White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday would not rule out further lockdowns to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 if scientists recommended such action.
During a press briefing, Fox News’s Peter Doocy noted that President Biden had previously promised that no further lockdowns would be implemented.
However, Doocy asked why Americans should trust Biden, given that he had made a similar promise regarding masks, which the CDC began recommending again this week in areas of high or substantial spread, even for vaccinated people.
“Well, because we listen to the scientists,” Jean-Pierre said. “We listen to the experts. This is a public-health situation; this is not about politics at all.
“This is about saving lives, and this is what the president is all about,” she added. “He wants to make sure that we are saving lives.”
The deputy press secretary argued that data on the virus from the past six months shows that Biden has saved lives.
“Now we’re at a point where we have to double down and make it very, very clear to people that we can’t let the pandemic win,” Jean-Pierre said. “We have to continue to fight.”
Doocy then asked if the administration would support additional shutdowns if scientists recommended lockdowns and school closures.
“Well, like I said, we listen to the CDC and the experts and their guidance; the CDC is a body that is very well-respected,” Jean-Pierre said.