On Thursday, the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force made remarks to reporters for the first time since July, as new cases and deaths continue to climb, but took no questions. The United States has just crossed the grim milestone of 250,000 deaths from COVID-19, with winter and the holidays are rapidly approaching. The task force tried to balance emphasizing the need to remain vigilant as cases rise, with hope as the vaccine comes online next month. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that hope and help are on the way. US Vice President Mike Pence echoed a similar message. General Gustav Perna said the government would immediately begin distribution once the Food and Drug Administration grants an emergency use authorization for a vaccine.
Perna said, “It is this effort that I can look you in the face and say to you EUA comes, 24 hours later vaccines will be distributed out to the American people and be ready for administration”. He added that the vaccine would be delivered to multiple sites in every state, including local pharmacies and healthcare centers. Pence pointed out that cases and hospitalizations are rising, and said President Trump was not present at the briefing and had directed the task force to speak with reporters. Pence said they’re continuing the mobilization of testing, as the country waits for the vaccine to become available. He said, “Even as we see help on the way, the vaccines being developed at a historic pace, as I mentioned before, as we gather today, we are seeing cases and positivity rising across the country”.
Pence added, “But we approach this moment with the confidence of experience. We know the American people know what to do. We have forged a partnership that is truly seamless with state and local health authorities. And as we’ll describe to you today, we have continued to work seven days a week, all throughout this year and up to this very moment to make sure the American people have access to the health care that we’d want any member of our family to have as we meet this pandemic”. It is noteworthy that US Health experts said a positivity rate of 5% or lower suggests that a state may have enough testing capacity for the size of its outbreak and is testing enough of its population to plan for reopening.