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Fauci says states with surging Covid-19 cases should pause reopening efforts Fauci says states with surging Covid-19 cases should pause reopening efforts
(32 minutes later)
Public health expert made remark after US set world record for most new Covid-19 cases reported in one dayPublic health expert made remark after US set world record for most new Covid-19 cases reported in one day
After the US set a world record for most new Covid-19 cases in one day, with 60,000 reported on Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, a senior member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, said states needed to pause reopening efforts. As the US set a world record for most Covid-19 cases in one day, with 60,000 reported on Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, a senior member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, said states needed to pause reopening efforts.
“Rather than think in terms of reverting back down to a complete shutdown, I would think we need to get the states pausing in their opening process,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told the Hill.“Rather than think in terms of reverting back down to a complete shutdown, I would think we need to get the states pausing in their opening process,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told the Hill.
Fauci’s comment represented a retreat from a remark made on a Wall Street Journal podcast on Wednesday, when he said “any state that is having a serious problem, that state should seriously look at shutting down” again.Fauci’s comment represented a retreat from a remark made on a Wall Street Journal podcast on Wednesday, when he said “any state that is having a serious problem, that state should seriously look at shutting down” again.
Fauci has been attacked by Donald Trump and reportedly barred from major media appearances but he has found other ways to reach the American public, speaking to webcasts and in testimony before a Senate committee.Fauci has been attacked by Donald Trump and reportedly barred from major media appearances but he has found other ways to reach the American public, speaking to webcasts and in testimony before a Senate committee.
In an interview published by the Journal on Thursday and seemingly likely to anger the president, Fauci said the federal government needed to do better in making the case for personal responsibility and added: “We need to get people like myself, like my colleagues, out there more.”
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland reported the record daily figure. According to the same source, the US has more than 3m confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 132,000 deaths.Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland reported the record daily figure. According to the same source, the US has more than 3m confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 132,000 deaths.
States which sought to reopen from the Memorial Day weekend in late May, Texas and Florida among them, are experiencing precipitous rises in cases and rapidly increasing pressure on hospitals. States that sought to reopen from late May, Texas and Florida among them, are experiencing precipitous rises in cases and pressure on hospital resources.
Arizona, another state experiencing a serious surge, has seen long queues for tests and claims minorities in cities have been abandoned by state government. In Phoenix, city authorities have appealed to the federal government for help. Arizona, another state experiencing a serious surge, has seen long queues for tests and claims minorities in cities have been abandoned by state government. In Phoenix, city authorities have appealed for federal help.
On Wednesday, Fauci also said it “wasn’t for me to say” which states should shut down and when, “because each state is different”. In his remarks on Wednesday, Fauci also said it “wasn’t for me to say” which states should shut down and when, “because each state is different”. But a pattern is emerging. Texas, Florida and Arizona are run by Republican governors allied to the president. So is Oklahoma, where the Tulsa public health chief said on Wednesday a Trump rally there in late June “likely contributed” to a dramatic surge in cases.
But a pattern is emerging. Texas, Florida and Arizona are run by Republican governors allied to the president. In Oklahoma, another such state, the public health chief for the city of Tulsa said on Wednesday a Trump campaign rally there in late June “likely contributed” to a dramatic surge in cases. “In the past few days, we’ve seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots,” said Dr Bruce Dart, also referring to protests over the police killing of George Floyd, though those were outdoors where risk of transmission is lower.
“In the past few days, we’ve seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots,” said Dr Bruce Dart, the Tulsa city-county health director , also referring to protests over the police killing of George Floyd, although those were outdoors where risk of transmission is lower. Many observers charge that Trump has placed his re-election campaign above the health and safety of millions. The president has also insisted Covid-19 will “disappear” and that 99% of cases are harmless. It has been reported that the White House wants to switch to telling the public the virus just has to be lived with.
Many observers have charged that Trump has placed the needs of his re-election campaign above the health and safety of millions of Americans. The Republican party still intends to hold large events in Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of August, having switched most of its national convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, where a Democratic governor insists on tight measures against Covid-19. On Wednesday, Trump indicated the party might yet be “flexible” about going to Florida.
Such claims have been boosted by reporting that the White House is seeking to keep Fauci and other experts from speaking on television and wants its official messaging to switch to telling the public the virus just has to be lived with. Trump has also insisted Covid-19 will just “disappear” and that 99% of cases are harmless. On Thursday morning, he complained on Twitter: “For the 1/100th [sic] time, the reason we show so many Cases, compared to other countries that haven’t done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better. We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc. NOT REPORTED!”
The Republican party still intends to hold large public events in Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of August, having switched most of its national convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, where a Democratic governor insists on tight measures against Covid-19. On Wednesday, Trump indicated that the party might yet be “flexible” about staging events in Florida. Reporters and factcheckers have pointed out that Trump’s claims on testing are nonsensical and merely an attempt to deflect from rising case numbers.
On Thursday morning Trump complained on Twitter: “For the 1/100th [sic] time, the reason we show so many Cases, compared to other countries that haven’t done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better. We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc. NOT REPORTED!” “Increased testing isn’t the reason for the surge in coronavirus cases,” said Joe Biden, Trump’s challenger for the presidency. “Donald Trump’s failed leadership is.”
Many reporters and factcheckers have pointed out that Trump’s claims on testing are nonsensical and merely an attempt to deflect from rising case numbers. Case numbers are also rising in states, New York and New Jersey prominent among them, which were early hotspots but have introduced measures to reopen. Some such measures are now being paused. In California, Los Angeles is considering reinstating its stay-at-home order, Eric Garcetti, the mayor, said on Wednesday.
“Increased testing isn’t the reason for the surge in coronavirus cases,” said Joe Biden, Trump’s challenger for the presidency in November. “Donald Trump’s failed leadership is.” On Thursday, Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, retweeted a message lamenting a previous daily record for US cases, which he said was “tragically becoming evergreen”. It said: “Yesterday the US hit a record high for new Covid cases. WEAR A MASK.”
Case numbers are rising both in states which reopened early and in others, New York and New Jersey prominent among them, which were early hotspots but then flattened numbers and introduced measures to reopen, many of which are now being paused. In California, Los Angeles is considering reinstating its stay-at-home order, Eric Garcetti, the mayor, said on Wednesday. Trump refuses to wear a mask in public and though Republicans from Vice-President Mike Pence down do and generally encourage the public to follow suit, the administration has refused to contemplate a national mandate. Tensions, often exacerbated by partisan politics, have flowered between state governors and mayors of sizable cities who implement mask mandates or seek to do so.
On Thursday Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, retweeted a message lamenting a previous daily record for US cases, which he said was “tragically becoming evergreen”. It said: “Yesterday the US hit a record high for new Covid cases. WEAR A MASK.” Trump has also threatened to withdraw funding from public schools that do not reopen fully in September. New York City, the biggest such system in the US, will not do so. On Wednesday, the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, said Trump’s extraordinary threat, which would hit many of the neediest families in the country, could yet be carried out.
Trump refuses to wear a mask in public and though Republicans from Vice-President Mike Pence down now do so and generally encourage the public to follow suit, the administration has refused to contemplate a national mandate. Tensions, often exacerbated by partisan politics, have flowered between state governors and mayors of sizable cities who implement mask mandates or seek to do so. Trump has also pushed for federal guidelines on school reopening to be rewritten so, in the words of Pence, the guidance will not be “too tough”.
Trump has also threatened to withdraw funding from public schools which do not reopen fully in September. New York City schools, the biggest such system in the US, will not do so. On Wednesday the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, said Trump’s extraordinary threat, which would hit many of the neediest families in the country, could yet be carried out.
Trump has also prompted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on school reopening to be rewritten so, in the words of Pence, the guidance will not be “too tough”.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told CNBC: “Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos demanding schools reopen but failing to produce a plan or the resources required is not doing what kids and educators need.”Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told CNBC: “Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos demanding schools reopen but failing to produce a plan or the resources required is not doing what kids and educators need.”