WASHINGTON, DC, United States (AP) — President Donald Trump said yesterday that he believes the US can never declare “total victory” over the novel coronavirus because too many people have died. But he added that he will count it a win when the virus is gon e and the economy fully reopened.

With more than 60,000 Americans fallen to the virus, Trump pointed out that the death rate in the US was lower than in many other countries, and he offered the optimistic prediction that the battered economy would be vastly improved in a matter of months and “spectacular” by 2021.

He also said he was considering ordering that US flags at the White House and elsewhere be lowered to half-staff to honour those killed by the virus — now more than all US troops killed during the Vietnam War — as he pushed back against criticism from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden that he lacks “empathy or concern” for Americans.

“I want the virus gone, and we want to have a vibrant economy,” Trump said at a White House event designed to highlight the Administration’s efforts to protect residents of nursing homes grappling with the virus.

Speaking of the nation overall, Trump said he didn’t want people “sitting six feet apart. I want our country back. I want people to go out and see football games and baseball games and basketball and hockey and golf and all of these sports and not worry about getting sick and violently ill.”

Earlier in the week, Biden called on Trump to order White House flags to be lowered to half-staff and accused the president of talking more about how he’s been inconvenienced by the virus than about Americans affected by the pandemic.

Asked about Biden’s criticism, Trump said lowering the flags was among the steps he would have beeen discussing with his advisers later yesterday as he considers how to honour the fallen. He also dismissed Biden’s criticism.