Trump touts testing numbers as US Covid-19 deaths top 80,000

US President Trump insisted his administration has “met the moment” and “prevailed” on coronavirus testing as deaths in the country topped 80,000 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University amid lockdown-easing measures in nearly every state.

At a briefing in the Rose Garden, Trump, who stood unmasked even as the White House itself became a potent symbol of the risk facing Americans after many of its staff members tested positive for the virus, emphasised the increase in equipment to test for coronavirus, as well as testing locations. 

"In the span of just a few short months, we've developed a testing capacity unmatched and unrivalled anywhere in the world," Trump told media in Washington DC.

"Three weeks ago, we were conducting roughly 150,000 tests per day. Now, we're doing approximately 300,000 tests per day, a 100-percent increase, and it will go up substantially from that number," he said.

Trump said that the US will have conducted more than 10 million tests by the end of this week, nearly double the number of any other country. 

"We're testing more people per capita than South Korea, the UK, France, Japan, Sweden, Finland, Finland and many other countries. And in some cases combined."

'Ask China'

Meanwhile, Trump abruptly ended his White House news conference following combative exchanges with reporters Weijia Jiang of CBS News, who asked Trump why he was putting so much emphasis on the amount of coronavirus tests that have been conducted in the US, and Kaitlan Collins of CNN.

“Why does that matter?” Jiang asked. “Why is this a global competition to you if everyday Americans are still losing their lives and we're still seeing more cases every day?”

Trump replied that “they're losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that's a question you should ask China. Don't ask me. Ask China that question.”

“Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?” Jiang asked. Jiang, who has worked for CBS News since 2015, was born in Xiamen, China, and emigrated to the United States with her family at age 2.

Trump said he would say that to “anyone who asks a nasty question.”

“It's not a nasty question,” Jiang said. “Why does that matter?”

Trump again asked for another question, then said, “Nah, that's OK” and waved off CNN's Collins when she approached the microphone.

“You pointed to me,” Collins said.

The president said, “I pointed to you and you didn't respond.” Collins said she was giving Jiang the time to finish her questioning.

“Can I ask a question?” Collins said.

With that, Trump called an end to the news conference, held in the White House Rose Garden, and walked away.

Deaths in the US, the current epicentre of the global pandemic, have averaged 2,000 a day since mid-April despite efforts to slow the outbreak.

White House staffers to wear masks

His upbeat message on testing was undercut by the new protective measures implemented to keep Trump safe, evidenced by the absence of Vice President Mike Pence and three of the nation's top medical experts, who were in various states of isolation after two cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among staffers in one of the most-protected complexes in America.

A memo to staff Monday directed "everyone who enters the West Wing to wear a mask or facial covering". Staff will be allowed to remove their face coverings if they sit at least six feet apart from their colleagues. 

The directive apparently doesn't apply to the president.

Trump also said that Pence has tested negative for coronavirus but may limit his contact with the vice president.

Trump also suggested that Pence was in quarantine after his press secretary tested positive, though he did not say it outright.

"I would say that he and I will be talking about that," Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked if he was considering limiting contacts with Pence.

"During this quarantine period, we'll probably talk," Trump said, adding: "I have not seen him since then."

"We can talk on the phone," he said. 

"He tested negative, so we have to understand that, but he comes into contact with a lot of people."

Pence's spokesman Devin O'Malley denied weekend press reports that the vice president was in quarantine.

"Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine," O'Malley said. "Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day."

The coronavirus made its first known appearance among the president's entourage a few days ago, when Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive.

Miller is married to Stephen Miller, a senior policy advisor to the president.

A member of the US military who serves as a personal valet to Trump also tested positive.

More than 1.3 million infections

The death toll in the country is higher than any fatality figures from the seasonal flu going back to 1967 and represents more US deaths than during the first 11 years of the AIDS epidemic between1981 to 1992.

Total coronavirus cases in the US have exceeded 1.3 million, with infections rising in states such as Mississippi, Minnesota and Nebraska, highlighting the risk of a new wave of Covid-19 outbreaks.

New York has been the hardest-hit state, with more than 26,600 declared deaths.

Cases are falling in New Jersey and New York, accounting for nearly half of the American deaths from Covid-19, according to the Reuters tally, and the two states have among the strictest lockdown rules still in place.