Washington's Jay Inslee accuses Donald Trump of 'fomenting rebellion' for backing lockdown rebels - Daily Mail

Washington governor Jay Inslee accuses 'unhinged' Donald Trump of 'fomenting domestic rebellion' and risking violence in a 'dangerous meltdown' after president backed lockdown rebels

• President Trump made himself the star of the 'lockdown rebellion' by tweeting 'LIBERATE Minnesota' on Friday 
• He quickly followed that up by saying that Michigan and Virginia should also be liberated 
• All three states have Democratic governors who are facing protests from residents who believe the coronavirus stay at home orders have gone too far  
• Washington governor Jay Inslee responded with a lengthy and personal condemnation of the 'unhinged' president 
• 'He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to 'liberate' states could also lead to violence,' Inslee said in a statement
• 'The president is off the rails. He's not quoting scientists and doctors but spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric,' he said 
• Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

By Nikki Schwab, Senior U.s. Political Reporter For Dailymail.com

Published: 22:38 BST, 17 April 2020 | Updated: 01:09 BST, 18 April 2020

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Washington governor Jay Inslee launched a scathing condemnation of Donald Trump Friday, accusing him of 'fomenting domestic rebellion' after the president tweeted support for protests against a series of statewide lockdowns.

Trump made himself the star of the 'lockdown rebellion' on Friday by tweeting 'LIBERATE Minnesota' and then adding Michigan and Virginia to the list of states that should be 'freed' as protesters carrying Trump 2020 paraphernalia descended on a series of capitols.

Inslee, whose state had the first case of coronavirus, the first deaths, and the first restrictions, launched a lengthy broadside against Trump, calling his tweets 'unhinged rantings,' and accusing him of risking violence.

Inslee was called a 'snake' by Trump, who mocked his failed presidential run, during an earlier clash with governors but the Washington Democrat's lengthy attack came hours after New York's Andrew Cuomo unloaded on Trump on live television, mocking his demand for gratitude for federal help and saying: 'Thank you for doing your job.'

Governors have increasingly clashed with Trump, particularly after his head-snapping week which saw him first proclaim 'total authority' to decide on re-opening the country, then a complete volte-face to saying states 'call the shots.' 

The Washington governor said: 'The president's statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. 

'He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to 'liberate' states could also lead to violence.'

He called the tweets 'fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies' and said they were in contrast to the 'sensible' guidelines Trump had unveiled Thursday on re-opening the economy.

But he suggested Trump was not the master of the plan, saying 'Trump slowly read his script,' and added: 'Less than 24 hours later, the president is off the rails. He's not quoting scientists and doctors but spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric.'

Governors against Trump: Washington's Jay Inslee called Trump's 'ranting' in support of 'liberate' demonstrations 'unhinged' in a personal and lengthy condemnation, while in St Paul, Minnesota governor Tim Walz was targeted at home by protesters waving Trump banners

How Inslee went after Trump - scroll down to read his full statement

A number of protesters flew pro-Trump flags Friday outside the Minnesota governor's home as they encouraged the Democrat to 'open Minnesota now!' 

On Friday, crowds gathered outside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's official residence again, to protest having to stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic  

President Trump did an about-face on Friday and started tweeting that states should be 'liberated' from the stay at home orders put in place by governors to keep people from spreading the coronavirus 

The president began by tweeting 'LIBERATE MINNESOTA!' as protesters gathered at the home of the Democratic governor Friday morning - then followed by offering the same message in Michigan

Then the president said that Michigan and Virginia, two more states under Democratic control, should also be liberated, adding in Virginia that the 2nd Amendment needed to be 'saved' 

INSLEE ON TRUMP: HIS FULL STATEMENT 

The president's statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting COVID-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to 'liberate' states could also lead to violence. We've seen it before.

The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted.

Just yesterday, the president stood alongside White House officials and public health experts and said science would guide his plan for easing restrictions. The White House released a sensible plan laying out many of the guidelines that I agree are essential to follow, as we work to resume economic activity. Trump slowly read his script and said the plan was based on 'hard, verifiable data' and was done 'in consultation with scientists, experts and medical professionals across government.'

Less than 24 hours later, the president is off the rails. He's not quoting scientists and doctors but spewing dangerous, anti-democratic rhetoric.

We appreciate our continued communication with the vice president, Dr. Birx, Admiral Polowczyk, Admiral Giroir and others in the federal government, but their work is undermined by the president's irresponsible statements.

I hope someday we can look at today's meltdown as something to be pitied, rather than condemned. But we don't have that luxury today. There is too much at stake.

'The president's call to action today threatens to undermine his own goal of recovery by further delaying the ability of states to amend current interventions in a safe, evidence-based way. His words are likely to cause COVID-19 infections to spike in places where social distancing is working — and if infections are increasing in those places, that will further postpone the 14 days of decline that his own guidance says is necessary before modifying any interventions.

'I hope political leaders of all sorts will speak out firmly against the president's calls for rebellion. Americans need to work together to protect each other. It's the only way to slow the spread of this deadly virus and get us on the road to recovery.' 

And he warned: 'His words are likely to cause COVID-19 infections to spike in places where social distancing is working — and if infections are increasing in those places, that will further postpone the 14 days of decline that his own guidance says is necessary before modifying any interventions.'

The clash came one day after the president's coronavirus taskforce rolled out guidelines that would give governors broad power to decide when states' economies would open back up amid the coronavirus pandemic.   

But governors, including Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, have attracted protests from constituents complaining that the stay at home orders to prevent the spread of the deadly virus have trampled on their liberty. 

All three states that Trump singled out have Democratic governors - and are potentially swing states in the 2020 election. 

On Wednesday, thousands of protesters showed up to Michigan's state capitol in their vehicles to demonstrate against Whitmer's order - the strictest in the nation. 

Whitmer has banned residents from visiting their neighbors and has told large retailers to close off sections dedicated to home improvement goods.   

The protest - called 'Operation Gridlock - was devised by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is linked to the family of Trump's Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.     

It featured some of the elements of a Trump campaign rally including 'lock her up' chants and large Trump 2020 flags. Some protesters also brought Confederate flags, despite Michigan being part of the Union during the Civil War. 

'We are all on the same team when it comes to defeating COVID-19. Right now the governor is focused on saving lives and protecting Michigan families,' a spokesperson for Whitmer said, responding to the president's tweet.

'As the governor has said, we're not going to reopen Michigan's economy via tweet,' the spokesperson added. 

Whitmer did say Friday morning, however, that she hoped she would be able to open a part of the Michigan economy by May 1 - the day that Trump has been touting, as it marks the expiration of the '30 Days to Slow the Spread' federal guidelines. 

'I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1st, but it's two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly,' she said.  

Signs are posted at the gate outside of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's official residence on Friday in St. Paul 

The crowd in Minnesota did not practice proper social distancing nor did protesters wear masks, which could potentially curb the spread of the virus. 

At a press conference Friday afternoon, Whitmer was asked if the president's tweet were encouraging protesters. 

WHAT DO 'LIBERATE' TARGETS HAVE IN COMMON? 

Donald Trump tweeted support for protests in three states: Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia.

Each of them have personal animus for Trump.

Michigan

Trump's path to election success in 2016 ran through Michigan, which he won by 10,704 votes. Failing to keep Michigan might not be a fatal blow but it would make his path to re-election even more difficult. Its Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer has been discussed as a possible Joe Biden running mate, so disrupting her handling of the coronavirus crisis could help on a national scale too.

Minnesota

Trump came close to flipping the state in 2016, losing by just 44,765 votes in what has been a long-reliable Democratic state. Trump has nursed a belief he can flip it this time, holding rallies there when he has ignored other blue states. Senator Amy Klobuchar is another possible Biden running mate and associating her with problems over the coronavirus crisis could be electorally useful.

Virginia

The Washington D.C. suburbs have turned a once-reliable Republican territory into fairly certain Democratic territory in 2020. In 2018, Democrats' suburban wave put them in charge of the governor's mansion and the capitol and Republicans lost Congressional seats. Trump is considered unlikely to be competitive in a state trending from purple to blue but the Democratic takeover of the state across the Potomac has weighed on his party and if he can at least reverse the Congressional wave, his ambition of flipping back the House in 2020 would come closer. 

'I hope that it's not encouraging more protests,' she told reporters. 

She commiserated with the underlying concerns. 'People are feeling very anxious, you know?'  

'The last thing I want to do is have a second wave here, so we've got to be really smart,' she said. 

She also responded to another planned protest, which is supposed to take place next Wednesday. 

'I totally respect people's right to dissent and voice their disagreement with decisions I've made,' she said. 'If people are going to come to town I ask them that they do so that keeps themselves safe and others as well.'  

And on Thursday and Friday, protesters showed up outside the residence of Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, saying they, too, wanted to get back to work - despite widespread COVID-19 testing not being available yet. 

Walz did ease some of his state's restriction on Friday pertaining to outdoor activities. 

Minnesota residents would now be allowed to golf, boat, fish, hunt and hike as long as proper social distancing was practiced. 

'It's important for us to stay active and enjoy the outdoors while preventing the spread of COVID-19,' Walz said, according to KEYC News. 'This measure will allow Minnesotans to take advantage of more opportunities to get outside, while still doing their part to keep their neighbors healthy.'

Medical professionals have advised Americans to stay at home so the country can 'flatten the curve' - basically slow the spread of the disease so that medical facilities don't get overhwhelmed. 

Friday's tweets come as a surprise because on Thursday when Trump was asked what his message to the demonstrators was, he declined to jump in the fray.   

'It's been a tough process for people,' Trump said. 

'And I watched, in one particular state, where they were - they want to get back. They want to get back. There were very strict sanctions that were put on people, that was probably the most strict of all,' the president added, a likely reference to Michigan.

A reporter then asked if the president would urge those protesters to listen to their local authorities. 

'I think they're listening. I think they listen to me,' the president said. 'They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion. And my opinion is the same as just about all the governors,' the president said.     

But Democratic governors, including Virginia's Ralph Northam, have been extending business closures. 

Arlen Penfield of Goochland, Virginia holds up a sign demanding that Virginia be reopened in a protest Thursday in Richmond 

Protesters showed up to the Virginia state capitol on Thursday to demonstrate against Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam stay at home order 

Protesters in Michigan on Wednesday brandished weapons and held up Trump/Pence flags and signs demanding an end to the lockdown 

On Wednesday Northam announced that entertainment businesses in the commonwealth, including movie theaters and gyms, would remain closed through May 8. 

Previously that policy was set to expire on April 23.  

In his tweet directed at Virginia, Trump also advised residents to 'save your great 2nd Amendment.' 

'It is under siege!' Trump said. 

A week ago, Northam signed a new gun control bill into law. 

Northam was asked about the president's tweet at a Friday afternoon press conference.  

'I would just simply say that as the governor of the commonwealth of Virginia I, along with this staff, is fighting a biological war,' the Virginia Democrat said. 'I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars.' 

'I will continue to make sure that I do everything that I can to keep Virginians safe and to save lives,' Northam added. 

Conservative pundits and Republican governors have been the ones pushing for Americans to get back to work - fearing that the economic destruction caused by people staying at home is worse than the wrath of the virus, which has so far killed a confirmed 38,846 Americans. 

States with Republican governors were the last to put stay at home orders in place and there are still some hold-outs, including South Dakota where GOP Gov. Kristi Noem said Americans were giving up their 'liberties for a little bit of security.'   

Infections in South Dakota have tripled in one week. 

'I believe that South Dakotans can make the best decisions to keep themselves and their loved-ones safe,' Noem tweeted Thursday. 

Noem said that the state's biggest outbreak, in a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant, would have happened even if she would have put a lockdown order in place.  

'What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure. Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it's an important part of our nation's food supply,' Noem said. 

States including Utah, North Carolina and Ohio also saw demonstrations this week, and more are planned for the coming days, including in Oregon, Idaho and Texas.

The US states with tentative re-opening dates: Alabama, Idaho, Ohio and Michigan have plans to lift restrictions on May 1 - a day after Trump outlined guidelines and hard-hit places like New York extended lockdowns until May 15

A handful of US states already have tentative dates to open up again following coronavirus-related lockdowns as President Donald Trump outlined guidelines for a phased reopening of the devastated US economy. 

Alabama, Idaho, Ohio and Michigan have all expressed plans to reopen in some form by May 1, while Colorado has indicted April 26 and Oklahoma says April 30 for possible dates to kick start parts of their economies again.  

Several others, like Texas and Florida, are expected on Friday to announce updated timetables for lifting restrictions just one day after Trump's announcement. 

Meanwhile, states like hard-hit New York had already committed to extending lockdown measures into at least mid-May prior to Trump unveiling his three-stage guidelines. 

About 95 percent of the country currently remains on some form of lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus. 

There are varying degrees of stay-at-home orders in those states with the most extreme shutting down all non-essential businesses and urging people to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary. 

Seven states - Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming - still have no stay-at-home orders in place for its residents. 

Despite no stay-at-home orders in those seven states, some have closed down schools and some non-essential businesses amid the pandemic. They too are looking to start reopening the state economies. 

Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine announced on Thursday his state was planning to reopen some businesses on May 1. 

'We must get Ohio's economy moving again. We must get people back to work,' DeWine said during his coronavirus briefing.

The governor said he had put together an economic advisory board, which is made up of small and big business CEOs, as part of the plan to start reopening.  

In re-opening any business, DeWine said it was essential to provide a safe working environment to avoid a spike in coronavirus cases.

'During the stay at home time, the companies that were allowed to continue have learned a lot and we've seen them put in place some very, very stringent measures. In a sense, this has been a trial period where we can see some of the things that work,' he said.

He said the advisory board was currently working on the plan, saying: 'We've got a lot more work to do between now and May 1 because we want to get this right.'

DeWine did, however, warn that life would not resume as normal for some period of time: 'I am an optimist and am confident that Ohioans will also live up to the challenge of doing things differently as we open back up beginning on May 1.'  

Michigan's Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine have both flagged the possibility of partly re-opening their respective states by May 1 

Trump on Thursday gave governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out 'a phased and deliberate approach' to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases

Michigan's Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday she hoped to begin re-engaging parts of the economy on May 1. 

Her state has faced one of the fastest growing infection rates but some residents have taken to the streets in protest over the strict lockdown and their inability to return to work.  

'I do hope to have some relaxing come May 1 but it's two weeks away, and the information, the data and our ability to test is changing so rapidly,' she said in an interview with GMA. 'It's hard to tell you precisely where we'll be one week from now, let alone two weeks from now.'

It comes after four sheriffs issued a joint statement saying that while they would spread public health messages about hand-washing and social distancing, they would not strictly enforce Whitmer's stay-at-home policy because people needed to get back to normal life. 

Mississippi's Republican Governor Tate Reeves said he would extend by a week a stay-at-home order that was set to expire on Monday while easing some restrictions early next week. 

In Utah, Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox told CNN that parts of the state economy may reopen cautiously in the next couple of weeks. 

In Texas and Florida, Republican governors were expected on Friday to outline plans for a gradual reopening of their states with both of the stay-at-home guidelines set to expire on April 30. 

The governors of states in various parts of the country have already agreed to work together to coordinate reopening their states. 

Seven Midwestern governors announced on Thursday they would coordinate after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast.  The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. 

The West Coast pact includes: Washington, Oregon and California and the Northeast includes: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

It comes as Trump gave governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out 'a phased and deliberate approach' to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.  

The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations. They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak. 

Guidelines largely reinforce plans already in the works by governors who have primary responsibility for public health in their states. 

The United States has seen the highest death toll of any country in the pandemic, and public health officials have warned that a premature easing of social distancing orders could exacerbate it.

The political wrangling over the COVID-19 crisis has begun to take on familiar partisan battle lines. Democratic strongholds in dense urban centers such as Seattle and Detroit have been hard hit by the virus, while more Republican-leaning rural communities are struggling with the shuttered economy but have seen fewer cases. 

Increasingly, Republican state lawmakers, including some in Texas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, have begun putting pressure on governors to reopen businesses. Pennsylvania's Republican-led legislature passed a bill that would loosen restrictions, which Democratic Governor Tom Wolf was expected to veto.     

STATE-WIDE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWNS

Alabama  

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Non-essential businesses closed to the public
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 

Alaska 

• Indefinite stay-at-home order 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work 
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 
• Travelers from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 

Arizona 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 

Arkansas 

• No state-wide stay-at-home order 
• 10 person limit on gatherings - doesn't apply to unenclosed outdoor spaces or places of worship
• Gym and entertainment venues closed, hotels and vacation rentals restricted to authorized guests
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 

California

• Indefinite stay-at-home order 
• Gatherings in a single room or place prohibited
• Nonessential businesses are limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only

A sign promoting awareness of COVID-19 hangs over a road in Ketchum, Idaho

Colorado 

• Stay-at-home order through April 26
• Public and private gatherings of any number prohibited with limited exceptions
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
• Restaurants and bars limited to takeout only

Connecticut 

• Stay-at-home order through May 20 
• Five person limit on social gatherings, 50-person limit for religious services 
• Non-essential businesses must suspend all in-person operations
• Out-of-state visitors strongly urged to self-quarantine
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Delaware 

• Stay-at-home order through May 15 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state who aren’t just passing through must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Florida 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• No social gatherings public spaces - with religious exemptions
• Nonessential services closed to the public - but gun stores remain open
• Visitors from COVID-19 hot spots such as New York must self-quarantine for 14 days
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Georgia

• Shelter-in-place order until April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Hawaii

• Stay-at-home order at least through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Idaho

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• Non-essential gatherings prohibited 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Illinois

• Stay-at-home order through at least April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Golfers practice social distancing at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia

Indiana

• Stay-at-home order through April 20, but likely to be extended 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Iowa

• No stay-at-home order 
• Nonessential businesses ordered to close until April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Kansas

• Stay-at-home order until May 3 
• 10 person limit on gatherings - exempting funerals and religious services with social distancing
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Residents who traveled to California, Florida, New York or Washington state after March 14, or visited Illinois or New Jersey after March 22, must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Kentucky 

• No stay-at-home order 
• Mass gatherings prohibited, smaller gatherings allowed with social distancing 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Louisiana 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

A customer wears a face mask while picking up food at the Municipal Fish Market in DC

Maine

• 'Stay healthy at home' executive order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Maryland 

• Indefinite stay-at-home order 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Massachusetts

• Non-essential businesses closed through May 4 
• 10 person limit on gatherings 
• Visitors from out of state advised to self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Michigan 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• Public gatherings prohibited - with religious exemptions  
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Minnesota 

• Stay-at-home order through May 3
• Entertainment and performance venues closed 
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only 

Mississippi 

• Stay at home order through April 20
• Schools closed through the end of the semester
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Missouri

• 'Stay Home Missouri' order through April 24
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses must enforce social distancing  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Montana

• Stay-at-home order through April 24
• Nonessential social and recreational gatherings prohibited  
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Nebraska

• No stay-at-home order
• Hair salons, tattoo parlors and strip clubs closed through May 31 
• 10 person limit on gatherings  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Nevada

• Stay-at-home order through April 30.
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Recreational, entertainment and personal-care businesses closed, including casinos  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New Hampshire

• Stay-at-home order through May 4 
• Nine person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New Jersey

• Indefinite stay-at-home order
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential retail businesses must close bricks-and-mortar premises. Recreational and entertainment businesses also closed  
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New Mexico

• Stay-at-home order through April 30  
• Five person limit on gatherings in a single room
• Nonessential businesses must suspend all in-person operations 
• Arriving air travelers must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

New York 

• Stay-at-home order through May 15
• Nonessential gatherings prohibited   
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only
• Masks must be worn in situations where social distancing is not possible 

North Carolina

• Stay-at-home order through April 29
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

North Dakota

• No stay-at-home order
• Schools, restaurants, fitness centers, movie theaters and salons closed
• No state-wide directive on gatherings  
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Ohio

• Stay-at-home order through May 1
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Oklahoma

• 'Safer at Home' order until April 30 for people over the age of 65 and other vulnerable residents
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses must suspend services 
• Visitors arriving from New York, California, Louisiana and Washington must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Oregon

•  Indefinite stay-at-home order
• 25 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Pennsylvania 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• Gatherings prohibited 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Rhode Island

• Stay-at-home order through May 8 
• Five person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

A couple in protective masks walk through Central Park in New York City

South Carolina

• 'State of Emergency' executive order extended through at least April 27 
• Three person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

South Dakota

• No stay-at-home order
• Unnecessary gatherings of 10 or more prohibited

Tennessee 

• Stay-at-home order through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Texas

• Stay-at-home order through April 30 
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Air travelers flying to Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana or Washington - or Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Miami - must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Utah

• No stay-at-home order
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Businesses must minimize face-to-face contact with high-risk employees  
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Vermont

• Stay-at-home order through May 15
• 10 person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from out of state must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Virginia

• Stay-at-home order through June 10
• Recreation and entertainment businesses closed through May 8 
• 10 person limit on gatherings 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Washington

• Stay-at-home order through May 4
• All gatherings for social, spiritual and recreational purposes are prohibited 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

West Virginia

• Indefinite stay-at-home order
• Five-person limit on gatherings
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Visitors from coronavirus hotspots must self-quarantine for 14 days 
•  Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only

Wisconsin

• 'Safer at Home' order prohibits all nonessential travel until May 26 
• All public and private gatherings are prohibited with limited exceptions. 
• Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work
• Self-quarantine recommended for out-of-state visitors 
• Bars and restaurants limited to take-out only 

Wyoming 

• No stay-at-home order - but social distancing restrictions through April 30
• 10 person limit on gatherings in a confined space
• Restaurants and bars limited to take-out only 
• Anyone entering the state except for essential work must quarantine for 14 days

READ ANDREW CUOMO'S FULL ASTONISHING ATTACK ON DONALD TRUMP

Reporter: It appears the president is also watching this press conference. He tweeted 13 minutes ago. 'Governor Cuomo should spend more time doing and less time complaining. Get out there and get the job done. Stop talking! We built you thousands of hospital beds that you didn't need or use, gave large numbers of Ventilators that you should have had, and helped you with testing that you should be doing.' It goes on a little bit more. So wondering if you could respond to that and also the question about the overwhelmed ICUs.

Cuomo: 

Good. Let's respond to the President.

First of all, if he's sitting home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work, right.

Seoncd, let's keep emotion and politics out of this and personal ego if we can because this is about the people and our job and let's try to focus on that.

I have said repeatedly that when we were fighting for the additional capacity for our hospital system, that the president moved very quicky and I applauded him for it and he brought the Army Corps of Engineers and he brought them up to build the Javits Center capacity. Twenty-five hundred beds.

He's wrong it hasn't been used. About 800 people have gone through Javits.

To dismiss 800 people is disrespectful, but we didn't use 2,500 beds because we didn't reach the capacity.

When he says 'well we built it, we didn't need it' it sounds like, the suggestion is, well it was request by the state that wasn't valid. If he didn't really believe 2,500 beds was necessary, I dont believe the federal government would have built the 2,500 beds.

And the number came from a projection from him. Him. So he should read the reports he issues.

The White House coronavirus task force had enormous, projected in the millions of people.

The CDC - which is the president - projected in the millions of people. So the projections were high. They were the president's projections.

So for him to say to anyone, well you relied on projections and the projections were wrong, they're your projections, Mr. president.

So were we foolish for relying on your projections Mr. President? CDC? Coronavirus task force? That's you. We relied on your projections. OK, shouldn't have relied on your projections.

Actually, I think the president has a better argument: yes we should have built 2,500 beds because the projection said it could get that bad and because we worked together, we flattened the curve and we didn't hit the projection – which is actually what happened.

But don't suggest that anyone made a mistake relying on your projections, or on Cornell, Columbia, McKinsey, etc.

Second, I have said on a number of times – I don't know, what am I supposed to do, send a bouquet of flowers? - they were very helpful on Javits, they were very helpful sending US Navy Ship Comfort, they were on very helpful in intervening with China and getting PPE equipment out of China. They were very helpful in helping us find ventilators. I said 'thank you, thank you, thank you.'

Now, going forward, we're still in the midst of it. The president doesn't want to help on testing. I said eleven times, I said the one issue we need help with is testing.

He said 11 times i dont want to get involved in testing, it's too complicated, it's too hard.

I know it's too complicated and too hard. That's why we need help. I can't do an international supply chain.

He wants to say: 'Well I did enough.' Yeah, none of us have done enough. We haven't, because it's not over.

So yes, thank you for the Javits, thank you for the US Navy Ship Comfort. But it's not over. We have a lot more to do and no one can do the posture of 'just say thank you for what Ive done, and I'm now out, I'm not doing anything else. [Rubs hands] I've done my part.' [Holds up hands]

What if I said to the people of my state, OK, I'm done. By the way, I've saved hundreds of thousands of lives, I've flattened the curve, I've created more hospital beds than anyone imagined, I'm done. I'm going home, I'm going to go see my mother, spend time with my kids and I'm going to go out fishing - in Connecticut, because their marinas are open. That's it, I'm done.

What if I said that? That's what he's saying: 'I'm done, I don't want to help on testing, testing is too hard.'

And then the only thing he's doing, let's be honest, is 'it's up to the states to do reopening.'

By the way, it was always up to the states. What, are you going to grant me what the Constitution gave me before you were born? It's called the 10th Amendment.

I dont need the president of the United States to tell me that I am governor and I don't need the president of the United States to tell to me the powers of a state. People did that: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison – they are the ones who gave me the power. And I don't need the president of the United States to read the Constiution for me.

Maybe he should have read the Constitution before he said he had the power to open the states.

Where he did a very graceful 180 and many people allowed him to do the graceful 180, but.

So he now says it's up to the governors, which he said repeatedly now - yesterday, version of yesterday – and now it's up to the governors to reopen. OK I get it, and you don't want to help on testing, which is a national problem and replicates the same chaos that you created with medical supplies because FEMA wasn't ready.

By the way – I needed a stockpile? Where was your stockpile? 10,000 ventilators for the nation? That was your stockpile? Where your projections, the federal projections said they would need double the hospital capacity of this nation. Think about that. The CDC says double the hospital capacity of the nation. The minimum projection was 2.4 million hospital beds. You know how many hospital beds we have in this nation? 900,000. His projection says 2.4 million hospital beds, the whole hospital system is only 900 and his stockpile has 10,000 ventilators.

You were ready with your stockpile? Didn't you read your own CDC projection? Didn't you read your own coronavirus projection?

So thank you again Mr. President for the Javits, thank you again for the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort, which by the way, is just doing your job as president, it's not really thank you like you wrote a check yourself, but thank you for that. We're not out of the woods, we have to go forward, we need help on testing and we need funding.

It's up to the governors, it's up to the states – well then, provide the funding. No. They only want to pass a bill that funds their small business program for PPP, their small business program. 

You need to fund the small business program. You're going to say, after saying this monumental task is up to the individual governors and the individual states, you're going to say, you're going to say I'm providing no help, no assistance, no financial money. I understand why small businesses need the funding.

By the way, I know that airlines need a bailout - but not the states.

Why don't you show as much consideration to states as you did to your big businesses and airlines? Right.

Reporter: Did you guys speak yesterday or this morning after he asked, announced the May 1st reopening of..

Cuomo: 

No. He didn't announce anything. He said it's up to the states, and if you say it's up to the states and you just hold up a big microphone that can listen to all the governors, you'll hear some governors say I can start to reopen right away, because some governors are in places where they don't have a serious problem. They never did. By the way some states never closed down. So if you're in a state that has a de minimus issue, yeah, then you can open up faster, you can open up tomorrow, or you can stat opening up tomorrow.

He's doing nothing. He said it's up to the states. It's up to the governors which is what it always was because it's always been the governors' power.

Then he says 'it's a 50-piece puzzle.' It's called the map of the United States. It's not a puzzle. And those lines are called states.

And those states have constitutional power. Remember the way this whole thing starts, the colonies create the federal, government, not the other way sound. So, introduction to constitutional theory and policy.

The states have the power to open. The states are opening on their own timelines. We're trying to coordinate with our neighboring states. Western states are co-ordinating. Middle states are coordinating.

All he's doing is walking in front of the parade but he has nothing to do with the timing of the parade, right. The governors are going to open when they think they should open.

All I'm saying is there's two things they need help from. They need help from the federal government, two things: help on testing because they can't do that and I don't want to redo the mayhem of the PPE debacle, second point we need funding to do it.

The way you love talking about how you funded everything; big businesses are getting bailed out, airlines are getting bailed out, bail out, bail out, bailout, all with taxpayers' money. State governments, which are the only ones which are doing this whole reopening, theyre going to need funding, right.

And, well, show gratitude. How many times do you want me to say thank you? And I'm saying thank you for doing your job. This was your role as president, OK. SO that's the honest statement of fact without politics – I'm not running for anything so I have no agenda but delivering for the people of this state - and without ego.

You want me to say thank you? Thank you for doing your job in helping build Javits and sending the U.S. Navy Ship Comfort.

Thank you for participating in a modicum of federal responsibility in a national crisis – which you know is a national crisis because he declared a federal emergency.

So thank you for having the federal government participate in a federal emergency and thank you for your help building Javits, 2,500 beds, pursuant to your projection. Your projection. And if you don't agree with your projection fire the head of the CDC, fire the White House coronavirus task force people, because they did the projections.

In case he forgot, or didn't read his CDC report, just to be precise, March 13, March 13, so we're well into it, CDC says 160 to 214 million Americans infected.

That's over half the population . CDC. 2.4 million to 21 million Americans hospitalized. 2.4 million. Bottom number 21 million Americans hospitalized. March 13th. The CDC. March.

2.4. Let's take their low number, which is a hell of a differential – either 2.4 or 10 times 2.4. Thank you for that great projection, but anyway, let's take their minimum number. How many hospitals beds do you have? 900, let's call it a million. So it's two and a half times what your capacity is, right?

We're the state of New York, we have a 50,000 bed capacity, but by their projections what do we need? 150,000 beds.

By the way, what did McKinsey say that we needed? 140,000 beds. They got it from the CDC, as it says on the screen [shows CDC projections slide].

That's why we built 2,500 beds at Javits, because we listened to you, Mr. President.

And if we were following for listening to you, then shame on us. But read your own report next time before criticizing us.

[Reporter asks question about state funding and is answered by another official]

Can you pull up the White House coronavirus projection, just so the president can read what he said?

[Reporter asks about PPE shortages and nursing homes another official answers]

Cuomo: Excuse me one second. You saw the CDC projections.

This is the White House coronavirus task force, January, February, March 31st, of the projections. 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths without the mitigation, 100 to 240 best case scenario. That's the president's projections.

So Mr. President, if you want to point fingers, which I think is a mistake, you're in the middle of the game, it's only half-time, don't be a Monday morning quarterback at half-time, never works out well, and if you want to point fingers, we built more beds than we needed, our only mistake was in believing your numbers and believing your projections

If that was a mistake then I'm guilty but I thought New York state relying on what you said would have been a safe assumption.

I won't make that mistake again and it was your CDC and your White House coronavirus task force that made those projections.

[Reporter asks about other states reopening. Cuomo speaks about reopening in parts of the state]

Can you put up the Navarro memo, just for kicks, just to make sure? CDC, coronavirus task force and Mr Peter Navarro's memo to the president which the president said he never read. Peter Navarro says 100million Americans can be infected, as many as one to 2 million souls can be lost. SO whose projections were wrong? Head of the CDC, Peter Navarro and head of the White House corona task force.

Fire them all, that's what I say. Fire them. You know the show when the president did- you're fired? If he wants to fire someone for projections, retake his TV career, those are the three. Documented. If he wants to blame someone for the projections, blame the CDC, Peter Navarro, and whoever is on the coronavirus task force, because it's their projections.

Peter Navarro you can fire.

[Reporter: why has this got under your skin]

It's what he said. Well this is an important moment, he's saying he doesn't want to provide funding to the states and he doesn't want to provide help on testing. And I can tell you the states can't do it otherwise and if this testing doesn't work, that's a serious problem. 

I don't care about his politics, but if we don't have federal help on testing, that's a real problem and I'm not going to go through the chaos that was created last time on PPE where people that were genuine heroes couldn't get PPE, because there was a lack of coordination and because everything was made in China. 

We're looking at that situation again, I can tell you that, I know enough to know that.  

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2020-04-18 00:20:01Z
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Coronavirus: Trump calls for some states to be 'liberated' from COVID-19 lockdown - Sky News

President Trump has called on his supporters to "liberate" Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia - all of whom have Democratic governors - as he tries to get the crippled US economy reopened.

Strict stay-at-home orders have been imposed by local politicians in 42 states to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, with businesses closed and millions of Americans out of work.

Some people have started taking to the streets to urge governors to reconsider the COVID-19 restrictions, including a demonstration outside the home of governor Tim Walz in Minnesota.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the governor's residence in Minnesota

There have also been protests in Virginia and Michigan as well as Ohio, Texas, North Carolina and Kentucky.

The president also criticised New York governor Andrew Cuomo, another Democrat, for his comments over the federal response.

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Mr Trump claimed Mr Cuomo should spend more time "doing" and less time "complaining".

Mr Cuomo had earlier said the president was "passing the buck without passing the bucks", accusing the government of underfunding the response.

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He said: "The federal government cannot wipe its hands of this and say, 'Oh, the states are responsible for testing'. We cannot do it. We cannot do it without federal help."

The issue has become a personal one between the two high-profile politicians, with the president tweeting: "Cuomo ridiculously wanted "40 thousand Ventilators". We gave him a small fraction of that number, and it was plenty. State should have had them in stockpile!"

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On Thursday, the president unveiled a three-step set of guidelines for easing restrictions over a time period of several weeks in places that have widespread testing and are seeing a fall in COVID-19 cases.

And he assured the nation's governors "you're going to call your own shots", after previously claiming he had the power to reopen the economy.

But governors from both sides of the political divide are calling for more help from Washington to ramp up testing - as the president put the focus back on them, tweeting: "The States have to step up their testing!"

Andrew Cuomo accused Donald Trump of 'passing the buck without bucks'

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who has been critical of the government's response to the crisis, admitted people were very anxious about their livelihoods and worried about paying the rent when they were out of work.

"But the last thing I want to do is to have a second wave here, so we've got to be really smart," she said.

However, she also said she was hopeful the state could begin to reopen parts of its economy beginning on 1 May.

Ohio's Mike DeWine has already said his state would start to reopen on the same day.

Both governors along with those in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky have formed a partnership to work together on restarting their economies, which make up about 16% of total US economic output.

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2020-04-17 22:13:56Z
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Coronavirus - The Latest: Friday 17 April - The Telegraph

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1. Coronavirus - The Latest: Friday 17 April  The Telegraph
2. Coronavirus: China outbreak city Wuhan raises death toll by 50%  BBC News
3. Coronavirus: China outbreak city Wuhan raises death toll by 50% - BBC News  BBC News
4. How China’s authoritarian system made the pandemic worse  The Washington Post
5. Silenced Wuhan virus lab researcher dubbed ‘Bat Woman’ warned of SARS-like coronavirus outbreaks a YEAR ago  The Sun
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-04-17 20:37:38Z
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Coronavirus outbreak ‘could have started in SEPTEMBER’, scientists warn - The Sun

THE recent coronavirus outbreak could have started as early as September, scientists have said. 

Cases of Covid-19 were believed to have first emerged in December 2019 and were linked to a wet market in Wuhan, China.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

4

Scientists say the initial outbreak occurred in a window between September 13 and December 7Credit: Getty Images - Getty

However, researchers from the University of Cambridge have now claimed the outbreak could have begun six months ago - and much further south than the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

The scientists made their revelation about the virus' origin after analysing a large number of strains from around the world.

And they calculated that the initial outbreak occurred in a window between September 13 and December 7 - before going on to infect more than two million people across the world.

University of Cambridge geneticist Peter Forster said: "The virus may have mutated into its final ‘human-efficient’ form months ago, but stayed inside a bat or other animal or even human for several months without infecting other individuals.

"Then, it started infecting and spreading among humans between September 13 and December 7."

4

The team analysed the different strains of coronavirus using a phylogenetic network – a mathematical process that can map the global movement of organisms through the mutation of their genes.

They were still trying to pinpoint the exact location of "patient zero", and were hoping for help from scientists in China.

However, some early signs were prompting them to look into areas to the south of Wuhan, where coronavirus infections were first reported in December.

“What we reconstruct in the network is the first significant spread among humans,” Forster added.

In the new study, which has not been peer-reviewed, the scientists could trace the origin of the virus' global spread more precisely with every strain they analysed.

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By counting the mutations, they could get closer to working out when the first person was infected by a strain that was closest to the first outbreak.

Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is believed to have originated from bats.

It has been found to share 96 per cent identical genes with a coronavirus isolated by Chinese scientists from bat droppings in the southwestern province of Yunnan in 2013.

Despite this, there were hundreds of mutations between Sars-CoV-2 and the one in Yunnan, and a coronavirus usually acquires one mutation per month.

Some scientists have therefore suspected the virus may have been spreading quietly in host animals and humans for years to gradually evolve to a highly adaptive form that could infect humans.

According to the Cambridge team, the first outbreak could be a recent event involving the last few mutations that completed the leap from harmless strain to deadly pathogen.

4

The virus’ origin has become the subject of countless conspiracy theories.

Online rumours have claimed the virus was created in a lab and is the work of the US military, while other wacky webizens allege the outbreak was designed to stop Brexit.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the virus could have originated from a biosafety laboratory in Wuhan.

Despite this, this lab-origin theory has long been dismissed by top scientists across the world due to scientific evidence pointing to a natural origin.

The ongoing Cambridge study could shed more light on the issue.

“If I am pressed for an answer, I would say the original spread started more likely in southern China than in Wuhan,” Forster said.

4

“But proof can only come from analysing more bats, possibly other potential host animals, and preserved tissue samples in Chinese hospitals stored between September and December.

“This kind of research project would help us understand how the transmission happened, and help us prevent similar instances in the future.”

Su Bing, a genetic researcher with the Kunming Institute of Zoology in Yunnan, said the Cambridge study was eye-opening but their method had its limits.

He revealed that during an unprecedented outbreak, the virus could undergo transformations in unpredictable patterns.

“So it cannot be very precise – there is always a margin for error,” he said.

“This work may provide some important clues to future investigations, but the conclusions should be treated with caution.”

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Earlier this week, it was claimed that the new strain of coronavirus responsible for Covid-19 could have jumped from bats to humans via stray dogs.

They say the virus may have mutated in the intestines of dogs before leaping to humans.

Early studies showed the new strain of coronavirus did originate in bats, but scientists have been trying to find which animal that transferred it from bats to humans.

NHS staff applaud Glasgow 'super gran' as she leaves RAH after Covid-19 battle

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2020-04-17 18:28:07Z
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Indonesia Now Has The Most Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Southeast Asia - NPR

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Indonesians at a traditional market in Bekasi, West Java, on Thursday appear to be ignoring social distancing rules the government put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. REZAS/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Indonesia now has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in all of Southeast Asia, according to numbers released by the government on Friday.

The Health Ministry in Jakarta reports 5,923 positive cases — following the country's largest daily jump of more than 400 new infections since Thursday. COVID-19 has killed 520 people in Indonesia. In the region, only China, where the novel coronavirus originated, has a higher death toll.

"Transmission is still occurring. This has become a national disaster," Health Ministry official Achmad Yurianto said on Friday, Reuters reports.

He also said testing has increased up to threefold in two weeks.

Indonesia's government has faced criticism for not testing earlier and for not swiftly implementing strict social distancing and travel restrictions.

Indonesia, which is the world's fourth most populous country, did not confirm its first cases until March 2. Since then, cases have grown exponentially and on a daily basis, spreading to all 34 provinces across an archipelago of some 17,000 islands. Still, the first lockdown orders weren't issued until over a month later, and the restrictions only applied to the Jakarta capital region and its population of some 30 million.

This week, President Joko Widodo expanded the restrictions to some other parts of the country. He also advised the public to stay home during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts later in April. It's a big ask of the world's most populous Muslim country, as estimated 19.5 million people traveled for the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan last year, according to Bloomberg News.

Experts modeling COVID-19 projections for Indonesia say the outlook is grim.

"It could be [another Italy] if the government intervention continues to be in the category of light to moderate and not high-scale intervention," Iwan Ariawan, a biostatistician at University of Indonesia, told the South China Morning Post. The university predicts cases could soar to more than 1.5 million across the country, with more than 140,000 deaths.

Indonesia's latest case numbers mean the country has surpassed its neighbor the Philippines, which previously had the most known cases in Southeast Asia. The Philippines now has the second-highest confirmed cases in the region at 5,878, and Malaysia and Singapore are close behind, both with more than 5,000 confirmed cases.

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2020-04-17 17:35:43Z
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