United States President Donald Trump has blamed the surge in COVID-19 cases in his country on young people who attended nationwide protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in May.
His latest comments come as the world’s most powerful and richest nation surpassed four million infections, a death toll in excess of 146 000 with 1 200 Americans dying in just the last 24 hours.
Cases are soaring in southern and western regions of California, Texas, Florida and Georgia – accounting for more than 50% of new infections among all 50 states in the last 24 hours.
“There are likely a number of causes for the spike in infections. Cases started to rise among young Americans shortly after demonstrations – which you know very well about – which presumably triggered a broader relaxation of mitigation efforts nationwide. And a substantial increase in travel also was a cause. Increased gathering on holidays, such as Memorial Day, as well as young people closely congregating at bars and probably other places – maybe beaches – four or five different listed places; we have 12 that are listed on the guide – likely also contributed,” he said after returning to the White House podium for the second day running on Wednesday.
Failing to acknowledge that it was he who encouraged states to re-open their economies as early as April; many sunbelt states in the south followed his lead only to reimpose restrictions where case numbers continue to get out of hand.
“We continue to vigorously combat the rise of cases in the South and Southwest and the West. We’re closely monitoring and aggressively acting to control the infection in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida. Arizona is starting to come down. Done a very good job. They’re all doing a good job. They’re very talented people,” Trump said.
Sinking poll numbers for the President where he trails Democratic rival Joe Biden by double digits ahead of November’s election has seen greater consensus among Republicans on the wearing of masks – and a return of the daily coronavirus briefings with just the President and without a single health expert present.
The Trump Administration accelerates its push to find a vaccine:
“They are briefing me. I’m meeting them. I just spoke to Dr. Fauci. Dr. Birx is right outside. And they giving me all of – everything they know, as of this point in time. And I’m giving the information to you, and I think it’s probably a very concise way of doing it. It seems to be working out very well.”
The doctors are experts who might be able to assist when President Trump goes off-script like this moment on therapeutics having a positive impact in the absence of a vaccine.
“Frankly, therapeutically – or maybe a word even beyond that word is “cure” – would be the best of all, and we’ll see what happens. But that would be great if we could go into the hospital, and just cure people. And we’re at a position we’re actually able to – to a certain extent, with what we have right now. And we think, in a very short period of time, we’ll be able to do that.”
Trump’s latest deflection from his own administration’s handling of the pandemic comes as public health experts attribute the spike in cases in some regions to states flouting federal guidelines and reopening too soon.
