President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE on Tuesday said the administration is no longer seriously considering closing the southern border due to the spread of the coronavirus, three days after he said the idea was being weighed "very strongly."

"We're not looking at it very strongly," Trump said during a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

"I don’t think we’ve seen any great evidence that that area's a problem at this moment," he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

The comments mark a significant reversal from Saturday, when Trump suggested closing the southern border was on the table.

"We have received a lot of power on the southern border over the last couple years from the courts, but we are looking at that very strongly," he said during a news conference.

Mexico last week confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus, which has spread to numerous countries.

There are 60 confirmed cases in the U.S., not including Americans repatriated from China or the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Officials in Washington state have reported nine deaths from the virus, and new cases are being reported on a near-daily basis.

Trump and other officials have stressed that the risk for most Americans of contracting the coronavirus remains low. The president said earlier Tuesday that he was not considering restricting domestic travel because of the spread of the disease.