Watch live: Trump holds briefing on the coronavirus as cases continue to rise

[The stream is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.]

in the process of developing a strategy” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, adding that that plan of action has “developed as we go along.” Trump also warned that the pandemic will likely “get worse before it gets better,” a stark contrast to his remarks months ago when he downplayed the disease.

The White House coronavirus task force, which is led by Vice President Mike Pence and includes Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, had regularly held briefings on Covid-19 earlier this year.

The president had attended those near-daily briefings. But they ended in late April, shortly after Trump speculated about whether disinfectants could be injected into people to treat the virus. He later claimed he had posed that question sarcastically.

The coronavirus outbreak has spread worldwide, with more than 14.9 million confirmed cases and over 616,990 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has had more than 3.9 million cases and at least 142,073 deaths, according to the latest tallies, more than any other country.

— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.