During a daily White House briefing, Trump said China could have stopped the outbreak even before it started, but they did not, adding that the whole world is suffering because they failed to restrict the spread of the virus. With fatalities reaching 39,000, U.S. cases surpass 730,000.
“If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake," Trump said during the briefing. However, if China was “knowingly responsible” for the pandemic, then surely there should be consequences, he said. Trump did not divulge details about what exactly the consequences might be.
Trump stated that China was disconcerted and it is imperative to figure out whether or not the coronavirus was a mistake that they failed to control, or was it something they did deliberately. The POTUS pointed out that there's a big difference between making a mistake and deliberately doing something.
China, on the other hand, is witnessing a noteworthy reduction in cases, recording just 16 new confirmed coronavirus cases since Mar. 17 and down from 17 a day earlier. No new deaths have been reported in China.
Trump's coronavirus response coordinator, Deborah Birx was showing a comparison of deaths per 100,000 people in different countries when she was interrupted by the president. Trump said that the fatalities stated by China and Iraq were unrealistic, asking everyone if they believed those figures.
Birx, who continues to stay away from the political aspect of Trump's argumentative conferences, also raised questions about China's data, including the death rate per 100,000 people, which were relatively lower than the United States and other European countries. She deemed the numbers "unrealistic," saying that China has a moral obligation to share credible information.
Brix lauded the European countries, who warned the U.S. about the seriousness of the virus and alerted the country about its alarming impact on people with underlying health impacts. Europe was expected to surpass 100,000 deaths on Sunday, which is over 62 percent of coronavirus-related fatalities across the globe, The Guardian reported.
With over 20,000 deaths from the virus, Spain has recorded over 194,000 cases, placing the country in number 3 spot after the U.S. and Italy. Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez extended the nation-wide coronavirus lockdown by two weeks to May 9.
Sanchez said the restriction would be slightly loosened to allow kids to spend some time outside from Apr. 27. Some businesses were allowed to reopen earlier this week. He warned, if necessary, Spain will resort to reinforcing protective measures again.