Trump Administration Will Reassess Response to CCP Virus After 15-day Plan

President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, at the White House in Washington, on March 22, 2020. Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump on Sunday wrote on Twitter that his administration will reassess its response to the CCP virus outbreak at the end of the 15-day plan to “flatten the curve” and reduce the spread of the disease.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

“We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself. At the end of the 15 day period, we will make a decision as to which way we want to go,” the president wrote in all caps.

The president on March 16 issued guidance urging a 15-day period of collective action from Americans aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

“We’re asking everyone to work at home, if possible, postpone unnecessary travel, and limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people,” Trump had said when describing some of the guidelines, adding that “if we do this right, our country—and the world, frankly—but our country can be rolling again pretty quickly.”

Since the guidelines were issued, his administration has been working to stem the economic blow of the epidemic, which has caused stocks to plunge and non-essential businesses to be forced to shut down.

Nearly one in three Americans was under orders on Sunday to stay home to slow the spread of the virus as Ohio, Louisiana, and Delaware became the latest states to enact broad restrictions, along with the city of Philadelphia. New York, California, Illinois, Connecticut, and New Jersey, home to 101 million Americans combined, have already enforced the same order.

Also on Sunday, Democrats in the U.S. Senate blocked legislation that would pump well over $1 trillion into the American economy on programs to help companies losing business during the coronavirus outbreak and unemployed workers.

The measure faltered after it failed to get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-member chamber to clear a procedural hurdle after days of negotiations, with 47 senators voting in favor and 47 opposed.

Democrats had raised objections to the Senate bill throughout the day, with the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), saying his party opposed moving forward with the bill “because among other problems it includes huge bailouts without protections for people and workers and without accountability, and because it shortchanges our hospitals and health care workers who need our help,” Huffpost reported.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in a statement on Sunday called the block “pathetic.”

‪“Tonight’s vote was not even on passing a bipartisan plan, it was merely to begin debating it. The American people are hurting, the clock is ticking, but Senate Democrats would rather cave to Speaker Pelosi’s eleventh-hour demands,” he said, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “My colleagues on the other side of the aisle should worry more about getting relief to their constituents and less about the House Speaker’s partisan wish list. This cannot go another day.”