Biden official dodges question about national lockdown amid COVID-19 spike

Joe Biden’s top spokeswoman dodged a question on whether the president-elect is considering a four- to six-week national lockdown amid the uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country.

Instead, deputy campaign manager and communications director Kate Bedingfield pivoted to the plans Biden laid out during his campaign to battle the virus.

“I think he laid out very clearly across the course of the campaign the things that he wants to do to get the virus under control,” she told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday, mentioning implementing a national mask mandate and providing resources to businesses and schools so they can reopen.

“Obviously he is listening to the very best advice from scientists,” she added.

But Tapper pressed, “But what does that mean, no plans for a lockdown, but that could change? I mean, he’s on — Michael Osterholm is on the task force.”

On Wednesday, Osterholm, who was named to Biden’s coronavirus task force, floated the idea of a four- to six-week national shutdown, with the government compensating workers for lost wages.

Bedingfield responded by repeating what she’d just said about the plan Biden vaguely stated during the campaign.

“So there are things that Joe Biden has put forward that will make a difference, and that he’s focused on,” she added. “Now, of course, is he taking advice? Is he hearing from the best public health experts who are advising him? Of course, and he’s taking that into account. But he’s put forward really aggressive plans that he intends to implement in order to get the virus under control.”

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