The White House coronavirus task force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, held its first briefing Friday in nearly two months, signaling a recognition that the administration can’t ignore the alarming increases in cases around the country.
WASHINGTON — There was no presidential appearance and no White House backdrop Friday when the government’s coronavirus task force briefed the public for the first since April – in keeping with an administration effort to show it’s paying attention to the latest spike in cases but not on a wartime footing that should keep the country from reopening the economy. The briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services was held as the number of confirmed new coronavirus infections per day in the U. S. soared to an all-time high of 40,000 – higher even than during the deadliest stretch in April and May. In light of the new surge, task force briefers chose their words carefully to update the public about COVID-19, which has become both a public health and political issue. Vice President Mike Pence had the most delicate line to walk. He acknowledged a surge in new cases across the South and West, while backing the president’s desire to get the economy up and running without mentioning that it will also help the prospects for reelection.”As we see new cases rising, and we’re tracking them very carefully, there may be a tendency among the American people to think that we are back to the place that we were two months ago – in a time of great losses and a great hardship on the American people,” Pence said. But the vice president also took note of positive job numbers and added: “The reality is we’re in a much better place.
