Trump names Pence to lead US response to coronavirus

Trump names Pence to lead US response to coronavirus

President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the US is “very, very ready” for whatever the coronavirus threat brings, and he put his vice president in charge of overseeing the nation's response.



Trump sought to minimise fears of the virus spreading widely across the US. But he said he was ready to spend “whatever's appropriate,” even if that meant the extra billions of dollars that Democrats have said is necessary to beef up the US response.



Trump had told Congress earlier this week that the government needed to spend US$2.5 billion to fight the virus.



“We're very, very ready for this, for anything,” even if it's “a breakout of larger proportions,” Trump told a news conference.



Vice President Mike Pence will be working with the government's top health authorities, and Trump's earlier-appointed coronavirus task force, to oversee the response. (AP)