Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Task Force Nudged Off Stage As Trump Looks To Shift Attention Away From Pandemic
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House task force that President Donald Trump assembled to manage the health crisis met every day. But in recent weeks, as the virus continues to spread and health experts warn of a potential surge in cases across the country this summer, the group has met formally just three times. And in a new sign that the task force's work may be nearing an end, its members have begun drafting a final after-action report highlighting the president's response that’s expected to be completed in the coming weeks, according to two senior administration officials. (Alba, Lee and Welker, 6/2)
The White House's focus on the coronavirus has faded from public view in recent days as national unrest dominates headlines. The administration's task force has scaled back its meetings, and its top infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci, said he hasn't met with President Trump in weeks. The White House's designated testing czar, Brett Giroir, likewise said Monday he is set to return to his regular duties this month, and the president has shifted his focus to quashing protests nationwide in response to the death of George Floyd. (Samuels and Sullivan, 6/2)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported a total of 1,802,470 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 14,790 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 761 to 105,157. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on June 1, versus its previous report released on Monday. (6/2)
It’s nearly a World War I-sized death toll. The more than 116,000 U.S. soldiers who died more than a century ago is close to how many Americans have been killed so far by COVID-19 since the disease and the coronavirus that causes it arrived in the United States. The death toll, 104,869 as of 10:30 a.m. June 1, is greater than the populations of more than 2,500 counties across the country and stands as sobering evidence of the deadly nature of the novel coronavirus. (Wu, Chiwaya and Muccari, 6/2)
