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A national lockdown as Covid-19 cases tick up is "a measure of last resort," the co-chair of Joe Biden's coronavirus taskforce, Vivek Murthy, said Sunday. "We have got to approach this with the position of a scalpel rather than the blunt force of an ax," the former surgeon general told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," arguing for a more nuanced approach. (Mueller, 11/15)

A member of Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory team on Sunday rejected claims that the president-elect would force the country into another round of strict lockdowns as daily coronavirus cases reach new highs. “We are not in support of a nationwide lockdown and believe there is not a scenario unless — there simply isn’t a scenario because we can get this under control,” Dr. Atul Gawande told ABC’s “This Week.” (Bowden, 11/15)

As the U.S. continues to set records for daily coronavirus infectious and hospitalizations, Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that Americans should not expect a national lockdown and should instead anticipate "surgical-type" local restrictions. During an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union," Fauci once again called for the nation to "double down" on public health measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and practicing social distancing while waiting for a vaccine to become widely available — likely late next year. (Rahman, 11/15)

The Trump administration has not cooperated with President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, and top Biden officials say the incoming president is limited in what he can do before his team takes the reins. Still, Biden's coronavirus advisory board co-chair Vivek Murthy says they're doing everything they can to ensure plans are ready to go on Inauguration Day — including stronger mask requirements. Biden has already called for implementing mask mandates nationwide. Where mandates don't exist, Biden will make direct pleas to governors and mayors to put them in place, Murthy said in an interview with NPR's Weekend Edition. (Schwartz, 11/15)