Home ›› 26 Oct 2020 ›› World Biz
A senior aide to President Donald Trump has conceded that the US is "not going to control the pandemic".
Instead, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Covid-19 could only be defeated by "mitigation areas" like vaccines and therapeutics, reports BBC.
His remarks come as coronavirus cases surge in the US, nine days before the country's presidential election.
US Vice-President Mike Pence has continued to campaign despite positive tests on his team.
Pence and his wife both tested negative on Sunday, his office said.
Speaking with CNN, Meadows said control of the virus was not a realistic goal because "it is a contagious virus just like the flu".
In a statement responding to the interview, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said the White House was waving "the white flag of defeat".
He added that Meadows' comments showed the Trump administration had "given up on their basic duty to protect the American people".
Some 225,000 Americans have died since the pandemic began, the highest figure of any country.
