
Donald Trump insisted Sunday that people stop panic buying and hoarding food and goods as the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. hit 63 and cases neared 3,500.

'We're going to be so good,' Trump claimed in a press conference at the White House Sunday evening, adding, 'Relax, we're doing great. It all will pass.'

'You don't have to buy so much. Take it easy. Just relax,' Trump said, adding that President and CEO of Walmart Doug McMillon said during a conversation earlier in the day that people were buying more than they do at Christmas.

Trump said he spoke with the top industry leaders of various retailers and food stores about coronavirus as shelves in many stores have gone empty as Americans panic buy essentials like toilet paper and bottled water.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the coronavirus task force, also assured Americans during the briefing Sunday that stores would remain open indefinitely.

'As the president said, he received a commitment from those grocery executives that stores will stay open throughout the days that lie ahead,' he said, adding that hours might be changed or reduced so they could do additional cleanings and resupplies.

'American families can be confident, your local grocery stores will be open, it's going to be well supplied. And they specifically asked us to encourage Americans just buy your weekly needs in grocery. Because the grocery stores will remain open,' he reassured.

Trump also urged Americans not to raid stores and hoard supplies during this time.

'There's no need for anybody in the country to hoard essential food supplies,' he insisted.

'They said to me, 'Could you please tell them, just go and buy, enjoy it, have a nice dinner, relax, because there's plenty,' he said of top industry leaders.

Donald Trump told American consumers to stop buying and hoarding necessities as fears of the coronavirus outbreak rocks the nation

'You don't have to buy so much. Take it easy. Just relax,' he said during a briefing at the White House Sunday evening on the developing coronavirus crisis

He left before other members of the coronavirus task force spoke and without taking any questions from the press

Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading the coronavirus task force, reiterated that stores would remain open when he took over the briefing for the president

'American families can be confident, your local grocery stores will be open, it's going to be well supplied,' he said, urging Americans only to buy their weekly needs for groceries and necessities

'But you don't have to buy the quantities because it's hard to refill the stores on a basis as rapid as they're refilling them,' he continued.

'They're going to work 24-hours round the clock keeping their stores stocked. I would like to say people shouldn't go out and buy – we're going to all be great.

'They've actually asked me to say, 'Could you buy a little bit less, please?' I thought I'd never hear that from a retailer,' Trump quipped, lightening the mood in the press briefing room.

The president said the federal, state and local governments are all working with these retail leaders, including Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Publix and several more, to ensure there are no shortages of goods and food.

'We have no shortages other than people are buying anywhere from 3-5 times what they would normally buy. It's going to be there for a long time,' he assured. 'There's a pent up demand, that's incredible.'

He also claimed that he told these CEOs, owners and presidents during his call earlier in the day that they must remain open to keep supplying to American people.

'They're committed to remaining open during this crisis. Totally open. They have to stay open. Those stores have to stay open. They supply our country,' he said of the stores.

'The stores are stocking up at a level that's beyond Christmastime. And it's great. It was very reassuring speaking to these people. They have it totally in hand,' he said.

Videos and images swarmed the internet over the last week of Americans rushing to stores and clearing the shelves of essential food and supplies.

Many took to social media to complain they could not buy things like toilet paper, hand sanitizer or bottled water when they attempted to do their normal shopping.

Trump said he spoke with retail and grocery industry leaders as Americans began stocking up and hoarding essentials like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, nonperishable food and bottled water

Shelves were empties of food and supplies at stores like Walmart, Target, Publix, Whole Foods and Costco

Trump declared a national state of emergency on Friday and extended the Europe travel ban, which he announced on Wednesday, to include the U.K. and Ireland.

Thousands of Americans returned to the U.S. from European vacations over the weekend and faced up to eight hour wait times to get through customs at the only 13 'funnel' U.S. airports.

The death toll in the U.S. from coronavirus reached 63 on Sunday and is nearing 3,500 cases.

At the same time the briefing continued with members of the coronavirus task force, New York City declared public schools would close until April 20 at the earliest – meaning students would miss more than a month of school due to the outbreak.

Trump did not take any questions from reporters gathered at the White House for the briefing, claiming he had to go take calls related to responding to coronavirus.

He instead handed off the briefing to his No. 2.

Pence deferred to Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar when DailyMail.com asked about potential plans to build more hospital beds and to provide more ventilators.

'We don't disclose concrete numbers on particular items for national security purposes,' he said.

'Obviously this is an unprecedented challenge, unprecedented,' Azar continued, keeping it vague. 'And so we will work to increase the supplies of personal protective equipment of ventilators of field medical units, hospitals.'

'We have tremendous supplies,' he added. 'But we want to acquire more. And that's thanks to the bipartisan work of Congress funding the emergency supplemental that gives us the money to scale up production here and abroad. And we're doing that.'

Pence also said on the matter: 'The whole issue of personal protective equipment and supplies and the capacity of our healthcare system is in the forefront of what we're talking about.'

Congress passed a bipartisan economic stimulus package in the twelfth hour Friday night to help with market fallout from the coronavirus outbreak and assist in funding for those affected.

Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar when DailyMail.com asked about potential plans to build more hospital beds and to provide more ventilators was vague. 'We don't disclose concrete numbers on particular items for national security purposes,' he claimed

Trump spent much of the briefing urging Americans not to hoard, but also issued rare praise to the Federal Reserve for cutting interest rates.

'It makes me very happy and I want to congratulate the Federal Reserve. For starters they lowered the fed rate from what it was, which was 1-1.25 and it's been lowered down to 0-0.25,' he said. 'That's a big difference.'

In a massive emergency action move on Sunday to help the economy withstand the fallout from the coronavirus, the Federal Reserve slashed its interest rate to almost zero.

It also said it would buy $700 billion in Treasury and mortgage bonds.

The spur-of-the-moment announcement signaled the Federal Reserve is worried that the fast-spreading viral outbreak will depress economic growth in the U.S.

Trump is usually highly critical of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, vocally sharing his displeasure with decisions he has made in the past.