Members of the Coronavirus Task Force, charged with leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, are holding a briefing Thursday at 5 p.m. President Trump is expected to announce new federal guidelines as part of his efforts to restart the economy, which has been brought to a halt to curb the spread of the virus.
Mr. Trump has signaled he is eager for the country to begin a return to normalcy, and earlier this week rolled out a host of industry-specific groups comprised of business leaders and experts who will focus on an economic revival. While the president said he will announce the new guidelines after speaking with governors — he is scheduled to hold a video call with them at 3 p.m. — some across the country are creating their own regional groups to examine when to ease restrictions.
How to watch the Coronavirus Task Force briefing today
Public health officials have said that social distancing measures are having an impact on slowing the spread of the coronavirus but are encouraging Americans to remain vigilant in their efforts.
“I will just remind the American people again: This is a highly contagious virus,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters Wednesday. “Social gatherings, coming together, there’s always a chance that an asymptomatic person can spread the virus unknowingly. No one is intending to spread the virus. We know if you are sick, you will stay home. But to all of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20: Don’t do it yet.”
