Dr. Deborah Birx could not say whether the United States would have to shut down again over a potential second wave of the COVID-19 virus.
President Trump said last week that he would not close the country again if there is a second wave of the coronavirus. During a Sunday interview on ABC’s This Week, Birx, who is the coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said it is “difficult to tell” whether Trump is correct in stating that the country will not need to shut down again.
“It’s difficult to tell, and I really am data-driven, so I’m collecting data right now about whether governors and whether states and whether communities are able to open safely,” she said.
Birx noted that proactive testing will be needed nationwide to properly identify new outbreaks in asymptomatic patients. She said that the task force has advised nursing homes to routinely test all residents and staff for the COVID-19 virus and added that places such as meat processing plants will need regular testing to prevent any “super spreading events.”
“All of this proactive testing needs to be in place and needs to continue to be in place because that will determine safely remaining open in the fall,” she added.
