Trump backtracks on scrapping of White House coronavirus task force

President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to backtrack on plans announced the previous day to shut down the task force advising him on the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House’s earlier suggestion that the high-level team could close around the start of June was Trump’s latest signal that he thinks it’s time to move on from the health crisis and reopen the economy.

But in a series of tweets Wednesday, he said the task force had been so successful that it “will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.”

The president, however, said that he could “add or subtract people” to the group, which suggested the situation remained fluid.

Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the task force, said Tuesday he was “starting to look at the Memorial Day window, early June window” for shutting it down. That holiday falls on May 25.

The coronavirus task force has spearheaded the complex response to the fast-spreading virus, which has already killed more than 70,000 Americans.

The group coordinates between medical institutes, political staff and state governors, some of whom have spent weeks frantically trying to help overwhelmed hospitals.

The task force also drew on medical experts to formulate national recommendations on social distancing that led to the economic shutdown.

Members of the task force gave daily press conferences meant to inform the nation on the latest status of the pandemic. But they were often overtaken by Trump’s own freewheeling question-and-answer sessions and ended more than a week ago.

Trump says that while he wants a “safe” reopening, the hardship caused by the economic shutdown is the main threat to the United States.

“We can’t keep our country closed for the next five years,” he said Tuesday while on a trip to a mask-making factory in Arizona.

He conceded that some people would be “badly affected” by loosening the practice of social distancing.

Critics say that the health situation remains far from secure and that Trump is rushing to try and boost the devastated economy in time for his difficult reelection battle in November.

Comments

Senate to write Buhari over dead lawmaker on FCC board

Senate to write Buhari over dead lawmaker on FCC board Senate President Ahmad Lawan will draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the erroneous inclusion of a dead person on the list of nominees sent to the Senate, The Guardian has learnt. It emerged on Wednesday that the list for the appointment of members into the Federal Character Commission (FCC) included the late Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru, a former member of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi State. Okwuru, the 12th on the 38-person list died in February 2020, aged 59. Until his demise, he had acted as chairman of the House Committee on Environment and had represented Ikwo/Ezza Federal Constituency between 2011 and 2015. This is, however, not the first time names of the dead have featured in appointments by Buhari since he became president in May 2015. In 2017, the names of five persons said to be dead appeared on a list of appointments onto the boards of federal agencies and corporations. They were:

See how Tinubu reacts to #EndSARS protests, says police reforms has begun

See how Tinubu reacts to #EndSARS protests, says police reforms has begun National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has said the protest against police brutality in Nigeria is within the constitutional right of Nigerians. “Asiwaju Tinubu believes in the right of Nigerians to freedom of expression, assembly, and protest where and when necessary, he has always canvassed the need for people to explore peaceful channels to ventilate their views and demands,” Tinubu said in a statement by his media aide Tunde Rahman. “He believes the #EndSARS protesters have made their demands, which the Federal Government is studying.” Tinubu’s statement comes after being alleged of being one of the sponsors of the ongoing nationwide protest against brutality, extortion, harassment and extrajudicial killing by police personnel. The Cattle’s Breeders Association known as Miyetti Allah had earlier accused Tinubu of using the protest to distort the administration of President Muhamma

COVID-19: FCMB Sustains Support to Government and Nigerians with multi-dimensional intervention strategy

COVID-19: FCMB Sustains Support to Government and Nigerians with multi-dimensional intervention strategy As the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus pandemic) takes an intense twist, with its prevalent negative effect on individuals, households, businesses and health systems, leading financial services provider, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), is stepping up the tempo of its interventions through various humanitarian gestures. As a caring and responsive Bank, FCMB has ensured the stability of its robust digital channels thereby enabling customers to have full access to financial transactions and other services, while also helping the government, communities and individuals to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. The institution’s intervention has been hinged on providing relief across a range of areas spanning across testing, the provision of PPEs (personal protective equipment), food for the very needy and ease of doing business for small and medium scale firms. By far,

Gtechone

Search This Blog