During today’s White House briefing it was clear Donald Trump changed his tone and now recognizes the seriousness coronavirus poses. Just a few days after he said, “It will go away. Just stay calm,” he admitted it isn’t going away anytime soon. Trump remarked:

“It seems to me that if we do a really good job we’ll not only hold the death down to a level that is much lower than the other way had we not done a good job, but people are talking about July, August, something like that. So it could be right in that period of time.”

CNN adds:

The White House has issued guidelines for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.

Titled “The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America: 15 days to slow the spread,” many of the guidelines are broad and have been what the administration and health officials have been saying from the start of the outbreak. 

Included in the guidelines:

  • People should avoid gathering in groups of more than 10
  • People should stay away from bars restaurants and food courts, and to not travel if possible. 

The guidelines also say states that have seen community spread should close bars, restaurants and other public places, though again, that is not a mandate.

At the same time though, one thing didn’t shift, Trump still found time to toot his own horn.

Some of the countries governors are disagreeing with that assessment today. The New York Times reports, “President Trump told a group of governors on Monday morning that they should not wait for the federal government to fill the growing demand for respirators needed to treat people.”

The New York Times adds:

The suggestion surprised some of the governors, who have been scrambling to contain the outbreak and are increasingly looking to the federal government for help with equipment, personnel and financial aid. 

https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1239666936683864066

Watch more of what Trump and others on the coronavirus task force said above.