"We are not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas," Meadows told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
The comments from President Donald Trump's chief of staff come as coronavirus cases surge across the US and the administration continues to consistently disregard advice from government health experts to wear masks, social distance and avoid large gatherings as a way to curb the spread of the virus. The White House is also facing a potential second outbreak of the virus after at least five people in Pence's inner circle have tested positive in recent days, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Pressed by Tapper on why the US isn't going to get the pandemic under control, Meadows said: "Because it is a contagious virus just like the flu." He added that the Trump administration is "making efforts to contain it."
"What we need to do is make sure that we have the proper mitigation factors, whether it's therapies or vaccines or treatments to make sure that people don't die from this," Meadows said.
The US reported its second-highest day of new cases on Saturday, with nearly 84,000 Americans contracting the deadly virus. As of Sunday, there were at least 8,575,000 total cases of coronavirus in the US, and at least 224,800 Americans have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Pence to continue campaigning
But as concerns grow that more people surrounding the vice president could test positive in the coming days, Pence, who is the head of the White House's coronavirus task force, does not currently plan to self-quarantine, in defiance of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and will continue campaigning as the election nears.
Vice presidential chief of staff Marc Short, close aide Zach Bauer and outside adviser Marty Obst were among those within the vice president's orbit who have tested positive, sources told CNN.
On Sunday evening, Short told CNN that he is experiencing mild symptoms after testing positive. "I am doing OK. Hard to know if the symptoms are Covid related or four years of working at the White House. Symptoms are mild," he said.
Bauer -- one of the staffers who tested positive, according to two sources familiar with the matter -- serves as Pence's "body man," meaning his job is to accompany Pence throughout the day and night helping him with a wide range of duties, putting him in close proximity to the vice president. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that Bauer has not been in the office since Tuesday, when he went home to quarantine after coming into contact with Obst. Bauer tested positive Saturday.
The vice president and second lady Karen Pence each tested negative for coronavirus on Sunday, a White House official said.
"I spoke to the vice president last night at midnight and I can tell you that what he is doing is wearing a mask, socially distancing and when he goes up to spea
