PRESIDENT Trump has once again lashed out at Dr Anthony Fauci over why the US has had so many coronavirus cases in comparison to Europe, saying the expert is “wrong”.
“We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country, 60,000,000,” Trump tweeted on Saturday, in retaliation to Fauci’s testimony to Congress to day prior.
On Friday, Fauci, CDC boss Robert Redfield and HHS Testing Czar Admiral Brett Giroir testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis in Washington DC.
Fauci was asked why cases were declining in European countries while the United States has seen a surge.
“If you look at what happened in Europe when they shut down or locked down or went to shelter-in-place, however you want to describe it, they really did it to the tune of about 95-plus-per cent of the country did that,” Fauci explained.
“When you actually look at what we did, even though we shut down, even though it created a great deal of difficulty, we really functionally shut down only about 50 per cent, in the sense of the totality of the country,” he continued.
On Saturday, after coming back from a golfing session, Trump disputed Fauci’s expert opinion.
“If we tested less, there would be less cases,” he claimed,
“How did Italy, France & Spain do? Now Europe sadly has flare ups. Most of our governors worked hard & smart. We will come back STRONG!”
During the hearing, Fauci added: “I do not believe that it will disappear. It is unlikely that it will disappear.
“I think there was such a diversity of response from different states that we didn’t have a unified bringing [cases] down,” he added later when asked about why cases in the USA were surging across The Sun Belt states and midwest, while Asia and Europe have a handle on the spread.
Earlier in the hearing, Majority Whip Committee Chairman Clyburn told Fauci he was “right” that the pandemic would get worse as the US surpasses 150,000 deaths.
Fauci has asked officials to go back to public health basics such as social distancing and face coverings after Trump indicated the virus would simply disappear.
“When we opened up the country particularly most recently in southern states … was an increase.”
Fauci said that some states followed the CDC guidelines carefully – but others did not mandate social distancing or masks.
He told Rep Scalise that Trump’s decision to ban travel from China was correct and “saved lives,” likewise, with the travel ban on Europe.
Scalise also highlighted that five governors didn’t follow nursing home procedures, which Giroir acknowledged.
When the subject of reopening schools arose, Redfield said he believed schools should reopen this fall when Scalise quizzed him.
“Clearly, we’re seeing less reporting of it [child abuse],” Redfield said.
“I do think it’s really important to realize it’s not public economy versus schools reopening.
“We’ve got to do it safely.”
