The White House Coronavirus Task Force has at "no point" discussed a nationwide lockdown or stay-at-home order, Vice President Mike Pence said during a Fox News town hall event Tuesday afternoon.
"What we've done is publish the president's coronavirus guidelines," Pence said, in response to a viewer's question. "I've got them right here and I recommend them to everybody's attention. It's 15 days to slow the spread. This is what we believe every American should be doing during what remains of the next week or so, because we think we have the chance to significantly reduce the spread of the coronavirus and the threat it presents to the most vulnerable among us."
Meanwhile, it's important to remember that most people who contract coronavirus will "fully recover," said Pence. "But for those who are seniors with the serious underlying health condition, or anyone with an immune deficiency, the coronavirus represents a serious threat to their health."
Pence said President Donald Trump is calling for all Americans to avoid groups of more than 10, to use drive-thru windows at restaurants, and to avoid discretionary travel.
"We believe this can significantly reduce the threat of the coronavirus," said Pence. "That being said, states like California and Illinois and of course New York and elsewhere have taken strong measures. President Trump and I and our team fully support the decisions by your state and local officials that may be stronger than this. But we believe this is the right prescription across the board to slow the spread, and we recommend it to every single American."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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