By the Associated Press:

President Donald Trump on Wednesday reversed course on plans to wind down his COVID-19 task force, attempting to balance his enthusiasm for “reopening” the country with rising infection rates in parts of the nation.

Trump appears intent on persuading the country to accept the price of some lives lost as restrictions are eased, concerned about skyrocketing unemployment and intent on encouraging an economic rebound ahead of the November election.

Democrats criticized Trump’s reopening strategy Wednesday, saying more federal support for testing and contact tracing is needed. Deaths and infection rates outside of New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus, are rising even as many states move to ease lockdown restrictions.

One day after the administration suggested that its work would be done around Memorial Day, Trump tweeted that the White House task force of experts and senior government officials would continue its work after all, indefinitely, with its focus shifting toward rebooting the economy and the development of a vaccine.

Trump tweeted that the special task force’s focus now would be on “SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN.“

A White House official acknowledged that signaling on Tuesday that the task force was preparing to shut down had sent the wrong message and created a media maelstrom.

While the task force has already been meeting less frequently, its medical experts, particularly Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, have emerged as among the most trusted voices on the virus response. The Tuesday announcement of ending the task force sparked concerns that they would be sidelined as the outbreak continues amid fears of a fresh wave of illness in the fall.

Trump said Tuesday he would still seek their counsel, regardless of the fate of the task force.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking, said membership in the group would change as the nature of the crisis evolves.

In the Wednesday tweets Trump said “the Task Force will continue on indefinitely.” He added that the White House “may add or subtract people to it, as appropriate. The Task Force will also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics.”