President Trump and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force are briefing Americans from the White House Sunday afternoon, moments after the Federal Reserve took the emergency step of slashing short-term interest rates to nearly zero.
The move, which comes just before Asian markets open for the week, follows a weekend of increasing numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and nationwide closures designed to slow the spreading pandemic. Mr. Trump has long criticized the Fed for not slashing interest rates enough.
“I congratulate the Federal Reserve, I think it’s terrific,” Mr. Trump told reporters, adding the rate slash makes him “very happy.”
The president met virtually with the heads of grocery companies on Sunday afternoon, and said the executives asked Americans not to purchase so many household goods and so much food at once.
“You don’t have to buy so much. Just take it easy,” Mr. Trump said, adding those stores “have to stay open,” and they will.
“There’s no need for anybody in the country to hoard essential food supplies,” he said.
Vice President Mike Pence gave the same message, urging Americans to buy what they would need for a week, as grocery stores will “remain open.”
On Monday, Pence said he and the president will be briefing governors on public-private partnerships for testing and other updates.
How to watch:
- Date: Sunday, March 15, 2020
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
- Location: The White House
The White House said Saturday night that President Trump had taken a coronavirus test the day before and the results had come back negative. Members of the press had their temperatures taken before they entered the room.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday that all options are on the table for slowing the spread of the coronavirus, and said vulnerable populations should avoid crowded places as public health officials work to combat the deadly illness.
“You don’t want to make a pronouncement that no one should ever go into a restaurant,” Fauci said on “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “I mean, I think that might be overkill right now, but everything is on the table.”
