Captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org Vice President mike pence discussed the coronavirus outbreak with several diagnose this islab c. E. O. s and shy of 20 minutes. The Vice President at the president s direction, we have initiated since the advent of the coronavirus here in the United States a whole of government approach. President trump took unprecedented action when he suspended all travel to china and quarantined americans returning and issued travel advisories in italy and south korea and screening from passengers from all airports at either one of those countries coming into the United States of america. We are doing everything to prevent the coronavirus from coming to the United States. We are working as bit as hard to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in this country. We all agree the loss of american live word this morning from the c. D. C. , one more has expired. 10 americans have died from this disease and now we have a little more than 100 americans who have contracted the coronavirus. We will continue to bring the full resources of h. H. S. , c. D. C. And every agency in this government to address this crisis. Its not just the whole of government approach but whole of america approach. And earlier today given the fact at we are increasingly aware of the unique vulnerability of our senior citizens, we met with nursing home leaders in this room and our administration announced increased standards for all Nursing Homes in the United States of america to prevent the spread of Infectious Diseases and will be implementing a new inspection efforts in all 50 states on Nursing Homes complying with infectious protocols that have been put into place by the federal government. We met with airlines. Given the advisories that have been issued. The role airlines have played in funneling and screening personnel and will be a strong collaboration with our airlines following the president s meeting with those executives today. Greatest concern and many millions of americans is the issue of testing. President trump took action this weekend when he changed the way that testing is approved through the f. D. A. Im pleased to report we have more than 250 kits that will test kits at hospitals that have been impacted by the coronavirus. In addition to that, as i have spoken with many governors, we also approved a process for testing that can be conducted at state laboratories anywhere in the United States of america and University Laboratories and that is now available. And as the doctor and the secretary discussed, we will make tests vale to the American Public. We want to make sure they can go to their regular doctor or local c. V. S. And obtain test kits to the coronavirus. They changed the guidance from c. D. C. That any american who wants to be tested for the coronavirus on that doctors indications can be tested. We are having this meeting today and glad to be surrounded by c. E. O. s of the nations commercial laboratories who have immense capacity to do testing. And i want to thank those who are gathered around the tail for being here and for informing me just a few short minutes ago in cooperation with our administration with some changes with the f. D. A. Rules they are Going Forward that they have formed a consortium in this information to speed the aavailability of tests to the broader American Public. We are going to focus in the areas of testing that have been impacted, communities where we have coronavirus cases and for my part after i travel to annesota to visit 3m which is leader in surgical and health care masks, we are announcing i will be traveling to Washington State meeting with governor inslee and taking our entire team there with an effort to support governor inslees efforts to focus resources in the seattle area and in california that has been uniquely impacted by the coronavirus. But on behalf of the president , im grateful to each and every one of you for the swift and collaborative and distinctly way you have approached this issue. This is a powerful industry and working with you and literally, we can make thousands of tests available within a week to the American Public and literally, literally millions of tests available in the weeks ahead but going to take all of us to do it and i can pledge to you that you will have the full cooperation of h. H. S. , our entire Task Force Team and f. D. A. So the American Public will know they will have access to testing across this country. But in the immediate, the public should know we are speeding tests and now tests are available in state laboratories and University Laboratories in every state in this country. So well continue to lean into this. But let me thank adam shectter and thank you for putting this consortium together and grateful for the leadership. Thank you, mr. Vice president. And we appreciate you convening this important meeting. We represent the national, regional, local and the Academic Institution laboratories and we decided to come together as one to help really focus on this Important Health crisis. So we will be sharing information. We will be working together on capacity and doing everything we can across our industry to meet the needs of the American People. Where we stand today, we have final validation of our own Laboratory Tests and expect to launch that at the enged of this week or beginning of next week and have that available for positions to utilize around the country throughout next week. Ill turn it over to my colleague steve. Thank you, mr. Vice president and i appreciate your leadership in this matter. We understand this is a health issue. We all have a role in and deeply committed of working through this together. We also appreciate the support of the f. D. A. And septemberers of Disease Control and have been good partners and particularly over the weekend the decision that was made to give us a decision on the path to bring tests to the marketplace. We are validating as we speak. Its been an incredible llaboration with c. D. C. , the f. D. A. And the secretary to put ourselves in position of the manufacturer of the diagnose gnostic test kits that will be used in the laboratory that we will be shipping kits starting next week and working with the f. D. A. To get the additional aprovals so we can have millions of tests available should they be needed by our Health Systems across the country. The Vice President i recognize dr. Burkes about the importance of this consortium being formed. The risk to the American Public of contracting the coronavirus remains low. But at the president eel direction, we are bringing the full resources not just of the American Government but the American Economy to make sure in our meeting with the pharmaceutical companies that we are developing vaccines which may not be available for a year or year and a half but developing they are putics that we believe could be available in fairly short order for people that are struggling with coronavirus. But beyond that, we want every american as soon as possible to have access to testing. People should know that today, thanks to the changes that the president directed through the f. D. A. , at state laboratories, University Laboratories can conduct testing sm the h. H. S. Have made 250 kits are available and others are arike at hospitals especially in areas that have been impacted by coronavirus. This consortium can make in a weeks, not months, a test for the American People more widely available across the country and going to work to work around the clock in cooperation to make that possible. But dr. Burkes, maybe you might share about the significance of that and ill ask the secretary to take a question or two. Diagnose gnostics is the gateway for prevention and ensuring they can provide prevention interventions as well as treatments. This is why we have assembled and had meetings about treatment about vaccines and prevention but making sure that every American Family understands if they have someone in the household that is positive, what preventive measures we can take right now to ensure that virus is not transmitted. You have to have that information in order to be proactive and have that understanding. This group can solve that issue for the general practitioner out there and for the clinics and other available outlets. While we worked in the Health Care Delivery system, we are covering every single aspect of where the American People seek their health care. I have been so impressed in three days as soon as a barrier comes up, the administration immediately addresses that, understanding us that gets us to the goal and has been a privilege to be here the last three days. Thanks, guys. The Vice President i said a question or two. Can you tell us what the goal of that trip is to washington . The Vice President i will be visiting minnesota, visiting 3m and working with members of congress to pass a supplemental bill to manufacture tens of millions of masks for our health care workers. Very important to say our medical experts made clear the American People dont need to buy masks but people who are caring for the American Public have the protective gear to be able to safe as they administer care. Then traveling on to Washington State and will be meeting with governor inslee and bringing our team with us to further coordinate and ensure that we are giving all support necessary to Washington States efforts there. I will tell you having spoken to governor inslee yesterday, we continue to be very grateful and very impressed with Washington States efforts. But being there on the ground, i want to assure the people of washing state, people of california, people that are in the communities that are being impacted by the coronavirus that we are with them and ensure that the full resources are brought to bear those struggling with this illness and supporting the community and the efforts to determine the nature and exactly how widespread the coronavirus might be at this point. Obviously there are efforts to expand testing and expand the number of kits but there have been criticism this may be too little, too late. What do you say that this should have been been done months ago. I express the immense gattude to dr. Robert redfield and dr. Steve hahn for the fast work that is leading to one million tests being available by the end of the week in this country and these are validated tests. These are quality american regulated tests that are available because of the work of these agencies. We also at the president s and Vice President s direction are as usual leading the rest of the world in diagnose gnostic testing. There was a great article in the wall street journal today that actually discusses how americas practices on testing here are equal to or ahead of what the other major countries are. Remember, we only have over 100 cases so far in the United States. We are not south korea. South korea may be doing tens of thousands of tests because they are in a different position. It is more like chinas position or before we are at that point, we will have in the field millions of diagnose gnostics over the next several weeks ready for the challenge because of the president s and Vice President s Firm International relationship. Indiscernible] the Vice President our administration has taken the approach listening to members of congress and listening to governors and committed not only that the federal agencies that are dealing with the coronavirus, have the resources they need but make sure that states and local health first have the resources and all of our private partners, all of our private partners can be confident as we make investments that there will be compensation for that. H. H. S. Has a test for the coronavirus to be an essential health benefit, which ensures that it will be covered by peoples private Health Insurance and covered by medicare and medicaid and well continue to