Closing southern border over coronavirus not on US agenda, Trump suggests
US President Donald Trump has suggested that the US is not about to close the southern border over the spread of the new coronavirus into the US.
He made the comment during a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Maryland Tuesday.
“We’re not looking at it very strongly," he said. "I don’t think we’ve seen any great evidence that that area’s a problem at this moment."
Trump indicated Saturday that closing the southern border due to the spread was being considered.
"We have received a lot of power on the southern border over the last couple years from the courts, but we are looking at that very strongly," he said during a news conference.
There are over 60 confirmed cases of the virus in the US, where new cases are being reported on a near daily basis similar to other outbreak zones such as Iran and South Korea.
Trump has put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the country’s response to the epidemic.
Pence was grilled by US Senators Tuesday in a closed-door meeting over the administration’s response to coronavirus.
“They keep throwing out numbers like millions of tests and we're saying, ‘that's not right,’” Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell told reporters afterward. “Millions of tests aren't available right this second. People are calling their doctors and they're not being able to get tests.”
Some of the president allies in the Senate have also voiced concerns over the administration’s response.
“Our capacity is not where it needs to be right now,” said Republican Senator Marco Rubio, adding that officials are ramping up their efforts on testing.
Court halts US sanctions against Albanese for Gaza genocide statements
Trump left succession instructions for Vance in event of assassination: White House official
US intelligence says Iran retains significant missile capabilities: Report
Iran’s embassy blasts ‘unfounded’ UK accusations, new sanctions
Three Iranian satellites in final testing phase: Space Agency
Iran's Araghchi meets PM Modi, holds security talks on BRICS sidelines
VIDEO | Oil war: The UAE declares the end of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council
Mastermind behind Netanyahu’s UAE visit, chief architect of Abraham Accords hacked: Handala
Iran parl. speaker warns US theatrics in Hormuz could trigger new global financial crisis
May 14: Iranian officials issue defiant messages, vow no surrender to whims of imperial powers
Test us again, you will repeat your failures: Iran FM to adversaries
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
