A new report on coronavirus stats reveals that the United States recently added 100,000 new COVID-19 cases in just one day. This data comes from the COVID Tracking Project, which keeps watch on the coronavirus spread. The new statistic comes as COVID-19 cases have surged across the nation, with more people being hospitalized as the days go on.
Notably, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned months ago that this might happen. “I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 [cases] a day if this does not turn around,” he stated during a Senate hearing on June 30, per BuzzFeed. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had been serving on the White House’s coronavirus task force. During a recent interview with The Washington Post, Fauci reiterated his stance, saying, “We’re in for a whole lot of hurt. It’s not a good situation.”
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Fauci continued, “All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly.” Regarding the Trump administration COVID-19 task force, Fauci stated that it meets far less frequently now, due to Trump prioritizing his reelection campaign. “Right now, the public health aspect of the task force has diminished greatly.”
The nation’s top virologist then went on to confirm that he does not have any communication with Trump at this time. “The last time I spoke to the president was not about any policy; it was when he was recovering in Walter Reed, he called me up,” Fauci explained. He added that he really does not visit the West Wing of the White House, due to “all the infections there.” Aside from Trump, First Lady Melania and many other administration officials have previously tested positive for the virus.
With Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx somewhat put on the sidelines of the task force, Trump has reportedly been seeking the expertise of neuroradiologist Scott Atlas. Among Atlas’ most controversial stances is a belief that the virus should be allowed to spread among healthy young people, and that the nation should be fully reopened without restrictions. “I have real problems with that guy,” Fauci says of Atlas. “He’s a smart guy who’s talking about things that I believe he doesn’t have any real insight or knowledge or experience in. He keeps talking about things that when you dissect it out and parse it out, it doesn’t make any sense.”
