Pence: White House Coronavirus Task Force to redistribute responsibilities

May 5 (UPI) -- Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday the Trump administration is moving to wind down the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Pence, who has led the task force since February, said the group's responsibilities will be distributed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other parts of the government.

"I think we're having conversations about that and about what the proper time is for the task force to complete its work and for the ongoing efforts to take place on an agency-by-agency level," he said.

Pence added the task force could begin to split up by the end of this month or in early June.

"As we continue to practice social distancing and states engage in safe and responsible reopening plans, I truly believe -- and the trend lines support it -- that we could be in a very different place and by late May and early June -- and that probably represents the timetable for our agencies," he said.

When asked about the plans, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the White House was "looking at a little bit of a different form and that form is safety and opening."

"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. "We have to open our country. Will some people be affected, badly? Yes. But we have to get our country open."

Trump also said task force members Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx will continue to advise the White House on its efforts to combat COVID-19, alongside other doctors and experts in the field.