America’s top infectious disease expert said a national lockdown in the United States remains a possibility as the Trump administration contends with the growing coronavirus pandemic.
“That could be, absolutely, that could be,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said about closing bars and restaurants nationwide during a White House news briefing on Sunday.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the White House coronavirus task force, announced at the news conference that new “broad recommendations for the public” would be coming from the federal government on Monday, although it is unclear what that guidance might entail.
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“What I don’t want to do is, I don’t want to, you know, jump ahead of the guidance. I promise you, let the guidance come out. We’ll be here every day. I’ll answer the question after the guidance,” Fauci said after being asked about specifics on what is to come.
Last week, Italy expanded a lockdown to the entire country as thousands there tested positive for coronavirus, and hundreds have died. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called it an “unprecedented” move meant to contain the growing outbreak better. All travel in the country is now banned except in cases of emergency, and all sporting events have been canceled. Additionally, all public gatherings of any kind are prohibited.
The U.S. has not gone that far, but governors in Ohio and Illinois, California, and other states and local leaders have begun announcing closures or restrictions of bars and restaurants as well as instituting bans on large gatherings. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday that the public school system in the Big Apple, the largest in the country, would be shut down.
Meanwhile, international travelers returning to the U.S. are experiencing long waits at airports around the country as they are screened for the coronavirus.
“We are doing very precise Medical Screenings at our airports. Pardon the interruptions and delays, we are moving as quickly as possible, but it is very important that we be vigilant and careful. We must get it right,” President Trump tweeted Sunday. “Safety first!”
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance on Sunday that recommended over the “next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.”
Fauci, who appeared on several Sunday morning talk shows, said in one interview that “it’s possible” that thousands or even millions of U.S. citizens could die during the coronavirus pandemic. He told NBC News’s Meet the Press that he is open to a 14-day “national shutdown.”
“I think Americans should be prepared that they are going to have to hunker down significantly more than we as a country are doing,” he said.
Trump was the first to speak at Sunday’s news briefing, and he shared a message of calm amid growing anxiety over the pandemic. “Relax. We’re doing great. It all will pass,” Trump said.
The president placed travel restrictions on much of Europe earlier in the week and added the United Kingdom and Ireland to the list on Saturday, after placing restrictions on China in January and Iran in February. He declared a national emergency on Friday.
The Federal Reserve lowered its interest rate target to zero on Sunday in an effort to protect the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. During the news briefing, it was announced that drive-through coronavirus testing sites would open this week across the country.
Nationally, there have been more than 3,200 cases and at least 62 deaths.
