Trump touts coronavirus vaccine progress, doesn’t mention Biden or election
President Trump touted progress in the development of a coronavirus vaccine on Friday but did not discuss the election or his claims of voter fraud in his first public remarks since former Vice President Joe Biden was projected to win the presidency.
Trump appeared to almost acknowledge the pending transition of power as he discussed the surging number of coronavirus cases across the nation.
“This administration will not be going to a lockdown,” Trump said. “Hopefully the, the, whatever happens in the future, who knows, which administration it will be, I guess time will tell. But I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown.”
But Trump made no direct references to the election and took no questions from reporters as he spoke shortly after major media outlets called North Carolina in his favor and a recount got underway in Georgia.
The president instead offered a rosy view on progress toward a vaccine, saying one could be available to the general public “as soon as April.” His optimism comes just days after drugmaker Pfizer announced its vaccine may be 90% effective and Moderna hit a major threshold in its vaccine development.
“We’re ready to go,” after the FDA grants emergency approval, Trump said. “The vaccine will be distributed to frontline workers, the elderly and high-risk Americans immediately. It will be a matter of weeks.”
As the United States continues to set new daily case records, Trump claimed distribution of the vaccine would “effectively end this phase of the pandemic.”
But Trump said deliveries wouldn’t immediately reach New York, where he claimed Gov. Andrew Cuomo “doesn’t trust where the vaccine is coming from.” Cuomo, who’s said he would put together a panel to independently review the vaccines, told MSNBC shortly afterward that “none of what (Trump) said is true.”
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, head of Operation Warp Speed, defended the legitimacy of the vaccines in development and said 20 million doses could be available in December, with 25 to 30 million available each month thereafter.
“I personally feel very comfortable to say that the vaccines and the therapeutics that we have helped develop and accelerate will be judged independently, and if approved, should be used by all in the population,” Slaoui said.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/32JZXzE
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