WHITE HOUSE WITH THE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE AND SINCE THE TIME,

WE HAVE MET DAILY AND WE WILL CONTINUE THAT EFFORT TODAY. WE

ADDED AHEAD OF THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES AS WELL AS

ROBERT WILKIE WITH THE VA.

FIRST, A FEW BASIC FACTS AND THEN WE WILL HEAR FROM OTHER

MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE ABOUT ONGOING EFFORTS. AT THE PRESENT

MOMENT, WE HAVE 43 DOMESTIC CASES OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND 48

CASES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES.

OTHER DOMESTIC CASES, 29 OF THE 43 ARE EITHER IN CALIFORNIA OR

WASHINGTON STATE AND WE HAVE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE FACING

OF WHAT THE EXPERTS TELL US COULD BE A CLUSTER IN THOSE

COMMUNITIES. SADLY, TODAY, THERE WERE FOUR ADDITIONAL FATALITIES

RAISING THE NUMBER OF SIX AMERICANS LOSING THEIR

LIVES TO THE CORONAVIRUS AND ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT AND ALL

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND

SYMPATHIES TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE THAT WERE LOST. DESPITE

TODAY'S SAD NEWS, LET'S BE CLEAR. THE RISK TO THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE OF THE CORONAVIRUS REMAINS LOW ACCORDING TO ALL THE

EXPERTS THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT. THE

PRESIDENT HAS SAID WE ARE READY FOR ANYTHING

BUT THIS IS ALL HANDS ON DECK EFFORT AND TODAY'S ACTIVITY

REALLY REFLECTS THE PRESENT EFFORT TO BRING THE BEST MINDS

OF THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY TOGETHER AND THE BEST OF LEADERSHIP FROM

AROUND THE COUNTRY AT EVERY LEVEL.

WE HAD A GOOD MEETING THIS MORNING WITH GOVERNORS FROM 50

STATES AND THREE TERRITORIES. I WAS ABLE TO CONVEY TO THEM THE

GRATITUDE THAT THE PRESIDENT AND THE ENTIRE DEMONSTRATION FEELS

PARTICULARLY FOR GOVERNORS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS

IN THEIR STATE AND THOSE THAT HAVE TAKEN

REPATRIATED PERSONNEL. I CAN SAY THAT WHAT I HEAR FROM THE

NATIONS GOVERNORS IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SEAMLESS RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN ALL THE AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATES

THUS FAR.

WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THAT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO A FULL

PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE GOVERNMENTS AND TO THE HEALTH

OFFICIALS AND TO LOCAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS GOING

FORWARD.

WE ALSO MET TODAY WITH SOME OF THE LEADERS OF THE TOP

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

IN THE WORLD AND THE PRESIDENT SPOKE TO THEM NOT JUST ABOUT

VACCINES WHICH MANY OF THE COMPANIES ARE ALREADY BEGINNING

TO WORK ON BUT JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THERAPEUTICS AND IT IS REMARKABLE TO THINK THAT THERE

MAY WELL BE A VACCINE GOING TO LOCAL TRIALS WITHIN THE NEXT SIX

WEEKS AND EXPERTS HAVE EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE VACCINE MIGHT NOT

YET BE AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE THIS YEAR BUT THE THERAPEUTICS GIVING

RELIEF TO PEOPLE COULD

BE AVAILABLE BY THIS SUMMER OR EARLY FALL. THE MOST ENCOURAGING

NEWS WAS THAT OUR

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED AS THE GREATEST

IN THE WORLD, THEY HAVE ALREADY CONFORMED A CONTORTION TO

SHARE INFORMATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT IN THERAPEUTICS AND

VACCINES. A QUICK UPDATE YESTERDAY

, WE WERE FULLY IMPLEMENTING THE NEW TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR

PORTIONS OF ITALY AND SOUTH KOREA AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

SCREENING OF PERSONNEL

FROM ACROSS THOSE COUNTRIES WHO ARE TRYING TO TAKE A DIRECT

FLIGHT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I WAS PLEASED TO LEARN

THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS, THEY WILL BE 100% SCREENING AND

ALL DIRECT FLIGHTS AT ALL AIRPORTS ACROSS ITALY AND ACROSS

SOUTH KOREA.

THE PRESIDENT HAS DIRECTED US

TO BRING FULL RESOURCES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO BRING

THE BEST MINDS IN THIS COUNTRY TO BEAR ON THIS EFFORT AND

FINALLY

, I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME TO OUR WHITE HOUSE TEAM, A WORLD

RENOWNED

GLOBAL HEALTH OFFICIAL AND PHYSICIAN. SHE WILL BE MY RIGHT

ARM THROUGH THIS EFFORT AS THE PRESIDENT HAS TASKED ME TO LEAD

THE RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT AMBASSADOR

DEBORAH BURKS AND DR. DEBORAH BROOKS WILL BE ON OUR TEAM AND

SHE HAS ALREADY BEEN CONJURING SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR

DISCUSSIONS. DR. BROOKS SIRS FOR COMBATING HIV AIDS GLOBALLY

AND HAS DEVELOPED AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS

THAT. SHE IS A SCIENTIST AND PHYSICIAN AND SOMEONE WITH THREE

DECADES OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTISE INCLUDING VACCINES AND

HAS VAST EXPERIENCE IN INTERAGENCY COORDINATION AND DR.

BROOKS AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING ALL

OF THESE VARIOUS ENTITIES TOGETHER

TO BRING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S VISION FOR A WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT

RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS. WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO

RECOGNIZE DR.

DEBORAH BURKS AND THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP ALL MY TIME TO SERVE

OUR COUNTRY. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. VICE

PRESIDENT. IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE . EVERYONE TOOK GREAT

CARE OF ME AND I HAD COMPUTER AND PHONE RECORDS AND IT SHOWS A

LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY AND EXPERTISE HERE

AND IT IS CLEAR THAT THE EARLY WORK OF THE PRESIDENT BOTH IN

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND THE ABILITY TO QUARANTINE HAS

BROUGHT US TIME AND SPACE TO HAVE THIS TASK FORCE BE VERY

EFFECTIVE. I HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH SUCH INCREDIBLE SCIENTISTS

AND THOUGHTFUL POLICY LEADERS AND I GOT TO SPEND THE DAY WITH

THEM. I AM TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND I

LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAYS OF WORKING TOGETHER TO END THIS

EPIDEMIC. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. VICE

PRESIDENT. I JUST WANT TO FIRST START OUT BY SAYING HOW

DELIGHTED WE ARE THAT

AMBASSADOR BURKS WILL BE LEADING AND CORRELATING THESE EFFORTS

ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT. DR. BROOKS AND I GO WAY BACK AND

BASICALLY EVERY LEADER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES GO WAY BACK TOGETHER. WE ALREADY HAVE ESTABLISHED

RELATIONSHIPS. WHILE WE HAVE

PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND I THINK WE WILL KEEP THIS

PROCESS WORKING INCREDIBLY SMOOTHLY AND AS THE VICE

PRESIDENT SAID, DR. BURKS HAS BEEN ALREADY BEEN ASKING THE

RIGHT QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGING AS ON ALL THE RIGHT POLICY

MATTERS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON. I WANT TO BEGIN BY RECAPPING

THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT WE HAVE FACED. AS THE VICE

PRESIDENT MENTIONED AS OF THIS MORNING, WE HAVE A 43 CONFIRMED

PRESUMPTIVE CASES OF THE VIRUS IN THE UNITED STATES EXCLUDING

THE REPATRIATED CASES AND 17 OF THOSE ARE TRAVEL RELATED IN ONE

WAY OR ANOTHER AND 26 ARE BELIEVED TO BE PERSON-TO-PERSON

SPREAD.

BECAUSE OF THE STRONG LEADERSHIP AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT OUR

PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HAVE DONE AT THE LOCAL AND STATE AND

FEDERAL LEVEL, THE IMMEDIATE RISK TO ANY INDIVIDUAL AMERICANS

HAS BEEN AND IS CONTINUE TO BE LOW BUT THE RISK FOR PEOPLE WITH

POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO IDENTIFIED CASES CAN BE HIGH. WITH EVERY

ONE OF OUR EXPERTS AND LEADERS PAYING FOR MORE THAN A MONTH NOW

THAT THE DEGREE OF RISK HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE QUICKLY.

ESPECIALLY IF WE SEE SUSTAINED SPREAD OF THE DISEASE AROUND THE

WORLD WHICH COULD QUALIFY THIS DISEASE AS A PANDEMIC.

AS SAID THIS MORNING, WE WILL SEE MORE CASES OF COMMUNITY

SPREAD IN THE UNITED STATES. AS WE HAVE EMPHASIZED, WE ALL NEED

TO PREPARE

FOR THE POTENTIAL NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST BUT HOPE

FOR THE BEST. IN SOME PLACES WE WILL HAVE TO USE THE RANGE OF

OUR MITIGATION EFFORTS AND WE ALREADY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH

SANTA CLARA COUNTY AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON AND KING COUNTY TO

ASSIST THEM IN THINKING THROUGH SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES

AS WELL AS LEARNINGS FROM SINGAPORE AND HONG KONG TO THE

MOST EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY MITIGATION EFFORTS SUCH AS

TEMPORARY SCHOOL CLOSURES OR EVEN MORE TITRATED RESPONSES

THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT SUCH AS HAVING SCHOOL BUT PERHAPS NOT

HAVING ASSEMBLIES IN SCHOOL. THAT IS WHY THE PRESIDENT HAS

TAKEN AN UNPRECEDENTED HOLD OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO PROTECT

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE INCLUDING THE STEPS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS

TO RADICALLY EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE TESTING AND ACCESS TO

RESPIRATORS NEEDED BY HEALTHCARE WORKERS. THE VICE PRESIDENT

AND I SPOKE WITH ALMOST EVERY GOVERNOR THAT WE HAVE THIS

MORNING AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE CLOSE COOPERATION.

I ALSO WANTED TO INTRODUCE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO I ASKED THE VICE

PRESIDENT TO HAVE JOINED THIS TASK FORCE BECAUSE THE CENTERS

FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES PLAY SUCH A VITAL ROLE

WITH $1.3 TRILLION OF SPENDING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND

PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO 60 MILLION AMERICAN SENIORS AND AS

WE HAVE SEEN, THIS DISEASE CAN HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT

ON THE ELDERLY AS WELL AS MEDICALLY FRAIL. OUR

ADMINISTRATOR HAS A VERY IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY IN

REGARD TO FUNDING

OF CARE WHETHER IT IS THERAPEUTICS OR VACCINES OR

DIAGNOSTICS OR SENIOR CITIZENS BUT ALSO A VITAL ROLE THAT YOU

MAY NOT KNOW OF

AND REGULATING LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES SUCH AS NURSING HOMES

AND OTHER HEALTHCARE FACILITIES WITH REGULATORY FUNCTIONS. I'M

DELIGHTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR IS FORMALLY JOINING THE TASK

FORCE TOLD ME TURN IT OVER.

>> THANK YOU SECRETARY AND FOR THE TRUMPET MENSTRUATION,

PATIENTS COME FIRST AND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AND WELFARE OF

AMERICA'S PATIENTS AND PROVIDER WORKFORCE IS OUR HIGHEST

PRIORITY. LET ME START WITH WHAT CMS AND THE SECRETARY SAID.

WE ARE THE LARGEST COVERING OVER 130 MILLION AMERICANS BETWEEN

MEDICARE AND MEDICAID AND THE INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKET.

SOME OF THESE ARE THE NATIONS MOST MOLDABLE POPULATIONS AND

THOSE IN PUBLIC AND ELDERLY AND SO FORTH. WE DO HAVE A

REGULATORY RESPONSIBILITY

OR PRETTY MUCH EVERY HEALTHCARE INSTITUTION IN AMERICA AND THIS

INCLUDES FACILITIES SUCH AS HOSPITALS

AND CRITICAL ACCESS AND NURSING HOMES AND HOME HEALTH AGENCIES

AND DIALYSIS FACILITIES AND THE LIST GOES ON. THAT GIVES US A

CRITICAL ROLE IN ADDRESSING THE CORONAVIRUS. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE

FOR ENFORCING THE QUALITY GUIDELINES BASED ON INFORMATION

WITH PARTNER AGENCIES LIKE THE CDC.

LET ME STRESS THAT CMS HAS LONG-STANDING INFECTIOUS DISEASE

POLICIES

ALREADY IN PLACE THAT WE HAVE USED EFFECTIVELY FOR OTHER

OUTBREAKS SUCH AS INFLUENZA. HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ALREADY

HAVE THESE PROCEDURES IN PLACE AND ARE PREPARED FOR WHAT THEY

MAY SEEM. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROACTIVELY UPDATE OUR

REGULATIONS AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH CDC AND RIGHT NOW

THOSE ARE ALREADY IN PLACE AND IT IS OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THE

HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ARE EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTING

THOSE GUIDELINES AND WE WILL WORK WITH THE CDC TO DETERMINE

WHETHER WE NEED TO UPDATE OR CHANGE THOSE. ALSO, WE ARE

LOOKING AT WHAT WE COVER AND CLARIFYING THE TYPES OF PRODUCTS

AND SERVICES THAT OUR PROGRAMS WILL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR IN TERMS

OF MEDICAID AND MEDICARE. >>

THANK YOU. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR

TEAM.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE THREE COMMENTS AND

POINTS AND FIRST OF ALL TO UNDERSCORE WHAT THE VICE

PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY LIAISON SAID. WE HAD AN

EXTRAORDINARY MEETING WITH THE CEOS OF RIDING WITH INDIVIDUALS

IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOTECH BUSINESS AND SEVERAL OF

THEM IN THE ROOM, PEOPLE WERE ALREADY ACTIVELY COLLABORATING

WITH AND THEIR ENTHUSIASM ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED IN HELPING US

ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRODUCTS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF

PRODUCTS THE VACCINES

FOR OTHERS IT WAS VERY GRATIFYING. SECOND, I AM PLEASED

THAT THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT WILL BE VISITING AND

WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW FIRSTHAND THE KIND OF

THINGS WE ARE DOING AND FINALLY JUST ONE COMMENT ABOUT INVESTOR

DR. BURKS. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY GO BACK A LONG

TIME WITH DR. BURKS BUT NOBODY GOES BACK AS LONG AS I GO. SHE

WAS A FELLOW IN MY PROGRAM AS A TRAINEE AND SHE KNEW HER WE KNEW

SHE WAS A STAR THEN BUT NOW SHE HAS BECOME A SUPERSTAR.

TOGETHER, WE WERE INVOLVED IN VACCINE TRIALS THAT WAS THE

FIRST SUCCESSFUL TRIAL OF HIV AND HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER OR HAD

THE PRIVILEGE AND THE HONOR AMONG OTHERS OF PUTTING TOGETHER

THE PROGRAM FOR PRESIDENT BUSH AND SHE WAS THE INVESTOR IN

CHARGE OF THE PROGRAM SO I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM TO

FINALLY ONCE AGAIN GET BACK TO BE A PART WITH DEBBIE BURKS.

>> FINALLY, CDC

. >> THANK YOU, MR. VICE

PRESIDENT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS RECOGNIZE THAT CDC

CONTINUES TO WORK AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE BACKBONE OF OUR

PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM WITH THIS NATION WHICH IS THE STATE AND

LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. THESE TEAMS CONTINUE TO WORK TO

IDENTIFY NEW CASES AND ISOLATE CONTACT AND TO WORK TOGETHER TO

TRY TO LIMIT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE CORONAVIRUS. WORKING WITH

THE PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS, WE CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY

NEW COMMUNITY CASES AS THE SECRETARY SAID

WE ALWAYS ANTICIPATED AND USE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH ASSETS TO

AGGRESSIVELY CONFIRM THOSE CASES AND ISOLATE NEW CONTACT AND USE

OUR PUBLIC HEALTH TOOLS TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS. I WANT