President Trump announced that he plans to hold a press conference Friday afternoon to address the coronavirus crisis, as concerns over the spreading outbreak wreak havoc on the economy and American life.
According to Fox News, the president is expected to declare a national emergency.
The announcement comes as major sporting and entertainment events are being cancelled or postponed, businesses across the country institute telework policies, government buildings and schools shutter and other disruptions rock the nation, amid efforts to curb the transmission of the virus. It also comes amid conflicting reports over whether another person who came in contact with Trump in recent days -- Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro -- tested positive. Initial info indicated that he tested positive, but his son has since said that everything is fine.
The president has not been tested for coronavirus, even after having met with individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or interacted with others who have. Earlier this week, several Republican lawmakers went into self-quarantine, after an attendee of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26 to Feb. 29 notified CPAC organizers that he had tested positive. Both Trump and Vice President Pence, who has been appointed to lead the official Coronavirus Task Force, attended and spoke at CPAC. Neither came in contact with the ill individual, according to the White House.