US President Donald Trump says he believes that the coronavirus will disappear soon, with the help of a vaccine.
Trump and his administration have faced criticism for their handling of the pandemic – that has claimed 213 000 lives in the US, and infected over 7-million people – as well as for a lax approach to mask-wearing and social distancing.
The White House physician has announced that Trump is no longer a Covid transmission risk to others.
Trump delivered a speech in front of cheering supporters at the White House on Saturday- in his first public appearance since being hospitalised with the virus 10-days-ago.
“We are going to recover and the vaccine is coming out very quickly in record time, we have great companies doing it and they will be distributing it and – we will, through our military, very rapidly and through the power of the American spirit, more than anything else eradicate the China virus once and for all. We will get rid of it all over the world, there are a lot of flare ups, but it is going to disappear, it is disappearing and the vaccines and therapeutics are going to help a lot,” he told his supporters.
Trump’s appearance, amid continued questions over whether he is still contagious, is seen as a first step toward resuming full campaigning next week.
He is due to go to Florida, Pennsylvania, and Iowa, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, respectively.
