Coronavirus: Trump says people should say 'thank you very much' for virus response despite death toll hitting 40,000

President Donald Trump has said Americans should say “thank you very much” for his coronavirus response on the same day the death toll tips 40,000 people.

The president once was again asked about why he delayed responding to the spreading novel virus throughout the month of February during his daily press briefing, and he once again went on the offence.

“I believe there were no deaths when I closed up the country,” Mr Trump said. ”And you should say thank you very much.”

The one aspect of the Trump administration’s response the president has consistently boasted was his enactment of China travel ban at the end of January.

But the travel ban was only against specific foreign nationals and still allowed Americans to travel back to the US. After the ban was enacted, more than 40,000 Americans came back into the country and potentially spread the virus, the New York Times reported.

Health experts, including Dr Anthony Fauci, have said shutting down the country quicker could’ve prevented more infections and deaths. On Sunday, the US death toll surpassed 40,000 people with a total of 40,461, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Mr Trump was asked if now was really the time to brag about his efforts given how severely the novel virus has impacted American lives.

“I am standing up for the men and women who have done such a great job, not me,” he claimed. "If we didn't do what we did ... the 40,000 people could be a million."

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the Trump administration, enacted its social distancing measures on 16 March that would later extend until 30 April. A majority of state governors also enacted stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The president was correct that these measures helped stop certain projections from experts to be reached. But it has remained unclear where the virus would be at in the country had the US implemented stronger measures in February.

"One things that’s attributed to is what’s taken place with the American people. They’ve done a job nobody thought was possible. They did models not based on this kind of success," Mr Trump said.

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