Biosecurity

Trump says 'worst days' of coronavirus are 'behind us'

President Trump on Tuesday suggested "the worst days" of the coronavirus pandemic are over as he welcomed a group of small-business owners to the White House who have benefited from an emergency loan program he signed into law last month.

Trump used his speech to express optimism about the country’s path to economic recovery amid the pandemic, which has forced businesses to close and caused millions of layoffs across the country due to stay-at-home orders issued by states.

“As our nation battles against this terrible scourge, we continue to pray for the victims as well as those Americans who are grieving their lost ones and their loved ones,” Trump said at the outset of his remarks in the East Room. “We suffer with one heart, but we will prevail. We are coming back, and we’re coming back strong.”

“Now that our experts believe that the worst days of the pandemic are behind us, Americans are looking forward to the safe and rapid reopening of our country,” the president continued.

...Trump suggested that the U.S. would “very soon” have the capacity to test 5 million Americans each day, without providing an explanation about how the administration would achieve such a goal. The U.S. currently is testing roughly 200,000 Americans daily.