Dr. Anthony Fauci says the United States is “not in total control” of the coronavirus pandemic and predicts the nation could eventually see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day.
As of Monday, the U.S. averaged nearly 40,000 new cases daily over the past week, a 40% increase compared to data — compiled by Johns Hopkins University — from a week ago, CNBC reports.
Speaking at the U.S. Senate Committee hearing on Tuesday, the White House health advisor warned that daily cases could more than double if the outbreak continues at its current pace.
“I can’t make an accurate prediction, but it’s going to be very disturbing,” he said in a response to a question from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass). “I will guarantee you that, because when you have an outbreak in one part of the country, even though in other parts of the country they’re doing well, they are vulnerable,” Fauci explained.
READ MORE: Trump and Fauci spar over NFL return as more athletes test positive for COVID-19
“We are now having 40,000-plus new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around, and so I am very concerned,” he said.
According to Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 50% of all new COVID-19 cases are coming from Florida, California, Texas and Arizona.
There were 21,000 new COVID-19 cases the day Dr. Fauci told me we were going in “the right direction.”
There were 40,000+ new cases yesterday.
And Dr. Fauci told me today there could be 100,000 new cases/day if we don’t reverse course.Trump & other leaders need to face reality. pic.twitter.com/NApUxo7wK0
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 30, 2020
During the hearing on Tuesday, he urged Americans to stop going to bars, which are hotbeds for the deadly contagion.
“Congregation at a bar, inside, is bad news,” Fauci said, citing the surge in COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
“I think we need to emphasize the responsibility that we have both as individuals and as part of a societal effort to end the epidemic that we all have to play a part in that,” Fauci added.
“Because if a person gets infected, they may not be symptomatic, but they could pass it to someone else, who passes it to someone else, who then makes someone’s grandmother or grandfather, sick uncle, or leukemic child on chemotherapy get sick and die,” he continued.
“We’ve got to get that message out: that we are all in this together. And if we are going to contain this, we have got to contain it together.”
COVID-19 has reportedly claimed the lives of 126,000 Americans.
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