States have the ability to reopen their exchanges as necessary.
President Trump announced that all nursing home facilities have new guidelines to minimize any potential spread of the coronavirus, including the separation of sick from healthy residents. He continued, “We are also taking good care of our veterans. Deadlines for benefits are being extended.“
More than 100,000 tests are being administered every day.
Ventilator manufacturers are being protected with changes to the supply chain under the Defense Production Act. He signed an order of the act against 3M for face masks to up their production. GE, General Motors, and others are in discussions with the president almost daily.
FEMA is working around the clock to provide hospitals and beds in the places where needed. New York has asked that the Javits Center temporary hospital be converted to a COVID-19 patient hospital. It will house almost 3,000 people. The president said he has approved that change, and it will be staffed by the military and other federal government personnel. Louisiana and Dallas will be dealt with similarly.
The USNS Comfort is a non-COVID-19 hospital. The same is true for the Mercy in Los Angeles.
Americans are being so concerned neighbor-for-neighbor and he reminded Congress that this is not the time for partisan investigations and partisan ideologies, when “we should be fighting for American lives.” The focus should be on the people of this country and helping outside the United States as well.
“There is no earthly force that keeps us together like the strength of the love for the American country,“ he said. “People are coming out on the porches as the sun goes down to sing ‘God Bless America.’ We are a country that is together, and we hope to keep it that way.“
The president said he took another test, and 15 minutes later he had the conclusion, and he has tested negative. This is the second test. This is a simple test and goes much faster, and it is a “much more pleasant test.”
Vice President Mike Pence convened elements of the supply chain team for an update on the progress being made around the clock to make sure people are getting what they need to meet this moment.
Data is being reviewed state by state, county by county, to determine next best actions. The U.S. military is being made available for staffing of COVID-19 hospitals in New York, Louisiana and Texas, with more coming.
He reviewed information regarding the distribution of equipment with the FEMA Stabilization Task Force. “We are leaving no stone unturned to find supplies that gives everyone the gear they need and the equipment required to care for patients,“ he said.
The vice president urged people to protect their own health, their family, and their community by following the guidelines. “These are so important and they are working,“ he said. The fewer Americans that contract the virus, the fewer that will be requiring medical care.
Jared Kushner, presidential senior adviser, has been heading up a supply-chain focused group to make sure everything gets done correctly and hastily. They are thinking outside the box, gathering great minds to think together. Innovative solutions are being brought to these problems.
“We have found product all over the country and all over the world. We are facing a truly historic challenge,” he said, citing an immediate response to New York Public Hospitals by getting them a month’s supply of the N95 masks. FEMA is now dealing with real-time needs not imagined projections. “We want to get supplies to people before they run out and have to scramble for them,“ he concluded.
Admiral John Polowczk said the supply chain task force is making highly-informed allocation decisions on delivering items from the national stockpile, or directly to places in need.
Resources have been pushed out by the federal government based on data-driven needs. Surgical masks— 27.1 million of them have been pushed out to state governments; and 19.5 million have been N95 masks. Gloves, face shields, ventilators, and more were outlined for numbers and where they have gone.
There has been a lot of unusual behavior inside the supply chain. While supplies are successfully getting to the warehouses, getting the items from warehouses to the places of need is largely the states’ responsibility. But trucks are driving up to hospitals every day with supplies. The supply chain can go seven tiers deep, and things move askew from time to time, and that is being addressed. “We are getting more to healthcare workers, and we’re getting it there now,” he said.
Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro reported, “Today the president signed an order to direct 3M to make masks under the Defense Production Act. Ford and Gm are making ventilators.“ There is a lot of pressure on the supply chain for allocation of resources. Manufacturers need their base supplies, too.
Then the next order the president signed today had to do with telling 3M that what they produce under this act, wherever it is in the world, has to be directed back to the United States.
Hoarding has become an issue. Attorney General Barr said he is going out to “bust“ those engaged in such behavoir. The other day they went into a warehouse in New Jersey, grabbed personal protective gear, and delivered it right away to a hospital in New Jersey.
Another order is coming out that deals with black market bidding, where brokers are doing this. The domestic sources here are being exported. When the president heard about that, he said no more. So there will be a big order tomorrow to deal with that issue, cracking down mercilessly. This is not the time to make money off the misery of people. “We want fair prices, and this driving up of prices has got to stop,“ President Trump declared. He will issue order after order as he needs to.
Two days ago, the White House got an urgent call from the New York Police Department, where officers are being asked to go into houses with COVID-19 patients without personal protective gear. The president made two calls working with private businesses got 4,000 Tyvek suits delivered within four hours, what Navarro called “Trump time.” Another issue came up regarding hand sanitizers, and within two hours there was 6,000 gallons on a truck heading to the New York Police Department. And they will continue to make these deliveries.
The U.S. has been dangerously overdependent on a global supply chain, for medical supplies and equipment. Over 50 countries have imposed export restrictions against sending out supplies to others in the world. No matter what treaties say, there is a risk of not having what is needed. The borders need to be secured, and “make and buy American.“ All of this will be more directly addressed once the crisis is over.
President Trump said he doesn’t want to be bidding against the states; and if they will notify him, one or the other will drop out, and the matter will be solved and the prices kept where they belong. There are 151 other countries out there wanting what we want, and a lot has gone out from America. “We have honored prior orders. Over time, we will be resupplying our stockpiles. We are intended to be a back-up, not the front line. Whoever heard of a state calling up and saying can you build us a hospital? Well, we did it. We’re doing an unbelievable job,“ the president said. States need their own planning and their own back-ups. Contingency planning is difficult, but this virus is teaching everyone, and providing good planning data.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For President Trump to be led by God in how to proceed against the pandemic.
- For the Task Force to be used by God to fulfill His purpose through this crisis.
- That those who are providing critical care and those who are making and providing necessary supplies would experience supernatural strength and protection.
Sources: Fox News, C-SPAN
