'I'm very happy to report that America is now number one in the world for coronavirus': Alec Baldwin's Trump calls into remote edition of SNL

Alec Baldwin made a surprise appearance as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live's at home edition to give an update on coronavirus, referring to the pandemic as 'Covfefe-19'. 

'America is now number one in the world for coronavirus,' Baldwin said in character to Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che.   

The faux president noted that 'every night at 7pm all of New York claps and cheers for the great job I'm doing,' a reference to the nightly tribute to medical workers.

Baldwin had to call in to the segment without video since he didn't have access to his usual hair and makeup team to transform him into Trump. 

This was the first episode of SNL to air in five weeks after an episode scheduled for March 28, featuring first-time host John Krasinski and musical guest Dua Lipa, was scrapped due to the coronavirus lockdown in New York City.  

Alec Baldwin made a surprise appearance as Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live's at home edition to give an update on coronavirus , referring to the pandemic as 'Covfefe-19'

'America is now number one in the world for coronavirus,' Baldwin said in character to Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che. The faux president noted that 'every night at 7pm all of New York claps and cheers for the great job I'm doing,' a reference to the nightly tribute to medical workers 

When asked by Che why his advice on coronavirus seemed to change every day, "Trump" lashed out saying: 'That's a nasty question, you're very nasty.

'All along, I've always said it was a giant hoax that we should take very seriously, even though it was invented by the Democrats. Impeachment part two.'

When asked where he was getting his advice from, Baldwin said: 'We have to listen to the experts on this one. All the experts agree, we need to wear masks.'

But he clarified he wasn't going to be wearing a mask, saying: 'The last time I wore a mask, I hot boxed myself and passed out.

'I can't wear a mask in my tanning bed or when I take it off I'd be dark on top with a white circle around my mouth like a reverse Homer Simpson.'

When Jost pointed out that the president had stopped calling Covid-19 the 'Chinese coronavirus', Baldwin said: 'I had to turn down the ethnic slurs after I discovered that everything we need to survive the virus is made in China.'

He then goes on to list alternative names for coronavirus, saying: 'Some of the other names we workshopped were Chinese Flu, Hong Kong Flu-y, Crouching Tiger Hidden Symptoms, Wang Chung Lung, and General Tso's Revenge.

'Stephen Miller came up with Yellow Fever, but that's already a thing when a white dude is horny for an Asian chick.' 

Tom Hanks hosted the very first SNL from Home after the show had a five week break

And like most Americans working from home, the SNL cast were all seen preparing for the week's episode on a Zoom call, with McKinnon declaring: 'Live from Zoom, it's sometime between March and August!' 

Hanks, 63, kicked off the landmark episode and used his SNL opening dialogue to joke about how his battle with coronavirus made him feel more like 'America's Dad' than ever, mainly because nobody wanted to be around him.

The rest of the cast filmed sketches from their homes, including Pete Davidson making a Drake-inspired music video from his mom's basement, Kate McKinnon as Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a home workout routine, and Chloe Fineman as an array of celebrities, including Tiger King's Carole Baskin, in a parody of Masterclass advertisements.

And like most Americans working from home, the SNL cast were seen preparing for the week's episode on a Zoom call, with McKinnon declaring: 'Live from Zoom, it's sometime between March and August!' 

The show wanted the night to feel like a regular episode, keeping with its tradition of having a celebrity host and its musical guest, which was Coldplay's Chris Martin.

In his opening, Hanks said: 'This Saturday Night Live is going to be a little different, for one thing it's been filmed entirely by the SNL cast who are currently quarantined in their homes.' 

Hanks also added a more solemn note at the end of his appearance, thanking the people who are unable to stay at home and are continuing to go to work amid the pandemic.

'Stay safe,' he said. 'We are in this for the duration, and we will get through this together. We are going to thank our hospital workers, the first responders and all the helpers. 

'The supermarket stockers, the people who are making takeout for us, the men and women who are keeping this country going at a time when we need them more than ever before.

'We are going to take care of them, and take care of each other.'