CDC releases stark funeral recommendations and detailed guidance on contact tracing

On the same day President Trump tweeted \"REOPEN OUR COUNTRY,\" the CDC is tweeting some stark advice on funerals.

The CDC warns the events have spread the virus in some cases and recommends families consider such steps as virtual services and rethinking cultural traditions that might involve touching the deceased or sharing food.

\"During the COVID-19 pandemic, consider expressing care in ways that do not involve personal interactions,\" the CDC states.

Earlier Monday, the CDC issued 56-page guidance for contact tracing, which health experts say is key to slowing the spread.

TRANSITION TO GREATNESS

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2020

ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Trump expresses support for Australia's effort for international probe of China on virus

As the Trump administration appears to close out others in its approach to reopen, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the world to to rally behind the World Health Organization Monday, even announcing a $2 billion donation to globally fight coronavirus, speaking in the WHO's first virtual assembly amid the pandemic.

President Trump is expected to make an announcement on WHO funding at some point this week.

Monday morning, he expressed his support for an Australian-led effort calling for the World Health Organization to lead an independent review of the origins of the coronavirus, which also has the support of all the EU nations.

\"We are with them!\" the president tweeted in reply to a news article linking to the initiative.

It seems to be an expression of support and not an announcement that the U.S. is formally signing on to the proposal, given that Australia is calling for this international probe through the WHO.

The president has moved to cut off U.S. funding to the WHO and has sought to shift blame to the global health organization for covering up the virus in collusion with China.

ABC News' Jordyn Phelps

Pence's Monday includes a joint event with POTUS

President Trump and Vice President Pence have been keeping their distance from each other over ever since the vice president's press secretary tested positive for COVID-19 -- 10 days ago now, though the CDC recommends 14 days in quarantine.

But Monday, according to the vice president's schedule, both are scheduled to attend a teleconference with governors from the Situation Room at 4 p.m.

Trump said last Thursday of Pence: \"I miss him.\"

ABC News' Jordyn Phelps

\"PHOTO:
Carlos Barria/Reuters
PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump turns to Vice President Mike Pence as they depart following a coronavirus response news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2020.
>

Trump to visit Ford plant in Michigan Thursday

President Trump plans to travel to Ypsilanti, Michigan, on Thursday to visit a Ford plant manufacturing ventilators, White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere tweeted Sunday night.

The president plans to tour the plant that is making ventilators and PPE through a collaboration between Ford and General Electric, according to a White House official. He'll make remarks there, too, the official said.

The trip fits the mold of his recent trips to the political battleground states of Arizona and Pennsylvania, where he visited a facility producing masks and a medical equipment distribution center, respectively.

ABC News' Ben Gittleson

White House economist says they are in 'wait-and-see' mode on whether more relief funding needed, Federal Reserve Chair says full recovery may not some until end of 2021

White House economist Kevin Hassett said Monday morning that the White House is in a \"wait-and-see\" mode as to whether additional stimulus packages will be needed in the months ahead, even as he said the administration stands ready to take \"very strong action\" down the line if needed.

\"What would be the kind of thing that would take you out of wait-and-see mode? Well if the programs that are essential to get people to the other side without going bankrupt like the PPP, the mainstream lending program ran out of money, then of course we'd rush in right now,\" he told reporters.

Hassett said at the present, the assessment of the administration is there is still enough money left in programs to support the economy. He was cautious not to offer a precise timeline of when it would be determined if more is needed but said they will be closely watching to see the progress the economy makes in the coming weeks into June.

\"If the economy recovers slower than we expect, it's possible we'll have to put some more cash in there and we stand ready to talk about that with Congress but right now we think you should monitor the data and see what are the burn rates of those things,\" he told CNBC, and adding that the administration is seeing positive signs as they monitor that incoming data.

Federal Reserve Chair Powell's told CBS Sunday that the uncertainty around the course of the virus could push a full recovery to the end of next year -- but Hassett indicated this morning improved economic performance is to come as businesses start to reopen.

\"PHOTO:
Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images, File
PHOTO: Kevin Hassett, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, on Sept. 10, 2018.
>

Even if White House agrees more stimulus funding is in order, he said he \"doubt[s] that in the end the product is going to look much like what speaker Pelosi put out last week.\"

While President Trump has suggested he'd like to see negative interest rates, Hassett was careful not to directly add his own advice but said, \"probably the Fed won't have to do much more on interest rates\" if the economy shows signs of a positive rebound in the months ahead.

When asked about Powell's assessment that the unemployment could dip to 25 percent, Hassett didn't negate the estimate.

Powell said Sunday that while he expected the U.S. economy to recover, the process would take time -- potentially until the end of 2021.

\"This economy will recover; it may take a while,\" he told \"60 Minutes.\" \"It may take a period of time, it could stretch through the end of next year, we don't really know.\"

ABC News' Jordyn Phelps

What to know about the coronavirus:

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/coronavirus-government-response-updates-top-trump-officials-clash/story?id=70741532","legacySlug":"/news/story/coronavirus-government-response-updates-top-trump-officials-clash-70741532","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"15:42","publishDate":"05-19-2020","updatedTime":"15:42","updatedDate":"05-19-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response, in the State Dining Room of the White House, May 18, 2020.","credit":"Evan Vucci/AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/trump-5-ap-er-200518_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"5/19/2020 15:42:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":70741532,"headline":"Top Trump officials clash over CDC response","mediaAssetTitle":"GOVERNMENT RESPONSE UPDATES MON 5/18","description":"Nearly all 50 states are reopening in some measure this week.","duration":"3:59","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/05/200518_vod_trump_hydrox_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["69363462","69329364","68502930"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"March 6, 2020","headline":"How to prepare for coronavirus in your community","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/prepare-coronavirus-community-69363462","id":69363462,"image":{"alt":"How to prepare for coronavirus in your community","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Health/coronavirus_main_med_unit_story_200304_hpMain_20200304-111120_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Denis Lovrovic/AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"March 2, 2020","headline":"How bad is coronavirus? A look at SARS, MERS and others may be a clue.","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/coronavirus-compares-sars-mers-recent-viral-outbreaks-69329364","id":69329364,"image":{"alt":"How bad is coronavirus? A look at SARS, MERS and others may be a clue.","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/coronavirus-1-gty-er-200301_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Yonhap/AFP/Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"January 24, 2020","headline":"Does wearing a mask while traveling ward off illness? Here's what experts say","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/wearing-mask-traveling-ward-off-illness-experts-68502930","id":68502930,"image":{"alt":"Does wearing a mask while traveling ward off illness? Here's what experts say","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Health/coronavirus-china-gty-aa-200124_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Top Trump officials clash over CDC response","description":"Nearly all 50 states are reopening in some measure this week.","duration":"3:59","uploadDate":"05-19-2020","publication":"05-19-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/05/200518_vod_trump_hydrox_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/05/200518_vod_trump_hydrox_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/coronavirus-government-response-updates-top-trump-officials-clash-70741532"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Top Trump officials clash over CDC response","pubTime":"11:42","pubDate":"05-19-2020","modTime":"11:42","modDate":"05-19-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":70741532,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Top Trump officials clash over CDC response","mediaAssetTitle":"GOVERNMENT RESPONSE UPDATES MON 5/18","videoId":70741532,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/coronavirus-government-response-updates-top-trump-officials-clash-70741532"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/70741532","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/70741532","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};