US President-elect Joe Biden removes his protective mask as he addresses the media in Delaware
Credit: Getty
President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday that his administration would not order a national shutdown despite a dramatic rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
Mr Biden, who has faced questions on the issue after members of his coronavirus task force floated the possibility, said a full lockdown is not on the table and not the best option to tackle the pandemic.
"There’s no circumstance under which I can see that would require total national shutdown. I think that would be counterproductive," Mr Biden, who takes office on January 20, told reporters.
"I am not going to shut down the economy. Period. I’m going to shut down the virus. That’s what I’m going to shut down. I’ll say it again: No national shutdown. No national shutdown."
He suggested, however, he was open to the idea of regional lockdowns that could see areas with high infection rates face restrictions.
Some states appear to already be heading that way. Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, on Thursday issued a curfew for most residents from 10pm-5am beginning on Saturday night.
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci speaks during a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing
Credit: AFP
Andrew Cuomo, New York’s governor, meanwhile, warned that rising daily averages could soon see the state halt indoor dining and the possible closure of gyms.
Mr Biden painted a gloomy picture for the coming months before a vaccine comes available, with the number of daily cases at an all-time high.
"The country is still in a crisis, and there’s a dark winter still ahead," Mr Biden said. "Yesterday, America reached another tragic milestone; 250,000 deaths, a quarter of a million people died due to Covid-19.”
He also warned vaccine distribution could "be behind by weeks or months" as his transition is stalled by the Trump administration.
Minutes later, Mike Pence, Vice President who serves as the head of the White House coronavirus taskforce, offered a much rosier outlook when he addressed reporters on its work for the first time since the election.
"We slowed the spread. We flattened the curve. We saved lives," Mr Pence declared as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise to unprecedented levels. “We have never been more prepared to combat this virus that we are today,” he said.
He acknowledged that positivity has risen nationwide from 5 per cent to 10 per cent in recent weeks, however he suggested this was down to the increase in testing.
He welcomed back Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who had been sidelined by the administration for months, to assuage concerns around the efficacy of the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
“This is really solid,” Dr Fauci said to address concerns. "For those of you not acquainted with the field of vaccinology the (vaccines’ 95 per cent efficacy) is extraordinary. That is almost to the level of what we see with measles, which is 98 per cent effective."
"It was an independent body of people who have no allegiance to anyone, not to the administration, not to me, not to the companies."
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