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| Coronavirus US live: Fauci warns against rush to reopen and asks 'how many deaths are you willing to accept?' | Coronavirus US live: Fauci warns against rush to reopen and asks 'how many deaths are you willing to accept?' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Top US public health expert says opening too soon would result in a rebound of cases as top models forecast a likely surge in deaths | Top US public health expert says opening too soon would result in a rebound of cases as top models forecast a likely surge in deaths |
| Good morning. This is Joan Greve, taking over the blog for Joanna Walters. | |
| Trump and his allies are signaling a desire to focus on reopening the economy, even as coronavirus projections suggest relaxing social distancing restrictions too quickly could cause thousands of additional deaths. | |
| Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie told CNN yesterday, “Of course, everybody wants to save every life they can -- but the question is, towards what end, ultimately?” | |
| Christie, who led Trump’s 2016 transition team, added, “Are there ways that we can ... thread the middle here to allow that there are going to be deaths, and there are going to be deaths no matter what?” | |
| CNN’s Dana Bash pressed the former Republican governor on whether Americans should accept reopening even as one projection suggests the country could see up to 3,000 deaths a day by June 1. “They’re going to have to,” Christie said. | |
| But there are some polls out this morning showing that, despite Christie’s alarming advice, Americans are not willing to go along with reopening if it means thousands of additional deaths. More on that in a minute ... | |
| Donald Trump is effectively abandoning a public health strategy for the coronavirus pandemic and showing “clear willingness to trade lives for the Dow Jones”, critics say. | |
| A leaked internal White House report predicts the daily death toll from the virus could reach about 3,000 on 1 June, almost double the current tally of about 1,750, the New York Times revealed on Monday. | |
| Yet at the same time, Trump has scrapped daily coronavirus taskforce briefings and marginalized his medical experts in favour of economic officials flooding the airwaves to urge states to reopen for business – even amid rising infection rates. | |
| “They’ve decided in a very utilitarian kind of way that the political damage from a collapsed economy is greater than the political damage from losing as many as 90,000 more Americans just in June,” said Rick Wilson, a former Republican strategist. “We’re witnessing the full-scale application of a kind of grisly realpolitik that is a clear willingness to trade lives for the Dow Jones.” | |
| The latest comments from Anthony Fauci, the long-time director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the most senior public health expert on the White House coronavirus task force, will turn your head. | The latest comments from Anthony Fauci, the long-time director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the most senior public health expert on the White House coronavirus task force, will turn your head. |
| He was interviewed on CNN and also did an interview for National Geographic. | He was interviewed on CNN and also did an interview for National Geographic. |
| He discussed with CNN’s Chris Cuomo last night to what extent America’s state, national and local leaders are willing to accept more sickness and death from coronavirus in order to release the stifled social and economic energy of the country. | He discussed with CNN’s Chris Cuomo last night to what extent America’s state, national and local leaders are willing to accept more sickness and death from coronavirus in order to release the stifled social and economic energy of the country. |
| “It’s the balance of something that’s a very difficult choice,” Fauci said. | “It’s the balance of something that’s a very difficult choice,” Fauci said. |
| Then he went on: “How many deaths and how much suffering are you willing to accept to get back to what you want to be some form of normality sooner rather than later?” he asked. | Then he went on: “How many deaths and how much suffering are you willing to accept to get back to what you want to be some form of normality sooner rather than later?” he asked. |
| That’s a question that Donald Trump is now asking out loud, effectively, as are some others. More on that in a moment. | That’s a question that Donald Trump is now asking out loud, effectively, as are some others. More on that in a moment. |
| Fauci also accompanied his question with this point, after a discussion of forecasts yesterday that showed a projected doubling of deaths, almost, in the case of a rushed reopening, saying: | Fauci also accompanied his question with this point, after a discussion of forecasts yesterday that showed a projected doubling of deaths, almost, in the case of a rushed reopening, saying: |
| “When we have a lot of virus activity and you know that you are able to contain it to a certain degree” with the kinds of mitigating measures we’ve been practicing, such as social distancing and wearing masks in public “and you start to leapfrog over some of these, you are inviting a rebound [of coronavirus cases] . And rebound is going to give you spikes and spikes are going to give you the kind of numbers” being discussed. | “When we have a lot of virus activity and you know that you are able to contain it to a certain degree” with the kinds of mitigating measures we’ve been practicing, such as social distancing and wearing masks in public “and you start to leapfrog over some of these, you are inviting a rebound [of coronavirus cases] . And rebound is going to give you spikes and spikes are going to give you the kind of numbers” being discussed. |
| Meanwhile, in National Geographic interview, Fauci said the scientific evidence was “very, very strongly leaning toward” the conclusion that the virus originated in nature and jumped from animals to humans. | Meanwhile, in National Geographic interview, Fauci said the scientific evidence was “very, very strongly leaning toward” the conclusion that the virus originated in nature and jumped from animals to humans. |
| That was after secretary of state Mike Pompeo contradicted his own intelligence and military chiefs and, without any evidence details, said there was “enormous evidence” that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab and also was probably manmade. | That was after secretary of state Mike Pompeo contradicted his own intelligence and military chiefs and, without any evidence details, said there was “enormous evidence” that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab and also was probably manmade. |
| Good morning, US live blog readers, it’s a very lively start to the day and there is a lot going on in the world of politics and the coronavirus. Our principal blogger Joanie Greve will be with you at the top of the hour, but let’s get going. | Good morning, US live blog readers, it’s a very lively start to the day and there is a lot going on in the world of politics and the coronavirus. Our principal blogger Joanie Greve will be with you at the top of the hour, but let’s get going. |
| Here’s what’s in the news today so far: | Here’s what’s in the news today so far: |
| Top US public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci is rhetorically asking America this question: “How many deaths and how much suffering are you willing to accept to get back to what you want to be some form of normality sooner rather than later?” That’s from a CNN interview last night. | Top US public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci is rhetorically asking America this question: “How many deaths and how much suffering are you willing to accept to get back to what you want to be some form of normality sooner rather than later?” That’s from a CNN interview last night. |
| Fauci also warned that “you are going to get a rebound” in the number of coronavirus cases in the US if there is a “premature” rush to reopen society and business. This as a number of top models forecast a likely surge in new cases and deaths. | Fauci also warned that “you are going to get a rebound” in the number of coronavirus cases in the US if there is a “premature” rush to reopen society and business. This as a number of top models forecast a likely surge in new cases and deaths. |
| Donald Trump has promised/warned (depending on your view) that his White House coronavirus briefings will be back soon because “everyone” enjoys them especially, he admitted in an interview with the New York Post, him – and...those ratings. | Donald Trump has promised/warned (depending on your view) that his White House coronavirus briefings will be back soon because “everyone” enjoys them especially, he admitted in an interview with the New York Post, him – and...those ratings. |
| Meanwhile, Chinese state TV called the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, “insane” for suggesting (against the opinions of the US’s intelligence and military leaders – and Dr Fauci!) that the coronavirus at the root of the pandemic was probably made in a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. | Meanwhile, Chinese state TV called the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, “insane” for suggesting (against the opinions of the US’s intelligence and military leaders – and Dr Fauci!) that the coronavirus at the root of the pandemic was probably made in a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. |
| The US president is visiting Arizona today to tour a Honeywell production line that’s churning out surgical face masks. Air Force One has been wheeled out for the president’s journey for the first time since late March. | The US president is visiting Arizona today to tour a Honeywell production line that’s churning out surgical face masks. Air Force One has been wheeled out for the president’s journey for the first time since late March. |
| As of today, the US has almost 1.2m confirmed coronavirus cases and has an official death toll of 68,934. | As of today, the US has almost 1.2m confirmed coronavirus cases and has an official death toll of 68,934. |