White House Briefing With the Wuhan Coronavirus Task Force

It will be a day to be be proud of when we look back after beating this virus...and that's all for today.

Pence ends by thanking those essential workers and the rest of the country for stepping up regarding following social distancing guidelines...

surveillance testing is more about identifying those who might have had it and recovered, those who carry anti-bodies etc. - better targeting to prepare for when this becomes a seasonal illness

Goal is to transition from diagnostic testing to surveillance testing by late summer 

Dr. Fauci in few words: The biggest enemy of the R0 is separation. 

Dr. Birx to the question of whether the R0 really is "6," as the reporter asserted. 

We will start triangulating data with hospitalizations... We are seeing the significant cases.

The only way to know the true R0 is to get the antibody testing out there, particularly in hospitals, to healthcare works, emts and nursing homes.

Pence says no one wants to reopen America more than Donald Trump 

Reporter says there have been reported of re-infection by those who had Wuhan coronavirus

Dr. Fauci says we need to be careful about the term "re-infection" - he wants to see the data. 

Scalia: We will not tolerate workplace retaliation. Will work with OSHA and enforce just treatment if needed

Scalia: Gig workers weren't previously eligible for unemployment benefits. They are now. 

Eugene Scalia: These benefits are designed to make Americans whole

Help is on the way for New York.

"As the New York metropolitan area continues its battle against the outbreak, the full power of the federal government is there to support them." – @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/SRmvWQAt4l

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) April 9, 2020

Dr. Fauci: Data is real. Model is hypothesis re projection numbers and death rates.

Commenting on how the total death rate has been halved since last week. 

Dr. Fauci says "we're going in the right direction." 

There are record deaths every day,  but they are seeing "dramatic decreases" in the need for hospitalizations.

Dr. Fauci: Social mitigation protocols are working 

Fauci: We're seeing a decrease in hospitalizations, it's going in the right direction.

Dr. Birx notes that in the new outbreaks in places like D.C. and Denver, it looks like the attack rates are much lower than NY and NJ.

Good news: 40 percent of those on ventilators in Louisiana no longer need them - they're recovering. 

The numbers.

Dr. Birx on testing so far:Up to age 25: 200,000 tested with 11% positivity rateBetween 25 and 45: 500,000+ tested, 17%Between 45 and 65: Nearly 500,000, 21%Between 65 and 85: Nearly 200,000, 22%Over age 85: About 30,000+ tested, 24%

— Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) April 9, 2020

Dr. Birx: WA and CA still have "extraordinarily low attack rates" because of early mitigation efforts.