WASHINGTON (NYTIMES) – President Donald Trump at the last minute scrapped plans to visit the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday (March 6), forgoing a chance to tour the nerve centre of the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

As late as 8.30pm on Thursday, Vice-President Mike Pence indicated that the trip was still on, telling reporters travelling with him that the president would formally approve an emergency spending Bill while there.

“President Trump is expected to sign the legislation tomorrow as he visits the CDC in Atlanta,” Pence said.

A White House official said on Friday morning that the president cancelled the visit because he did not want to interfere with the work at the centres as its staff scrambled to get a grip on the virus.

The number of cases worldwide is nearing 100,000 and causing enough fear that investors are dumping stocks, businesses and nonprofit organisations are cancelling conventions, travellers are scotching spring break vacations and schools are suspending study abroad programmes.

As of Thursday evening, at least 215 people with the Covid-19 illness caused by the virus have been treated in the United States.

Trump will still fly to Nashville on Friday to visit the site of a deadly tornado and then from there will head to Florida where he will headline campaign fundraising events and spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

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