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Joe Biden would follow the lead of other countries and advise governors, if he were president, to lock down their states to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the United States.

"For the time being, I would. Yes," Biden told CNN during a town hall.

The likely 2020 Democratic nominee and two-term vice president said he had seen data suggesting stay-at-home orders should stay in place until May 31 or into June but added, "Nobody knows for certain."

President Trump has come under fire for suggesting the country should relax its social distancing guidelines at the end of its 15-day trial, set to conclude on Monday. The president has expressed concern "the cure" can't be worse than the "problem," given the likelihood that extended business shutdowns due to the COVID-19 outbreak will lead to a recession.

Biden on Friday night said it was "a false choice" for Trump to believe he needed to pick between public health and the economy. He also called for a rent freeze and forgiveness program "for at least the next three months."

Biden, who has spoken with Democratic and Republican governors, offered Trump some unsolicited advice after the president revealed earlier Friday evening he told Vice President Mike Pence not to waste time talking to critical state chief executives, such as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Both Democratic and GOP governors have voiced frustrations with federal-state procurement coordination.

"This is not personal. It has nothing to do with you, Donald Trump. Do your job. Stop personalizing everything. Stop it," Biden said.

But Delaware's 36-year former senator didn't have a detailed response to whether the Obama administration should have better replenished the country's Strategic National Stockpile of N95 respirator masks after the 2009 swine flu outbreak.

"We spent a lot of time. I was not part of it. Our administration spent a lot of time working with the incoming Trump administration," he began, before not directly answering the question.

Excerpt from:
Biden deflects on Obama stockpile inaction and recommends national coronavirus lockdown - Washington Examiner

The national shortage of N95 respirator masks can be traced back to 2009 after the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, when the Obama administration was advised to replenish a national stockpile but did not, according to reports from Bloomberg News and the Los Angeles Times.

The Trump administration is scrambling to replenish a stockpile of protective medical gear for healthcare workers and patients as the coronavirus sweeps across the nation. N95 respirator masks are one of the most needed medical supplies amid the outbreak.

The George W. Bush administration published the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza plan in 2005, which called on the federal government to distribute medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile governed by the Health and Human Services Department in the event of an outbreak.

In 2009, the H1N1 outbreak hit the United States, leading to 274,304 hospitalizations, 12,469 deaths, and a depletion of N95 respirator masks.

A federally backed task force and a safety equipment organization both recommended to the Obama administration that the stockpile be replenished with the 100 million masks used after the H1N1 outbreak.

Charles Johnson, president of the International Safety Equipment Association, said that advice was never heeded.

Our association is unaware of any major effort to restore the stockpile to cover that drawdown, he said.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar reported last month that only 12 million N95 masks were available in the stockpile, a tiny fraction of the 3.5 billion masks one of Azars deputies later testified the nations healthcare system would need, the Los Angeles Times noted.

Bloomberg News reported similar findings last week, noting, "After the H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009, which triggered a nationwide shortage of masks and caused a 2- to 3-year backlog [of] orders for the N95 variety, the stockpile distributed about three-quarters of its inventory and didnt build back the supply.

Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration had asked construction companies to "donate their inventory of N95 masks to your local hospital and forgo additional orders of those industrial masks and the Defense Department would provide 5 million N95 masks and 2,000 ventilators to help bridge the gap.

Johns Hopkins Universitys coronavirus tracker reported 35,225 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Monday.

Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the administrations coronavirus task force, said on Sunday that a quarter-million people had been tested for the virus, with 9 out of 10 people testing negative.

"The FDA is working with manufacturers around the company to come up with faster, more innovative tests," he said.

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Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News: Federal stockpile of N95 masks was depleted under Obama and never restocked - Washington Examiner

The Obamas are considered to be one of Americas favorite families for their class, charisma, and charm. Ellen Degeneres recently reached out to former First Lady, Michelle Obama, in an attempt to uncover how her family is coping with the pandemic.

Obama stated in a tweet that it Always brightens my day to get a call from my friend Ellen, especially on this rainy Monday at home... Its good to know that even when were apart, weve still got each other.

According to her recent Instagram post, Michelle said These past few weeks have been scary and difficult for many of us. We just dont have a roadmap for what were currently experiencing -that in and of itself can bring up feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and fear not to mention the worry we feel about the health and safety of our parents, children, and loved ones and the financial security of so many families.

Her posts seem to have a rippling effect on her followers and many of them are comforted by her uplifting words, hopeful messages and inspirational posts.

The Obamas are keeping busy and Michelle was eager to tell CBS News what her bustling brood has been up to. She told CBS, You know, were just trying to, like, structure our days [because] the girls are back because colleges are now online. So theyre off in their respective rooms doing their online classes, and I think Barack is I dont know where he is. He was on the phone on a conference call. I just got finished with a conference call.

Related:Michelle Obama Interrupts Her Book Tour To Officiate A Chicago Wedding

Sasha and Malia are taking their studies seriously but are still spending time relaxing and catching up on their favorite shows on Netflix to pass the time. The Former First Lady is aware of the challenges and hardships our communities are facing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

She is fearful of what might happen and feels for all of the folks who are going to suffer because of whats going to happen to the economy and we have to be mindful about what were going to do to support these folks when this quarantine is over. She especially has a soft spot for children during this trying time. She tells CBS News that, This is like no other time in history, particularly for our kids who are so used to being occupied and stimulated all of the time.

Michelle has taken it upon herself to give back to the community and encourage learning outside of the classroom while students are unable to attend classes at school. She has joined up with other celebrities who are passionate about education and lifelong learning to spread words of hope to youngsters and parents alike.

Despite this being a difficult time for countless individuals, in some regards,she sees it as an opportunity for growth. She refers to the situation in a positive light, as its forced us to sit down with each other, to have real conversations, really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers.

She is viewing this situation in an optimistic way and is encouraging families to engage in conversations, play board games together, and bond over shared interests.

She encourages citizens to be grateful for what they have and to surround themselves with positive, uplifting people... even if they have to communicate virtually via facetime, for the time being. There is so much to be grateful for and all we have to do is look around us... it is there even in the grimmest of times.

Theres so much opportunity for personal development and growth currently as we are forced to stay inside and isolate from other people. Its the perfect opportunity to rekindle an existing hobby or find a new passion.

This is a perfect opportunity to practice self-care, andMichelle agrees that there are many ways we can take care of ourselves while so much happening in our world is out of our control at the moment. Take a hot bath, read a good book, or send a letter to a loved one. Despite the craziness, there is still so much to be grateful for.

So, take a page from the Obamas book and choose to see goodness, seek goodness and spread goodness... you never know who might need it most and this is a perfect time to spread a little extra kindness to others.

Related: Michelle Obama tells Ellen DeGeneres The Family Is 'Happy' To Be Together, Safe

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Irina Lessne is a creative writer who is passionate about inspiring others to look on the bright side of whatever they might be facing in life. She was an English major at Ursinus College and participated in various creative writing programs including a month long intensive one at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. During her college career, Irina took a wide variety of classes ranging from "Banned Books" to "Monsters in the Middle Ages" and wrote over 150 pop culture and related articles, for The Odyssey Online. She enjoys creative writing, reading psychological thriller novels, traveling, working out and spending time with family and friends.

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Here's What The Obama's Have Been Up To | TheThings - TheThings

Responses and messages about coronavirus have already come from the Royal Family: Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and more. However, after the news that Prince Charles tested positive and was showing mild symptoms of COVID-19, we got to see further messages of solidarity from the royals. On Thursday, even the Prince of Wales' grandchildren appeared on the Kensington Palace Instagram.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were filmed adorably clapping their hands in recognition of NHS workers.

As royal fans swooned over the clip of the Cambridge children, a 2016 report by the Daily Mirror about Prince George's meeting with former US President Barack Obama has resurfaced.

Mr Obama and his wife Michelle spent an evening with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and then got to meet George, who at the time was only two years old.

Images of the Prince meeting the former President and the First Lady in his pyjamas were broadcast around the world.

BACK BRITAIN'S BRAVE NHS HEROES - CLICK HERE NOW

Mr Obama described George as "adorable", but also jokingly accused him of breaching protocol during his last speech at the White House Correspondents' dinner.

He light-heartedly said the young royal's attire showed people were preparing for him to leave office.

He claimed that being greeted by George in his checked pyjamas and monogrammed bathrobe was a slight akin to his political opponents no longer answering his phone calls.

He said: "It's not just Congress.

JUST IN:How Boris Johnson claimed US wants to be RULED by Queen Elizabeth II

Read more:
Royal snub: How Barack Obama accused Prince George of slap in the face - Express

At least on the surface, this just looks like one more person concerned about the fate of the nation as we face a pandemic. Columnist A.B. Stoddard has published a column at The Bulwark that takes the form of an open letter to both Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Shes calling on the two former presidents to stand together and raise their voices to outline a national plan of action and force Donald Trump to adopt it. And why is proactive action from Bush and Obama required? Because the Bad Orange Man is Bad, you see. And were all going to die because of it.

Dear President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama,

The moment you have sought to avoid for nearly four years is here. We are witnessing one of the worst crises to ever confront the United States and one of the worst government failures in the history of the country you served and love

But both of you knew what the job of the president is in times of crisis and how to manage the basic blocking and tackling of government responses.

President Donald Trump has now proven what many of us long suspected: He has not done any of this, because he cannot do it. He lacks the most basic capabilities required of a president in this moment.

America doesnt just deserve better. We need better.

Click through and read the letter if you wish. But the first thing to remember is that the Bulwark only exists as a bastion for NeverTrumpers. It was formed by Charlie Sykes and Bill Kristol as a refuge when the vast majority of Republicans and conservatives across the country refused to follow their lead and try to elect a Democrat instead of Donald Trump. And reading the various insults and accusations littering this column, it quickly becomes obvious that Stoddard fits right in at the Bulwark like a hand in a glove.

If you do read the entire letter, youll notice a couple of things that are missing. First of all, the author repeatedly finds ways to accuse President Trump of having failed to properly lead the nation and deal with the coronavirus pandemic. But she never gets around to very many specifics in what Trump either failed to do or did incorrectly. She accuses him of minimizing the threat the virus posed for weeks. Thats certainly true, but his own experts from the CDC and medical authorities in other countries were doing the same thing.

Stoddard further declares that the President ignored monthsyearsworth of warnings and calls to action to move faster on testing capacity and to stockpile essential medical supplies. Pardon me, but werent those the same warnings that had been sounded all through the Obama/Biden administration? Hindsight is 20-20, but lets not pretend that this was something that suddenly cropped up in January of 2017.

In terms of not taking enough action, you will recall that once the scope of the threat was becoming apparent, Trump moved quickly to institute the first travel bans. And he took a lot of heat over that, including criticism coming from at least one of the Bulwarks founders, among others. Looking back, that turned out to be a rather prescient decision. Since then hes been yammering at the automotive industry to build ventilators and encouraging other companies to start making masks. Do you expect him to start sewing them all himself?

And finally, even if Barack Obama and George W. Bush suddenly decide to start taking their marching orders from this columnist, what exactly is that supposed to accomplish? Do you really think that Donald Trump is suddenly going to hear them talking, slap his forehead and ask how he could have been so stupid for the past three months? Have you even seen the President? Thats not really his style.

If anyone else, including Ms. Stoddard, has a concrete plan of action as to what the government should currently be doing differently to minimize the damage from the pandemic, document it thoroughly and put it out there so we can debate it. Im pretty sure that everyone in the country including the President is searching for the best answers possible to what may be a completely intractable challenge. It would be more productive to be part of the solution than simply sitting back and throwing darts at a president you dont care for.

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NeverTrumper calls on Obama and Bush 43 to chastise Trump - Hot Air