President Donald Trump held a White House coronavirus briefing Tuesday for the first time in three months as the virus ravages the US.

Trump admitted it will “get worse before it gets better - something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is,” from his opening remarks.

The president urged Americans to wear a mask even after he’s publicly resisted suggestions from health experts to wear one. 

“We are asking everybody that, when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask, whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact. They’ll have an effect, and we need everything we can get,” he said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was not present at the event, and when asked where Fauci and other health experts were, Trump responded, “Dr. Birx is right outside.” Dr. Deborah Birx has been the coronavirus response coordinator for the White House’s coronavirus task force.

Trump also provided an update on the development of vaccines, with two potential vaccine candidates “entering the final stage of clinical trials this month,” noting the scientific progress has been “achieved in record time.”

He also said the US has made “thousands” of ventilators per day and that he has no current requests from the 50 governors to respond to the pandemic. 

Trump noted he’d be open to expanding the coronavirus testing forefront.

“I think we’re doing a tremendous amount of testing, but if the doctors and the professionals feel that even though we’re at a level that no one would have dreamt possible, that they would like to do more, I’m okay with it,” Trump commented.

In his opening remarks, Trump also discussed a new testing platform that is expected to be implemented in nursing homes, primarily in the south, so that “all of staff and residents can be routinely tested and isolated,” ensuring the elderly are protected. Nursing homes have been a major hotspot for the virus, as many patients battle with underlying health conditions and can easily contract COVID-19. 

“Ultimately our goal is not merely to manage the pandemic, but to end it. We want to get rid of it as soon as we can,” Trump said.

The press briefing comes as the number of positively tested cases approach 4 million, with almost 150,000 deaths as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University coronavirus data.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill.