Federal coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx on Sunday said that "every metro area" should expect an outbreak equivalent to New York.

"What I wanted to be very clear on is every metro area should assume that they could have an outbreak equivalent to New York, and do everything right now to prevent it," Birx told Chuck Todd on NBC's Meet the Press.

Todd pressed Birx on whether Americans should be prepared for the national recommendations for a lockdown to continue.

But the doctor refused to answer.

"What is your recommendation?" Todd asked. "What recommendation are you going to be giving to them or are you not sharing that with us?"

"I'm going to share it with the president and vice president first," Birx insisted.