New coronavirus lockdowns may be needed, CDC official says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that widespread lockdowns may be needed again if coronavirus cases continue to increase.

“If cases begin to go up again, and particularly if they go up dramatically, it’s important to recognize that more extensive mitigation efforts such as what were implemented back in March may be needed again,” Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s COVID-19 incident manager, told reporters on a conference call Friday. “And that is a decision that really needs to be made locally based on what is happening within the community regarding disease transmission.”