US White House COVID Briefing After 4 Months... "Nationwide Lockdown Absolutely Not an Option" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The White House's novel coronavirus (COVID-19) task force (TF) briefing was held again after a four-month hiatus, hosted by Vice President Mike Pence. President Donald Trump did not attend this briefing either, while Vice President Pence and U.S. infectious disease experts repeatedly emphasized that a nationwide lockdown would never be imposed. This move is interpreted as an effort to dispel concerns about the government's potential reinstatement of lockdown orders and the resulting economic downturn, which have been spreading mainly among the business community as the cumulative COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. surpassed 250,000.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 19th (local time), Vice President Pence held a White House COVID-19 TF briefing and stated, "The United States has never been better prepared to fight this virus than now," emphasizing, "There will be no national lockdown, and school closures are also not recommended." This White House COVID-19 TF briefing was held for the first time in over four months since July 14. Vice President Pence said, "This briefing was held under President Trump's directive," but President Trump himself did not attend.

All TF members except President Trump were present. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an infectious disease expert, said at the TF briefing, "The efficacy of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reaches 95%, which is nearly comparable to the measles vaccine," adding, "Although there are concerns that the vaccines were developed too quickly, accelerating the process did not compromise safety." He further emphasized, "Vaccinations will begin with priority groups starting at the end of the year, and lockdown measures will not occur."

Following this, Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), addressed Vice President Pence's remarks on school closures, explaining, "Student infections mainly occur in communities and households, not in schools," and stated, "One of the safest places for young students is school," clarifying the reason for not recommending school closures. On the same day, the CDC issued guidelines recommending refraining from travel and additional preventive measures during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday starting on the 26th.

The reason U.S. health officials, following Vice President Pence, stated that lockdown measures would not be imposed is interpreted as an effort to dispel rumors circulating mainly in the U.S. stock market and business circles about the government initiating a nationwide lockdown. On this day, positive news from AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company developing a COVID-19 vaccine following Pfizer and Moderna, announced that vaccine efficacy would be revealed before Christmas, leading to a strong early rise in the stock market. However, concerns about the resumption of lockdown measures due to the spread of COVID-19 caused the gains to sharply decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising only 0.14%.

In the U.S., as the spread of COVID-19 shows no signs of abating, the possibility of reinstating lockdown measures is being discussed. According to COVID-19 statistics from Johns Hopkins University, as of this day, the cumulative confirmed cases in the U.S. totaled 11,698,661, and cumulative deaths reached 252,484. According to CNBC, over one million new cases were reported in the past week, and deaths exceeded 250,000. Additionally, the CDC's travel advisory recommending refraining from travel during the Thanksgiving holiday has fueled rumors that lockdown measures might be imposed, chilling investor sentiment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.