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As Donald Trumps vast incompetence when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus became apparent over the last several weeks, both the president and his allies began pushing a ridiculous, if completely predictable, line of defense: The disease, which has spread rapidly outside of China and killed nearly 3,000 so far, is being hyped by both the media and Democrats in an effort to hurt the president. The coronavirus is being weaponized as yet another element to bring down Donald Trump, recent Medal of Freedom recipient Rush Limbaugh told his listeners last week. They think this is going to be the thing that brings down the president. Thats what this is all about, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said of the press on Friday. News networks are doing everything they can to instill fear in people, while Democrats are trying to gain political favor by saying a lot of untruths, Trump himself claimed heading into the weekend. Anything that they can use to try to hurt Trump, they will, Don Jr. basically screamed into the camera on Friday from CPAC, referring to Democrats. For them to try to take a pandemic and seemingly hope that it comes here and kills millions of people, so that they could end Donald Trumps streak of winning, is a new level of sickness.

Because claiming that one political party wants millions of people to die is kind of a bold statement, Jake Tapper brought it up to Mike Pence on Sunday as the vice president did the TV rounds in an effort to assure people that, as the new point person on the virus, he totally has everything under control. Theres been a lot of unfortunate rhetoric on the left and on the right about the coronavirus, Tapper said. Can we agree that neither Democrats nor Republicans want Americans to get the coronavirus and die from it?

For most reasonable humans, theres an easy answer to this question, which is: Yes, Jake, we can agree that neither Democrats nor Republicans want Americans to get the coronavirus and die from it. But Pence works for the Trump administration, where saying something that could be interpreted as kind or charitable to the other side is tantamount to treason, even if that something is that they probably arent hoping for millions of people to die. So instead, the person who is probably least qualified to handle an outbreak told Tapper: I think what the president said earlier this week and his charge to me is to remind the American people that the risk is low, to assure the American people that were ready, but also to say, as the president said, this is no time for politics. Then he tried to claim that Don Jr., the presidents oldest and dumbest son, had a valid point. Frankly, Pence said, I think that was Don Jr.s point, that there has been some very strong rhetoric directed at the president by some members of Congress and political commentators...Responding to the kind of things that have been hurled isis understandable.

Then somewhat worryingly, the V.P. added that with the proper expertise, the proper resources, and the prayers of millions of Americans, were going to get through this, emphasis ours because thats not actually how you stop an epidemic.

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Of course, how Pence handled it was that he helped cause the outbreak, having voted to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which led a clinic that had been the only HIV-testing center in Scott County, Indiana, to close; refused to distribute clean needles despite the fact that the disease was spreading by people sharing them; and then prayed the situation would resolve itself.

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Mike Pence: Don Jr. Totally Justified in Claiming Dems Want Millions to Die From Coronavirus - Vanity Fair

San Francisco Mayor London Breed publicly slammed the Trump administration Tuesday for its failure of leadership with regard to the growing coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter obtained by the Chronicle and addressed to Vice President Mike Pence whom President Trump hastily assigned to take charge of the crisis last week Breed said that coordination between the CDC, the White House, and the Department of Health and Human Services was sorely lacking, and that the administration's overall response was "anemic" and "deficient" as the outbreak of the disease continues to worsen nationwide, but most urgently on the West Coast.

"The lack of test kits is a national disgrace," Breed wrote, referring to the fact that San Francisco currently only has 250 kits on hand from the CDC. "We will not be able to contain, treat, or mitigate the effects of the virus if we cannot diagnose infection." On Monday, the city announced it was opening its own public testing facility for the coronavirus in order to decrease the turnaround time for tests from seven days to one or two.

"Leadership at the federal level is imperative," Breed wrote to Pence. "We cannot wait as the window to take action to reduce community infections is closing."

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We just concluded another public update about the steps that we're taking in San Francisco to prepare for the potential spread of novel coronavirus. @SFDPH began local testing today and will be operating tests 7 days a week, shortening the turnaround time for results. The SFDPH lab will conduct the tests locally based on expanded criteria from the CDC. It is important for the public to understand that there is no on-demand testing and test kits are limited. Testing will be done only after consultation between local health officials and the CDC. We're focused on protecting our vulnerable populations, including older adults and people with multiple chronic medical conditions. We're working with providers to ensure staff and residents are educated on prevention measures and able to rapidly identify and isolate affected patients. Additionally, we continue to reach out to patients in the Citys Health Network with chronic disease or complex health needs to ensure they have their medical needs met for the next 90 days, in order to help them avoid the medical system except in cases of urgent need. We continue to expand emergency staffing support. Beginning this week, SF will activate more than 50 additional Disaster Service Workers, in addition to the more than two dozen who were activated last week. The Emergency Operations Center has developed and disseminated health & preparedness information in English, Chinese, Spanish and Filipino. In addition to these efforts, outreach staff have participated in more than 30 outreach events throughout San Francisco since late January. The best ways to reduce the risk of getting sick and prevent spread: -Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; -Cover your cough or sneeze; -Stay home if you are sick; -Get your flu shot to protect against flu or symptoms similar to novel coronavirus. You can prepare for possible disruption from an outbreak: -Have a supply of essential medications for your family; -Make a child care plan if you or a caregiver are sick; -Plan for how to manage a school closure; -Plan for how to care for a sick family member w/out getting sick yourself. For more information visit SF72.org.

A post shared by London Breed (@londonbreed) on Mar 2, 2020 at 2:29pm PST

Breed's letter went out just as the number of U.S. deaths from covid-19 rose to 9 in Washington State. Also, the California Department of Public Health announced that the number of people in CA who are self-quarantining at home after returning from China in the month of February has risen to 9,215.

Photo: LondonBreed/Instagram

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London Breed Issues Letter to Mike Pence Calling Administration Response to Virus 'Anemic' - SFist

(WASHINGTON) Two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington earlier this week have tested positive for the coronavirus, the group tweeted Friday. Thousands of people attended the policy conference, including some members of Congress and administration officials. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were among the speakers.

We have confirmed that at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the coronavirus, AIPAC tweeted. They would be the first infections linked to the nations capital.

Read more: Doomed from the Start. Experts Say the Trump Administrations Coronavirus Response Was Never Going to Work

AIPAC is a major pro-Israel lobbying group.

Asked about the disclosure at a White House briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said health officials will be interviewing the individuals to see whom they may have had contact with, and try to determine who may have been exposed.

AIPAC said in its tweet that it is in contact with health officials in Westchester County, New York, and Washington. It urged attendees to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and to consult with their doctors if they feel ill or have medical questions.

If you test positive for coronavirus, we urge you to inform your local health authorities so they can properly coordinate their response to this situation with the appropriate health authorities, AIPAC said.

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2 Attendees at AIPAC Conference in Washington D.C. Test Positive for Coronavirus - TIME

Vice President Mike Pence promised on Wednesday that roughly 1.5 million tests for the 2019 novel coronavirus would be available this week. However, an investigation by The Atlantic could only find evidence of fewer than 2,000 people being tested. By interviewing public health officials and surveying all local data available, the magazine could only verify that 1,895 people had been tested for the flu-like virus that has spread rapidly from Wuhan, China, and killed at least 14 Americans. About 10 percent of those tests reportedly came back positive. Many states had incomplete or no information on testing so The Atlantic said its number reflected the best available portrait of the countrys testing capacity. The net effect... is that the countrys true capacity for testing has not been made clear to its residents, it added. For days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has refused to publish updated numbers of tests and positive cases, despite public anxiety and criticism from Congress.

In contrast, Italy, where 197 people have died, released updated figures on Friday that it had done 36,359 tests since the crisis began two weeks ago. The U.K. Department of Health said 20,000 people had been tested there, with 63 positive results. Australian authorities said on Wednesday theyd done 10,000 tests. The number of cases worldwide verged on 100,000 on Friday, the World Health Organization said.

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US Is Woefully Behind in Testing for Coronavirus: Report - The Daily Beast

Although health authorities in numerous countries have now cautioned against shaking hands in an effort to rein-in the spread of coronavirus, some world leaders are refusing to lead by example.

Perhaps most notable are Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, who have both stated their intention to continue to manipulate other peoples grasping organs in greeting.

The British prime minister said he would continue to shake hands with people despite the outbreak of coronavirus, and on Thursday TV presenter Philip Schofield said he was unable to avoid shaking Mr Johnsons hand before his appearance on the programme This Morning.

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Mr Trump meanwhile a man already famous for numerous awkward handshakes has admitted he is not comfortable with shaking hands, but said hes going to keep doing it anyway.

The same cannot be said for Vice President Mike Pence the man who Mr Trump has appointed to lead the US response to the deadly outbreak.

Arriving by aeroplane in Washington state where he met Governor Jay Inslee, Mr Pence approached Mr Inslee, who instead of extending his hand, presented his elbow to the vice president, who then reciprocated, and the two men gently bumped the corners of their arms together.

Mr Pence has admitted the US is underprepared for the virus, and currently lacks enough testing equipment.

On Thursday he said the Trump administration would not be able to deliver the one million testing kits this week, as had been planned.

There are now almost 100,000 cases of coronavirus confirmed globally.

The World Health Organisations director of pandemic disease, Dr Sylvie Brand, has endorsed other methods of greeting, including waving, the Pence-style elbow bump, and the Thai Wai pressing your hands together and bowing the head.

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Mr Trump said during an interview on Fox News he was not thrilled about still going aroundshaking hands, but said: You cant be a politician and not shake hands.

Attempting to explain his rationale, he added: If there was ever a time that you could convince people not to shake hands, this would be it.

I love the people of this country, and you cant be a politician and not shake hands. And Ill be shaking hands with people. [If] they want to say hello and hug you and kiss you, I dont care.

There are now at least 226 cases of the coronavirus in the United States, and at least 70 of them are in the Seattle area. At least 11 people have died.

According to new World Health Organization statistics released on Thursday, the mortality rate for the virus is 3.4 per cent significantly higher than previous figures indicated.

Mr Trump said the rate was a false number.

This is just my hunch, the president said in a live phone interview on Fox News. Mr Trump then guessed at the coronavirus death rate apparently pulling a figure out of thin air.

I think that that number is very high. I think the number, personally, I would say the number is way under 1 per cent, he told host Sean Hannity.

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In Britain, Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he wasnt about to stop shaking hands because of the deadly virus.

When asked how he was planning to greet visiting dignitaries, Mr Johnson replied: Im shaking hands.

To the incredulity of many, he added: I was at a hospital the other night where I think a few there were actually coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, youll be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands.

In the UK, people have been advised to wash their hands. Asked about hand shaking, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, told the Radio 4 Today programme this week: The overriding scientific evidence is that shaking hands has minimal impact, it is not a significant thing, and therefore, so long as you wash your hands after youve shaken hands, and wash your hands more often, then thats fine.

However, the Premier League has banned football players from the usual pre-match fair play handshakes as a measure to help stop the spread of the virus.

Other countries where traditional greetings are being advised against include France, where health minister Olivier Vran has said people shouldconsider cutting back on hugs and kisses, and Italy, where the countrys special commissioner for coronavirus, Angelo Borrelli, has said to help prevent the spread of the virus, people should rein-in the friendly double kiss, and be a bit less expansive.

In China, enormous red billboards are urging people to clasp their own two hands together, instead of shaking hands.

In Australia, New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard has suggested people slap each other on the back instead of shaking hands.

And in Iran, a viral video shows people tapping their feet together with one another as a means of forgoing the usual handshake.

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Mike Pence greets governor with coronavirus handshake amid backlash over lack of testing kits in US - The Independent