Yahoo Movies Dr. Anthony Fauci Delivers Stark Warning To Republicans Easing Coronavirus Restrictions
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, has a warning for states that are dropping coronavirus restrictions as the number of cases continues to fall.
“It’s certainly from a public health standpoint ill-advised,” Fauci told CNN’s Erin Burnett, adding that past declines in the number of COVID-19 cases also prompted states to move too quickly to reopen.
And we know what happened next.
“We had rebounds which were very troublesome,” Fauci said. “What we don’t need right now is another surge.”
This week, the Republican governors of Texas and Mississippi announced plans to ease or even eliminate coronavirus restrictions. On Wednesday, Burnett played a clip of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) calling such restrictions “arbitrary.”
Fauci disagreed.
“They’re not arbitrary,” he said. “They’re based on evidence and data from science. We know that these interventions work, it’s very clear: When you implement them, you see the cases go down. When you pull back, the cases go up.”
Fauci added that with vaccinations on the rise, the U.S. finally has a chance to get the pandemic under control.
“Now’s not the time to pull back,” he said. “Now’s the time to really crush this by doing both public health measures and accelerating the vaccinations like we’re doing.”
See more of his comments above.
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
Is it safe to see people who have gotten the coronavirus vaccine?
What it means if your partner tests positive for COVID-19 but you don’t.
How worried should you be about the new strains of coronavirus?
The unexpected challenges of co-parenting during a pandemic.
19 things we took for granted pre-pandemic but now miss.
Find all that and more on our coronavirus hub page.
As COVID-19 cases rise, it’s more important than ever to remain connected and informed. Join the HuffPost community today. (It’s free!)
Also on HuffPost
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
