Watch live: Coronavirus task force briefs reporters as pandemic declared
Members of the Trump administration's coronavirus task force are briefing reporters Wednesday evening, after the World Health Organization formally declared the outbreak a "pandemic."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading expert on infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health, warned members of Congress on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning that "many, many millions" could be infected with the virus, as the number of confirmed cases and deaths in the U.S. continues to climb.
How to watch:
- Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
- Location: The White House
- Live stream: On CBSN in the video player above and on your mobile or streaming device
The Trump administration is working with Congress on a plan to address the economic fallout from the virus. The president wants a payroll tax cut, something Democrats don't seem likely to accept, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and others are floating an aid plan for certain industries, like the airline and cruise industries. Mnuchin denied on Capitol Hill Wednesday that such aid would be a bailout. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said the administration will also help families who miss paychecks, but exactly how is unclear.
Mr. Trump has tried to reassure Americans that anyone who wants a test can have one, even as his own health officials admit there are not currently enough tests, but they're coming.
Meanwhile, the state of Washington has banned gatherings of more than 250 people in some places, and San Francisco has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people to mitigate the impact of the virus. The National Guard is being deployed to a suburb of New York to help establish a containment zone there.
