February 2020
By the time the coronavirus began to spread across the US, officials still didn’t know how contagious the virus was. Many of the countries were still focusing on the upcoming 2020 elections.
“Joe (Biden) is not going to run the government. He’s just sitting at home,” President Donald Trump told CPAC participants. “And people are going to run it for him.”
Trump and the Democratic candidates for President were balancing their campaign.
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March 1, 2020
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He doesn’t know how to run the country,” ultimately Democratic candidate Joe Biden told Fox News in March 2020.
March 2, 2020
Fox News held a series of city halls across the country where candidates spoke about the coronavirus platform.
“No one knows what this virus is doing. It seems to be spreading,” Michael Bloomberg said at City Hall in Manassas, Virginia. “Is it going to overtake the whole world? Some of these could die suddenly, and no one knows why.”
Healthcare workers will seal the coronavirus swabs on April 30, 2020 after testing on the PRO Health Carenavirus test site in Onetag, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
At the time, no known cases of coronavirus were found in Virginia. The virus still seemed far away as Asia and Europe reported more cases than the US. New York City reported its first case ahead of Fox News’ Super Tuesday report.
“That wasn’t a problem, but when. This is New York. We’re a gateway to the world,” said Dn.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
March 3, 2020
Many also tallied new coronavirus cases as 12 states tallied their votes on Super Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed at least 60 cases across the US, but many worried that the US would face the same rapid spread that Italy and South Korea had.
“Do masks actually help? Do they prevent or reduce the likelihood of exposure to illness?” Sen. Mitt Romney of R-Utah asked Dr. Anthony Fauci in early March.
“The most important thing for masks is if someone is infected to prevent someone from infecting others. The other is a healthcare provider to protect them,” Fauci replied. “The general public who can wear them can definitely prevent coarse drops from going when someone sneezes or coughs on you, but that doesn’t provide the kind of protection people think of it.”
March 4, 2020
Dr. Deborah Birks, White House coronavirus response coordinator, urged Americans to take basic precautions during an early White House meeting on how the virus affects airlines.
“We’re always saying common sense that we wash our hands without touching our face and guarantees that we’re going to touch something,” Birx said.
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Trump told the group of CEOs he was happy that the airline is adopting additional cleaning procedures on his planes, and told him he was taking his own precautions.
“I haven’t touched my face in weeks or weeks. I miss it,” Trump said.
March 5, 2020
The next day he attended the town hall hosted by Fox News in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was asked about his past comments about being a bacterial and how he changed it on the campaign trail.
“If you have time to convince people not to shake hands, this might be,” Trump joked. “The bottom line is to waving everyone’s hands now. I’m proud of it.”
There were no Covid-19 cases in Pennsylvania at the time of City Hall, but elsewhere had begun to report a rapid increase. New York doubled cases overnight with additional tests, increasing the number of cases from 11 to 22. Washington state then confirmed 70 confirmed cases and urged Vice President Mike Pence to visit to assess the situation.
“The American people have seen it with great concern as the coronavirus is still entrenched in this community,” Pence told a roundtable with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
March 6, 2020
Other states were hoping for more test kits as Pence promised more resources for Washington. Trump visited Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with administrative health officials. They discussed efforts to improve access to tests and warned the public that incidents are likely to surge.
“I’m sure we’ll see more of the community cases,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of CDC. “There is no doubt that the U.S. public health system is stepping up surveillance in a number of ways.”
Due to the possibility of more confirmed cases, state and local leaders have begun canceling major events. South by Southwest has been cancelled in Austin, Texas. The Ultra Music Festival has been postponed indefinitely in Miami. Trump was asked if local leaders were taking the right precautions.
“I think it’s okay if they want to do it. I don’t think it’s an overreaction, but I don’t think I’m inclined to do it in general. I’m not really that way,” Trump said.
March 9, 2020
Fox News held one of its last major events in Dearborn, Michigan, next week at City Hall, where Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders is located.
“What happens if you have that virus and you work? You’re spreading it to others,” Sanders said.
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Trump administration health officials have updated guidance for high-risk Americans and called for an increase in the use of protective devices and distance measurements. In a quarantine order for the cruise ship with confirmed cases, Fauci urged vulnerable groups to avoid cruises.
“If you’re a healthy young person, I don’t think there’s a reason. If you want to go on a cruise ship, you’ll go on a cruise ship. Personally, I don’t like cruises so I’ll never go on a cruise ship,” Forsi said. “If there are individuals who have conditions I have spoken to this group over and over again, namely those who have fundamental conditions, especially older people in fundamental conditions, I highly recommend that they not go on cruise ships.”
March 10, 2020
Michigan reported the first coronavirus incident the day after Fox News Town Hall. Nationally, more than 36 states and Washington, DC reported 647 cases and 25 deaths.
President Donald J. Trump listens to Dr. Anthony Forsey, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Washington Post via Javin Botsford/Getty Images)
March 12, 2020
Guidance to avoid large population areas extends to a wider group of Americans. Most of the time, people had no choice as to whether they could do it in certain places, even healthy young people.
“What are we going to do now? There’s no soccer, there’s no soccer, there’s no basketball,” said one sports fan as the NHL and NBA suspended the season.
New York has banned gatherings of over 500 people, and Americans have begun to find new ways to greet each other rather than waving.
“Forget physical contact, greetings. Eastern style bow,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
March 13, 2020
By the end of the week, the remaining two Democratic presidential candidates had moved their campaigns online.
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“In normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be in Burlington today,” Sanders said. “I’m probably in Ohio, Florida, or another state where the primary is approaching.”
March 16, 2020
Next week, the Trump administration’s recommendations are even more urgent.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation from an oval office on March 11, 2020 in Washington, DC about the spread of the coronavirus crisis. (Dug Mills Pool/Getty Images)
“Please avoid gatherings of groups of 10 or more, avoid discretionary travel, and avoid eating and drinking at bars, restaurants and public dining courts,” President Trump said at a news conference. “A lot of what we’re talking about is the next 15 days.”
March 17, 2020
Early spring activities had changed. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have already been cancelled in many cities like New York and Chicago. Fewer visitors have participated in Washington’s cherry blossoms. Spring breakers faced limited options in Florida.
“What do you do here besides going to the bars and the beach? And they’re closing it all,” a spring breaker said in Miami.
Late March 2020
The governor began issuing statewide closures, including where Fox News Town Hall was held a few weeks ago.
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“I ask all Pennsylvanians to stay home, knowing how easily this disease is spreading,” D-Pa. said Gov. Tom Wolf.
Nowadays, many locations are generally closed, so crews have installed extra hospital space. Washington state built a hospital on a soccer field. USNS Mercy unfolded in Los Angeles, USNS comfort parked in New York Harbor. The state has called for additional ventilators, masks and other equipment to treat more cases. The economy was showing signs of weakening. President Trump warned of the impact of the closure.
“We can’t make treatment worse than the treatment itself. We don’t intend to make treatment worse than the problem,” Trump said.
