The global health crisis is taking a nasty political turn with tensions worsening between governments locked down to keep the coronavirus at bay and people yearning to restart stalled economies and forestall fears of a depression.
Protesters worrying about their livelihoods and bucking infringements on their freedom have taken to the streets in some places. A few countries are acting to ease restrictions, but most of the world remains unified in insisting it's much too early to take more aggressive steps.
In the United States, there is clear evidence of the mounting pressure. The Trump administration says parts of the nation are ready to begin a gradual return to normalcy. Yet some state leaders say their response to the pandemic is hindered by a woefully inadequate federal response.
After insisting the country's virus testing system was without fault, President Donald Trump announced Sunday evening that he would be using the Defense Production Act to compel increased manufacturing of testing swabs one of several products governors have been begging the president to help them acquire. White House officials will also be holding a call Monday with the nation's governors to help walk them through where to find supplies, he said.
Trump also remained defensive, however, vowing that there were enough swabs to go around. Swabs are easy, the president said, bringing one to his news briefing and waving it in front of reporters.
That came hours after Washington state's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, accused Trump of encouraging insubordination and illegal activity" by goading protesters who flouted shelter-in-place rules his own administration has encouraged.
To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing, Inslee told ABC's This Week.''