Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday evening, President Trump announced he will work with Congress on measures to mitigate the economic fallout caused by the Wuhan virus.
"Thank you very much. We just attended a very important task force meeting on the virus that everybody is talking about all over the world, no matter where they go that's what's on people's minds. We are going to take care of and have been taking care of the American public and the American economy. We are going to be asking tomorrow, we are seeing the Senate, we're going to be meeting with House Republicans, Mitch McConnell, everybody and discussing a possible payroll tax cut or relieve, substantial relief, very substantial relief, it's a big number," President Trump said.
"We're also going to be talking about hourly wage earners getting help so that they can be in a position where they're not going to ever miss a paycheck. We'll be working with companies, small companies, large companies, a lot of companies so that they don't get penalized for something that's not their fault. It's not their fault, it's not our country's fault. This was something that we were thrown into and we're going to handle it, we have been handling it very well. The big decision was early when we shut down our borders."
President Trump also said his administration is working with the travel industry, including the airlines and cruise lines, on how to manage the situation.
"The main thing is we're taking care of the American public," Trump said.
President Trump thanked the Wuhan virus task force for its professionalism and turned the briefing over to Vice President Mike Pence, who announced new guidance will be available soon for American businesses and communities.
Testing for the virus is now available in all state labs in every state in the country. Over one million tests have been distributed this week and four million more will be available by next week.
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