.
• Risks remains very low.
• Ready to adapt as disease spreads, if it spreads. 
• Of the 15 people, 8 have returned to their homes, 1 in hospital, five fully covered, 1 between hospital and home.
• Infection in China has got smaller. 
• Flu kills 25-69k a year in the US. 
• Lost 360k over last ten years. 
• Stopped non-US citizens.
• Screening people from infected nations.
• Quaerteed those with or at risk.
• Rapicaly developing a vaccine, coming along well. 
• Very very ready for this. 
• Could be at just one or two people in a very short period of time. 
• Rated number one for being prepared and UK, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Thailand, Finland, Sweeden are also on the John Hopkins list of well prepared. 
• Whatever happens we're totally prepared,"  responding to reporters' questions.
• Not inevitable that virus spreads in us, but probably will.
• Trump states at some point us may need to restrict travel from Italy, South Korea but this is not the right time.
• Consumers strong, stock market will recover. 
• Have plans on quarantines on larger scale if needed.
• Blames stock market crash on opposition party options. 
• Can't see what this does in terms of Gross Domestic Product. 
• I'm not happy with the Fed.
• Fed has made a terrible mistake.
• I totally disagree with the Fed. 
• Obama was paying zero, we are paying interest. 
• We should be paying the lowest inters rates.
• Hurt by General More and Boeing and the Fed that has created a very strong dollar. 
• This is different from Ebola. 
• Brazil has one person, Italy is a deeper problem.
• We might have to cut Italy off if it gets worse.
• I speak to Xi and he is working so hard on this problem.
• Xi wants to get back to business as usual.

Mike Pence:

• In charge of working with the team of doctors in the Virus Response.
• Pence tells reporters he's bringing team together, will bring Trump "the best options," will keep meeting with local officials to make sure they have resources, and "will add additional personnel here at the White House.

US health Sec Azar:

• Degree of virus risk has the potential to change quickly.

CDC's Anne Schuchat:

• While us containment has been working, "we do expect more cases," and schools/businesses need to be looking at their preparedness for a potential pandemic.
• The trajectory of the coronavirus in weeks and months ahead "is very uncertain."

Watch live

 

 

Key notes

• WHO: 412 new cases for China, 459 new cases rest of the world

• Forex Today: Coronavirus uncertainty keeps leading the way

• WTI bears taking on fresh territories, worst levels since Jan 2019

• Gold backs-off from fresh US session high in series of hourly lower lows and lower highs

• Wall Street close: Sea of red again, fears of coronavirus spread continues