Following the announcement that the White House Coronavirus Task Force is considering winding down, the president is now declaring that it will continue “indefinitely.”
The White House confirmed reports on Tuesday that the coronavirus task force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, are looking into winding down. The announcement was reportedly new information to some members of the task force.
President Donald Trump explained on Tuesday that as the U.S. shifts into a new phase with a focus on the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx would still be advisers.
On Wednesday, the president clarified, however, that the coronavirus task force “will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY [and] OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.”
“We may add or subtract people to it, as appropriate,” he tweeted, adding that the focus will be on vaccines and therapeutics.
….produced in the thousands, and we have many to spare. We are helping other countries which are desperate for them. Likewise, after having been left little, we are now doing more testing than all other countries combined, and with superior tests. Face masks & shields,….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2020
….to it, as appropriate. The Task Force will also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2020
The president’s remarks come at a time that roughly half of the states across the U.S. have started reopening their economies amid the coronavirus outbreak, despite some concerns about the possibility of it leading to a spike in cases.
In Florida, restaurants are able to open their doors at a 25 percent capacity, excluding a few counties, while Georgia has opened places such as bowling alleys, hair salons, and barbershops.
In stark contrast, places like New York, Washington, and California are still on lockdown. New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., has had a stay-at-home order in effect since mid-March and it is currently set to expire on May 15. New York City, which was hit hard by the virus, does not have a clear idea of when its restrictions will be eased.
There are more 1,205,000 positive coronavirus cases in the U.S., as of Wednesday morning. There have been over 71,000 deaths due to the virus, while more than 189,700 people have recovered thus far in the country.