Trump: Coronavirus Task Force will 'continue indefinitely'

(NBC News) – President Trump is backing away from his plan to wind down the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

President Trump announced on Twitter Wednesday the group will “continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN,” adding the the “Task Force will also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics.”

Speaking at an event commemorating National Nurses Day, the president went on to say “I had no idea how popular the task force is until actually yesterday when I started talking about winding down.”

Meanwhile, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control testified that the administration hasn’t ramped up what’s needed to safely reopen the country.

“Not just tests, but isolate people who are affected, contact trace and quarantine,” Dr. Thomas Frieden said.

The testimony came before the same House committee that had requested to hear from top health official Dr. Anthony Fauci. The Trump administration blocked him from speaking, though he will appear before a Republican-controlled Senate panel next week.