Pence, who is at the helm of the White House’s coronavirus task force, and Birx, who the vice president tapped to serve as the coronavirus coordinator, will hold a press briefing at 5 p.m. EST on Monday. Those who are interested in tuning in for the live update can do so via the White House’s YouTube page.
As of Monday morning, there were more than 88,000 cases of COVID-19 around the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus has infected people in 61 countries, including the United States.
There have been at least 89 confirmed and presumptive cases in the U.S., an increase of 20 cases from Saturday. A case is considered “presumptive” if the person tested positive locally but has not had a positive result from the CDC.
Rhode Island and Florida each reported two cases on Sunday, the first identified in both states. Three of the four cases involved people who recently traveled to Europe. The fourth person has no known related travel.
New York also reported its first presumptive case on Sunday, involving a person who recently returned to New York City from Iran, where there is a large outbreak of COVID-19.
The patient, identified as a woman in her late 30s, is isolated in her home and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said officials expected there to be additional cases in the state.
“There is no reason for undue anxiety—the general risk remains low in New York,” Cuomo said. “We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available.”
Earlier in the day, Pence was expected to participate in a video teleconference with American governors regarding the new coronavirus. He was also scheduled to join Trump and other members of the coronavirus task force for a meeting with pharmaceutical executives and lead a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting immediately before the briefing.
On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a man in his 50s passed away from the virus in Washington, the first death in the U.S. A second death was reported on Sunday, involving a 70-year-old man in Washington.
Following the first death, Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency to “get the resources” the state needs to respond to the outbreak. He called for “common-sense, proactive measures” and assured residents that officials took the threat seriously and have been preparing for what could be a global pandemic.
On Saturday, Pence offered his condolences to the first victim’s family and said the Trump administration will make resources available to ensure the safety of the American public.
