President Donald Trump described his experience being tested for the novel coronavirus during a conversation with several governors on Thursday, The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reported.

"I was a victim of the first test, meaning I had to go through it," Trump said. "I didn't like what was happening ... I called it an operation, not a test."

Trump's reported comments come as millions of people in the US are still unable to get tested for the virus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19.

Public-health officials have said the country's failure to conduct early rigorous testing to identify and curb the spread of the virus was a key factor in strengthening its foothold in the US, which is now the global center of the outbreak.

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President Donald Trump on Thursday lamented his experience of being tested for the novel coronavirus during a conversation with several governors, The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey reported.

"I was a victim of the first test, meaning I had to go through it," Trump said. "I didn't like what was happening ... I called it an operation, not a test."

The president went on to describe the test, saying, "They go up your nose and hang a right at your eye."

Trump's reported comments come as millions of people in the US are still unable to get tested for the virus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19.

Public-health officials have said the country's failure to conduct early rigorous testing to identify and curb the spread of the virus was a key factor in strengthening its foothold in the US, which is now the global center of the outbreak.

Trump was tested for the coronavirus last month after several guests at Mar-a-Lago were confirmed to have the virus. He was also in contact with members of a Brazilian delegation that traveled to the US, some of whom later tested positive for the disease.

The president's conversation with governors on Thursday came as he prepared to deliver a nationwide address announcing guidelines to reopen parts of the country.

"Encouraging developments have put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country," Trump said on Wednesday evening as the US death toll from the virus approached 30,000.

Earlier this week, the president falsely said he had "total" authority to compel governors to reopen their respective states' economies. He later changed course and said he would "authorize" governors' plans to reopen their states.

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have pointed to parts of the country with fewer cases to promote their push to reopen portions of the US. But public-health officials like the infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, and even some business leaders, have said that a dramatic increase in testing is required to convince the public to go back to work.