This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
US Covid-19 Cases Surge ¶
As the US grapples with a surge in Covid-19 cases, infectious disease chief Dr Anthony Fauci has described the situation as a 'serious problem'. The nation has recorded over 40,000 new cases on Friday, the highest daily total so far.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the total number of cases stands at over 2.4 million, with more than 125,000 deaths nationwide. This is the highest number of cases in any country.
Dr Fauci made the comments during the first White House task force briefing in two months. He emphasized the need for collective action to end the pandemic, saying: 'The only way we're going to end it is by ending it together.'
Dr Fauci also noted that the current rises in cases were due to various factors, including regions opening too early, not following guidelines, and citizens not adhering to public health advice.
He added that if the spread of the virus was not stopped, even areas doing well now would eventually be affected.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Mike Pence praised the nation's progress in handling the pandemic, citing 'extraordinary progress' in former hotspots like New York and New Jersey.
However, Dr Fauci's comments contrasted with those of Vice-President Pence, who appeared to downplay the link between states reopening and the increase in cases.
Dr Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator, thanked younger Americans for heeding official guidance on testing, saying: 'Whereas before we told them to stay home, now we are telling them to get tested.'
She noted that this 'great change' in testing guidance would allow officials to find 'the asymptomatic and mild diseases that we couldn't find before'.
