Coronavirus: Officials Warn US Government of Rapid Spread of the Virus

“I would not be surprised if coronavirus cases go up to 100,000 a day,” American immunologist and physician, Dr. Anthony Fauci told the US Senate.

He warned that not enough Americans are wearing masks or social distancing, which enables the rapid spread of the virus and referred to four states; Florida, Arizona, Texas, and California, as being most heavily hit.

On Tuesday, the coronavirus cases rose to 40,000 in one day, which has forced at least 16 states to pause or reserve their opening plans.

However, during the senate hearing, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony urged the US government to produce face masks for free to all Americans. He also criticized states for neglecting benchmarks required for reopening and said cases would rise as a result.

“I can’t make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing, I will guarantee you that,” he told Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“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.”

“We can’t just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk,” Dr. Anthony added.

Also at the hearing on Tuesday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert Redfield, also testified. He said that 12 states had seen rising hospital admission numbers, and Arizona has recorded an increasing death rate.

“It is critical that we all take the personal responsibility to slow the transmission of Covid-19 and embrace the universal use of face coverings,” Dr. Redfield said.

“The disease impacts us all, and it’s going to take all of us working together to stop it,” he added.

Before the hearing, on Monday, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, warned that the US is not improving like other countries who have shown success in containing the coronavirus, and has allowed the virus to spread much more rapidly.

Dr. Schuchat said in an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association, “We’re not in the situation of New Zealand or Singapore or Korea where a new case is rapidly identified, and all the contacts are traced, and people who are sick, and are exposed are quarantined, isolated and they can keep things under control.”

She added that “We have way too much virus across the country for that right now, so it’s very discouraging.”

The US has recorded 2,682,897 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, and has a total of 129,544 deaths.

“This is really the beginning. I think there was a lot of wishful thinking around the country: ‘Hey, it’s summer.’ Everything’s going to be fine. We’re over this, and we are not even beginning to be over this. There are a lot of worrisome factors about the last week or so,” Dr. Schuchat remarked.

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who leads the committee, appealed to President Donald Trump before the hearing. – to wear a face mask – an act he has yet to do in a public event.

“Sadly, this simple life-saving practice has become part of the political debate,” said Mr. Trump’s ally.

“If you are for Trump, you don’t wear a mask, if you are against Trump, you do,” he continued, going on to “suggest that the president occasionally wear a mask.”

“The president has plenty of admirers that would follow his lead,” he said.