WASHINGTON, D.C. – Update:
President Donald Trump announced Saturday during a press briefing that an individual diagnosed with the coronavirus in Washington state has died.
This is the first coronavirus death in the U.S., officials say.
As of Saturday, Trump said 22 patients in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the coronavirus so far and more cases are expected. However, Trump and other health officials say the risk to the average American is still low.
First death from coronavirus in the United States confirmed in Washington state, officials say
Trump said U.S. citizens that are healthy but do get diagnosed with the coronavirus are expected to make a full recovery.
“Healthy people - if you’re healthy, you will probably go through a process and you’ll be fine,” Trump said during Saturday’s briefing.
You can watch the full President Trump briefing on the coronavirus below:
President Trump also alluded that the coronavirus numbers in China are improving.
“China seems to be making tremendous progress. Their numbers are way down,” Trump said.
During the briefing, Trump said after implementing travel restrictions to and from China, they have made all the difference in containing the virus and keeping the coronavirus threat low to U.S. citizens.
Vice President Mike Pence said the White House Coronavirus Task Force received approval from President Trump Saturday morning to implement more travel bans in an effort to help keep the virus contained.
Pence said Americans will be banned from traveling to Iran and specific regions in Italy and South Korea most affected by the coronavirus.
The task force also plans to create a supplemental funding bill to assist with providing essential medical supplies.
Going forward, President Trump said his administration will meet with pharmaceutical companies on Monday at the White House to talk about developing a possible vaccine for the coronavirus, which Trump claims is already in the works.
“Our country is prepared for any circumstance,” Trump said. “This is no reason to panic.”
We’ll bring more details as they become available.
Everything we know about the coronavirus in San Antonio
Original:
President Donald Trump held a press briefing Saturday afternoon at the White House to discuss the latest updates surrounding the coronavirus.
I will be having a 1:30 P.M. Press Conference at the White House to discuss the latest CoronaVirus developments. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 29, 2020
The president announced the planned briefing on Twitter just after 11 a.m.
Trump held another press conference on the coronavirus earlier this week.
As of Saturday, CNN reported there are at least four coronavirus cases in the U.S. that are not travel-related, according to health officials.
A woman in Oregon and a teenage boy in Washington state are presumed to have the coronavirus; however, the results haven’t been officially confirmed by the CDC as of yet, CNN reports.
The two other cases are reportedly in California, per CNN.
KSAT 12 will be streaming the press conference online and we’ll bring more updates as they become available.