Aides insisted there would be no change in White House strategy to fight the pandemic, and no additional money or new resources given to states dealing with spikes in cases. “In only 3 percent of the counties across the country are we seeing an increase in cases,” said a senior administration official. “The vast majority of the country is not experiencing that. When they turn on the TV and see maps full of red and then they go out into their communities, that is not what they see.”

Some health officials in the Trump administration are engaging with states and contemplating how to bring the latest surge under control, given that many of the stricken counties are the most populous in each state. But Covid-19 is no longer front and center for Trump or most of his White House, in part because it’s viewed as an unwieldy and losing issue for a president who has always felt much more comfortable playing economic cheerleader than delving into the nuances of health issues, according to interviews with half a dozen current and former senior administration officials and Republicans close to the White House…

“We’re going to have to learn how to live with this virus for a while, and to suggest that we’re beating it or we’re winning just doesn’t have an appreciation for what a public health emergency is,” said T.J. Petrizzo, a Republican lobbyist. “Just accept it, own it. You can’t close your eyes and say there’s no boogeyman in the closet because the truth is that this virus does not go away.”