Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that “all 50 states and territories in this country are being opened safely and responsibly,” even as cases increase in many states, and eight states across the country have halted their efforts to reopening.
One state, Texas, has even curtailed its reopening plan, closing bars after being part of the states’ reopening plan.
Pence said at the White House coronavirus task force briefing on Friday that the country “has made truly remarkable progress in advancing our nation” and that “we have all seen encouraging news as we open the United States again “
His comments come when 32 states across the country have seen an increase in cases in the past week, according to data from John Hopkins University.
Pence also spoke about the return of work that occurred with the reopening of the United States, saying that some of the original coronavirus hot spots, such as the New York metropolitan area and New Orleans, have made “extraordinary progress.”
He said the working group is targeting 16 states that have been most affected by the coronavirus in recent weeks, with increasing cases and increasing positivity rates.
Pence also echoed the president’s saying that more tests have led to more cases, yet the increase in new cases has outpaced the increase in coronavirus tests.
“One way or another, the volume of new cases coming in is a reflection of great success in expanding the evidence across the country,” Pence said.
Pence said that while the United States has made progress, the country “still has work to do.”
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