President Donald Trump Addresses Americans About Coronavirus COVID-19

Published March 11, 2020

On the evening of March 11, 2020, President Donald Trump addressed Americans about Coronavirus COVID-19. Below you can watch the video and read a transcript of the audio.

For up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak Information and Updates.

Transcript of President Trump Addressing Americans about Coronavirus COVID-19 on March 11, 2020

Transcript automatically generated

MY FELLOW AMERICANS
TONIGHT I WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOU 
ABOUT OUR NATIONS UNPRECEDENTED RESPONSE
TO THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
IT STARTED IN CHINA
AND IS NOW SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
TODAY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT 
THIS IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
WE HAVE BEEN IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH OUR
ALLIES AND WE ARE MARSHALLING THE FULL POWER OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PROTECT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THIS IS THE MOST AGRESSIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT
TO CONFRONT A FOREIGN VIRUS IN MODERN HISTORY
I AM CONFIDENT THAT BY COUNTING…AND CONTINUING TO TAKE
THESE TOUGH MEASURES
WE WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE THREAT TO OUR CITIZENS
AND WE WILL ULTIMATELY AND EXPEDICIOUSLY DEFEAT THIS
VIRUS. FROM THE BEGINNING OF
TIME, NATIONS AND PEOPLE HAVE
FACED UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES,
INCLUDING LARGE-SCALE AND VERY
DANGEROUS HEALTH THREATS.
THIS IS THE WAY IT ALWAYS WAS,
AND ALWAYS WILL BE.
IT ONLY MATTERS HOW YOU RESPOND
AND WE ARE RESPONDING WITH GREAT
SPEED AND PROFESSIONALISM.
OUR TEAM IS THE BEST ANYWHERE
IN THE WORLD, AT THE VERY START
OF THE OUTBREAK, WE INSTITUTED
SWEEPING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON
CHINA AND PUT IN PLACE THE
FIRST FEDERALLY MANDATED
QUARANTINE IN OVER 50 YEARS.
WE DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH
EMERGENCY AND ISSUED THE
HIGHEST LEVEL OF TRAVEL WARNING
ON OTHER COUNTRIES AS THE VIRUS
SPREAD ITS HORRIBLE INFECTION.
AND, TAKING EARLY INTENSE
ACTION, WE HAVE SEEN
DRAMATICALLY FEWER CASES OF THE
VIRUS IN THE UNITED STATES THAN
ARE NOW PRESENT IN EUROPE.
THE EUROPEAN UNION FAILED TO
TAKE THE SAME PRECAUTIONS AND
RESTRICT TRAVEL FROM CHINA AND
OTHER HOTSPOTS.
AS A RESULT, A LARGE NUMBER OF
NEW CLUSTERS IN THE UNITED
STATES WERE SEATED BY TRAVELERS
FROM EUROPE.
AFTER CONSULTING WITH OUR TOP
OVERMAN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, I
HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE SEVERAL
STRONG BUT NECESSARY ACTIONS TO
PROTECT THE HEALTH AND WELL-
BEING OF ALL AMERICANS.
TO KEEP NEW CASES FROM ENTERING
OUR SHORES, WE WILL BE
SUSPENDING ALL TRAVEL FROM
EUROPE TO THE UNITED STATES FOR
THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
THE NEW RULES WILL GO INTO
EFFECT FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT.
THESE RESTRICTIONS WILL BE
ADJUSTED SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS
ON THE GROUND.
THEY WILL BE EXEMPTIONS FOR
AMERICANS WHO HAVE UNDERGONE
APPROPRIATE SCREENINGS, AND
THESE PROHIBITIONS WILL NOT
ONLY APPLY TO THE TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF TRADE AND CARGO THE
VARIOUS OTHER THINGS AS WE GET
APROVAL.
ANYTHING COMING FROM EUROPE TO
THE UNITED STATES IS WHAT WE
ARE DISCUSSING.
THESE RESTRICTIONS WILL ALSO
NOT APPLY TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE
MONITORING THE SITUATION IN
CHINA AND SOUTH KOREA, AND AS
THEIR SITUATION IMPROVES, WE
WILL REEVALUATE THE
RESTRICTIONS AND WARNINGS THAT
ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE FOR A
POSSIBLE EARLY OPENING.
EARLIER THIS WEEK I MET WITH
THE LEADERS OF HEALTH INSURANCE
INDUSTRY WHO HAVE AGREED TO
WAIVE ALL COPAYMENTS FOR
CORONAVIRUS TREATMENTS, EXTEND
INSURANCE COVERAGE TO THESE
TREATMENTS, AND TO PREVENT
SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLING.
WE ARE CUTTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS
OF RED TAPE TO MAKE ANTIVIRAL
THERAPIES AVAILABLE IN RECORD
TIME.
THESE TREATMENTS WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE IMPACT
AND REACH OF THE VIRUS.
ADDITIONALLY, LAST WEEK I
SIGNED INTO LAW, AND $8.3
BILLION FUNDING BILL TO HELP
CDC AND OTHER GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES FIGHT THE VIRUS AND
SUPPORT VACCINES, TREATMENTS
AND DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL
SUPPLIES.
TESTING, AND TESTING
CAPABILITIES ARE EXPANDING
RAPIDLY, DAY BY DAY. WE ARE
MOVING VERY QUICKLY.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS,
THE RISK IS VERY, VERY LOW.
YOUNG AND HEALTHY PEOPLE CAN
EXPECT TO RECOVER FULLY AND
QUICKLY IF THEY SHOULD GET THE
VIRUS.
THE HIGHEST RISK IS FOR ELDERLY
POPULATION WITH UNDERLYING
HEALTH CONDITIONS.
THE ELDERLY POPULATION MUST BE
VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
IN PARTICULAR, WE ARE
STRUGGLING ADVISING THAT
NURSING HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY
SUSPEND ALL NECESSARY MEDICAL
VISITS.
IN GENERAL, OLDER AMERICANS
SHOULD ALSO AVOID NONESSENTIAL
TRAVEL IN CROWDED AREAS.
MY ADMINISTRATION IS
COORDINATING DIRECTLY WITH
COMMUNITIES WITH LARGEST
OUTBREAKS AND WE HAVE ISSUED
GUIDANCE ON SCHOOL CLOSURES,
SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND REDUCING
LARGE GATHERINGS.
SMART ACTION TODAY WILL PREVENT
THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS
TOMORROW.
EVERY COMMUNITY FACES DIFFERENT
RISKS AND IT IS CRITICAL FOR
YOU TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF
YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO ARE
WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR
FEDERAL HEALTH EXPERTS AND THEY
ARE THE BEST.
FOR ALL AMERICANS, IT IS
ESSENTIAL THAT EVERYONE TAKE
EXTRA PRECAUTIONS AND PRACTICE
GOOD HYGIENE.
EACH OF US HAS A ROLE TO PLAY
IN DEFEATING THIS VIRUS.
WASH YOUR HANDS, CLEAN OFTEN
USED SURFACES, COVER YOUR FACE
AND MOUTH IF YOU SNEEZE OR
COUGH, AND MOST OF ALL, IF YOU
ARE SICK OR NOT FEELING WELL,
STAY HOME.
TO ENSURE THAT WORK IT WORKING
AMERICANS IMPACTED BY THE VIRUS
CAN STAY HOME WITHOUT FEAR OF
FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, I WILL SOON
BE TAKING EMERGENCY ACTION, WAS
JUST UNPRECEDENTED, TO PROVIDE
FINANCIAL RELIEF.
THIS WILL BE TARGETED FOR
WORKERS WHO ARE ILL,
QUARANTINE, OR CARING FOR
OTHERS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS.
I WILL BE ASKING CONGRESS TO
TAKE LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO
EXTEND THIS RELIEF.
BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC POLICIES
THAT WE HAVE PUT INTO PLACE,
OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE
HAVE THE GREATEST ECONOMY
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD BY FIRE.
OUR BANKS AND FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS ARE FINANCIALLY
CAPITALIZED AND INCREDIBLY
STRONG.
OUR UNEMPLOYMENT IS AT AN
HISTORIC LOW.
THIS VAST ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
IS A FLEXIBILITY, RESERVES AND
RESOURCES TO HANDLE ANY THREAT
THAT COMES OUR WAY.
THIS IS NOT A FINANCIAL CRISIS,
THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY MOMENT
OF TIME THAT WE WILL OVERCOME
TOGETHER AS A NATION AND AS A
WORLD.
HOWEVER, TO PROVIDE EXTRA
SUPPORT FOR AMERICAN WORKERS,
FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES,
TONIGHT I AM ANNOUNCING THE
FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL ACTIONS.
I AM INSTRUCTING THE SMALL
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TO
EXERCISE AVAILABLE AUTHORITY TO
PROVIDE CAPITAL AND LIQUIDITY
TO FIRMS AFFECTED BY THE
CORONAVIRUS.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THE SPA
WILL BEGIN PROVIDING ECONOMIC
LOANS IN AFFECTED STATES AND
TERRITORIES.
THESE LOW INTEREST LOANS WILL
HELP SMALL BUSINESSES OVERCOME
TEMPORARY ECONOMIC DISRUPTIONS
CAUSED BY THE VIRUS.
TO THIS END I AM ASKING
CONGRESS TO INCREASE FUNDING
FOR THIS PROGRAM BY AN
ADDITIONAL $50 BILLION.
USING EMERGENCY AUTHORITY, I
WILL BE INSTRUCTING THE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT TO DEFER
TAX PAYMENTS WITHOUT INTEREST
OR PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN
INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES,
NEGATIVELY IMPACTED.
THIS ACTION WILL PROVIDE MORE
THAN $200 BILLION OF ADDITIONAL
LIQUIDITY TO THE ECONOMY.
FINALLY, I’M CALLING ON
CONGRESS TO PROVIDE AMERICANS
WITH IMMEDIATE PAYROLL TAX
RELIEF.
HOPEFULLY, THEY WILL CONSIDER
THIS VERY STRONGLY.
WE ARE IN A CRITICAL TIME IN
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE VIRUS.
WE MADE A LIFE-SAVING MOVE WITH
EARLY ACTION IN CHINA.
NOW, WE MUST TAKE THE SAME
ACTION WITH EUROPE.
WE WILL NOT DELAY.
I WILL NEVER HESITATE TO TAKE
ANY NECESSARY STEPS TO PROTECT
THE LIVES, HEALTH AND SAFETY OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I WILL ALWAYS PUT THE WILL BE
OF AMERICA FIRST.
IF WE ARE VIGILANT AND WE CAN
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF INFECTION,
WHICH WE WILL, WE WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPEDE THE
TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS.
THE VIRUS WILL NOT HAVE A CHANCE
AGAINST US, NO NATION IS MORE
PREPARED OR MORE RESILIENT THAN
THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAVE THE BEST ECONOMY, THE
MOST ADVANCED HEALTHCARE, AND
THE MOST TALENTED DOCTORS,
SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS
ANYWHEE IN THE WORLD.
WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
WE MUST PUT POLITICS ASIDE, STOP
THE PARTISANSHIP, AND UNIFIED
TOGETHER AS ONE NATION AND ONE
FAMILY.
AS HISTORY HAS PROVEN TIME AND
TIME AGAIN, AMERICANS ALWAYS
RISE TO THE CHALLENGE AND
OVERCOME ADVERSITY.
OUR FUTURE REMAINS BRIGHTER
THAN ANYONE CAN IMAGINE.
ACTING WITH COMPASSION AND
LOVE, WE WILL HEAL THE SICK,
CARE FOR THOSE IN NEED, HELP
OUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND EMERGE
FROM THIS CHALLENGE STRONGER
AND MORE UNIFIED THAN EVER
BEFORE.
GOD BLESS YOU, AND GOD BLESS
AMERICA.
THANK YOU.