The White House has suspended daily coronavirus task force briefings but said they will resume later in the week as the focus shifts to the economic reopening phase in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The pause in the briefings follows a tumultuous few days after the Republican president's musings on Thursday on whether injecting disinfectants might be a treatment for Covid-19.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters the briefings might have a new look and a new focus.

“But I would not read into anything that said we see them as negative because in fact we think that they have been a very positive, helpful opportunity for the president to speak to the American people,” she said outside the White House.