9:26 p.m. ET, November 16, 2020
Biden team hoping to work with Trump administration on Covid-19, top adviser says
From CNN’s Maggie Fox and Kelly Christ
US President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force has yet to talk to the current administration about the transition, but is “very open” to doing so, said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, co-chair of the task force, at a news conference on Monday.
“It hasn’t happened yet, but we’re very open to that. We would appreciate a chance to work together,” said Nunez-Smith, also an associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine.
Nunez-Smith said the task force is working very closely with policy teams and that the work of the transition is “driven by the data, by evidence, by science.”
Emphasizing vulnerable groups: Nunez-Smith said the task force was examining how Covid-19 disproportionately affects vulnerable populations like people of color, and those who work in high-risk places such as medical settings, nursing homes, and prisons.
On vaccines: She warned that the US is still many months away from full-scale distribution of a vaccine, and that people need to continue taking precautions like wearing masks and social distancing. If hospitalization numbers continue rising, it could overwhelm hospitals that are already strained.
“Our most precious and valuable resource right now is our healthcare system," she said.