U.S. political leaders deal with fallout — and self-quarantine — in face of coronavirus outbreak

As fears about the coronavirus outbreak roiled financial markets, U.S. political leaders grappled Monday with a public health and economic maelstrom — as well as concerns for their own safety.

The White House said it is "conducting business as usual," while Trump officials said they had the matter well in hand and charged political opponents with rooting for an economic collapse.

In a news conference Monday, Trump said his administration will ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief, as he looks to calm financial markets' fears over the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

Trump told reporters that the administration was seeking "very substantial relief."

On Capitol Hill, at least four lawmakers were in self-quarantine as discussions were underway on how to address the virus outbreak and economic volatility and keep the government functioning.

After Trump refused to answer reporter questions about whether he had been tested for the virus, the White House issued a statement late Monday evening saying he had not.

"The President has not received COVID-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms," White House spokesperson Stephanie Grisham said in a statement, referring to the disease caused by the virus. 

"President Trump remains in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him."

Trump lashes out

Trump dove in to shake hands with supporters Monday morning when arriving to headline a fundraiser in Longwood, Fla., that raised approximately $4 million US for his re-election campaign and the Republican Party. He ignored shouted questions about the plunging stock market as he boarded Air Force One for the flight back to Washington.

In Monday morning tweets, Trump lashed out at the steep market drop and news that large public gatherings were being called off because of the virus.

"At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 22 deaths," Trump tweeted, comparing it to seasonal influenza and the thousands of deaths that it causes. "Think about that!"

Scientists at this stage don't know what the death rate of the new coronavirus actually is and whether it will wind up being about the same as flu or worse.

At the same time, administration officials were insistent that they weren't trying to dismiss public concerns. "This is a very serious health problem," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Fox News.

At the Pentagon, officials have begun "social distancing" measures. On Monday, Defence Secretary Mark Esper's regular meeting with senior staff, which normally would be held face-to-face in a single room with 40 to 50 participants, was broken up into three rooms, with video-teleconferencing among the rooms, according to the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman. He said Esper and the 15 to 20 people in his room, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sat at least six feet apart, in line with health guidance.

Trump has delegated much of the virus response to U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence, who joined Trump to give an update on the federal government's virus response Monday afternoon with the nation's governors. 

On Capitol Hill, where many lawmakers are older and have frequent constant contact with the public, leaders were fielding questions from members and staff about how the complex will be secured. Leaders have so far shown little willingness to close the Capitol, but meetings were scheduled throughout the day to discuss preparations.

On Monday, Republican Reps. Doug Collins and Matt Gaetz put themselves into voluntary quarantine after exposure to a person at last month's Conservative Political Action Conference who later tested positive for the virus.

Both said they did not have any symptoms but would wait out the remainder of the 14 days since the contact at home.

Gaetz travelled to Washington with Trump on Air Force One on Monday. Collins met Trump on Tuesday night at the White House and shook hands with Trump on Friday when the president visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Atlanta headquarters.

A day earlier, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar placed themselves in quarantine after coming in contact with the same person at the conservative conference.

As well, Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley said she met last week with a person who has since been diagnosed with the virus. She closed her office and said she and her staff are "self-monitoring and maintaining social distancing practices."

Vast numbers of visitors come to the Hill, especially at this time of year when advocacy groups arrange "fly-in" trips to lobby and speak to lawmakers, and school groups descend for tours.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill had barely started to contemplate the economic implications of the spread of the virus and what might be needed to stimulate the economy as people started to cancel vacations and business trips and stay away from stores. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is "exploring the possibility of targeted tax relief measures that could provide a timely and effective response to the coronavirus," spokesman Michael Zona said Monday.

"Everything's on the table," Grassley told reporters.

Democrats indicated they preferred other responses, like passing legislation requiring employers to give their workers paid sick leave — a longtime policy priority of Democrats — and additional help for those with lower incomes.

"The best way to ensure economic security for the American people right now is to deal with the coronavirus itself, competent and full on," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. "Something we haven't yet seen. Getting a handle on the crisis and containing the spread of the virus is by far the best way to address any effects on the economy."

A day after saying it was "proceeding as normal," Trump's campaign cancelled a three-day Women for Trump bus tour across Michigan that included Mercedes Schlapp, the former White House aide who is married to the American Conservative Union chairman, Matt Schlapp.

Schlapp is under self-quarantine after he, too, was exposed to the infected person at CPAC. He introduced Trump and greeted him with a handshake on stage before the president spoke on Feb. 29.

"The president of the United States, as we all know, is quite a hand washer," Grisham told Fox News. "He uses hand sanitizer all the time. So he's not concerned about this at all."