per day. we hope to expand from there. so we are quite optimistic about night great job. yeah. >> thank you. >> fantastic. anybody else? if you want. yes, please. you are doing such a great job we have to let everybody if they want. >> we appreciate the opportunity to work with your administration on a lot of collaborative fronts. we talked about ppe products, it is a must, to all the health care providers on the front lines. that's absolutely key. second we talked about buying in america and getting resources back here and manufacturing in america. that is critical. a lesson to be learned from where we are. lastly we are proud that we introduced a test. we need to get more tests out there in a rapid form. we are excited about that we worked with your administration closely, and the fda. it is a quick rapped anti-body test that is need as well.

we are happy to work with the administration. >> thank you. so thank you all very much, and for the great job you are doing. it is really incredible, frankly. mean of the states are stocked up. some of them don't admit it, but they have -- we have sent just so much -- so many things to them, including ventilators. you know, there is a question as to hoarding of ventilators. some hospitals, and independent hospitals. and some hospital chains, as we all them, they are holding ventilators. they don't want to let them up. we need them for certain areas when there is big problems. they can't hold them if they think there might be a problem weeks down the road. we delivered a lot. and this group has been really fantastic. we want to thank you. and ups, and fedex in particular, you have gone absolutely out of your way. we appreciate everything you have done and delivered. the federal government continues to mobilize every resource to make sure our front line doctors

and nurses have the equipment needed to save american lives. yesterday i visited naval station norfolk as the usns "comfort" departed for new york three weeks ahead of schedule fully loaded with 12 operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, and hundreds of the best doctors, nurses, and medical professionals anywhere in the united states navy, frankly anywhere in the united states. it was an incredible thing to see. most of you saw it on television as it was leaving. it left literally three weeks early. it was under maintenance. and they got the maintenance done very quickly. they worked round the clock, as many of the people have, and it was a great sight. additionally, two of the country's largest health insurers, humana and cigna, are announcing they will waive copays, which is a big deal for anybody that understands insurance. they don't waive copays too easily. we have asked them to do it, but they have done it.

coinsurance and deductibles for the coronavirus treatments to help ease the financial burden on american families during this pandemic. so they are waiving copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. nobody -- i don't think anyone has heard of that one before? i haven't heard. i want to thank them. great companies. today i spoke with wolfgang puck. wolfgang puck is a great restauranteur as you know,s is a john george, and thomas keller and daniel balou and other leaders in the restaurant business, which has been probably one of the hardest hit industries. i have directed my staff to use any and all authority available to give restaurants, bars, clubs incentives to stay open. you are going to lose all of these restaurants and they are not going to make it back. they have to get going. so what i am doing is i am going to tell secretary mnuchin and also our great secretary of labor who know very well to

immediately start looking into the restoring of deductibility of meals and entertainment costs for corporations. that set the restaurant business back a lot when it was done originally, and then done not so long ago. and we are going to go to deductibility so that companies can send people to restaurants. i think it will have a tremendous impact and maybe keep them open. don't forget some are closing right now despite the fact they could be open in the not too distant future, we expect that. but some aren't going to be able to get opened. and we want to make sure they do. we are going to look at restoring the deductibility of meals and entertainment costs for corporations so corporations can send people to restaurants and take a deduction on it like they did in the old days. that was when restaurants were doing really well. the financial relief bill i

signed on friday provides relief or workers and small businesses includes $350 billion in job restoration and retention. if you look at job retention loans for small businesses that's a big deal, with loan forgiveness available for businesses that continue paying their workers. so it is $350 billion. job retention loans for small businesses with loan forgiveness available for businesses that continue paying workers. how about that? $300 billion in direct cash payments are being sent to every american citizen earning less than $99,000 per year, $3,400 for the typical family of four. they will be getting a check for 3, $400 for the typical family of four. approximately $250 billion in expanded unemployment benefits under this plan. the average worker who has lost his or her job will receive 100% of their salary for up to four full months. the bill provides for these

unemployment checks to be delivered through the existing state unemployment systems. not us. state. and i was opposed to this method because many of the states have antiquated computer systems that are 45 years old and they are not prepared to handle this kind of distribution, this kind of money coming in so quickly. they are not set up for that. i didn't want to do it, but our opponents wanted it. we did it. if they don't get their money fast i am going to ask that we convene the federal government, that we come back to congress and we will do something where we take care of it. because we can take care of it easily and quickly. i said that. but a lot of the systems are so old and antiquated at the state level they are going to have the money very quickly but they are not going to be able to distribute it. remember what i said, and we will -- if we have to -- call congress back, or find some

other way of delivery of the money. throughout this great national struggle, the american people have embodied the unrivalled patriotism and willpower that has led america to conquer every challenge, every single one in our nation's history. more than 90% of americans say they are staying home as much as possible putting their lives, they are careers, their educations and their dreams on hold out of devotion to their fellow citizens and to their country. social distancing. that's the way you win. the shared sacrifices are pulling our nation together like never before. family bonds are strengthening, neighbors are looking after neighbors. it's incredible. i am seeing -- you are seeing, everybody is saying what's happening. communities are rallying for the cause. and all divisions are fading away. the americans of every background are uniting to help our nation in this hour of need. it is up to 151 countries. when we say our nation -- our

nation, and the world, when you think. think of it, 151 countries. somebody said to me today that wasn't in this particular world, they didn't know that we had that many countries. 151 countries. that's something. some are struggling at a level nobody would have believed possible. if you look at italy. if you look at france as having big problems. spain is having incredible problems. something we did, when we stopped the inflow from china at a very early level that was a good thing to do, great thing to do. we would have had thousands more deaths. and we also stopped the inflow from europe at a very early level. but those thing were very important, especially the initial one, because we had never done anything like it where we closed our borders to a country like that. the modelling put together by dr. birx and dr. fauci and other

top health care -- i mean we have -- these people are amazing, the health care experts who in this country are the best in the world. they demonstrate that the mitigation measures we are putting in place may significantly reduce the number of new infections and ultimately the number of fatalities. i want the american people to know that your selfless efforts are saving lives. you are making a difference. the modelling estimates that the peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks. so i will say it again -- the peak, the highest point of death rates. remember this. is likely to hit in two weeks. nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won that would be the greatest loss of all.

therefore, the next two weeks, and during this period, it is very important that everyone strongly follow the guidelines. have to follow the guidelines that our great vice president holds up a lot. he's holding that up a lot. he believes in it so strongly. the better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end. therefore, we will be extending our guidelines to april 30th the slow the spread. on tuesday, we will be finalizing these plans and providing a summary of our findings supporting data and strategy to the american people. so we will be having lots of meetings in between, but we will be having a very important statement made on tuesday, probably tuesday evening, on all of the findings, all the data,

and the reasons we are doing thing the way we are doing them. we can expect that by june 1st we will be well on our way to recovery, we think by june 1st. a lot of great things will be happening. i want every citizen in our country to take heart and confidence in the fact that we have the best medical minds in the world tackling this disease. we have the best science, the best researchers, and the best talent anywhere working night and day to protect your family and loved ones, and to overcome this pandemic. with the grace of god, we are rising to the occasion, we are proving that no darkness can overshadow the eternal light of american courage. we will win. and when we do, we will rebound with astonishing force and speed. we will be stronger than ever, and we will have learned so much, where something like this can never hurt us to the extent it has.

and the world again. in our present crisis, the strength of our people is our single most important asset. together we will defeat this invisible curse, this invisible enemy, and rise to incredible new heights. so i just want to thank you all for being here. we will take some questions if you would like. yeah, please, kelly. >> dr. fauci said there is likely to be in excess of 1 million cases in the united states and dhets could exceed 1 u.n.,000. do you accept that assessment? has that thought helped form your extending your deadline? and with respect to report are you saying they are misusing masks or supplies. >> when a hospital that is

getting 10,000 masks goes to 300,000 masks in a rapid period i would like them to check that. i hear stories like that all the time. we are deliver millions and millions of different product. all we hear is can you get some more. but when you hear that, when i heard that from one of the great companies in the world that are doing this, that it is a client, and they have gone from you heard it, 10,000, 20,000 tops to 300,000. and that's a hospital that's always full. i think people should check that because there is something going on. i don't think it is hoarding. i think it is maybe worse than hoarding. but check it out. check it out. >> what -- >> i don't know, i don't know. i think that's for other people to figure out. but you don't go from numbers like that -- now, other equipment likewise. we are delivering a lot of ventilators. by the way, we are building and buying and we have a lot of ventilators that we are going to be sending out very soon. we also have right now in the

stockpile almost 10,000 ventilators that we have to hold in case of emergency. we don't want them going out and then louisiana has a tremendous problem which we now know they do. you know, all of a sudden. it came very quickly. louisiana was doing so fantastically well, then all of a sudden it was a big rash of cases. so we have to be prepared to move the ventilators. they are very important pieces of equipment. they are very expensive. and they are very complex. it is like building a car. these are expensive, complicated, very complicated pieces of equipment. so we now have 10,000 in, and we inherited a system, which was broken, just like -- i will never forget the day when a general came and said, sir, my first week in office, we have no ammunition. that was in the military. we have now rebuilt our military, stronger than it has ever bond. and we have so much ammunition, you wouldn't believe it how much ammunition we have. but the same thing here.

we had -- we had a stockpile that was deficient. we had testing that was no good. we had a testing situation that just wasn't right. it was okay for very small cases. but it was obsolete and it was broken and it was only good for a very small situation. but what i would like to do is i would like to ask dr. fauci to come forward and discuss the number. because i think the number -- i think the number is going to be a very different number than the numbers you talked about. please, doctor. do you mind talking about that. >> thank you, mr. president. yeah, the number i gave out is, you know, based on modelling. and i think it is entirely conceivable that if we do not mitigate to the extent that we are trying to do, that you could reach that number. yeah, it's possible. you could make a sound byte about it, but the fact is, it is possible. what we are trying to do is not let that happen. instead of concentrating on the upper and the lower, we are

saying we are trying to push it all the way down. but the second part of your question was yes, we feel that the mitigation we are doing right now is having an effect. it is difficult to quantitate it because you have two dynamic things going on at the same time. you have the virus going and you have the mitigation trying to push it down. but the decision to prolong -- not prolong -- but to extend this mitigation process until the end of april i think it was a wise and prudent decision. dr. birx and i spent a considerable amount of time going over all the data, why we felt this was a best choice of us, and the president accepted it. so in direct answer to your question, the idea that we may have these many cases played a role in our decision in trying to make sure that we don't do something prematurely and pull back when we should be pushing. >> mr. president?

>> can you explain the 2.2 million if we did nothing? a lot of people would like to know that. >> thank you. you have all seen the models. you have seen the models from imperial. you have receive the models from columbia. we reveed 12 different models. then we we went back to the drawing board the last week or two and worked from the ground up utilizing the number of cases. it is the way we built the hiv model, the tb model the malaria model. we didn't know about hime. but chris murray ended up with the same numbers. if you go on his website you can see the concern that we had with the growing number of potential fatalities. all of the flu models redakotaed anywhere between 1.6 and 2.2 million fatalities if we didn't mitigate. i think you all knew those numbers. some of them predicted half of

the united states would get infected and have that level of mortality. so we worked very hard together to really look at all of the impacts of the different mitigations that have been utilized around the world and use that evidence base to really bring that data and that evidence to the president to consider extemding which is not a simple situation when you ask people to stay home for another 30 days. so they have to know that we have really built this on scientific evidence and the potential to save really hundreds of thousands of american lives. and we know that's huge sacrifice for everyone. we know that it is a sacrifice for every mother and child and father who is also self isolating. there are people that have to go out to work. we know the compromises that they are making. but it is all to protect not only americans but the health care providers. the health care providers that are on the front lines. and you have seen them. and you have seen how difficult this has been. so we are really working.

there will be a comprehensive piece presented on tuesday that really talks about not only diagnosing individuals, but also increasing our surveillance now that we have more test kits so that we can really stop and contain new infections at the same time we are really dedicating test kits still to the critical diagnosis so people can get the treatment that they want so we can ensure when people come to the hospital they know that the nurses and the doctors and the equipment they need will be there to serve them. because together as americans we are going to bring down the number of infections so we don't have 2.2 million deaths or 1.6 million deaths, but really work very hard to keep this in as low number as we possibly can. >> mr. president -- >> i want to reiterate, a lot of people have been asking what would have happened if we did nothing, did nothing, rode it out. i have been asking that question to tony and deb bra. they have been talking the me

about it for a long time. other people have been asking that question. i think we got our most accurate study today or certainly most comprehensive. think of the number, potentially 2.2 million people if we didn't do the distances or did all of the things that we are doing. when you hear those numbers you start to realize that with the kind of work we went through last week with the $2.2 trillion, it no longer sounds like a lot, right? so you are talking about -- when i heard the number today, first time i have heard that number. because i have been asking the same question that some people have been asking. i felt even better about what we did last week with the $2.2 trillion. because you are talking about a potential of up to 2.2 million. some people said it could have been even higher than that. you are talking about 2.2 million deaths. 2.2 million people from this.

so if we can hold that will down as we are saying to 100,000 -- it is a horrible number. maybe even less, but to 100,000, so we have between 100,000 and 200,000 we all together have done a very good job. but up to 2.2 million deaths and maybe even beyond that. i am feeling very good about what we did last week. >> mr. president? >> yes, please. go ahead, please. >> mr. president, given that you are announcing that you are extending these guidelines was floating easter a mistake, do you think. >> no. >> can you tell us why? >> it was just an aspiration. we actually will be hitting, potentially -- this was with our meeting before -- on easter, we are probably -- that could be a peak, that could be a peak period, that could be the peak -- sadly to say, it could be the peak number of deaths before it starts coming down. no. that was aspirational. we had an aspiration of easter.

but when you hear these kinds of numbers and you hear the potential travesty, we don't want to do anything where, you know -- we don't want to have it spike up. we don't want to do it soon and all of a sudden you are coming down and then you start coming up again. we discussed that. that could happen. we don't want that to happen. we have gone through too much. that was an aspirational number. i didn't say easter. i said it would be great if we could do it by easter. we know more now than we knew two or three weeks ago. easter should be near the peak number and then it should start coming down. >> mr. president 123450 please. >> thank you, sir. mr. president, your approval ratings have been the highest they have ever been, yet there are some networks saying whether

or not -- saying they are debating whether or not they are going the carry these briefings live. >> i don't want high approval ratings for this. i wish we could have our old life back. we had the greatest economy that we were ever in. we didn't have death, we didn't have this, we didn't have this horrible scourge, this plague, call it whatever you want, the virus. we are working very hard. i see things, i see numbers. they don't matter to me. what matters is that we have a victory over this thing as soon as possible. when you hear that 2.2 million people could have died if we didn't go through all of this -- and now the number will be, you know, a much lower number. hopefully it is going to be the numbers that we are talking about. so i appreciate it very much. but what i want is i want our life back again. i want our country back. i want the world back. i want the world to get rid of this. again, 51 countries.

-- 151 countries. and we are going to do it. we are going to have a great victory. >> mr. president. >> go ahead, please. >> you mentioned, humana and cigna are going to wave all costs for anybody that's got the coronavirus? they are going to take care of everything? >> that's what they said. i told you, copays in particular, that's a big deal, insurance companies don't do that. and i appreciate it. humana and cigna, they should be getting a lot of credit for that. >> will there be other companies? just those two or? >> those two are getting credit for it right now. they should. that's a lot of money they are waiving. so we thank them. will there be other companies? i wouldn't be surprised. >> are you calling on them to do it, sir? >> i tell you, yeah, i would love to have them do it, let them waive those copays. there is a great wave of spirit. i know insurance companies better than anybody. they just don't do that. now there is a spirit like i have not seen.

i have not seen anything like it. each the media is much more fair. i wouldn't say all of it but that's okay. they should be fair because they should want this to end. this is about death. so i want to thank cigna and humana. thank you. >> will the federal government be reimbursing those insurance companies or is this something they are doing out of their pocket books? >> they haven't asked for reimbursement. they said we are going to waive them. waiving doesn't mean we are going to waive them and get reimbursed, no. >> first of the month is three days away. i know secretary mnuchin said three weeks cash payments should get there. for people needing to pay rent, what should people be doing. >> i think landlords are going to take it easy. we are going to put out a statement on. that i think a lot of people that are owed money are going to take it easy. they sort of don't have a choice. but a lot of concessions are made, just like the insurance companies, a lot of concessions are being made that wouldn't

even have been thought of three weeks ago. in the even thought of. a lot of positive things are happening. please, behind you. >> thank you, mr. president. yesterday why did you publicly threaten quarantine on new york, new jersey, parts of connecticut? >> i didn't do that at all. read the statement. read the statement. read what i said. i said we are going to look into possibly quarantine. i didn't say we are going to quarantine. i looked at it as a possibility. because a lot of our professionals suggested quarantine. i said we are going to look at it. they wean looked at it, you see? who are you with? bloomberg. i can't imagine that. i didn't threaten it. what happened is people, professionals, very good professionals love the idea of doing that because that's sort of the ultimate in distancing. you can't do it -- they didn't want new yorkers where they are having a problem necessarily going down to florida where they have less of a problem. the concept of quarantine was

thrown out to me. really would love to do it, they would love to do it. and i thought it was too much to do. baups the people are doing a great job with it. also, it is very hard to enforce. >> speaking about it publicly, i mean by speaking about it publicly and letting it be known that it is a consideration do you think that you maybe frightened some americans? >> no, i think we made people aware the stay in your houses and do good. now we did an advisory. it is a strong advisory. the governors are running the advisory, the three governors, new york, new jersey, connecticut. i think we did a great thing. all i did yesterday as you know, you can see it, you can read it, you can read and see very simply that i said that we are looking into it. and then before the end of the evening, substantially, we decided to go with the advisory, which frankly i liked better from the beginning. go ahead. >> thank you mr. president. i have two questions. the first is, you said repeatedly that you think some of the equipment that governors are requesting they don't actually need. you said new york might need -- might not need 30,000.

>> i didn't say that. >> you said it on sawn hannitys. >> listen, why don't you people act -- listen, why don't you act in a little more positive. always trying to get you, get you. that's why nobody trusts the media. >> my question is how that going to impact. >> that's why you used to work for the times and now you work for somebody else of look, let me tell you something. be nice. don't be threatening. >> mr. president, my question. >> be nice. go ahead. >> my question, how is that going to impact how you fill these orders for ventilators or for masks. >> not going to impact. >> it is not going to impact at all. >> we are producing tremendous numbers of ventilators, we are doing a great job on it. mike pence, our vice president is heading up the task force which has done a great job, the job they have done. everybody in the white house is working on this, everybody in the country is working on this in one way or the other. we have done a great job delivering, you have seen the people in the business.

we had a meeting that lasted for a long time, a meeting with the generals and everybody else. they have done a fantastic job. i am just saying this. if they are holding -- let me give you one example. we send thousands of generators to new york. they were put into a warehouse, a new york warehouse that happened to be located, interestingly, in edison new jersey. they were given to new york, and we then went to other places also giving thousands of vent will iters. the people in new york never distributed the generators. we said why didn't you distribute them? you have to understand, they have new york people working in those warehouses. they me they had them. we said why didn't you distribute ethyl them? i hope they have now. but maybe they didn't need them so badly. just so you know, you, me, everybody, we are all on same time. when journalists get up. you are a journalist, a fine journalists -- >> you said to it sean hannity. >> when you ask questions that are so threatening. >> i was quoting you directly

from your interview with sean hannity. >> look at my interview. when there is something wrong i want to get to the bottom of it. when i hear face masks go from 10,000 to 300,000 and they constantly need more. and the biggest man in the business is -- he knows all about the virus. he shun be surprised. he should say that's standard because this is a tough disease, a tough virus. >> mr. president, my second question. >> that's enough. thank you very much. >> my second question. >> please, please, that's enough. >> that's enough. that's enough. that's not fair to the other reporters. it is not fair. you had a long time, a long question. if we have time i will get back to you for your second question. is that okay? all right. thank you. i appreciate it. >> thank you mr. president. just to follow up on previous questions, you said that the peak will hit in bo weeks. >> we don't know that, but we think the peak will hit -- >> you think it will hit in two

weeks. >> that is from our two doctors here. >> can you share with us your understanding of how bad it will be so that the american people will be prepared for it? >> i can -- i think i will ask -- doctor, and doctor, maybe you can both give up and give your opinion on that. >> and i have another question on italy, please. >> we have great concerns when you look at the model. look at the chris murray model where he shows a rapid escalation and you can see it happening with the people we are losing every day throughout america. and you can see it going up just like cases. and we are starting to lose people at the same rate. and we have deep concerns about that. and i think we are meeting and we have had calls with clinicians and it has been extraordinarily helpful. i think you are watching the alerts. i mean, we have a different population than italy or spain. and so because of that, our doctors and our nurses are getting information back really

quickly. so that we can talk to each other about how to really combat this. we are seeing things here that weren't reported in other countries. so i really want to appreciate -- i know doctors and nurses are going full out. but they are also taking the time in their two hours of sleep to write us about what could be happening when you see the cardiovascular disease and others. in the model -- and there's a large confidence interval. it is anywhere in the model between 80,000 and 160,000, maybe even potentially 200,000 people succumbing to this. that's with mitigation n. th. in that model they make full assumption that we continue doing exactly what we are doing, but even better, in every metro area, with a level of intensity because we are hoping that the models are not completely right, that we can do better than what the predictions are. but we are tracking it very

closely. and i think there is people around the united states really helping us. scientists across the country have really given freely of their time to really help us not only model this but really assure that the american public knows how important it is that they stay doing this. you know, you could see from the recent data -- i will have dr. fauci talk about young people be that being impacted here. we didn't see that the same way in europe. but our population is about eight or nine years younger. we have to be attentive to all aspects of this, to children, to young people, to adults. we know still the people with preexisting conditions and the elderly are at particularly high risk but we don't want to lose any americans. so that's why i think that the president came to the conclusion that at a minimum we have to continue what we have been doing, but even better, to every metro area out there, we have to do better. we have to ensure that we are protecting each other. tony? >> thank you.

so at this risk of offending my modelling colleagues, models are good. but models often generate the kind of anxious question that you asked. is how bad could this possibly get? as i have said many, many times, a model is as good as the assumptions that you put into the model. very often, many of these assumptions are based on a complexity of issues that aren't necessarily the same as dr. birx said from one country to the other. when you give a model, you have the worst extreme, you have the best extreme. often, the worst extreme means that you don't do anything, you just, as we say, let it rip and let it go. if you go to the lower end, that means you actually mitigated really to the utmost. what i like to do as a scientist, a physician, a public health official is to not ignore models but say, look at the data, as it's involving and do everything you possibly can to

mitigate that instead of getting overly anxious about the extremes of the model. again, not to push them aside completely. but the reason the president made the announcement today about going to the end of april is because we want to make sure that we don't prematurely think we are doing so great. we may be, but we want to push to it the extreme. so take that with you, and maybe you will be less anxious. >> mr. president, on behalf of the foreign pool, sir, you mentioned italy. >> just to finish -- >> sure. >> what both were saying, and what dr. fauci just a brought up, we don't want to do well and then end a little bit early and have it start going up again, because that would be a disaster. go ahead, please. >> you mentioned italy. italy is a close ally of the united states. >> yes. >> they are facing catastrophic times. >> yes. >> they have been receiving help

from countries like russia, china, even cuba. cuba sent doctors to italy. is the united states stepping in to help our close ally, italy. >> we are sending them a lot of different things that we are not needing -- obviously we are in need of a lot, also. we are also helping them monetarily. we are helping italy a lot. we are working very closely with italy. and working closely with spain, too. which is really hit hard. we are working with everybody. i folk with angela merkel the other day. germany is hit hard. their mortality rate is different because they do more testing. italy's more tattle rate is very high. so is spain. we are working with them closely. we had a meeting. admiral, would you come up and talk about the tremendous success we have made on testing? >> thank you, mr. president. as of close of business yesterday, we have been able to perform in the united states

over $894,000 -- 894,000 tests. highly significantly increased every single day. those tested are performed at a number of places. in hospitals in your neighborhood. in the public health laboratories, the state public health laboratories and in our territories as well as the large reference territories that are members of the american clinical laboratory association. they have deny over 650,000 including over 840,000 just yesterday. i met with all of their ceos yesterday, they are fully committed to increase testing to meet the demands of the president and the vice president. point of care means you stop you get the result right there that the president and the vice president talked about by abbott. approved in record time by dr. hahn and the fda. this is a point of care test meaning that from the time to swab to the time you get a

positive result, five minutes like the president said, at most, 15 minutes for a negative result. think of it as 15-minute test. this is not an ito tearic test. there are 18,000 of these toaster sized machines all over the country in doctor's office and hospitals right now. and abbott will be providing 50,000 or more tests per day starting on april 2nd with the first shipments out already. this compliments other point of care testing like the self yad tests we announced about a week ago. we also have moderate platforms. it is not just the number. it is the type. we have point of care. we have moderate platforms in hospitals. then you have the roche tests and the roche platforms that are in some of the big reference laboratories. it is not just about the number but it is about painting the complex ecosystem so that everybody who needs a test can get a test.

on priorities, we are we are still prioritizing those in most need, those who are in hospitals or icus because that test makes a difference to how they are being treated. symptomatic first responders, health care workers and administrator verma will also say, those in long term care facilities at high risk. one last point. i have learned more about nasal swabs than i out that i would ever want to learn in my entire life. but it was a very big thing that the fda approved last week and it will now be implemented this week. instead of have a provider stick this all the way in the back of your nose -- it is uncomfortable, but it also requires ppe changes every time it is done. the fda approved with lots of data supporting it, self swab of your nose, put a foam swab into your nose, put it in a plastic bag, turn it and and drop it off. it eliminates all of those

changes of ppe. we will be implementing that this week, which will increase speed and save our precious resources as we build them up in the stockpile and out to resources. >> mr. president -- >> thank you very much. go ahead. >> mr. president, you mentioned that the peak could come in two weeks. can you ensure that everyone that needs a ventilator, every patient that needs one will get one? will it time? my second question is, after invoking the defense production act yesterday with gm you said there were a couple of problem cha children that may require using your authority again. what are those companies? what aren't they meeting? >> i don't have to tell you. those companies have come into line. they are doing a great job, working 24 hours round the clock. i don't want to give their names now because they have been great, come into line. by the way, general motors is doing a fantastic job. i don't think we have to worry about general motors now. they have really done a job. what the admiral said, also, i

think we can add this also, the reason we show more cases than anybody else in the world we are doing more testing than everybody else in the world 678 we have more cases because we are doing far more testing than anyone else in the world. remember we started with a system that was broken. i am not blaming the last administration. i am saying other administrations and our pipeline had very little in it. just like we had no ammunition, we had very little medical. very little in our pipeline. now we have ammunition, more than hopefully we will ever need. and we also have a pipeline that's packed. and we have 10,000 ventilators that you can use. this goes quickly from place to place. i would love to give them all out. i don't want to give them out and then we have to take them back and move them someplace else. so we are very much prepared. please. >> estates like florida have

reportedly had 100% of their requests from the stockpile filled. other states like massachusetts have not. how is that assessment being made? whys that florida gotten its requests filled? >> most states -- i was on a call last night with the governors. they were happy with the job we are doing. i tell you what, if we had a different administration they would not be happy. these are people that speak their mind. they were happy. it was faultily reported by a couple of people that gee, they weren't. they were happy. they were thrilled. florida has been taken care of. and michigan has been taken care of -- very important state. to me it is very important, because it is important what we have done bringing car companies back into michigan. we are dealing with the governor and i think mike i can say a lot of good things are happening in michigan. massachusetts we are dealing with the governor, very strongly, and we are trying to get things to massachusetts as rapidly as possible. >> why has florida received 100% of its requests skpard to some other states? is there a reason. >> they are very aggressive in

trying to get thing and they are doing a very good job. but i think -- i can say all of the governors are very ex committed. we are working together, getting thing out at a level nobody has seen before. you can speak to fedex, to ups, they have never done anything like that what they are doing right now. no company has been able to match what these great companies have been able to do. if we left it to government it would be a badning. we mobilized private enterprise, mobilized the greatest companies in the world. what we are doing is incredible. abbott oust nowhere comes up with this incredible test that simplifies everything and makes it so easy. most states are happy. i am dealing with the governor of louisiana, john bel edwards, he is a democratic, i am dealing with him successfully. i think he is actually amazed what he has been able to get.

in fact we were forward thinking. i suggested we sent ventilators and others thing. building a field hospital. governor murphy in new orleans has got a hot spot right there, right next to new york. we are doing hospitals. we are doing ventilators. we are getting a lot to governor murphy. that's new jersey. last night i spoke to the governor of connecticut, we had a great talk with him. we are dolg a job. gavin newsom, the governor of california, he has been -- he has been privilegic, we sent him a boat way ahead of schedule, the ship way ahead of schedule, the "mercy," with 1,000 hospital beds, operating rooms. it has been in l.a. for three days already. so i think they are really happy. when you think about it, in new york we built 2,900 hospital

rooms, beds, nobody has ever seen it before. the governor has never seen anything like that before. this was done by federal government. not by state government. it was done by the federal government. they are opening it tomorrow. i wanted to be there so badly but secret service and all of the people involved won't let me. they won't let me. i would love to be there, but they won't let me. for obvious reasons but i would have loved to have been at the opening of the hospital tomorrow in new york at javits center. we are happy with the job we have done. we are mobilized andet going better and better every day. the task force headed by the vice president, the job they have done. they don't even sleep. any other questions. >> can i follow up on the letter to the governors that you sent, since we were on the topic of governors. you sent a letter to governors at the ends of the week saying you were going to be developing criteria to be able to classify counties. >> sure. >> sure. >> based on whether they were hot spots or whatnot. and i wanted to know, if you

have enough tests currently to be able to accurately rank those counties? >> yeah, we are ranking counties. we are ranking states. a lot of people put out false information because they don't know what they are talking about. we took over a dead, barren system. we took over a system that was obsolete. it was -- it was good for a tiny little sample of people. even that didn't work. because when cdc first looked at their tests the biggest problem they had is the tests didn't work. that wasn't from us. that's been there a long time. now we have the best tests in the world. and nobody has -- now they are all calling, can we get the quick test? we call it the quick test where -- by the way, probably more accurate, and it takes a few minutes. i mean it is pretty amazing what we have done. now we are getting along great with the governors. yeah, go ahead, please. >> thank you, mr. president. i wanted to ask you more specifically about the strategy that you plan to unveil on tuesday. what factors are you taking into

consideration? what can the american people expect? and is it possible that these april 30th guidelines could be extended? >> well, we hope not, but we think it is going to -- you know, we have aspirational thoughts. we would loved to have been a little bit sooner but we have to do it right. we could have done it -- we could have done it on easter but there was a good chance that if it is come down -- or still going up -- maybe it is going to be coming down by then but we felt fast it was too soon. we can't take the chance. because of what we have done and because of the fact that we have topped the flow from china so early, because the question, from a lot of my friends, why don't we just wing it? why didn't we just wing it? i kept asking. we did models now. finally we got the models in. and you hear 2.2 million people would have died. i don't mean 2.2 million cases.

2.2 million people would have died. 2.2 million people. look, we are going to have a meeting or speech or press conference or something on tuesday. i thought what i would do, i was going to announce the end of april on tuesday but i said let's do it now because somewhere along the line it is going to leak. we might as well do it now and get rid of all the leaks. this way it is done nice and clean. but we have to really do a great job for another couple of weeks. and i think we are going to be in great shape. and we are going to be in a position even if what we are trying to do with restaurants with deduct. . we have to get these restaurants back in. we have to get our businesses open. we have to get the planes flying. we have to get everything going. we have to get even the cruise ships -- i mean we have to get the cruise ships moving along. we had the greatest economy in the history of the world three weeks ago. and now we have said please don't work anymore. we are actually paying people not to work. nobody has ever heard that. that's not for us. people want to work. but at the same time -- i am so glad that dr. fauci and dr. birx

gave us of a number. the number on the outside -- maybe it is not even on the outside -- we don't know -- is 2.2 million people would have died if we didn't do what we are doing. now we are looking at numbers that are going to be much, much, much lower than that. and it makes everything we are doing feel much better to me. please, go ahead. >> thank you, sir. i do have a question for you, but i would like to let my colleague finish her second question if that's all right. >> i was going to call on you next, you know that. >> thank you, mr. president. you have also said that at pun point you thought more people might die were the economic tragedies and the economic problems in america due to the coronavirus outbreak. what health officials are telling you that? dr. fauci, could you speak to that, the idea that there might be mental health and suicide related to that. would that outpace at some point the virus's impact on society. >> i could ask the doctor to come up, but it is common sense,

you are going massive depression, mental depression. going to have depression in the economy also. but you are going to have mental depression for people. you are going to have large numbers of suicides. look at what happens in a horrible recession going to hav tremendous suicides, but you know what you're going to have more than anything else? drug addiction. you will see drugs being used like nobody's ever used them before, and people are going to be dying all over the place from drug addiction because you would have people that had a wonderful job at a restaurant or even owned a restaurant. i spoke to great people today that have done a great job. and one day they're at the top of their business. they're celebrity chefs. they've got the most successful restaurants. and in one day they have nothing. they've gotten wiped out, one day from our enemy, this invisible horrible scourge. so when you ask me that, it's so easy to figure that. i mean, massive drug use. massive depression, mental depression.

massive numbers of suicide. anxiety causes, you know, disease, they say. a lot of people -- you're going to have tremendous -- and hopefully we're not going to have that because hopefully by what we're doing, we get the best of both worlds. we don't have 2.2 million deaths. we have a number that's much less, much, much less. and at the same time, we get our country running again. please. thank you very much. >> thank you, mr. president. >> you were next. he was very nice in doing it, though, nevertheless. go ahead. which is unusual for cnn. >> two quick questions. first of all, during this 30-day additional period, do you anticipate at all relaxing those restrictions by region during these additional 30 days or not? >> i don't think so. it's a great question actually. i don't think so. i asked that. how about nebraska, how about idaho, how about iowa -- and you know what, those people are so great, the whole midwest. i don't think they want to be in that position, actually. and probably -- i was given

pretty strong look by these two people. they said, we don't like that idea. so, you know, we're relying on them. they're the best in their profession and they didn't like the idea. >> and secondly, sir, i want to ask you -- >> we could do it, but i don't think it would be good. >> thank you, sir. i would also like to ask you about some comments you made on friday. you were talking about governors of different states and you said, i want them to be appreciative. they said if they don't treat you right, i don't call. these are direct quotes, sir. >> excuse me, ready, ready, ready? take a look at what i said. i want them to be appreciative of me, okay, and then you cut it off because it's fake news -- >> you and your administration, absolutely. >> you just said it again. you know the answer is a lie. >> i can read you your full comments if that would be easier. >> your statement and your response and your answer is a lie because here's the story. are you ready? i said, i want you to be appreciative of me, and then you go on and then i go on and you cut it off. but it says -- >> you said, i want them to be

appreciative. i don't want them to say things that aren't true. i want they have to be appreciative. we've done a great job and i'm not talking about me. i'm talking about mike pence, the task force u the army corps of engineers. but then you went on to say if they don't treat you right, i don't call. he's a different type of person -- >> no, i don't call. i don't call the governor of washington. >> why in this time -- >> mike pence calls and the head of fema calls. i don't stop them. did i ever ask you to do anything negative, mike, to the state of washington? michigan, i love that state. that's one of my favorite places in the whole world, michigan, and i'm so proud of what's happened with the auto industry, it's coming back to michigan. no, i don't have to call because i'm probably better off not because we don't get -- he's a failed presidential candidate. he's a nasty person. i don't like the governor of washington so you know who calls? i get mike pence to call. i get the head of fema to call. i get the admiral to call. but what you didn't say -- see you started it off and you talked about, i have to be appreciated. but then when you read the rest -- you said because if you

don't appreciate, you're not respecting these incredible people, the two admirals. you're not appreciating fema. and the army corps of engineers who built 2900 beds in 3 1/2 days, and you're not appreciating all of the work that's been done, and you're not appreciating these incredible people from private enterprise that are delivering things in numbers that nobody has ever seen. see, and that's why people aren't watching cnn very much any more. that's why they don't like it. that's why your ratings are no good because you even -- after knowing the truth for days now, you bring up the old lie. read the rest of your question, the rest of your statement. you didn't put in, you have to put that in, and it said in there, fema and it said in there army corps of engineers. because when they disrespect me, they're disrespecting our government. and you know what? i don't mind if i'm disrespected, but they can't disrespect the army corps of engineers and fema. >> why is a lack of appreciation something that's important in the midst -- >> i want them to appreciate the

incredible job we're doing. we are doing a job the likes of which has never been done before and there are a couple of people that know that. but for political reasons, let's say they're democrats. they don't want to give this administration credit, and that's okay. but i don't have to deal with them. but our vice-president does deal with them. please, go ahead. >> thank you, mr. president. >> but that's why cnn is not trusted any more. they are not trusted. they are fake news. remember that. go ahead. >> we're not fake news. >> yes, you are. go ahead. >> thank you, mr. president. i wanted to ask you about the extension of the cdc guidelines you've announced today. >> yeah. >> through the end of next month, and you know there have been shelter-in-place orders that have been imposed by governors and mayors all throughout the country. when you take that all into account, it sounds like and it seems like you've acknowledged that america essentially will be shutdown for the next few weeks. maybe even the next two months. you mentioned june 1st as a date in which you'd like -- >> no, we think it's going to really start to open up. we think that that's going to be the bottom of the hill.

that's where we're looking at, june 1st, maybe even a little bit sooner than that. so, we have this hill. if we did nothing, the hill would have been up here. we did a lot. we did just about maximum, and we got lucky because we stopped china from coming in and then later on we stopped europe -- we got lucky. we got very lucky. the people that were coming in here, they went to italy, they went to spain, they went to other countries. we got lucky and they got unlucky, to be honest with you. you look at what's going on in italy and spain in particular. so, no, i don't want that. june 1st, we think we can reach the bought president obama of th the bottom of that hill. that would be a great thing. i have confidence in the two doctors. i think that could be a day, could be sooner, could be a little later, could be sooner. but i think people would be very happy if we did a job and saved potentially millions of lives, i think people would be very happy with that date. >> my question, sir, asked -- mr. president, my question actually has to do with the

$2.2 trillion relief bill that you signed into law. in your view, do you think another relief bill -- another phase bill may be necessary? and are you prepared to support that, mr. president? >> well, i'm prepared to do whatever is necessary to, number one, save lives, and number two, bring our economy back strong just like it was before. i think our economy has a chance to be just as good and even better than it was before. and remember, a lot of the money that you read about, that's all coming back. these are loans to great companies that got stopped from doing business. they'll be back very soon. so much of the money that we're talking about, that money is coming back and we'll take warrants, meaning we'll take pieces of the company for the taxpayers of our nation. i expect that we'll make a lot of money with that money. we'll make a lot of money. i don't even want to talk about making money because what i want to talk about is two things. number one is saving lives and number two is bringing our economy back, okay? i think we're going to do well.

a lot of that money is coming back. please. >> mr. president, thank you. earlier this afternoon you had tweeted there are on average 8.5 million americans tuned into these daily press briefings, yet there are some networks out there that are, you know -- i apologize -- concerned about taking these briefings. >> i know exactly what you're saying. >> what do you say to the detractors? >> cnn doesn't want to cover that. they can't help it because the ratings are so high. if the ratings were low, they wouldn't be here. in 100 years you can bet your life he would never be here with cnn and all their cameras if -- because we help their ratings. we lift up their ratings because their ratings are very low. but for the most part, i haven't heard that. i will say "the washington post" has a drive on not to go to the president of the united states news conference because, frankly, so many people are watching. we're getting the word out. we're getting the accurate word out. and a lot of people are happy about it and a lot of people

aren't. but they should be happy. when i have the general, when i have sema and when i have tony and when i have our -- these are all like people that have become big stars, okay, but they've did not a great job. but deborah has done a fantastic job. they don't want to be stars. you know what they want? they want to win. they've been fighting this stuff their whole life between ebola and swine flu and, i don't know, i'm not sure i'd love your life, but that's what you like, right? that's what they do. they fight disease. and you know what? there's nobody that does it better. but i think the american public, ultimately they should be the decider. it's like if they don't want to watch, they shouldn't watch and we shouldn't have bigger ratings than "the bachelor" or as "the new york times" said, we have monday night football-type ratings. i didn't say that. i have no idea what they are in a sense, but i know that "the times" they say it's all the news fit to print.

i say it's all the news that's not fit to print because i think they are not honest people. but that's okay. but they can't help it. but even they said that the ratings are like monday night football ratings, and that these are like "bachelor" finale. i have no idea what happened because i'm too busy working. some day they'll tell me what happened. no, i think it's terrible. when they don't want the president of the united states to have a voice, you're not talking about democracy any longer. please. thank you very much. >> you talked a lot about -- thanks, mr. president. you talked a lot about concerns of leaving [ inaudible ] for so long. was there any dissent from your top economic advisors ain your decision to leave the guidelines in place until the end of april? >> no, and this is before we heard the 2.2 million people. i mean, we had a lot of people were saying maybe