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Dr. Deborah Birx, White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, told Trump administration officials in April that the COVID-19 pandemic will come to an end sooner than later, according to a New York Times report.
The Times reported Saturday Birx predicted the U.S. would see a peak in cases, followed by a slow and lasting decline like Italy.
It may have been her upbeat analysis that prompted President Donald Trump in mid-April to pressure states to relax their regulations combatting the coronavirus, the Times reported, having interviewed more than two dozen administration officials, reviewing emails and other documents on handling its COVID-19 response.
In May, Birx described the Trump administration’s response as “putting out the embers,” and noting that a surge in the virus wouldn’t occur until the fall, according to the Times.