WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is calling on people to stop hoarding groceries and other supplies as one of the nation’s most senior public health officials urged Americans to act with more urgency to protect themselves and others against the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci said he would like to see aggressive measures such as a 14-day national shutdown.
“You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said at a news conference. “Take it easy. Just relax.”
Trump assured Americans, after speaking with leading grocery chain executives, that grocers would remain open and that the supply chain remained healthy. Speaking at the same White House news conference, Vice President Mike Pence urged Americans to buy only the groceries they need for the week ahead.
The comments from the president came Sunday after the government’s top infectious disease expert said he would like to see Americans to hunker down even more to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Still, Fauci said travel restrictions within the United States, such as to and from hard-hit Washington state and California, probably would not be needed anytime soon.
Officials in Washington were preparing for what was expected to be a long-haul effort to try to stem the virus that has upended life around the globe.
“The worst is yet ahead for us,” Fauci said. “It is how we respond to that challenge that is going to determine what the ultimate endpoint is going to be.”
Trump, on the other hand, offered an optimistic outlook even as officials said the infection rate in the U.S. was surging. The president acknowledged that the virus was “very contagious” but asserted that his administration had “tremendous control” over the spread of the disease.
Trump said expressed pleasure that the Federal Reserve announced Sunday it was taking emergency action to slash its benchmark interest rate to near zero. The move intended to help the economy withstand the coronavirus came a day after Trump once again threatened to fire or demote Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.
“It’s really great for our country,” Trump said of the central bank’s actions.
Earlier Sunday, Trump held a call with more than two dozen grocery store and supply chain executives to discuss their response to the coronavirus outbreak. Retailers have reported shoppers flocking to stores to stock up on food and other essentials.
Consumers have expressed frustration
that some items — such as hand sanitizer and toilet paper — are becoming more difficult to find.
It wasn’t just supply shortages that had Americans frustrated — calls are mounting for better access to coronavirus tests.
The Trump administration said millions of new coronavirus tests would be made available in the coming weeks, including tests that speed processing of samples, but it was encouraging Americans to exercise restraint in seeking to get tested.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coordinator for responding to the pandemic, said those most vulnerable to the respiratory disease and the healthcare providers treating them should go first.
“We ask you to prioritize them and prioritize them in the lines,” she said.
