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Trump: Coronavirus will get worse before it gets better

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, deviating slightly from his optimistic tone about curbing the coronavirus pandemic, conceded at a news conference Tuesday that COVID-19 “will probably get worse before it gets better.”

“Some areas of our country are doing very well, others are doing less well,” Trump said in his opening remarks as he convened the first White House coronavirus task force meeting since April. “It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better. Something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.” 

“You look all over the world, it’s all over the world,” Trump said.

During his news conference, which lasted just under 40 minutes, the president spoke about masks, pulling one out of his coat pocket and noting they were effective in containing the spread of COVID-19.

“We are asking everybody, when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask,” Trump said. “Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact.”

While taking questions, Trump said he did not know when he took more than one coronavirus test in a 24-hour period, which contradicted a statement made earlier by his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. The press secretary said Trump sometimes tested “multiple times a day.”

“I don’t know about more than one,” Trump said. “I do probably on average a test every two days, three days, and I don’t know of any time I’ve taken two in one day, but I could see that happening.”