Tony's Diary Package — page 60

Call with Gilead regarding remdesivir studies and supply PRESS: Marc Levin Radio; PBS NewsHour with Judy Woodruff; Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan; CNN Town Hall with Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Gupta; NBC Evening News with Lester Holt Mar. 20, 2020 - Another day at the WH. Important TF meeting and press conference. During the day, Gov. Cuomo had a press conference that he wanted me on to join him, but I could not since I did not want to do a press conference outside of USG and the WGH would not let me do it anyway. Cuomo took a gigantic step forward. 90% of the new infections in the USA are now coming from NYC and Westchecter, but mostly NYC. Cuomo is essentially shutting down all non-essential activity in the city.. 100% of non-essential workers must stay at home and not intermingle. I strongly praised Cuomo for doing this at the Presser after the TF. We met with the POTUS (as usual) in the Oval. The theme of the presser will be the fact that we are now having only essential travel to Canada and Mexico, and IMPORTANTLY, no aliean/immigrants can enter the countrywithout proper papers from Canada or Mexico, although the order is clearly aimed at Mexico. The rationale is that we are shutting down entry to USA from China, South Korea, Iran, Europe and UK/Ireland and yet people from these same countries are crossing over from Mexico. If some are infected and we take them in, we put them in facilities including with unattended children, we could have another cruise ship situation. The decision relly was a public health decision. LAST NIGHT, Katie and Steve miller called me up and explained why the CDC order to do this was given (CDC was essentially told by state and DHS to do it). They wanted my support to emphasize that this was a pubic health decision and not an anti-immigrant decision. I believe that they have a good point. During the presser, the reporters continued to ask me about the free distribution of Hyrdoxycholorquine (HC) , which the POTUS wants, and my statements that the evidence to do this is purely anecdotal and there is no convincing evidence by an RCT that either HC ro remdesivir works. After the presser the press went wild saying how I again contradicted the POTUS and I received hundreds of e-ails of people thanking me, even though I did not intend to or like the idea of contradicting POTUS, but I need to stick with the science. They also had a tweet that went viral of me holding me head seemingly in disgust as the POTUS was talking. That wa not my intention. Most important part of the day and disturbing was my conversation with Mark Meadows and Marc Short together with Deb Birx Meadows praised me for a while and then got to the point. He wants me to consider the tone that I say that HC has no evidence of efficacy. I told him that I cannot compromise my scientific principles. Tough conversation. He wa being a gentleman, but he wanted me to go to a place that I would not go.