In reversal, Trump says coronavirus task force will 'continue on indefinitely,' shifts focus to reopening, vaccines

Less than a day after signaling the White House task force on coronavirus would be disbanded, President Donald Trump said Wednesday the group will "continue on indefinitely" and shift focus to reopening and manufacturing vaccines.

Trump's latest thinking on the task force, created in January to coordinate the response to the virus, came a day after Vice President Mike Pence and other officials said the group's work would be transferred to federal agencies as soon as this month. The idea drew fire from some critics who said it was too soon to disband the group.

But the president left both the composition of the task force and its focus murky. Trump said he may remove some members of the group and add others, though he did not indicate specifically who he had in mind. He said the group would focus more on "safety" and reopening the nation's economy, as well as vaccine production.

"The Task Force will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN," Trump posted in a series of tweets Wednesday. "The Task Force will also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics. Thank you!"

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Speaking during a trip to Arizona on Tuesday, Trump appeared to link a decision to disband the group with his broader desire to reopen the nation and recharge its economy. Winding down the group, he suggested, would signal a new phase in the government's response to the virus.

"I'm viewing our great citizens of this country to a certain extent and to a large extent as warriors.They're warriors," Trump said when asked about the task force. "Will some people be affected, badly? Yes. But we have to get our country open."