WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that the U.S. is "very, very ready" for whatever the coronavirus threat brings, and he put his vice president in charge of overseeing the nation's response.

Trump sought to minimize fears of the virus spreading widely across the U.S., saying, "I don't think it's inevitable."

But standing next to him at a White House news conference were health authorities who reiterated that Americans need to get ready for what could become a wider outbreak requiring such steps as school closures.

"Our aggressive containment strategy here in the Unite...