Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb urged people to cancel gatherings and parties, large or small, to limit the coronavirus pandemic.
“Business is leading the way on mitigation and social distancing, filling a void left by policy makers,” Gottlieb said. “Small gatherings, parties, all should be postponed for the next month or two.”
2. Business is leading the way on mitigation and social distancing, filling a void left by policy makers. But shutting down NBA games is not enough. This must be practiced in places large and small. Small gatherings, parties, all should be postponed for the next month or two 7/10
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 12, 2020
The NBA suspended its season Wednesday after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, but Gottlieb said more businesses should follow suit.
“But shutting down NBA games is not enough. This must be practiced in places large and small,” he said.
Gottlieb, appointed by President Trump as the FDA chief from 2017 to 2019, is now at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
Many public events, such as St. Patrick’s Day parades, have been canceled, and some businesses have closed their offices. But few government authorities have imposed restrictions on gatherings.
Trump gave an address on the pandemic Wednesday night in which he announced that he was restricting travel from Europe and backing several measures to aid businesses distressed by the outbreak. He didn’t, though, outline plans to limit gatherings or travel within the United States as has been done in Italy, France, and other countries.
As of Thursday, over 1,300 cases have been confirmed in the U.S. and nearly 128,000 globally. At least 38 people in the U.S. have died.
