New York receives vaccine later: Trump rules out US lockdown

Saturday November 14th 2020

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The corona infections in the USA are rising to dizzying heights, but the incumbent US president categorically rules out a lockdown. When it comes to the question of who won the election, Trump remains vague. But when it comes to the vaccine distribution, he is very clear: New York should be patient.

US President Donald Trump has only vaguely commented on the outcome of the election in his first public statements since he announced his election defeat. Trump spoke in the rose garden of the White House about the corona pandemic and said in a subordinate clause that “the future” will show who will rule the country in the future.

“Ideally, we will not go into a lockdown,” said Trump in view of the rapidly increasing number of corona cases in the USA. “This government will not go into lockdown. Hopefully – whatever happens in the future, who knows which government it will be, I think the future will tell – but I can tell you this government is not going into one Go lockdown. “

He neither claimed – as before – an election victory for himself, nor did he admit his defeat to the Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has so far refused to acknowledge his defeat in the November 3 presidential election.

US Media: Biden wins Georgia

The major US broadcasters had already declared Biden the election winner on Saturday. In the evening, the channels CNN and ABC also declared the former vice president the winner in the embattled state of Georgia. This brings Biden to 306 voters, and he needs 270 to win an election.

Trump speaks of alleged electoral fraud without any evidence and accuses the Democrats of wanting to “steal” his election. Now he has spoken to the press for the first time since the election results were announced. Trump did not answer journalist questions during his appearance, in which he praised his government’s fight against the corona virus.

Vaccinations in December, New York will have to wait

With a view to expected emergency approvals for newly developed coronavirus vaccines, the US government plans to vaccinate around 20 million people as early as December. Around 25 to 30 million people should be vaccinated in January and the following months, said the government representative in charge of the vaccination program, Moncef Slaoui, in the rose garden of the White House. As soon as more vaccines are approved, the number could be increased significantly, Slaoui said at a joint appearance with Trump.

Slaoui said two vaccines could get emergency FDA approval in just a few weeks. He referred to the promising results of the vaccine developed by the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German company Biontech.

However, the US state of New York could initially miss out on the distribution. The vaccine should not initially be delivered to New York State, Trump said at the press conference. The Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo does not trust the government in Washington and wants to examine the drug separately. “So we won’t deliver it to New York until we have permission,” said Trump. The incumbent US president indirectly criticized Cuomo for his announcement a few weeks ago that an approved vaccine would be checked for safety by its own experts. Cuomo had justified this with concerns that Trump could use a fund for political purposes and distribute it prematurely to the population.

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