Trump says he doesn’t want everybody taking coronavirus tests
From CNN’s Kevin Liptak
Even as he announced a scaling up of testing capacity for coronavirus, President Trump said Friday he did not believe all Americans should rush to be tested.
“We don’t want people to take a test if we feel that they shouldn’t be doing it. And we don’t want everybody running out and taking — only if you have certain symptoms," he said in the Rose Garden.
Trump, who began he remarks giving himself plaudits for his response to the outbreak, still appeared to believe the spread could be limited and that not every person in the country would require access to tests.
“We don’t want everybody taking this test. It’s totally unnecessary," he said.
Trump is both declaring “national emergency” and invoking the Stafford Act, a source says. Here’s what that means.
From CNN’s Kaitlan Collins
A source familiar with the President’s plans says Trump is declaring both a national emergency and invoking the Stafford Act.
What this means:
The Stafford Act is what frees up the extra federal funding and allows access to the funds.
The national emergency gives access to expanded authorities for the executive branch.
@“Cardinal Fang” - final comment because you seem locked into comparing 75% modeling to the actual situation in these two counties; no idea why you’re ignoring the other models. If you look at 25% modeling, the social distance much closer to reality, they model 9700 cases and 160 deaths in the period, not 1700 and 30. Current stats for those two counties are 378 cases and 30 deaths.
But the main point of the modeling study shows how social distancing can greatly reduce both cases and deaths. All of the governors, other countries, sports, entertainment, etc. understand this concept.
Sounds like it will be ramped up across the country according to the current address from the White House - partnering with Google, Walmart, CVS, Roche and others in a private/public partnership.
Trump shaking hands with Rose Garden guests
From CNN’s Kevin Liptak
President Trump continues to shake hands with corporate chiefs in the Rose Garden, even as health experts warn against the practice in a bid to prevent community spread.
Trump, who has come into contact with at least one person who tested positive for coronavirus, has a self-avowed dislike of shaking hands.
But he couldn’t seem to shake the habit on Friday until at last a CEO offered an elbow bump instead of a handshake.
Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will get “broad new authorities” to deal with coronavirus
From CNN’s Betsy Klein
President Trump said the emergency orders issued today will also “confer broad new authorities” to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Azar will be able to “waive provisions of applicable laws and regulations to give doctors, hospitals — all hospitals — and health care providers maximum flexibility to respond to the virus,” he said.
That includes waivers of some federal licensing requirements, waivers to critical access limits on numbers of beds and lengths of stays, and waivers to rules to bring additional physicians on board at certain hospitals.
The big school districts in SATX added a week to spring break, probably to figure out what to do next in terms of instruction and free meals. We have a lot of lower income students.
Trump also announces measures on student loans and oil
From CNN’s Sarah Westwood and Jason Hoffman
President Trump announced new measures aimed at easing the burden of student loans as universities and colleges across the country shut their doors, as well as measures aimed at taking advantage of low oil prices.
“I’ve waived interest on all student loans held by federal government agencies, and that will be until further notice,” Trump said during an appearance in the Rose Garden, noting the number of schools that have sent students home amid the growing coronavirus outbreak.
The President also said he has directed the Secretary of Energy “to purchase large quantities of crude oil for the US strategic reserves.”
Oil prices have tumbled in recent days – particularly as the demand for jet fuel has plummeted as global travel slows dramatically amid various bans on international movement.
“That’s something that would have not even been possible a week ago,” Trump said of the large-scale purchase he was ordering the Energy Department to make.
“So we’re going to fill it up, it’s a good time to fill it up,” he said of the strategic crude oil reserves.
Trump also said the United States would take advantage of low oil prices and buy a large quantity of crude to fill the nation’s strategic reserves.
Based on the prices of oil, I’ve … instructed the secretary of energy to purchase, at a very good price, large quantities of crude oil for storage in the U.S. strategic reserve … We’re going to fill it right up to the top. (Guardian)
[This makes sense however, given the pandemic, not the most high priority thing to highlight as it doesn’t really have anything to do with the virus’ spread]
^Somebody forwarded a video clip of Prince Charles meeting people and offering his hand to shake out of sheer force of habit, before jerking it back immediately. He would then greet them with the Indian joined hands salute (not sure if he said Namaste, lol). People responded the same way, some women bowed instead. It looked so courtly?
Maybe a good model for the POTUS and all politicians to follow.
Trump, who initially called coronavirus a “hoax” explicitly refuses to take responsibility for the “lag” in testing in the US, blaming what he says were outdated rules and regulations that he says were not designed for this sort of outbreak.
Fauci backs him up, saying the CDC-designed system was not designed for this and the US needed the help of private business. (Guardian)
Trump says additional coronavirus steps will be announced today
From CNN’s Maegan Vazquez
President Trump was asked Friday if there were other specific measures the administration plans to undertake in response to the coronavirus.
“We’re going to be releasing a paper in about two hours stating quite a few other steps, very important ones,” Trump said during a White House Rose Garden news conference
He didn’t offer more details.
My nephew goes to Stephen F. Austin University. His spring break, which started this past week, will be extended a week. No in-person classes will be held until at least April 6. Today, the school issued the following statement:
"We have listened to your questions about returning to the residence halls over the past hours since our announcement yesterday and we are modifying our guidance for residential students.
Since SFA is your “home away from home,” all residence halls will remain open on a normal schedule. Halls will open Sunday, March 15 at noon as planned.
East College Dining Hall will be open. Due to a more limited schedule and number of options, each student with a dining plan will receive a $100 credit to their Dining Dollars balance.
In addition, the following facilities will be open:
Baker Pattillo Student Center
The Student Recreation Center will also be open for individual workouts, and the outdoor pool will be open.
Student Health Clinic
Steen Library
SFA Post Office
We will continue enhanced cleaning in all of these areas and will be reminding you often of the need for washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands."
I don’t get it. They’re not holding classes but students can continue to live on campus without restrictions? I could see allowing international students or maybe a few other hardship cases, but everyone? I guess this way they don’t have to issue room and board refunds?
It’s important to note that Trump, during a question and answer session following his remarks, was asked whether he or his staff were taking any precautions to make sure they get tests for coronavirus. Trump stressed repeatedly that he and his staff did not have any exposure.
“I don’t if I’ve had any exposure but I don’t have any symptoms.” (Guardian)
Trump says he’s experiencing “no symptoms” despite contact with infected Brazilian official
CNN
President Trump said he is experiencing no symptoms of the coronavirus despite meeting last week with a Brazilian official who tested positive for coronavirus.
“No. We have no symptoms whatsoever,” Trump said, in response to a question from a reporter in the Rose Garden about whether he is planning to take any kind of precautionary measure to protect him and his staff.
He said he had a “fantastic meeting” with Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro whose aide tested positive for coronavirus after the meeting with Trump. Trump pointed out that Bolsonaro tested negative.
Here’s a little more detail on Trump’s comments in respect of the US’s travel ban. Addressing potentially adding the UK to the list, he said:
We are looking at it based on the new numbers that are coming out and we may have to include them in the list of countries that we will, you could say ban or whatever it is, during this period of time, but yeah their numbers have gone up fairly precipitously over the last 24 hours so we may be adding that and we may be adding a couple of others and we may frankly start thinking about taking some off. (Guardian)
Our school supposedly will be using MS Teams for remote teaching and collaboration, though there are very few details.
Monday was already a non-school day for students with teachers in session for planning/training (Act 80 Day for those in PA). Hopefully the weekend and that extra day gives them time to do some planning.
PA also has Flexible Instruction Days to replace snow makeup days - basically assignments kids do from home when school is cancelled for weather. So all teachers should have at least 4 days of material already prepared (though most of it is pretty lame).