Pence to lead efforts against U.S. coronavirus spread

Vice President Mike Pence will be in charge of the nation’s response to the coronavirus. President Trump made the announcement last night during a national address.

Pence, a Columbus native, explains that as governor of Indiana he oversaw the first MERS virus outbreak in the U.S.

Pence says he’s working with federal health experts and state leaders daily and will add more staff to help.

The president did bristle at a question from the media about whether Pence would be a czar — a term frequently used by previous administrations for those in charge of coordinating responses to special crises or concerns across government agencies.

The president’s national address on the spread of the virus comes as the number of U.S. cases jump to 60.