Hillary Clinton calls on Trump to start 'giving a damn' in criticism of coronavirus response

Former 2016 candidate has been vocal in criticism of president's response to outbreak

Hillary Clinton has hit out at Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus outbreak for the second time this week as confirmed cases continue to rise in the US.

The former secretary of state and Mr Trump’s rival in the 2016 election listed a number of measures the president should take to contain the virus.

“I know this is all hard for you, @realdonaldtrump, so let me spell it out,” she wrote on Twitter, calling for free testing, free waivers, emergency sick leave, quarantines, cancellations and “giving a damn.”

Mrs Clinton’s comments come a day after a controversial national address by Mr Trump in which he outlined new measures to battle the pandemic. The most significant of those measures were severe restrictions on travel between the US and Europe.

The former presidential candidate had previously criticised Mr Trump for his initial response to the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on CNN earlier this week she said: “What I’m worried about is the attitude that has been taken by the president himself and his administration — trying to downplay the risk, not being prepared, initially pushing the experts out of the picture.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 1,264 cases of the coronavirus, an increase of 277 cases from its previous count. At least 37 people have died in the US.

The agency said the cases have been reported by 42 states and the District of Columbia, up from its previous report of 38 states and the District of Columbia.