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Donald Trump’s criticism of the “New York Times” on Saturday that the President of the United States had reacted too late in the early stages of the coronavirus crisis was dismissed as “false news.” But now his own adviser Anthony Fauci confirmed the report. “Life could have been saved if public facilities had been closed earlier,” the virologist told CNN. But there was great opposition to this. Fauci did not name the president by name.
The president’s top aides had warned the media of a coronavirus pandemic in late January that could kill hundreds of thousands of Americans. Trump himself said until early March that the virus was not a cause for concern for the United States.
Trump responded to criticism from the “New York Times” with reference to the early ban on the people of China. If he was supposed to have reacted too late, he did not understand why the media and the American Democrats would have criticized him so violently for the introduction of this entry ban, he wrote on Twitter and added: “Corrupt media!”
“Tips to open our country”
The United States was hit relatively late by the pandemic, so it would have had more time to prepare than the countries of Europe. The country has now been hit harder than any other in the world.
According to Johns Hopkins University figures, there are now more than 566,000 people infected in the United States, corresponding to nearly a third of all reported cases worldwide. 22,108 people have died in the United States from the consequences of a corona infection. Despite this development, Trump sticks to the plan to restart the economy as quickly as possible. An expert panel is expected to present today, Tuesday, to advise on the timetable to ease existing restrictions.
This “advice on opening our country,” as Trump called it, would include “excellent doctors and businessmen,” as well as nonpartisan experts. However, decisions about exit restrictions in the United States are largely in the hands of state and local authorities, not those of the federal government in Washington.
Despite his criticism, virologist Fauci voiced cautious hopes that the United States could begin easing its foreclosure measures in May. The situation will be evaluated in late April and decisions will then be made, Fauci said on CNN. If the situation does not allow for relief, exit restrictions will continue unchanged.
More extensive testing is required
United States health experts are asking for broader population tests in the debate about how to get out of the restrictions. So far, more than two million tests have been conducted in the country, Stephen Hahn of the United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) told ABC. However, these are not available to everyone who needs them. “More tests, both diagnostic and antibody, will really be needed if we go beyond May into the summer months and then into the fall,” Hahn said. Diagnostic tests determine if someone is infected with the virus. Antibody tests show who was infected and was therefore immune.