Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health officials are holding a briefing Friday morning on the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The briefing comes the day after Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, warned that President Joe Biden’s push to reopen most schools within 100 days “may not happen.”
Fauci will be joined at the briefing by Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Chair; Andy Slavitt, senior advisor to the White House COVID-19 Response Team; and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to watch the COVID-19 briefing today
- What: Federal health officials hold a briefing on the Biden administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Date: Friday, January 29, 2021
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
- Location: The White House, Washington, D.C.
- Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile streaming device
In an interview with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association on Thursday, Fauci expressed caution over Mr. Biden’s goal to reopen schools after the first 100 days of his term.
“That may not happen because there may be mitigating circumstances,” Fauci said.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday reiterated Mr. Biden’s support for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to be passed in Congress, and said that the White House was not interested in breaking the bill up into smaller portions. Some Republicans have balked at the price tag for the bill, and it is unclear whether it will be able to garner any GOP votes.
Psaki said Mr. Biden had reached out to both Republican and Democratic members of Congress to discuss coronavirus relief.
