Pence asks governors to echo Trump's claim about surge in coronavirus infections

During a phone call with governors on Monday, Vice President Mike Pence urged them to repeat President Trump's claim that the surge in coronavirus outbreaks is only due to increased testing, The New York Times reports.

In audio of the call obtained by the Times, Pence is heard saying that when discussing the new outbreaks, the governors need to "continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of the increase in testing" and "encourage people with the news that we're safely reopening the country."

Over the weekend, nine states saw record numbers of new coronavirus infections, with Florida reporting 2,581 new daily cases on Saturday. A data analysis by the Times found that in at least 14 states, the positive case rate is rising faster than the increase in the average number of tests.

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State health officials across the United States have said community spread is behind the outbreaks, but Pence downplayed this, instead focusing on outbreak locations like nursing homes, the Times reports.