White House to wind down coronavirus task force as focus shifts to aftermath: Trump

By Steve Holland

 

White House coronavirus task force members, including Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Robert Redfield and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams listen to President Donald Trump during the daily coronavirus disease (COVID-19) briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 22, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House coronavirus task force will wind down as the country moves into a second phase that focuses on the aftermath of the outbreak, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

 

Trump confirmed the plans after Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the group, told reporters the White House may start moving coordination of the U.S. response on to federal agencies in late May.

 

"Mike Pence and the task force have done a great job," Trump said during a visit to a mask factory in Arizona. "But we're now looking at a little bit of a different form and that form is safety and opening and we'll have a different group probably set up for that."

 

Asked if he was proclaiming "mission accomplished" in the fight against the coronavirus, Trump said, "No, not at all. The mission accomplished is when it's over."

 

Trump said Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, doctors who assumed a high profile during weeks of nationally televised news briefings, would remain advisers after the group is dismantled. Fauci leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Birx was response coordinator for the force.

 

"We can't keep our country closed for the next five years," Trump said, when asked why it was time to wind down the task force.

 

At least 70,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19, the respiratory illness it causes. The U.S. death toll is the highest in the world.

 

Earlier, Pence said Trump was starting to look at Memorial Day on May 25 as the time to shift management of the response to the pandemic.

 

Trump placed Pence in charge of the task force, which has been meeting almost every day since it was formed in March.

 

Conversations are taking place about "what the proper time is for the task force to complete its work and for the ongoing efforts to take place on an agency-by-agency level," Pence said.

 

"We’ve already begun to talk about a transition plan with FEMA," he said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that plays a lead role in distributing urgently needed supplies across the country.

 

Democratic politicians and some Republicans have criticized Trump for playing down the threat and encouraging states to start to reopen economies that were shut down to try to curb the virus' spread.

 

Pence said the trend lines for infections in the United States are on a positive course and that the country "could be in a very different place by late May or early June."

 

The University of Washington's influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation on Monday doubled its previous forecast for COVID-19 deaths in the United States, however, saying it now predicts the number could reach about 135,000 by early August as social distancing measures are relaxed.

 

Birx, the coronavirus task response coordinator, said the team would "keep a close eye on the data." Birx said the group was looking at outbreaks in Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa, as points of concern.

 

Pence's office announced he would visit Des Moines on Friday to discuss reopening with faith leaders and meet with agricultural and food supply leaders.

 

The focus is now on therapeutics, vaccines and addressing infection hot spots, the task force members said.

 

Most experts have suggested clinical trials to guarantee a vaccine is safe and effective could take a minimum of 12 to 18 months.

 

The White House task force has been less visible in recent days as Trump turned his attention to efforts to reopen the U.S. economy. It did not meet on Monday or Saturday.

 

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn said the Trump administration was committed to accelerating the search for a vaccine, with the goal of producing 100 million doses by the autumn and 300 million doses by the end of the year.

 

"Whether that can be achieved or not, it is realistic," said Azar. "We would not be doing this if we did not think it were realistic. Is it guaranteed? Of course it is not."

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Lisa Lambert and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Sonya Hepinstall and Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-06

 

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ignorance is bliss?possibly trying to keep us in the dark?i don’t know about you but to me knowledge is power and in this case safety 

There is an election coming up. Trump wants the focus to be on the economy not corona virus.

If Trump cannot be the limelight, then shift the focus on China and anything else so he does not look bad. His handling of the pandemic has been woeful, the largest number of infections and deaths in the world is in the USA - no organisation, no compassion, no nothing, just "we have done an incredible job", "we have been very successful" - what a total loser.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Mike Pence and the task force have done a great job," Trump said

They really haven’t. 

So, Mike Pense, who was installed as leader of the virus task force by Trump...may actually be allowed to say something other than he agrees with Trump...

 

Trump's ratings started going up when he stopped making a fool of himself in those daily virus briefings...

If we don’t have to listen to his daily briefing of lies and confusing messaging then dismantling the task force is good. But what about federal coordination on medical procurements and policies. It’s a abdication of duties and responsibilities. Disappointing that Trump decide to wind down the task for in the middle of the crisis. Leadership is badly needed and missing in this crisis. 

Who needs experts when you have faith leaders to consult with. 200-300k will be dead from the virus by Election Day because of these clowns. Even as bad an opponent as Biden will wipe the floor with Trump.

Edited May 6, 20206 yr by pegman

1 minute ago, pegman said:

Who needs experts when you have faith leaders to consult with. 200-300k will be dead from the virus by Election Day because of these clowns. Even as bad an opponent as Biden will wipe the floor with Trump.

Perhaps, but why does it have to be Biden? The DNC can withdraw him in favor of a better candidate if they so choose.

22 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

Perhaps, but why does it have to be Biden? The DNC can withdraw him in favor of a better candidate if they so choose.

 Democracy 

4 minutes ago, pegman said:

 Democracy 

Oh, c'mon! There hasn't been anything about this primary season yet that looks anything like democracy. Speaking of which. Andrew Yang prevailed in Federal court today. overturning the NY Board of Elections cancelling of the state's Presidential and down ballot primary at the behest of the DNC. That's democracy and the rule of law in action.

Who needs a task force President Pine O Clean and Jarrod have it 100% under control, sounds familiar.

One has to say a stellar job done by all, but it couldn't;t have happened without the courageous leadership and guidance of the esteemed Mike Pence.

 

 

For those that don't get irony....I am being ironic here.

4 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

If we don’t have to listen to his daily briefing of lies and confusing messaging then dismantling the task force is good. But what about federal coordination on medical procurements and policies. It’s a abdication of duties and responsibilities. Disappointing that Trump decide to wind down the task for in the middle of the crisis. Leadership is badly needed and missing in this crisis. 

Whilst I love not listening to Donald Trump talk about anything, this to me is an ominous sign. Trump can no longer silence the scientists at the briefings and so he has had to silence them by disbanding the Task Force and its podium. 

Sadly it will not stop Trump and Pompeo's evidence-free evil lies.

If you like satire and haven't checked it out yet search for "Once upon a Virus"...a compellingly truthful and funny video about 2 minutes long.

There was no task force but a miniature Trump’s campaign rally. He did the usual rally stuffs like belittling the media, lie, boast and praise himself a lot. 

6 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

There is an election coming up. Trump wants the focus to be on the economy not corona virus.

Does such a distinction exist? If you still have Coronavirus around, you will still have people who are afraid of the virus. Companies will have to ensure social distancing, under the law, and will have to report cases and isolate people for two weeks if they are in contact with a case. Until you get on top of this virus, as they did in South Korea, Germany and other countries, you will never be able to get economic growth.

10 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Whilst I love not listening to Donald Trump talk about anything, this to me is an ominous sign. Trump can no longer silence the scientists at the briefings and so he has had to silence them by disbanding the Task Force and its podium. 

Sadly it will not stop Trump and Pompeo's evidence-free evil lies.

If you like satire and haven't checked it out yet search for "Once upon a Virus"...a compellingly truthful and funny video about 2 minutes long.

He is not happy that Dr Fauci has better approval ratings than him. Also typical of him to avoid blame for failing to lead and unify. Now he just blame the state Dems governors. He is a real disappointment in every aspects. 

What is Fauci praying for I wonder?

I am sure that many inner-city-socialists have no idea about food production and give no thought as to how the food magically appears in the store. The supply lines are already weakening taking the meat industry as an example, fast food outlets are taking burgers off the menu and outlets such as Cosco are limiting meat purchases.

Even the vegans will be feeling the pinch as vegetables often need packing and processing before it gets to the city.

The cynic in me thinks the Dems are happy for the economy to falter because it is perceived as a Trump strength.

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

One has to say a stellar job done by all, but it couldn't;t have happened without the courageous leadership and guidance of the esteemed Mike Pence.

 

 

For those that don't get irony....I am being ironic here.

That's not irony, it's sarcasm. And quite funny too....

11 hours ago, webfact said:

"Mike Pence and the task force have done a great job," Trump said

"Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job"

 

they say history never repeats.

I see he made the entire "task force " take off their masks for the event.

Without belittling "the Goose" any further at this time his comments of a great job 

are ludicrous & his disbanding of the force is at least 6 months early, which is just a political re election stunt.  Unfortunately the American voters are just too dumb to see it.

Trumps value on human life is non existant & very sarcastic, it is all about $$$$$$$

Task force is back indefinitely. Didn’t take that long to flip-flop on policies. 

If the fatality number stay as they are or climb as many are predicting all

the while he and his hawks continue in promoting opening of the country and encouraging ‘taking back states’ then DT and his hawks are gunna be in deep doo doo.

12 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

If you like satire and haven't checked it out yet search for "Once upon a Virus"...a compellingly truthful and funny video about 2 minutes long.

You mean the video put out by the CCP propaganda department (which doesn't negate the message in this case).

Good to hear it is over and we are on the aftermath. 

8 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Good to hear it is over and we are on the aftermath. 

Someone should tell  all the people that are dying about it 

12 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

What is Fauci praying for I wonder?

My guess is he's praying to St Jude, patron of hopeless cases.

He's Catholic, y'know.

 

I wonder how DT's true believers can rationalize that people are dying from a hoax.

 

 

Edited May 6, 20206 yr by bendejo

9 minutes ago, bendejo said:

My guess is he's praying to St Jude, patron of hopeless cases.

He's Catholic, y'know.

 

I wonder how DT's true believers can rationalize that people are dying from a hoax.

 

 

I know how I rationalize it total abject surrender

Edited May 6, 20206 yr by Tug