NIAID director Anthony Fauci cast doubts on the effectiveness of Russia's registered coronavirus vaccine touted by President Vladimir Putin on August 11.

Doubts whether Russians have proven COVID-19 vaccine safety | Anthony Fauci

Top US&nbsp;infectious disease expert Dr.&nbsp;Anthony&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;has raised concerns over the safety of COVID-19 vaccines being developed by China and Russia as the world scrambles for answers to a pandemic the WHO warned will be felt for decades.

Several Chinese companies are at the forefront of the race to develop an immunity to the disease and Russia has set a target date of September to roll out its own vaccine.

But US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it was unlikely his country would use any vaccine developed in either country, where regulatory systems are far more opaque than they are in the West.

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"I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone," he told a US Congressional hearing on Friday.

"Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best."

As part of its own "Operation Warp Speed," the US government will pay pharma giants Sanofi and GSK up to $2.1 billion for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, the companies said.

Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus has killed at least 679,000 people and infected at least 17.9 million.

Top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday has raised concerns over the safety of COVID-19 vaccines being developed by China and Russia as the world scrambles for answers to a pandemic the WHO warned will be felt for decades.

Top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday has raised concerns over the safety of COVID-19 vaccines being developed by China and Russia as the world scrambles for answers to a pandemic the WHO warned will be felt for decades. Several Chinese companies are at the forefront of the race to develop an immunity to the disease and Russia has set a target date of September to roll out its own vaccine. But US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it was unlikely his country would use any vaccine developed in either country, where regulatory systems are far more opaque than they are in the West. Also read: COVID-19: US records 66,986 new cases and 1,453 deaths "I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone," he told a US Congressional hearing on Friday. "Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best." As part of its own "Operation Warp Speed," the US government will pay pharma giants Sanofi and GSK up to $2.1 billion for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, the companies said. Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus has killed at least 679,000 people and infected at least 17.9 million.

US says unlikely to use China, Russia COVID-19 vaccine as race heats up

A coronavirus surge in Florida, California and a handful of other hard-hit states could be peaking while other parts of the country may be on the cusp of growing outbreaks, the top U.S. infectious diseases official said on Tuesday.

A spike in cases in Florida, along with Texas, Arizona and California this month has overwhelmed hospitals, forced a U-turn on steps to reopen economies and stoked fears that U.S. efforts to control the outbreak are sputtering.

"They may be cresting and coming back down," Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC's "Good Morning America" program regarding the state of the outbreak in several Sunbelt states.

Fauci said there was a "very early indication" that the percentage of coronavirus tests that were positive was starting to rise in other states, such as Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.

"That's a surefire sign that you've got to be careful."

Fauci has become a lightning rod for some supporters of President Donald Trump who accuse the 79-year-old health official of exaggerating the extent and severity of the U.S. outbreak and playing down possible treatments.

Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House in a Nov. 3 election, retweeted a post accusing Fauci and Democrats of suppressing the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus. The post included a link to a video of a group discounting the need for face masks, which many health officials say are necessary to control the spread of the virus.

A Twitter spokesman confirmed that tweets with the video were in violation of the company's COVID-19 misinformation policy, and the tweets shared by Trump were deleted.

In his interview with ABC, Fauci defended his work to protect Americans' health.

"I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances," he said.

A coronavirus surge in Florida, California and a handful of other hard-hit states could be peaking while other parts of the country may be on the cusp of growing outbreaks, the top U.

A coronavirus surge in Florida, California and a handful of other hard-hit states could be peaking while other parts of the country may be on the cusp of growing outbreaks, the top U.S. infectious diseases official said on Tuesday. A spike in cases in Florida, along with Texas, Arizona and California this month has overwhelmed hospitals, forced a U-turn on steps to reopen economies and stoked fears that U.S. efforts to control the outbreak are sputtering. "They may be cresting and coming back down," Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC's "Good Morning America" program regarding the state of the outbreak in several Sunbelt states. Fauci said there was a "very early indication" that the percentage of coronavirus tests that were positive was starting to rise in other states, such as Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. "That's a surefire sign that you've got to be careful." Fauci has become a lightning rod for some supporters of President Donald Trump who accuse the 79-year-old health official of exaggerating the extent and severity of the U.S. outbreak and playing down possible treatments. Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House in a Nov. 3 election, retweeted a post accusing Fauci and Democrats of suppressing the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus. The post included a link to a video of a group discounting the need for face masks, which many health officials say are necessary to control the spread of the virus. A Twitter spokesman confirmed that tweets with the video were in violation of the company's COVID-19 misinformation policy, and the tweets shared by Trump were deleted. In his interview with ABC, Fauci defended his work to protect Americans' health. "I have not been misleading the American public under any circumstances," he said.

Fauci sees signs of hope in some US states hard hit by outbreak

US&nbsp;top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday that while a vaccine may be determined "safe" by December of this year, he didn't expect it to be "widely available" until a few months into 2021.

"I think as we get into 2021, several months in, that you would have a vaccine that would be widely available to people in the United States," he&nbsp;told the Washington Post.

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Fauci also said that he was pleased with President Donald&nbsp;Trump's recent coronavirus press conferences, saying&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was advising people to wear masks and practice social distancing in a "short, crisp" manner.

He stressed that there are still questions to be answered about the novel coronavirus. He hopes to get some answers by December from a study about how frequently children get infected and whether they spread infection to adults.

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His statement comes as&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)&nbsp;issued new guidelines on the reopening of schools, clearly weighting its recommendations in favor of having students return to their classrooms in fall.

With the virus still rampant in many parts of the country, a number of cities including Houston and Los Angeles have already announced that schools will reopen virtually.

As of Friday afternoon, there were some 4,054,802 reported cases and 144,333 fatalities from COVID-19 in the United States, according to a Reuters tally.

(With input from agencies)

US top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday that while a vaccine may be determined "safe" by December of this year, he didn't expect it to be "widely available" until a few months into 2021.

US top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday that while a vaccine may be determined "safe" by December of this year, he didn't expect it to be "widely available" until a few months into 2021. "I think as we get into 2021, several months in, that you would have a vaccine that would be widely available to people in the United States," he told the Washington Post. Also read: Trump allows defense contractors to sell more armed drones to foreign military Fauci also said that he was pleased with President Donald Trump's recent coronavirus press conferences, saying Trump was advising people to wear masks and practice social distancing in a "short, crisp" manner. He stressed that there are still questions to be answered about the novel coronavirus. He hopes to get some answers by December from a study about how frequently children get infected and whether they spread infection to adults. Also read: Caught in a lie: Here's why Donald Trump cancelled Florida convention His statement comes as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines on the reopening of schools, clearly weighting its recommendations in favor of having students return to their classrooms in fall. With the virus still rampant in many parts of the country, a number of cities including Houston and Los Angeles have already announced that schools will reopen virtually. As of Friday afternoon, there were some 4,054,802 reported cases and 144,333 fatalities from COVID-19 in the United States, according to a Reuters tally. (With input from agencies)

Coronavirus vaccine will not be 'widely available' before 2021: Fauci

As the United States struggles with coronavirus, Facebook&nbsp;founder Mark Zuckerberg today criticised the Trump administration asserting that "our government and this administration have been considerably less effective in handing the virus."

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Zuckerberg did a live Facebook interaction with top US infectious disease&nbsp;expert Anthony Fauci on coronavirus and NIH's research into possible treatments and vaccine candidates.

Fauci implored young people to continue social distancing and other measures.

"Please assume the societal responsiblity of being part of the solution, not part of the problem," Fauci said during the live chat with Zuckerberg.

During the live stream on Facebook, &nbsp;Zuckerberg said: “Now that we are here in July, I just think that it was avoidable and it is really disappointing that we still don’t have adequate testing, that the credibility of top scientists like yourself and the CDC are being undermined."

Fauci told Zukerberg that public health measures should be seen as a "vehicle or gateway to opening the country" and not as an "obstacle"

&nbsp;“You can’t jump over steps, which is very perilous when you think about rebound. The proof of the pudding is, look what has happened. There really is no reason that we are having 40, 50, 60 thousand, other than we are not doing something correctly,” Fauci added.

The United States has the most number of coronavirus cases in the world with over 3.5 million cases and over 137,000 deaths. The outbreak has taken a more serious turn in the past month in Texas, California and Florida which have reported large number of cases overwhelming health workers.

Florida has emerged as the new epicentre of the virus reporting more coronavirus cases daily than any other state in the country. California and Texas are next nearly 10,000 new COVID-19 cases each day.

As the United States struggles with coronavirus, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg today criticised the Trump administration asserting that "our government and this administration have been considerably less effective in handing the virus.

As the United States struggles with coronavirus, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg today criticised the Trump administration asserting that "our government and this administration have been considerably less effective in handing the virus." Also Read: US makes a grim record, registers over 77,000 coronavirus cases in a day Zuckerberg did a live Facebook interaction with top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on coronavirus and NIH's research into possible treatments and vaccine candidates. Fauci implored young people to continue social distancing and other measures. "Please assume the societal responsiblity of being part of the solution, not part of the problem," Fauci said during the live chat with Zuckerberg. During the live stream on Facebook, Zuckerberg said: “Now that we are here in July, I just think that it was avoidable and it is really disappointing that we still don’t have adequate testing, that the credibility of top scientists like yourself and the CDC are being undermined." Fauci told Zukerberg that public health measures should be seen as a "vehicle or gateway to opening the country" and not as an "obstacle" “You can’t jump over steps, which is very perilous when you think about rebound. The proof of the pudding is, look what has happened. There really is no reason that we are having 40, 50, 60 thousand, other than we are not doing something correctly,” Fauci added. The United States has the most number of coronavirus cases in the world with over 3.5 million cases and over 137,000 deaths. The outbreak has taken a more serious turn in the past month in Texas, California and Florida which have reported large number of cases overwhelming health workers. Florida has emerged as the new epicentre of the virus reporting more coronavirus cases daily than any other state in the country. California and Texas are next nearly 10,000 new COVID-19 cases each day.

Now, Facebook's Zuckerberg lashes out at Trump's coronavirus response during live stream chat with Fauci

President Donald Trump issued a rare rebuke of his senior adviser Peter Navarro on Wednesday, saying Navarro should not have written a scathing opinion piece about Anthony Fauci, a top government coronavirus expert who is hugely popular.

Navarro, a trade adviser who at times has expanded his reach within the Trump White House, launched an attack on Fauci in an article for USA Today.

“Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on,” Navarro wrote.

The initial lack of a pushback from the White House for the article fed a belief that Navarro’s article was supported at the top levels of the White House.

But departing for a trip to Atlanta, Trump was asked whether Navarro had gone rogue.

“Well he made a statement representing himself. He shouldn’t be doing that. No, I have a very good relationship with Anthony,” Trump said.

A White House official said Trump did not endorse Navarro’s op-ed and that Navarro was told “explicitly in recent days to de-escalate the situation.” The official said that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is “fully engaged” on the matter and that Meadows thought Navarro’s article was “unacceptable.”

Fauci is a member of the government’s coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence. The 79-year-old infectious diseases expert aided the search to treat the HIV disease in the 1980s and is a revered figure for not letting politics intrude on his judgement.

“We’re all on the same team, including Dr. Fauci,” Trump said. “We all want to get rid of this mess.”

Tensions between Trump and Fauci have emerged at times with the president focused on getting Americans back to work and school while Fauci has urged caution to prevent the spread of infection.

Fauci, in an interview with The Atlantic, said the White House’s recent attacks have been a “major mistake on their part.”

“I can’t explain Peter Navarro. He’s in a world by himself,” Fauci said.

He said he had not spoken with Trump “in a while,” but had been working with Pence on the U.S. struggle to gain control of the virus.

President Donald Trump issued a rare rebuke of his senior adviser Peter Navarro on Wednesday, saying Navarro should not have written a scathing opinion piece about Anthony Fauci, a top government coronavirus expert who is hugely popular.

President Donald Trump issued a rare rebuke of his senior adviser Peter Navarro on Wednesday, saying Navarro should not have written a scathing opinion piece about Anthony Fauci, a top government coronavirus expert who is hugely popular. Navarro, a trade adviser who at times has expanded his reach within the Trump White House, launched an attack on Fauci in an article for USA Today. “Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on,” Navarro wrote. The initial lack of a pushback from the White House for the article fed a belief that Navarro’s article was supported at the top levels of the White House. But departing for a trip to Atlanta, Trump was asked whether Navarro had gone rogue. “Well he made a statement representing himself. He shouldn’t be doing that. No, I have a very good relationship with Anthony,” Trump said. A White House official said Trump did not endorse Navarro’s op-ed and that Navarro was told “explicitly in recent days to de-escalate the situation.” The official said that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is “fully engaged” on the matter and that Meadows thought Navarro’s article was “unacceptable.” Fauci is a member of the government’s coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence. The 79-year-old infectious diseases expert aided the search to treat the HIV disease in the 1980s and is a revered figure for not letting politics intrude on his judgement. “We’re all on the same team, including Dr. Fauci,” Trump said. “We all want to get rid of this mess.” Tensions between Trump and Fauci have emerged at times with the president focused on getting Americans back to work and school while Fauci has urged caution to prevent the spread of infection. Fauci, in an interview with The Atlantic, said the White House’s recent attacks have been a “major mistake on their part.” “I can’t explain Peter Navarro. He’s in a world by himself,” Fauci said. He said he had not spoken with Trump “in a while,” but had been working with Pence on the U.S. struggle to gain control of the virus.

Trump rebukes aide Navarro for attacking popular Fauci

President Donald Trump on Monday took swipes at health experts in his government leading the US response to the coronavirus outbreak, as his relationship further frayed with top infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci.

President Donald Trump on Monday took swipes at health experts in his government leading the US response to the coronavirus outbreak, as his relationship further frayed with top infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci. The Republican president, seeking re-election in November, has been increasingly critical of government health officials and their guidance as a steady rise in infections threatens the easing of shutdown restrictions across the country. In the early morning, Trump retweeted to his 83 million followers the accusations of a former game show host that "everyone is lying," including the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust," Chuck Woolery wrote Sunday night without citing evidence. Last week, Trump said he thought CDC guidelines for schools reopening were too tough, impractical and expensive. Trump then retweeted an April post from Woolery's podcast co-host that Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wants to require "an ID card to go shopping." As coronavirus accelerated months ago, Fauci said it was possible the United States could in the future issue a certification of immunity. The White House did not respond to questions about Trump's views on Fauci or whether the president believed the CDC was lying. Fauci's plain-spoken assessments during White House coronavirus briefings have made him a household name. TENSIONS FLARETensions with Fauci have risen with the decline of Trump's popularity in the polls over the president's handling of the outbreak. Trump told the Fox News Channel on Thursday that "Dr. Fauci is a nice man, but he’s made a lot of mistakes." Fauci said in a Financial Times interview the following day he has not briefed Trump in two months. The White House over the weekend distributed lists of statements Fauci made early in the pandemic that turned out to be wrong as understanding of the disease developed, according to media reports. Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to host a teleconference on the pandemic on Monday. Trump trails his presumptive Democratic opponent in the Nov. 3 election, Joe Biden, in both national and battleground state polls. On Sunday, Florida reported a record increase of more than 15,000 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours and infections are rising rapidly in Arizona, California and Texas and about 35 other states. If Florida were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for the most new cases in a day behind the United States, Brazil and India, according to a Reuters analysis. Health officials and the CDC have pleaded with the public to wear masks to limit the spread of the virus, but the issue has become a politically divisive issue in the United States unlike in many other countries which have seen far lower rates of infection and death. Trump wore a mask for the first time in public when he visited a Washington D.C.-area military medical center on Saturday. He had previously refused to wear a mask in public or ask Americans to wear face coverings, saying it was a personal choice.

Trump takes swipes at Fauci, CDC as coronavirus cases rise

The United States is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and remains the worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus pandemic. Some fear it may be the second wave of infection.&nbsp;

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According to Dr Anthony Fauci, head of America's National Institute of Allergy and a leading member of the White House coronavirus taskforce has dismissed the claim of the second wave.&nbsp;

According to Dr Fauci, the country is still "knee dip" in the first wave of the pandemic. He said: "We are still knee-deep in the first wave of this."

"It's a serious situation that we have to address immediately," Fauci said in a web interview with National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins.

"It was a surge or a resurgence of infections superimposed upon a baseline," he said.

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"If you look at the graphs from Europe, the European Union as an entity, it went up and then came down to the baseline. Now they're having little blips, as you might expect, as they try to reopen. We went up, never came down to baseline, and now we're surging back up."

A total of 32 American states have witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases and the country is swiftly approaching 3 million mark, along with 130,000 deaths due to virus.&nbsp;

Texas, Florida and Arizona are the worst-hit states in the country as of now. Hospital beds are full in parts of Texas.&nbsp;

Some mayors have said their cities reopened too early as Trump tries to downplay the severity of the crisis, prioritizing economic reopening instead.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 11.6 million globally, with over 538,395 fatalities and more than 6 million recoveries, according to the latest tally.

Worldwide, at least 11,626,759 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 6,315,864 have recovered, and 538,395 people have died, according to Worldometer data.

The United States is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and remains the worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus pandemic. Some fear it may be the second wave of infection.

The United States is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and remains the worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus pandemic. Some fear it may be the second wave of infection. Also read: WHO to travellers: Keep an eye on COVID-19 'anywhere and everywhere' According to Dr Anthony Fauci, head of America's National Institute of Allergy and a leading member of the White House coronavirus taskforce has dismissed the claim of the second wave. According to Dr Fauci, the country is still "knee dip" in the first wave of the pandemic. He said: "We are still knee-deep in the first wave of this." "It's a serious situation that we have to address immediately," Fauci said in a web interview with National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins. "It was a surge or a resurgence of infections superimposed upon a baseline," he said. Also read: 'Morbidly curious' horror fans the calmest in a post-pandemic world! "If you look at the graphs from Europe, the European Union as an entity, it went up and then came down to the baseline. Now they're having little blips, as you might expect, as they try to reopen. We went up, never came down to baseline, and now we're surging back up." A total of 32 American states have witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases and the country is swiftly approaching 3 million mark, along with 130,000 deaths due to virus. Texas, Florida and Arizona are the worst-hit states in the country as of now. Hospital beds are full in parts of Texas. Some mayors have said their cities reopened too early as Trump tries to downplay the severity of the crisis, prioritizing economic reopening instead. Confirmed COVID-19 cases have exceeded 11.6 million globally, with over 538,395 fatalities and more than 6 million recoveries, according to the latest tally. Worldwide, at least 11,626,759 people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, 6,315,864 have recovered, and 538,395 people have died, according to Worldometer data.

No second wave? US still 'knee deep' in first wave of coronavirus, says Anthony Fauci

Dr Anthony Fauci said coronavirus cases could grow to 100,000 a day in the US if Americans don't start following public health recommendations.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says US could reach 100,000 new cases a day

New US&nbsp;coronavirus cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if the current surge spirals further out of control, the government's top infectious disease expert warned on Tuesday, although he was "cautiously optimistic" a vaccine would be available early next year.

California, Texas and Arizona have emerged as new epicenters of the pandemic, each reporting record increases in COVID-19 cases, adding to pressure on scores of potential vaccines being rushed into trials.

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"Clearly we are not in total control right now," Dr. Anthony&nbsp;Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a US&nbsp;Senate committee. "I am very concerned because it could get very bad."

Fauci&nbsp;said the daily increase in new cases nationwide, currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 unless a full nationwide effort was undertaken to tamp down the resurgent virus.

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"We can't just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk," he said.

Fauci&nbsp;said there was no guarantee of having vaccine to prevent infection soon, but that early data had left scientists "cautiously optimistic" for 2021. "Hopefully there will be doses available by the beginning of next year," he said.

COVID-19 cases more than doubled in June in at least 10 states, including Texas and Florida, a Reuters tally showed. In parts of Texas and Arizona, hospital intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients are in short supply.

More than 126,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions have lost their jobs, as states and major cities ordered residents to stay home and businesses closed. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter and is expected to crater in the second.

New US coronavirus cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if the current surge spirals further out of control, the government's top infectious disease expert warned on Tuesday, although he was "cautiously optimistic" a vaccine would be available early next year.

New US coronavirus cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if the current surge spirals further out of control, the government's top infectious disease expert warned on Tuesday, although he was "cautiously optimistic" a vaccine would be available early next year. California, Texas and Arizona have emerged as new epicenters of the pandemic, each reporting record increases in COVID-19 cases, adding to pressure on scores of potential vaccines being rushed into trials. Also read| US: California, Texas see record COVID-19 surges, Arizona clamps down "Clearly we are not in total control right now," Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a US Senate committee. "I am very concerned because it could get very bad." Fauci said the daily increase in new cases nationwide, currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 unless a full nationwide effort was undertaken to tamp down the resurgent virus. Also read| EU releases pilot 'safe list' for non-essential travel, no US citizens allowed "We can't just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk," he said. Fauci said there was no guarantee of having vaccine to prevent infection soon, but that early data had left scientists "cautiously optimistic" for 2021. "Hopefully there will be doses available by the beginning of next year," he said. COVID-19 cases more than doubled in June in at least 10 states, including Texas and Florida, a Reuters tally showed. In parts of Texas and Arizona, hospital intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients are in short supply. More than 126,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions have lost their jobs, as states and major cities ordered residents to stay home and businesses closed. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter and is expected to crater in the second.

US top health expert Fauci warns of 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day

America's top infectious diseases expert has warned the United States is facing a "serious problem" from a resurgent coronavirus as the illness puts the brakes on reopening two of the country's largest states.

America's top infectious diseases expert has warned the United States is facing a "serious problem" from a resurgent coronavirus as the illness puts the brakes on reopening two of the country's largest states. "We are facing a serious problem in certain areas," leading US immunologist Anthony Fauci said at the first briefing in two months by the White House's Coronavirus Task Force. "The only way we're going to end it is by ending it together," he said of the outbreak. Also read: Coronavirus 'not yet' under control, lifting lockdown too soon: Anthony Fauci The US is recording more than 30,000 cases daily. With nearly 125,000 lives lost, it has by far the highest confirmed death toll in the world. Texas had been among the most aggressive states in easing curbs but its strategy has backfired with the nation's second most populous state seeing several daily records in the number of new infections. "It is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars," Governor Greg Abbott said. Also read: Top US health expert Anthony Fauci says 'empty stadiums' a way to restart sporting activities Texas and Florida closed bars and reimposed other curbs on Friday as the number of infections in the US hit a single-day record with increases in 16 states, mostly in the south and west. Meanwhile, the WHO on Friday called for another $27.9 billion in donations to speed up the development and production of tests, vaccines and other treatments, part of its ACT accelerator plan to pool international resources. About $3.4 billion has already been pledged, the global body said ahead of a major fundraising event in Brussels by the EU Commission on Saturday that will feature performances by celebrities including Shakira and Justin Bieber. More than 490,000 people worldwide have now died from the virus and the number of cases is expected to reach 10 million in the next week, according to an AFP tally.

Anthony Fauci says US has 'serious problem' as virus cases surge

Dr Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that the country is probably about to spend $7 trillion because of coronavirus outbreak during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing held on Tuesday.&nbsp;

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According to Redfield, the virus has "brought this nation to its knees."

Redfield made these statements as some US states are witnessing a spike in coronavirus cases and as per the health officials it is not because of increased testing.&nbsp;

The former acting director of CDC, Dr Richard Bresser told CNN that no state has effectively transitioned from stay-at-home orders "to a public health model of testing, tracking, isolating and quarantining."

"We have to figure out how to make that transition in a successful way, or every state that reopens -- even those that have done a really good job at tamping this down -- are going to see pretty dramatic rises," he added.&nbsp;

According to Dr Fauci, the United States must get control of the pandemic by fall or else it will be like "chasing after a forest fire."

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci said that the major goal as of now is to control the virus instead of mitigating it, which is happening right now.&nbsp;

Redfield said that it is time to fix the broken system as the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted decades of underinvesting in the "core capabilities of public health data."

"This needs to be a partnership. It's not all the burden of the federal government to invest in public health at the local level," Redfield said. In reality, "if your funding of CDC was to go away tomorrow, public health infrastructure across this nation would just crash."

"We're right now the backbone of it."

Coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the American country with over 2.31 million cases of the virus. Out of these cases, 640,000 have been cured and discharged, whereas, over 120,000 deaths have been recorded in the country.&nbsp;

"The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surgings that we're seeing in Florida, in Texas, in Arizona and other states -- they're not the only ones having difficulty," Fauci said.

During the hearing, Dr Fauci made a plea to the Americans and said: "Plan A: Don't go in a crowd. Plan B: If you do, make sure you wear a mask."

Dr Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that the country is probably about to spend $7 trillion because of coronavirus outbreak during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing held on Tuesday.

Dr Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that the country is probably about to spend $7 trillion because of coronavirus outbreak during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing held on Tuesday. Also read: The room where it happened: A tell-all book or just exaggerated memoir According to Redfield, the virus has "brought this nation to its knees." Redfield made these statements as some US states are witnessing a spike in coronavirus cases and as per the health officials it is not because of increased testing. The former acting director of CDC, Dr Richard Bresser told CNN that no state has effectively transitioned from stay-at-home orders "to a public health model of testing, tracking, isolating and quarantining." "We have to figure out how to make that transition in a successful way, or every state that reopens -- even those that have done a really good job at tamping this down -- are going to see pretty dramatic rises," he added. According to Dr Fauci, the United States must get control of the pandemic by fall or else it will be like "chasing after a forest fire." The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci said that the major goal as of now is to control the virus instead of mitigating it, which is happening right now. Redfield said that it is time to fix the broken system as the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted decades of underinvesting in the "core capabilities of public health data." "This needs to be a partnership. It's not all the burden of the federal government to invest in public health at the local level," Redfield said. In reality, "if your funding of CDC was to go away tomorrow, public health infrastructure across this nation would just crash." "We're right now the backbone of it." Coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the American country with over 2.31 million cases of the virus. Out of these cases, 640,000 have been cured and discharged, whereas, over 120,000 deaths have been recorded in the country. "The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surgings that we're seeing in Florida, in Texas, in Arizona and other states -- they're not the only ones having difficulty," Fauci said. During the hearing, Dr Fauci made a plea to the Americans and said: "Plan A: Don't go in a crowd. Plan B: If you do, make sure you wear a mask."

'Coronavirus pandemic has brought the United States on its knees': CDC director

Anthony Fauci expressed his concern about rising community spread in some states. "The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges," Fauci said.

Top US public health officials testify on COVID-19 testing

Anthony Fauci told House lawmakers on Tuesday that despite President Donald Trump's claim that he had asked officials to "slow the testing down," he had never been given such a directive.&nbsp;

In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fauci was asked about the president’s recent comments and whether he agrees that it makes sense to limit the number of COVID-19 tests.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-approves-at-home-sample-collection-for-coronavirus-testing-299108">US approves at-home sample collection for coronavirus testing</a>

“It's the opposite, we're going to be doing more testing, not less,” said Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, who has played a key role in the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.

"To my knowledge, none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing. That just is a fact," he said.Fauci said testing and contact surveillance were fundamental to "understand exactly what's going on in community spread."&nbsp;

"So, it's the opposite. We're going to be doing more testing, not less," said Fauci,&nbsp;the top infectious-disease expert at the National Institutes of Health.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/initial-coronavirus-infection-rate-in-us-may-be-80-times-greater-than-reported-says-study-307989">Initial coronavirus infection rate in US may be 80 times greater than reported, says study</a>

Trump sparked outrage when he said&nbsp;during&nbsp;a rally in Tulsa, Okla., that more testing makes the country look bad by identifying more coronavirus cases, adding that he had told his staff to slow down testing.

"Testing is a double-edged sword," said Trump, who added that the US&nbsp;has conducted 25 million tests. "When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases, so I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.'"

But Fauci said Trump's comments&nbsp;do not reflect the administration's actual actions.

"It's the opposite," Fauci said. "We're going to be doing more testing, not less."

In his testimony, Fauci said the coronavirus threat right now is a “mixed bag” because the US&nbsp;has been “hit badly” with more than 120,000 deaths and 2.5 million infections.

Fauci also predicted that a vaccine would be ready by early next year.

Anthony Fauci told House lawmakers on Tuesday that despite President Donald Trump's claim that he had asked officials to "slow the testing down," he had never been given such a directive.

Anthony Fauci told House lawmakers on Tuesday that despite President Donald Trump's claim that he had asked officials to "slow the testing down," he had never been given such a directive. In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fauci was asked about the president’s recent comments and whether he agrees that it makes sense to limit the number of COVID-19 tests. Also read: US approves at-home sample collection for coronavirus testing “It's the opposite, we're going to be doing more testing, not less,” said Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, who has played a key role in the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. "To my knowledge, none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing. That just is a fact," he said.Fauci said testing and contact surveillance were fundamental to "understand exactly what's going on in community spread." "So, it's the opposite. We're going to be doing more testing, not less," said Fauci, the top infectious-disease expert at the National Institutes of Health. Also read: Initial coronavirus infection rate in US may be 80 times greater than reported, says study Trump sparked outrage when he said during a rally in Tulsa, Okla., that more testing makes the country look bad by identifying more coronavirus cases, adding that he had told his staff to slow down testing. "Testing is a double-edged sword," said Trump, who added that the US has conducted 25 million tests. "When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases, so I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.'" But Fauci said Trump's comments do not reflect the administration's actual actions. "It's the opposite," Fauci said. "We're going to be doing more testing, not less." In his testimony, Fauci said the coronavirus threat right now is a “mixed bag” because the US has been “hit badly” with more than 120,000 deaths and 2.5 million infections. Fauci also predicted that a vaccine would be ready by early next year.

US will increase COVID-19 testing despite Trump's claims of slowing down: Fauci

White House infectious disease expert&nbsp;Anthony Fauci&nbsp;has said his advice to people who want to attend US president&nbsp;Donald Trump’s&nbsp;campaign rallies is the same for Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protestors.

He said the gatherings are “a danger” and “risky.” He urged those attending wear a mask and use hand sanitiser.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-defends-holding-first-rally-in-months-on-juneteenth-in-tulsa-305494">Trump defends holding first rally in months on Juneteenth in Tulsa</a>

Fauci made the comments during an interview. “You know, it’s a danger to the people who are trying to control the demonstration,” he said. “And it’s a danger to the people who are demonstrating. So at the end of the day, it is a risky procedure.” When asked whether his advice applied to Trump campaign rallies, Fauci said “I am consistent. I stick by what I say.”

Trump announced his campaign rallies are planned for 19 June, known as Juneteenth in the US, a holiday marking the end of slavery. Trump has insisted he did not choose the date on purpose.

Also read<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-campaign-says-supporters-should-attend-his-rally-at-their-own-risk-305266">:&nbsp;Trump campaign says supporters should attend his rally at 'their own risk'</a>

“The fact that I’m having a rally on that day,&nbsp;you can really think about that very positively as a celebration,” Trump said.

“Because a rally to me is a celebration. It’s an interesting date. It wasn’t done for that reason, but it’s an interesting date.”

Amid protests against racial injustice, President Donald Trump is defending his decision to schedule his first campaign rally in months on a day commemorating the end of US&nbsp;slavery and in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city where white mobs massacred African-Americans a century ago.

Trump, seeking re-election on November&nbsp;3, scheduled the Tulsa rally for June 19, a day celebrated as Juneteenth. On that date in 1865, Texas became the last of the pro-slavery Confederate states forced to comply with President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War declaring all people held as slaves free.

White House infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has said his advice to people who want to attend US president Donald Trump’s campaign rallies is the same for Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protestors.

White House infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has said his advice to people who want to attend US president Donald Trump’s campaign rallies is the same for Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump protestors. He said the gatherings are “a danger” and “risky.” He urged those attending wear a mask and use hand sanitiser. Also read: Trump defends holding first rally in months on Juneteenth in Tulsa Fauci made the comments during an interview. “You know, it’s a danger to the people who are trying to control the demonstration,” he said. “And it’s a danger to the people who are demonstrating. So at the end of the day, it is a risky procedure.” When asked whether his advice applied to Trump campaign rallies, Fauci said “I am consistent. I stick by what I say.” Trump announced his campaign rallies are planned for 19 June, known as Juneteenth in the US, a holiday marking the end of slavery. Trump has insisted he did not choose the date on purpose. Also read: Trump campaign says supporters should attend his rally at 'their own risk' “The fact that I’m having a rally on that day, you can really think about that very positively as a celebration,” Trump said. “Because a rally to me is a celebration. It’s an interesting date. It wasn’t done for that reason, but it’s an interesting date.” Amid protests against racial injustice, President Donald Trump is defending his decision to schedule his first campaign rally in months on a day commemorating the end of US slavery and in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city where white mobs massacred African-Americans a century ago. Trump, seeking re-election on November 3, scheduled the Tulsa rally for June 19, a day celebrated as Juneteenth. On that date in 1865, Texas became the last of the pro-slavery Confederate states forced to comply with President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War declaring all people held as slaves free.

US lead virus expert warns Trump allies; says attending rallies 'dangerous'

United States' top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has conspicuously been absent from national television interviews over the last two weeks -- in the wake of the White House moving to reopening the economy.

In recent weeks, the White House has refocussed its message on reopening the country amid the economic havoc wreaked by the virus -- with the absence of the nation's top physicians from the conversation.

Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had regularly been appearing on national news programmes to update people on the country's fight against the coronavirus. He last gave a television interview when he spoke to CNN on May 4.

Fauci's absence comes as the newly implemented White House communications team has changed its public relations strategy for the pandemic.

Fauci testified remotely before the Senate last week. He was also present at Trump's "Operation Warp Speed" briefing last Friday, when the administration detailed a plan to roll out an eventual vaccine

But Fauci did not appear for interviews to discuss the promising results shown by a vaccine developed by the biotech company Moderna in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, which Fauci's NIAID falls under.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who previously held freewheeling news conferences, has also stopped doing so on a daily basis following an effort among aides and allies who believed the briefings damaged him politically.

United States' top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has conspicuously been absent from national television interviews over the last two weeks -- in the wake of the White House moving to reopening the economy.

United States' top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has conspicuously been absent from national television interviews over the last two weeks -- in the wake of the White House moving to reopening the economy. In recent weeks, the White House has refocussed its message on reopening the country amid the economic havoc wreaked by the virus -- with the absence of the nation's top physicians from the conversation. Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had regularly been appearing on national news programmes to update people on the country's fight against the coronavirus. He last gave a television interview when he spoke to CNN on May 4. Fauci's absence comes as the newly implemented White House communications team has changed its public relations strategy for the pandemic. Fauci testified remotely before the Senate last week. He was also present at Trump's "Operation Warp Speed" briefing last Friday, when the administration detailed a plan to roll out an eventual vaccine But Fauci did not appear for interviews to discuss the promising results shown by a vaccine developed by the biotech company Moderna in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, which Fauci's NIAID falls under. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who previously held freewheeling news conferences, has also stopped doing so on a daily basis following an effort among aides and allies who believed the briefings damaged him politically.

Top physician Fauci stops appearing on TV as US moves to reopen economy

US President Donald Trump has called the warning&nbsp;about lifting pandemic restrictions too soon was&nbsp;of his coronavirus top health official as&nbsp;''unacceptable''.

Earlier, the lead virus expert of the White House coronavirus task force, Anthony Fauci,&nbsp;this week about the dangers of reopening the economy and schools too quickly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-refusal-to-wear-masks-hints-towards-racism-and-masculinity-in-america-298624" hreflang="en">Donald Trump's refusal to wear masks hints towards racism in America</a>

Fauci, who is also directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also warned that a premature lifting of lockdowns could lead to additional outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 84,000 people in the United States and brought the economy to its knees.

"There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control," he said, adding that an early reopening would not only cost lives, but could even set them back on the road to trying to get economic recovery.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/just-like-hiv-coronavirus-may-never-go-away-who-expert-warns-298539">Just like HIV, coronavirus may never go away: WHO expert warns</a>

Trump accused Fauci of wanting "to play all sides of the equation" in his testimony to lawmakers on Tuesday.

The President said he was especially dissatisfied with Fauci's caution around reopening schools too quickly.

<section role="main">
However, he contradicted his statement on Wednesday and&nbsp;said the only thing that would be acceptable would be professors or teachers ''over a certain age''&nbsp;not holding classes. ''I think they ought to take it easy for another few weeks,''&nbsp;he added.
</section>

US President Donald Trump has called the warning about lifting pandemic restrictions too soon was of his coronavirus top health official as ''unacceptable''. Earlier, the lead virus expert of the White House coronavirus task force, Anthony Fauci, this week about the dangers of reopening the economy and schools too quickly.

US President Donald Trump has called the warning about lifting pandemic restrictions too soon was of his coronavirus top health official as ''unacceptable''. Earlier, the lead virus expert of the White House coronavirus task force, Anthony Fauci, this week about the dangers of reopening the economy and schools too quickly. Also read: Donald Trump's refusal to wear masks hints towards racism in America Fauci, who is also directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also warned that a premature lifting of lockdowns could lead to additional outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 84,000 people in the United States and brought the economy to its knees. "There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control," he said, adding that an early reopening would not only cost lives, but could even set them back on the road to trying to get economic recovery. Also read: Just like HIV, coronavirus may never go away: WHO expert warns Trump accused Fauci of wanting "to play all sides of the equation" in his testimony to lawmakers on Tuesday. The President said he was especially dissatisfied with Fauci's caution around reopening schools too quickly. However, he contradicted his statement on Wednesday and said the only thing that would be acceptable would be professors or teachers ''over a certain age'' not holding classes. ''I think they ought to take it easy for another few weeks,'' he added.

Trump calls lead virus expert's warnings 'unacceptable'

Leading US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Tuesday warned Congress that while the federal government is working to help manufacture a vaccine against the new coronavirus, its development "might take some time" to come to market.

As a result, Fauci told a Senate health committee in prepared testimony, the nation's efforts to battle the deadly virus and the COVID-19 disease it triggers should be "focused on the proven public health practices of containment and mitigation."

In remarks to the New York Times before the hearing, Fauci warned that moving too quickly to ease restrictions on business and social life will put lives at risk from the coronavirus pandemic and hamper the economic recovery.

Fauci was expected to tell a US Senate committee that states should not forge ahead without first meeting administration guidelines for 14 days of declining cases, the New York Times reported, citing an email from Fauci. "If we skip over the checkpoints ...we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country," the newspaper quoted Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as saying.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon during the pandemic, it will bring needless suffering and death. Fauci worries if some states jump over the checkpoints, "little spikes that might turn into outbreaks."

"This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal." Fauci was set to appear on Tuesday at the Republican-controlled Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions after the White House blocked the 79-year-old infectious disease expert from testifying to a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives panel, calling it "counterproductive."

"All roads back to work and back to school run through testing and that what our country has done so far on testing is impressive, but not nearly enough," Lamar Alexander, the Republican chairman of the Senate committee, said in an opening statement to Tuesday's hearing.

Alexander is also self-quarantining in his home state of Tennessee for 14 days after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus.

Alexander chaired the hearing virtually. Republican President Donald Trump, who previously made the strength of the economy central to his pitch for his November re-election, has encouraged states to reopen businesses that had been deemed non-essential amid the pandemic. His administration has largely left it to states to decide whether and how to reopen.

State governors are taking varying approaches, with a growing number relaxing tough restrictions enacted to slow the outbreak, even as opinion polls show most Americans are concerned about reopening too soon, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, told MSNBC on Monday: "Dr Fauci will have the opportunity to testify for the first time with Donald Trump not lurking over his shoulder."

Schumer urged Fauci: "Tell us the truth. That's your obligation as an administration official and as an American." Fauci has taken part in White House task force briefings led by Trump, coordinating Washington's response to the coronavirus.

Others testifying on Tuesday include US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn. Each will testify remotely.

Fauci, Redfield and Hahn have been taking self-quarantine steps after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, which causes the highly contagious respiratory disease COVID-19.

Economic Impact

The shuttering of businesses to fight the spread of the coronavirus has led to mass layoffs of workers, sparking the greatest economic disruption to the United States since the Great Depression nearly a century ago. But Trump and his task force have faced questions on how US workers will be kept safe, especially after two White House aides tested positive for the virus. So far, the coronavirus has killed more than 80,000 people in the United States, the highest death count of any country.

Some experts say testing for the virus in most parts of the country continues to fall short of what would be needed to safely reopen.

Senate Democrats, including Patty Murray, her party's senior member on the Senate health committee, called on Trump to allocate $25 billion in funding to ramp up testing.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to unveil a sweeping coronavirus-response bill, possibly this week, that would likely provide more money for testing, new state and local government aid and another round of direct payments to help people meet daily living costs. Congress has already passed trillions of dollars in emergency relief.

Senate Republicans, some of whom have expressed doubts about the need for more federal aid, were due to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Leading US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Tuesday warned Congress that while the federal government is working to help manufacture a vaccine against the new coronavirus, its development "might take some time" to come to market.

Leading US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Tuesday warned Congress that while the federal government is working to help manufacture a vaccine against the new coronavirus, its development "might take some time" to come to market. As a result, Fauci told a Senate health committee in prepared testimony, the nation's efforts to battle the deadly virus and the COVID-19 disease it triggers should be "focused on the proven public health practices of containment and mitigation." In remarks to the New York Times before the hearing, Fauci warned that moving too quickly to ease restrictions on business and social life will put lives at risk from the coronavirus pandemic and hamper the economic recovery. Fauci was expected to tell a US Senate committee that states should not forge ahead without first meeting administration guidelines for 14 days of declining cases, the New York Times reported, citing an email from Fauci. "If we skip over the checkpoints ...we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country," the newspaper quoted Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as saying. Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon during the pandemic, it will bring needless suffering and death. Fauci worries if some states jump over the checkpoints, "little spikes that might turn into outbreaks." "This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal." Fauci was set to appear on Tuesday at the Republican-controlled Senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions after the White House blocked the 79-year-old infectious disease expert from testifying to a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives panel, calling it "counterproductive." "All roads back to work and back to school run through testing and that what our country has done so far on testing is impressive, but not nearly enough," Lamar Alexander, the Republican chairman of the Senate committee, said in an opening statement to Tuesday's hearing. Alexander is also self-quarantining in his home state of Tennessee for 14 days after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus. Alexander chaired the hearing virtually. Republican President Donald Trump, who previously made the strength of the economy central to his pitch for his November re-election, has encouraged states to reopen businesses that had been deemed non-essential amid the pandemic. His administration has largely left it to states to decide whether and how to reopen. State governors are taking varying approaches, with a growing number relaxing tough restrictions enacted to slow the outbreak, even as opinion polls show most Americans are concerned about reopening too soon, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, told MSNBC on Monday: "Dr Fauci will have the opportunity to testify for the first time with Donald Trump not lurking over his shoulder." Schumer urged Fauci: "Tell us the truth. That's your obligation as an administration official and as an American." Fauci has taken part in White House task force briefings led by Trump, coordinating Washington's response to the coronavirus. Others testifying on Tuesday include US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn. Each will testify remotely. Fauci, Redfield and Hahn have been taking self-quarantine steps after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, which causes the highly contagious respiratory disease COVID-19. Economic Impact The shuttering of businesses to fight the spread of the coronavirus has led to mass layoffs of workers, sparking the greatest economic disruption to the United States since the Great Depression nearly a century ago. But Trump and his task force have faced questions on how US workers will be kept safe, especially after two White House aides tested positive for the virus. So far, the coronavirus has killed more than 80,000 people in the United States, the highest death count of any country. Some experts say testing for the virus in most parts of the country continues to fall short of what would be needed to safely reopen. Senate Democrats, including Patty Murray, her party's senior member on the Senate health committee, called on Trump to allocate $25 billion in funding to ramp up testing. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to unveil a sweeping coronavirus-response bill, possibly this week, that would likely provide more money for testing, new state and local government aid and another round of direct payments to help people meet daily living costs. Congress has already passed trillions of dollars in emergency relief. Senate Republicans, some of whom have expressed doubts about the need for more federal aid, were due to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Coronavirus vaccine might take some time: Top health expert Anthony Fauci

The key member of White House coronavirus taskforce Anthony Fauci has warned Congress over a premature end to the lockdown in the country. Fauci during his testimony to the Senate panel on Tuesday said that if that the early lifting of lockdown could additional outbreaks for the coronavirus.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-president-trump-blasts-media-report-shows-covid-19-spiking-in-us-heartland-298312" hreflang="en">As President Trump blasts media, report shows COVID-19 spiking in US heartland</a>

The United States is the worst-affected country, with over 80,000 deaths and 1,300,000+ cases.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-crisis-leads-to-largest-us-consumer-price-decline-since-2008-298305" hreflang="en">Coronavirus crisis leads to largest US consumer price decline since 2008</a>

Fauci told the US Senate panel that the novel coronavirus is not yet under control in the areas of the country.&nbsp;

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci said: "I think we're going in the right direction, but the right direction does not mean we have by any means total control of this outbreak."

Anthony Fauci asked the states to follow health experts' advice to wait for signs and declining cases.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has constantly voiced in favour of the country's economy. He has encouraged the states to end the weeks-long shutdown on major economical components of the country.

Anthony Fauci has worked under Democratic and Republic administrations and has seen the progress against the disease that the medical world is trying to understand.&nbsp;

Fauci has noted slowing growth of cases in various hotspots including country's epicentre, New York. But some areas do show a surge in cases.&nbsp;

Some states in the United States have started lifting the lockdown, reigniting the economy, while others plan to begin with the phase-in mid-May. According to the opinion polls, most of the Americans are concerned as they feel that the country is reopening too soon.&nbsp;

"There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control and, in fact paradoxically, will set you back, not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery," said Fauci.&nbsp;

During the US Senate panel meeting, Democrats in the health committee were concerned about opening the US economy too soon, however, the Republicans downplayed the fear by saying that extended shutdown might have repercussions on human as well as economy's health.&nbsp;

When asked whether college students can feel safe and if classes return to campuses in late August or early September, Fauci said that expecting a treatment or vaccine to be in place by then would be "a bridge too far."

79-year-old Anthony Fauci testified in the corner of the room as he under self-quarantine.&nbsp; 
He may have come into contact with either of two members of the White House staff who later tested positive.&nbsp;

Fauci also noted the results in tests of Giead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir on hospitalised patients.&nbsp;

"All roads back to work and back to school run through testing and that what our country has done so far on testing is impressive, but not nearly enough," Lamar Alexander, the Republican chairman of the Senate committee, told the hearing.

Whereas Senator Patty Murray, the senior committee Democrat, criticizing aspects of the administration's response to the pandemic, said Americans "need leadership, they need a plan, they need honesty and they need it now before we reopen." 
&nbsp;

The key member of White House coronavirus taskforce Anthony Fauci has warned Congress over a premature end to the lockdown in the country. Fauci during his testimony to the Senate panel on Tuesday said that if that the early lifting of lockdown could additional outbreaks for the coronavirus.

The key member of White House coronavirus taskforce Anthony Fauci has warned Congress over a premature end to the lockdown in the country. Fauci during his testimony to the Senate panel on Tuesday said that if that the early lifting of lockdown could additional outbreaks for the coronavirus. Also read: As President Trump blasts media, report shows COVID-19 spiking in US heartland The United States is the worst-affected country, with over 80,000 deaths and 1,300,000+ cases. Also read: Coronavirus crisis leads to largest US consumer price decline since 2008 Fauci told the US Senate panel that the novel coronavirus is not yet under control in the areas of the country. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci said: "I think we're going in the right direction, but the right direction does not mean we have by any means total control of this outbreak." Anthony Fauci asked the states to follow health experts' advice to wait for signs and declining cases. US President Donald Trump has constantly voiced in favour of the country's economy. He has encouraged the states to end the weeks-long shutdown on major economical components of the country. Anthony Fauci has worked under Democratic and Republic administrations and has seen the progress against the disease that the medical world is trying to understand. Fauci has noted slowing growth of cases in various hotspots including country's epicentre, New York. But some areas do show a surge in cases. Some states in the United States have started lifting the lockdown, reigniting the economy, while others plan to begin with the phase-in mid-May. According to the opinion polls, most of the Americans are concerned as they feel that the country is reopening too soon. "There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control and, in fact paradoxically, will set you back, not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery," said Fauci. During the US Senate panel meeting, Democrats in the health committee were concerned about opening the US economy too soon, however, the Republicans downplayed the fear by saying that extended shutdown might have repercussions on human as well as economy's health. When asked whether college students can feel safe and if classes return to campuses in late August or early September, Fauci said that expecting a treatment or vaccine to be in place by then would be "a bridge too far." 79-year-old Anthony Fauci testified in the corner of the room as he under self-quarantine. He may have come into contact with either of two members of the White House staff who later tested positive. Fauci also noted the results in tests of Giead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir on hospitalised patients. "All roads back to work and back to school run through testing and that what our country has done so far on testing is impressive, but not nearly enough," Lamar Alexander, the Republican chairman of the Senate committee, told the hearing. Whereas Senator Patty Murray, the senior committee Democrat, criticizing aspects of the administration's response to the pandemic, said Americans "need leadership, they need a plan, they need honesty and they need it now before we reopen."

Coronavirus 'not yet' under control, lifting lockdown too soon: Anthony Fauci

Three key US officials including&nbsp;Anthony Fauci, a high-profile member of the White House coronavirus response team,&nbsp;have been self-quarantined after being in&nbsp;contact with&nbsp;a person who tested positive for coronavirus.&nbsp;

Fauci,&nbsp;a well-known member of White House's coronavirus response team, has tested negative for coronavirus but is constantly being tested for the virus. The 79-year-old National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director has been considered to be a lower risk based on his exposure.

According to the Washington Post, Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be "teleworking" for the next two weeks after a low-risk exposure.&nbsp;

US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn is the third person&nbsp;in self-quarantine after the&nbsp;60-year-old came in contact with a person who was tested positive for coronavirus.&nbsp;

All three key members are set to testify on Tuesday to a Senate committee looking at state and federal government are taking to reopen business sectors and schools that have been shut to curb the coronavirus spread.&nbsp;

The FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum in an emailed statement said that Hahn took a diagnostic test for the coronavirus and the results were negative. He wrote: "As Dr Hahn wrote in a note to staff today, he recently came into contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Per CDC guidelines, he is now in self-quarantine for the next two weeks."

Politico had reported that Hahn came in contact with US vice president Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller.

Miller is the wife of one of Trump’s senior advisers Stephen Miller, tested positive on Friday, raising alarm about the virus’ potential spread within the White House’s innermost circle.

White House immigration adviser and speechwriter Stephen Miller, was revealed by Trump in a meeting with Republican lawmakers on Friday. A valet for Vice President Mike Pence has also tested positive for coronavirus.

Three key US officials including Anthony Fauci, a high-profile member of the White House coronavirus response team, have been self-quarantined after being in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus.

Three key US officials including Anthony Fauci, a high-profile member of the White House coronavirus response team, have been self-quarantined after being in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. Fauci, a well-known member of White House's coronavirus response team, has tested negative for coronavirus but is constantly being tested for the virus. The 79-year-old National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director has been considered to be a lower risk based on his exposure. According to the Washington Post, Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be "teleworking" for the next two weeks after a low-risk exposure. US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn is the third person in self-quarantine after the 60-year-old came in contact with a person who was tested positive for coronavirus. All three key members are set to testify on Tuesday to a Senate committee looking at state and federal government are taking to reopen business sectors and schools that have been shut to curb the coronavirus spread. The FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum in an emailed statement said that Hahn took a diagnostic test for the coronavirus and the results were negative. He wrote: "As Dr Hahn wrote in a note to staff today, he recently came into contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Per CDC guidelines, he is now in self-quarantine for the next two weeks." Politico had reported that Hahn came in contact with US vice president Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller. Miller is the wife of one of Trump’s senior advisers Stephen Miller, tested positive on Friday, raising alarm about the virus’ potential spread within the White House’s innermost circle. White House immigration adviser and speechwriter Stephen Miller, was revealed by Trump in a meeting with Republican lawmakers on Friday. A valet for Vice President Mike Pence has also tested positive for coronavirus.

Fauci among 3 key US members of White House response team in self-quarantine after COVID exposure

The lead coronavirus expert of US Anthony&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;will&nbsp;appear next week before a panel in the Republican-led Senate examining the country's coronavirus response, according to US President Donald Trump.

However, he hasn't been allowed to appear before the&nbsp;the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump&nbsp;defended his decision to block the nation's top health expert&nbsp;from appearing before the House, saying he was being set up by Democrats who hate him and want to win back the White House in November's presidential election.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-will-witness-200000-cases-and-3000-deaths-per-day-by-june-1-reports-296832" hreflang="en">United States will witness 200,000 cases and 3,000 deaths per day by June 1: reports</a>

Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is scheduled to appear May 12 before the Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions committee along with other top US&nbsp;health officials.

"The House they should be ashamed of themselves and, frankly, the Democrats should be ashamed because they don't want us to succeed. They want us to fail so they can win an election, which they're not going to win," the Republican president said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-treasury-expects-to-borrow-a-record-3-trillion-in-the-second-quarter-296721" hreflang="en">US treasury expects to borrow a record $3 trillion in the second quarter</a>

A House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees health programs had been seeking testimony from&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;for a May 6 hearing, but the White House last week said his appearance would be "counterproductive."

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, and Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir are also scheduled to appear before the Senate hearing next week focused on "safely getting back to work and ... school," according to the committee.

&nbsp;

The lead coronavirus expert of US Anthony Fauci will appear next week before a panel in the Republican-led Senate examining the country's coronavirus response, according to US President Donald Trump.

The lead coronavirus expert of US Anthony Fauci will appear next week before a panel in the Republican-led Senate examining the country's coronavirus response, according to US President Donald Trump. However, he hasn't been allowed to appear before the the Democratic-led House of Representatives. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump defended his decision to block the nation's top health expert from appearing before the House, saying he was being set up by Democrats who hate him and want to win back the White House in November's presidential election. Also read: United States will witness 200,000 cases and 3,000 deaths per day by June 1: reports Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is part of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is scheduled to appear May 12 before the Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions committee along with other top US health officials. "The House they should be ashamed of themselves and, frankly, the Democrats should be ashamed because they don't want us to succeed. They want us to fail so they can win an election, which they're not going to win," the Republican president said. Also read: US treasury expects to borrow a record $3 trillion in the second quarter A House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees health programs had been seeking testimony from Fauci for a May 6 hearing, but the White House last week said his appearance would be "counterproductive." Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, and Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir are also scheduled to appear before the Senate hearing next week focused on "safely getting back to work and ... school," according to the committee.

US lead coronavirus expert to testify in Senate on country's COVID-19 response

The White House coronavirus response coordinator,&nbsp;Dr. Deborah Birx, has revealed a&nbsp;"breakthrough"&nbsp;which US needs in order&nbsp;to screen large numbers of people.

As per&nbsp;Birx, this&nbsp;breakthrough is antigen testing which is often used to check for the flu and strep.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/when-will-coronavirus-end-in-us-uk-france-india-study-predicts-dates-month-295324">When will COVID-19 end in US, UK, France, India? Study predicts dates &amp; month</a>

The human body recognizes and&nbsp;responds to&nbsp;antigens. The antibodies produced by their bodies&nbsp;defend them against intruders such as antigens.

Antigen tests look for pieces of a virus which are usually the proteins that cover its surface.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/has-us-been-undercounting-covid-19-deaths-a-new-analysis-suggests-so-295223" hreflang="en">Has US been undercounting COVID-19 deaths? A new analysis suggests so</a>

It&nbsp;differs from a majority of&nbsp;Covid-19 tests, which look for the genetic material of the virus and require a number of chemicals to operate, many of which are in short supply.

According to the US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antigen tests are simpler and they can provide results in as little as 15 minutes.

However, major limitations of the test are&nbsp;that it&nbsp;can also take hours to run, it is potentially less reliable, they're not easy to make, and validating their accuracy can be time-consuming and expensive. They&nbsp;did not have a big market before&nbsp;now.&nbsp;

Antigen tests are tailored to the 3D structure of the targeted virus, which is more nebulous than a neat, orderly genetic code. Making a test that comes back positive for the novel coronavirus and negative for everything else is extremely difficult.

The White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, has revealed a "breakthrough" which US needs in order to screen large numbers of people. As per Birx, this breakthrough is antigen testing which is often used to check for the flu and strep.

The White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, has revealed a "breakthrough" which US needs in order to screen large numbers of people. As per Birx, this breakthrough is antigen testing which is often used to check for the flu and strep. Also read: When will COVID-19 end in US, UK, France, India? Study predicts dates & month The human body recognizes and responds to antigens. The antibodies produced by their bodies defend them against intruders such as antigens. Antigen tests look for pieces of a virus which are usually the proteins that cover its surface. Also read: Has US been undercounting COVID-19 deaths? A new analysis suggests so It differs from a majority of Covid-19 tests, which look for the genetic material of the virus and require a number of chemicals to operate, many of which are in short supply. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antigen tests are simpler and they can provide results in as little as 15 minutes. However, major limitations of the test are that it can also take hours to run, it is potentially less reliable, they're not easy to make, and validating their accuracy can be time-consuming and expensive. They did not have a big market before now. Antigen tests are tailored to the 3D structure of the targeted virus, which is more nebulous than a neat, orderly genetic code. Making a test that comes back positive for the novel coronavirus and negative for everything else is extremely difficult.

White House coronavirus coordinator reveals 'breakthrough' which US requires

The US state of Missouri on Tuesday sued China's leadership over the COVID-19 coronavirus, seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic.

The first-of-a-kind state lawsuit comes amid calls in Congress to punish China and a campaign by President Donald Trump to focus on Beijing's role, amid criticism of his own handling of the crisis.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-using-covid-19-pandemic-to-advance-anti-immigration-agenda-293877" hreflang="en">Trump using COVID-19 pandemic to advance anti-immigration agenda?</a>

Missouri, led by Trump's Republican Party, filed a lawsuit in a federal court seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction on continuing actions by China that are alleged to include hoarding of protective equipment.

"The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers and did little to stop the spread of the disease," Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worst-of-the-coronavirus-is-still-to-come-says-who-chief-293797">'Worst' of the coronavirus is still to come, says WHO chief</a>

"They must be held accountable for their actions," he said.

The lawsuit's chances of success are far from certain as US law, under the principle of sovereign immunity, generally forbids court action against foreign governments.

Missouri addressed the issue by suing the ruling Communist Party, arguing that it is not formally an organ of the Chinese state.

Citing an estimate that Missouri may lose tens of billions of dollars due to the virus and action to prevent it, the lawsuit accused the Chinese Communist Party of being in "knowing, willful and in reckless disregard of the rights of the state and its residents."

The lawsuit pointed to Chinese authorities' early suppression of news of the virus when it broke out in Wuhan, including detentions of whistleblowers.

It also noted that China initially said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Despite Trump's heavy criticism of China, his administration has been lukewarm about efforts to take action against Beijing, mindful that the Asian power is a major source of masks and other medical supplies desperately needed by the United States.

Under its conservative leadership, Missouri has imposed fewer COVID-19 restrictions than most US states, including allowing businesses to&nbsp;remain open as long as they limit the number of people present and ensure space between them.

Missouri as of Tuesday had reported 189 COVID-19 deaths, half of them in St. Louis.

The US state of Missouri on Tuesday sued China's leadership over the COVID-19 coronavirus, seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic.

The US state of Missouri on Tuesday sued China's leadership over the COVID-19 coronavirus, seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic. The first-of-a-kind state lawsuit comes amid calls in Congress to punish China and a campaign by President Donald Trump to focus on Beijing's role, amid criticism of his own handling of the crisis. Also read: Trump using COVID-19 pandemic to advance anti-immigration agenda? Missouri, led by Trump's Republican Party, filed a lawsuit in a federal court seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction on continuing actions by China that are alleged to include hoarding of protective equipment. "The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers and did little to stop the spread of the disease," Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said. Also read: 'Worst' of the coronavirus is still to come, says WHO chief "They must be held accountable for their actions," he said. The lawsuit's chances of success are far from certain as US law, under the principle of sovereign immunity, generally forbids court action against foreign governments. Missouri addressed the issue by suing the ruling Communist Party, arguing that it is not formally an organ of the Chinese state. Citing an estimate that Missouri may lose tens of billions of dollars due to the virus and action to prevent it, the lawsuit accused the Chinese Communist Party of being in "knowing, willful and in reckless disregard of the rights of the state and its residents." The lawsuit pointed to Chinese authorities' early suppression of news of the virus when it broke out in Wuhan, including detentions of whistleblowers. It also noted that China initially said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Despite Trump's heavy criticism of China, his administration has been lukewarm about efforts to take action against Beijing, mindful that the Asian power is a major source of masks and other medical supplies desperately needed by the United States. Under its conservative leadership, Missouri has imposed fewer COVID-19 restrictions than most US states, including allowing businesses to remain open as long as they limit the number of people present and ensure space between them. Missouri as of Tuesday had reported 189 COVID-19 deaths, half of them in St. Louis.

US state sues China's leaders over coronavirus

New York, the epicenter of America's coronavirus infections, appeared to have passed the peak of the outbreak on Sunday, as President Donald Trump clashed with state governors over ending lockdowns.

The United States has so far recorded more than 746,000 coronavirus cases and 40,000 deaths, far more than any other nation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-will-give-a-decisive-response-to-any-mistake-by-us-in-the-gulf-revolutionary-guards-navy-293393">'Iran will give a decisive response to any 'mistake' by US in the Gulf'</a>

New York&nbsp;has borne the brunt of the virus, which has killed more than 18,000 people in the state, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.

"We are past the high point, and all indications at this point is that we are on the descent," state governor Andrew Cuomo told a press&nbsp;conference. "Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do, but right now we're on the descent."

He added that "it's no time to get cocky and it's no time to get arrogant."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-g7-nations-come-forward-to-isolate-china-question-the-origin-of-virus-293220" hreflang="en">Top G7 nations come forward to isolate China, question the origin of virus</a>

New York's improving data came as the ongoing political battle between Trump and other state governors worsened again, with virus testing rates emerging as the focus.

Experts say extensive testing is crucial to a safe reopening of the economy, but some state governors said testing capacity fell far below the levels needed to avoid sparking new outbreaks of the virus.

Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday that every US state had the ability to do enough testing "to move into phase one."

"Phase one" ends stay-at-home restrictions for healthy people, and allows restaurants, cinemas, sporting venues, places of worships and gyms to re-open with physical distancing.

But Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pushed back at the Republican administration's claims that there was enough testing, saying "that's just delusional."

Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, said "we could double or even triple the number of tests that we're executing daily if we had the swabs and reagents." She called for more federal government help.

"I am right on testing. Governors must be able to step up and get the job done," Trump tweeted.

New York, the epicenter of America's coronavirus infections, appeared to have passed the peak of the outbreak on Sunday, as President Donald Trump clashed with state governors over ending lockdowns.

New York, the epicenter of America's coronavirus infections, appeared to have passed the peak of the outbreak on Sunday, as President Donald Trump clashed with state governors over ending lockdowns. The United States has so far recorded more than 746,000 coronavirus cases and 40,000 deaths, far more than any other nation. Also read: 'Iran will give a decisive response to any 'mistake' by US in the Gulf' New York has borne the brunt of the virus, which has killed more than 18,000 people in the state, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker. "We are past the high point, and all indications at this point is that we are on the descent," state governor Andrew Cuomo told a press conference. "Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do, but right now we're on the descent." He added that "it's no time to get cocky and it's no time to get arrogant." Also read: Top G7 nations come forward to isolate China, question the origin of virus New York's improving data came as the ongoing political battle between Trump and other state governors worsened again, with virus testing rates emerging as the focus. Experts say extensive testing is crucial to a safe reopening of the economy, but some state governors said testing capacity fell far below the levels needed to avoid sparking new outbreaks of the virus. Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Sunday that every US state had the ability to do enough testing "to move into phase one." "Phase one" ends stay-at-home restrictions for healthy people, and allows restaurants, cinemas, sporting venues, places of worships and gyms to re-open with physical distancing. But Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pushed back at the Republican administration's claims that there was enough testing, saying "that's just delusional." Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, said "we could double or even triple the number of tests that we're executing daily if we had the swabs and reagents." She called for more federal government help. "I am right on testing. Governors must be able to step up and get the job done," Trump tweeted.

New York passes virus 'high point' as Trump, governors feud

Move over, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There is a new feisty super senior in Washington who is captivating American hearts.

Anthony Fauci is everywhere these days -- not just as the straight-talking coronavirus point man at President Donald Trump's daily pandemic briefings but on T-shirts, coffee mugs and, yes, even donuts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-1891-new-coronavirus-deaths-as-hundreds-protest-against-lockdown-293345">US: 1,891 new coronavirus deaths as hundreds protest against lockdown</a>

Indeed, for many, the diminutive 79-year-old epidemiologist with a heavy Brooklyn accent is the country's new hero -- a no-nonsense scientist speaking truth to a terrified nation led by a president who sometimes has a loose grasp of the facts.

Nick Semeraro, owner of Donuts Delite in Rochester, New York, is just one of the business owners paying tribute to the doctor -- and simultaneously cashing in on Fauci-mania.

Semeraro is churning out donuts that feature a picture of Fauci on edible paper where the hole should be -- his way of honoring the government's top infectious disease expert.&nbsp;

"I've never met a guy so admired by so many people. I have never heard one negative comment about him," Semeraro told AFP.

"In my opinion, he was like a cool calm voice in chaos," he said of Fauci's behavior at Trump's daily coronavirus briefings, which can morph from a recounting of scientific facts into something more like a campaign rally.

Semeraro said demand for his treats is so high that he has had to open up extra telephone lines, and is now shipping the Fauci donuts across the country. &nbsp;

'In Fauci We Trust'&nbsp;

Fauci's craggy, bespectacled face is showing up elsewhere, too: on T-shirts with the slogan "In Fauci We Trust" and on coffee mugs with the line "Keep calm and wash your hands."

Americans can even buy Fauci socks and candles.

Online marketplace Etsy now offers more than 3,000 items dedicated to the doctor, who has been in the public eye for decades.&nbsp;

On Facebook, the "Dr Anthony Fauci Fan Club" has more than 79,000 members.

A video game called "Fauci's Revenge" has lasers shooting out of his eyes to help defeat the virus.&nbsp;

And in the US capital, one restaurant is selling the "Fauci Pouchy" -- cocktails in a pouch with a straw, for pickup and delivery, of course, in these days of the Great Lockdown.&nbsp;

The original is made with vodka, lemonade, elderflower and grapefruit juice.

"They're selling out like crazy," said Rohit Malhotra, beverage director at Capo Italian Deli in Washington, which has a backroom speakeasy.&nbsp;

"Our highest was around 300 in a day."

'Sense and science'

Probably no one expected this soft-spoken man who first rose to prominence during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s to become a pop culture icon.

With his frequent White House appearances, Fauci has been "propelled into everyone's consciousness," said Robert Thompson, a expert on television and popular culture at Syracuse University in New York.

Fauci is all over social media, giving live interviews in his raspy voice on Snapchat, answering questions from basketball star Stephen Curry on Instagram and talking to late night funnyman Trevor Noah on YouTube.&nbsp;

Many Americans like Fauci because of his direct way of explaining a world that has been transformed by the pandemic.&nbsp;

He is often in the excruciating position of having to gently correct things Trump says as the president stands next to him, glowering.

"In a moment of crisis like this, Americans are desperate for heroes," said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University.

"Even in a difficult political environment, Fauci has insisted on speaking the truth -- even with an angry president standing besides him," said Zelizer.

For Thompson, "he seems to be talking sense and science."

'God bless his soul'&nbsp;

Tony Mastrangelo, who drove three hours to buy Fauci donuts in Rochester, said the doctor "is very honest and doesn't spin anything a certain way. He doesn't have an agenda which I think is awesome."

"He reminds me of my grandpa. God bless his soul. He was a little Italian guy who was just honest. And that's how I think Fauci is," said Mastrangelo.

But Fauci has also earned himself enemies among US conservatives for correcting Trump.

He has been the target of insults on social media, which led the government to boost the security around him.

Trump himself retweeted a tweet with a #FireFauci hashtag, but said later he has confidence in him and called him a "fantastic guy."

Amid all the love and hate, Fauci remains stoic.

When asked about a petition drive to have him declared People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2020, he replied: "When they show this to me at my age, I say, 'Where were you when I was 30?'"

So far, more than 18,000 people have signed the petition.

Move over, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There is a new feisty super senior in Washington who is captivating American hearts. Anthony Fauci is everywhere these days -- not just as the straight-talking coronavirus point man at President Donald Trump's daily pandemic briefings but on T-shirts, coffee mugs and, yes, even donuts.

Move over, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There is a new feisty super senior in Washington who is captivating American hearts. Anthony Fauci is everywhere these days -- not just as the straight-talking coronavirus point man at President Donald Trump's daily pandemic briefings but on T-shirts, coffee mugs and, yes, even donuts. Also read | US: 1,891 new coronavirus deaths as hundreds protest against lockdown Indeed, for many, the diminutive 79-year-old epidemiologist with a heavy Brooklyn accent is the country's new hero -- a no-nonsense scientist speaking truth to a terrified nation led by a president who sometimes has a loose grasp of the facts. Nick Semeraro, owner of Donuts Delite in Rochester, New York, is just one of the business owners paying tribute to the doctor -- and simultaneously cashing in on Fauci-mania. Semeraro is churning out donuts that feature a picture of Fauci on edible paper where the hole should be -- his way of honoring the government's top infectious disease expert. "I've never met a guy so admired by so many people. I have never heard one negative comment about him," Semeraro told AFP. "In my opinion, he was like a cool calm voice in chaos," he said of Fauci's behavior at Trump's daily coronavirus briefings, which can morph from a recounting of scientific facts into something more like a campaign rally. Semeraro said demand for his treats is so high that he has had to open up extra telephone lines, and is now shipping the Fauci donuts across the country. 'In Fauci We Trust' Fauci's craggy, bespectacled face is showing up elsewhere, too: on T-shirts with the slogan "In Fauci We Trust" and on coffee mugs with the line "Keep calm and wash your hands." Americans can even buy Fauci socks and candles. Online marketplace Etsy now offers more than 3,000 items dedicated to the doctor, who has been in the public eye for decades. On Facebook, the "Dr Anthony Fauci Fan Club" has more than 79,000 members. A video game called "Fauci's Revenge" has lasers shooting out of his eyes to help defeat the virus. And in the US capital, one restaurant is selling the "Fauci Pouchy" -- cocktails in a pouch with a straw, for pickup and delivery, of course, in these days of the Great Lockdown. The original is made with vodka, lemonade, elderflower and grapefruit juice. "They're selling out like crazy," said Rohit Malhotra, beverage director at Capo Italian Deli in Washington, which has a backroom speakeasy. "Our highest was around 300 in a day." 'Sense and science' Probably no one expected this soft-spoken man who first rose to prominence during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s to become a pop culture icon. With his frequent White House appearances, Fauci has been "propelled into everyone's consciousness," said Robert Thompson, a expert on television and popular culture at Syracuse University in New York. Fauci is all over social media, giving live interviews in his raspy voice on Snapchat, answering questions from basketball star Stephen Curry on Instagram and talking to late night funnyman Trevor Noah on YouTube. Many Americans like Fauci because of his direct way of explaining a world that has been transformed by the pandemic. He is often in the excruciating position of having to gently correct things Trump says as the president stands next to him, glowering. "In a moment of crisis like this, Americans are desperate for heroes," said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. "Even in a difficult political environment, Fauci has insisted on speaking the truth -- even with an angry president standing besides him," said Zelizer. For Thompson, "he seems to be talking sense and science." 'God bless his soul' Tony Mastrangelo, who drove three hours to buy Fauci donuts in Rochester, said the doctor "is very honest and doesn't spin anything a certain way. He doesn't have an agenda which I think is awesome." "He reminds me of my grandpa. God bless his soul. He was a little Italian guy who was just honest. And that's how I think Fauci is," said Mastrangelo. But Fauci has also earned himself enemies among US conservatives for correcting Trump. He has been the target of insults on social media, which led the government to boost the security around him. Trump himself retweeted a tweet with a #FireFauci hashtag, but said later he has confidence in him and called him a "fantastic guy." Amid all the love and hate, Fauci remains stoic. When asked about a petition drive to have him declared People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2020, he replied: "When they show this to me at my age, I say, 'Where were you when I was 30?'" So far, more than 18,000 people have signed the petition.

Anthony Fauci, the medical expert who is winning Americans

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the gradual reopening of a US economy battered by the brutal side effects of an unprecedented effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"Based on the latest data, our team of experts now agrees that we can begin the next front in our war," Trump told a news conference. "We're opening up our country."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-governor-cuomo-extends-lockdown-as-covid-19-deaths-continue-to-rise-292986" hreflang="en">New York governor Cuomo extends lockdown as COVID-19 deaths continue to rise</a>

His announcement came hours after new data showed job losses from the pandemic fallout in the world's number one economy had reached 22 million in the past month.

New York Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams warned it will probably take "a year or two," if not longer, for the US economy to recover its strength, as other figures showed dire damage to the home building market and manufacturing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-fails-to-cope-as-covid-19-pandemic-takes-heavy-toll-292987" hreflang="en">Trump administration fails to cope as COVID-19 pandemic takes heavy toll</a>

Trump had been campaigning for reelection in November largely on record low unemployment and a surge in US output.

So for the Republican, the battle to stop the coronavirus and lift social distancing and the paralysis of entire industries is also a race against the political clock.

However, the recommendations issued from the White House, in conjunction with medical advisors, were a far cry from Trump's previous hopes for a sudden, widespread end to social distancing measures.

Instead Trump described a cautious approach in which state governors, not the White House, will take the lead -- also a retreat for Trump who had insisted he could dictate the pace of reopening.

"Our approach will outline three phases&nbsp;in restoring our economic life," he said. "We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time, and some states, they will be able to open up sooner than others."

Some states, Trump said, are already free from the impact of the coronavirus and therefore can open "literally tomorrow."

If state governors "need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that. If they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide them the freedom and guidance to accomplish that task and very, very quickly, depending on what they want to do," he said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the gradual reopening of a US economy battered by the brutal side effects of an unprecedented effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the gradual reopening of a US economy battered by the brutal side effects of an unprecedented effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. "Based on the latest data, our team of experts now agrees that we can begin the next front in our war," Trump told a news conference. "We're opening up our country." Also read: New York governor Cuomo extends lockdown as COVID-19 deaths continue to rise His announcement came hours after new data showed job losses from the pandemic fallout in the world's number one economy had reached 22 million in the past month. New York Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams warned it will probably take "a year or two," if not longer, for the US economy to recover its strength, as other figures showed dire damage to the home building market and manufacturing. Also read: Trump administration fails to cope as COVID-19 pandemic takes heavy toll Trump had been campaigning for reelection in November largely on record low unemployment and a surge in US output. So for the Republican, the battle to stop the coronavirus and lift social distancing and the paralysis of entire industries is also a race against the political clock. However, the recommendations issued from the White House, in conjunction with medical advisors, were a far cry from Trump's previous hopes for a sudden, widespread end to social distancing measures. Instead Trump described a cautious approach in which state governors, not the White House, will take the lead -- also a retreat for Trump who had insisted he could dictate the pace of reopening. "Our approach will outline three phases in restoring our economic life," he said. "We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time, and some states, they will be able to open up sooner than others." Some states, Trump said, are already free from the impact of the coronavirus and therefore can open "literally tomorrow." If state governors "need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that. If they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide them the freedom and guidance to accomplish that task and very, very quickly, depending on what they want to do," he said.

Trump announces gradual US reopening against dire economic backdrop

The top US health and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci suggested sports being played in empty stadium in a bid to repoen professional tournaments in America.

"There's a way of doing that," Fauci said, in a US Snapchat show "Good Luck America", adding, "Nobody comes to the stadiums. Put (athletes) in big hotels, wherever you want to play".&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sets-another-grim-milestone-records-over-2500-coronavirus-deaths-in-24-hours-292767">US sets another grim milestone, records over 2,500 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours</a>

"Keep them very well-surveilled, but have them tested like every week and make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their families, and just let them play the season out," Fauci added.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-us-likely-passed-the-peak-of-coronavirus-cases-292764">Trump says US likely 'passed the peak' of coronavirus cases</a>

He also said reliable antibody testing and fast results are key for the return of sports.&nbsp;

The US is the worst-affected country with the novel coronavirus that has killed over 28,000 and infected more than 600,000 others.&nbsp;

The NBA is also considering a model similar to one suggested by Fauci for getting their season restatrted either in the Bahamas or Las Vegas.&nbsp;

On March 11, the NBA&nbsp;was shut down after Utah center got infected with the virus, and National Hockey League, Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour quickly took cue from it and followed a similar action.&nbsp;

Reports suggest the PGA is mulling over a return on June 11 without the presence of any fans, starting with the Texas Open, which was original scheduled from May 21-24.&nbsp;

However, New York mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday spoke against the idea of restarting large-scale sporting events and concerts.&nbsp;

"Those big events should be one of the last things we should bring back online. The last thing we should do is gather 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 people in one place," the governor told CNN.&nbsp;

"That is the opposite of social distancing, so I think it could take quite a while."

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday said California city might not hold high-profile events before 2021.&nbsp;

The top US health and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci suggested sports being played in empty stadium in a bid to repoen professional tournaments in America.

The top US health and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci suggested sports being played in empty stadium in a bid to repoen professional tournaments in America. "There's a way of doing that," Fauci said, in a US Snapchat show "Good Luck America", adding, "Nobody comes to the stadiums. Put (athletes) in big hotels, wherever you want to play". Also read | US sets another grim milestone, records over 2,500 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours "Keep them very well-surveilled, but have them tested like every week and make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their families, and just let them play the season out," Fauci added. Also read | Trump says US likely 'passed the peak' of coronavirus cases He also said reliable antibody testing and fast results are key for the return of sports. The US is the worst-affected country with the novel coronavirus that has killed over 28,000 and infected more than 600,000 others. The NBA is also considering a model similar to one suggested by Fauci for getting their season restatrted either in the Bahamas or Las Vegas. On March 11, the NBA was shut down after Utah center got infected with the virus, and National Hockey League, Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour quickly took cue from it and followed a similar action. Reports suggest the PGA is mulling over a return on June 11 without the presence of any fans, starting with the Texas Open, which was original scheduled from May 21-24. However, New York mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday spoke against the idea of restarting large-scale sporting events and concerts. "Those big events should be one of the last things we should bring back online. The last thing we should do is gather 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 people in one place," the governor told CNN. "That is the opposite of social distancing, so I think it could take quite a while." Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday said California city might not hold high-profile events before 2021.

Top US health expert Anthony Fauci says 'empty stadiums' a way to restart sporting activities

President Donald Trump said he will announce Thursday the first plans for lifting coronavirus lockdowns across the United States after the country passed the pandemic's "peak," mirroring a gradual easing in Europe.

His comments came shortly before the number of US fatalities, already the world's highest, reached a new daily record and became the heaviest one-day death toll of any nation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sets-another-grim-milestone-records-over-2500-coronavirus-deaths-in-24-hours-292767" hreflang="en">US sets another grim milestone, records over 2500 coronavirus deaths in 24 hrs</a>

"It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working," he told a news conference late Wednesday in Washington. "The battle continues but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases."

Trump said he would be announcing guidelines for a reduction in the lockdown in some states, possibly taking effect before the end of this month.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-us-likely-passed-the-peak-of-coronavirus-cases-292764" hreflang="en">Trump says US likely 'passed the peak' of coronavirus cases</a>

Earlier, Germany also unveiled its plans for cautious reopening, becoming the first major European nation to take on the delicate task of restarting its economy without triggering a new wave of infections before a vaccine can be developed.

Facing a difficult reelection in November, Trump predicted that the US economy, the world's largest, would "come back quickly" from the paralysis induced by measures taken to slow the virus.

Around the world, the total number of COVID-19 cases soared past two million, according to an AFP tally, and the death toll topped 134,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The US saw 2,569 deaths over a 24-hour period, data from Johns Hopkins showed, with total US deaths above 28,300

President Donald Trump said he will announce Thursday the first plans for lifting coronavirus lockdowns across the United States after the country passed the pandemic's "peak," mirroring a gradual easing in Europe.

President Donald Trump said he will announce Thursday the first plans for lifting coronavirus lockdowns across the United States after the country passed the pandemic's "peak," mirroring a gradual easing in Europe. His comments came shortly before the number of US fatalities, already the world's highest, reached a new daily record and became the heaviest one-day death toll of any nation. Also read: US sets another grim milestone, records over 2500 coronavirus deaths in 24 hrs "It is clear that our aggressive strategy is working," he told a news conference late Wednesday in Washington. "The battle continues but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases." Trump said he would be announcing guidelines for a reduction in the lockdown in some states, possibly taking effect before the end of this month. Also read: Trump says US likely 'passed the peak' of coronavirus cases Earlier, Germany also unveiled its plans for cautious reopening, becoming the first major European nation to take on the delicate task of restarting its economy without triggering a new wave of infections before a vaccine can be developed. Facing a difficult reelection in November, Trump predicted that the US economy, the world's largest, would "come back quickly" from the paralysis induced by measures taken to slow the virus. Around the world, the total number of COVID-19 cases soared past two million, according to an AFP tally, and the death toll topped 134,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The US saw 2,569 deaths over a 24-hour period, data from Johns Hopkins showed, with total US deaths above 28,300

US to ease lockdown after virus passes 'peak'

A furious, aggrieved President Donald Trump dismissed rumors Monday that he was going to fire his top medical advisor on the coronavirus pandemic but launched new fights with the Democrats and the media ahead of the high-stakes reopening of the shuttered US economy.

Unusually, the evening briefing at the White House began with a statement by the internationally renowned Dr Anthony Fauci, seeking to defuse speculation that he had fallen out with the Republican president.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worst-is-over-says-new-york-governor-as-covid-19-death-toll-crosses-10000-292316" hreflang="en">Worst is over, says New York governor as COVID-19 death toll crosses 10,000</a>

Referring to a CNN interview on Sunday in which he said that earlier mitigation measures would have dampened the escalation of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, Fauci explained that he'd been answering a "hypothetical."

Fauci explained his reference in the interview to "pushback" against shutting down the economy -- a remark interpreted widely as signalling that Trump was reluctant to take drastic action -- as the "wrong choice of words."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-is-donald-trump-threatening-to-fire-his-lead-virus-expert-292243" hreflang="en">Why is Donald Trump threatening to fire his lead virus expert?</a>

Trump, who on Sunday fueled speculation by retweeting a critical comment with the hashtag #FireFauci, sought to draw a line under the latest White House turmoil.

"I like him," he said of Fauci. "I hear I'm going to fire him. I'm not gonna fire him, I think he's a wonderful guy."

But Trump then launched into a sustained assault on other targets, demonstrating his frustration with accusations that he has mishandled the crisis.

With his reelection in November a tight contest against Democrat Joe Biden, Trump is under huge pressure both to crush the pandemic's spread and to rescue the world's biggest economy, which has been paralyzed by social distancing and other virus mitigation measures.

A furious, aggrieved President Donald Trump dismissed rumors Monday that he was going to fire his top medical advisor on the coronavirus pandemic but launched new fights with the Democrats and the media ahead of the high-stakes reopening of the shuttered US economy.

A furious, aggrieved President Donald Trump dismissed rumors Monday that he was going to fire his top medical advisor on the coronavirus pandemic but launched new fights with the Democrats and the media ahead of the high-stakes reopening of the shuttered US economy. Unusually, the evening briefing at the White House began with a statement by the internationally renowned Dr Anthony Fauci, seeking to defuse speculation that he had fallen out with the Republican president. Also read: Worst is over, says New York governor as COVID-19 death toll crosses 10,000 Referring to a CNN interview on Sunday in which he said that earlier mitigation measures would have dampened the escalation of the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, Fauci explained that he'd been answering a "hypothetical." Fauci explained his reference in the interview to "pushback" against shutting down the economy -- a remark interpreted widely as signalling that Trump was reluctant to take drastic action -- as the "wrong choice of words." Also read: Why is Donald Trump threatening to fire his lead virus expert? Trump, who on Sunday fueled speculation by retweeting a critical comment with the hashtag #FireFauci, sought to draw a line under the latest White House turmoil. "I like him," he said of Fauci. "I hear I'm going to fire him. I'm not gonna fire him, I think he's a wonderful guy." But Trump then launched into a sustained assault on other targets, demonstrating his frustration with accusations that he has mishandled the crisis. With his reelection in November a tight contest against Democrat Joe Biden, Trump is under huge pressure both to crush the pandemic's spread and to rescue the world's biggest economy, which has been paralyzed by social distancing and other virus mitigation measures.

Angry Trump denies plan to axe coronavirus doctor but signals new fights

US Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that lives could have been saved if the President had acted sooner on warnings about the coronavirus. Watch report.

Dr. Fauci makes a stunning claim: US could have avoided COVID-19 deaths

After US's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci's comments on Sunday which said that many lives could have been saved if government acted earlier, President Donald Trump retweeted a post from a Republican that called for firing Fauci.

The tweet by DeAnna Lorraine said: "Fauci is now saying that had Trump listened to the medical experts earlier he could've saved more lives".

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fauci is now saying that had Trump listened to the medical experts earlier he could've saved more lives. 
 
Fauci was telling people on February 29th that there was nothing to worry about and it posed no threat to the US public at large. 
 
Time to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FireFauci?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FireFauci</a>...
— DeAnna Lorraine 🇺🇸 (@DeAnna4Congress) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeAnna4Congress/status/1249457858686656512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spains-coronavirus-death-toll-falls-to-517-in-24-hours-292251">Spain's coronavirus death toll falls to 517 in 24 hours</a>

"Fauci was telling people on February 29th that there was nothing to worry about and it posed no threat to the US public at large," she further said, adding it's time to fire Fauci.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-new-coronavirus-cases-near-six-week-high-russian-border-new-battleground-292167">China's new coronavirus cases near six-week high, Russian border new battleground</a>

Fauci on Sunday, in CNN's State of the Union was asked why the US administration didn't follow the advice by him&nbsp;and other doctors on social distancing in Febrauary in the wake of coronavirus. "As I have said many times, we look at it from a pure health standpoint. We make a recommendation. Often, the recommendation is taken. Sometimes, it's not," Fauci said.&nbsp;

CNN host Jake Tapper asked Fauci if more people could have been saved in the country if social distancing measures were adopted in the country in the third-week of February, instead of mid-March.

“It’s very difficult to go back and say that,” Fauci said, adding this fact couldn't be denied.&nbsp;

“But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated. But you’re right. I mean, obviously, if we had, right from the very beginning, shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different. But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then,” Fauci said.&nbsp;

The coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide has affected the US the most. So far, 21,489 people died in the country from COVID-19 and infections stand nearly at 555,000.&nbsp;

After US's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci's comments on Sunday which said that many lives could have been saved if government acted earlier, President Donald Trump retweeted a post from a Republican that called for firing Fauci.

After US's top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci's comments on Sunday which said that many lives could have been saved if government acted earlier, President Donald Trump retweeted a post from a Republican that called for firing Fauci. The tweet by DeAnna Lorraine said: "Fauci is now saying that had Trump listened to the medical experts earlier he could've saved more lives". Fauci is now saying that had Trump listened to the medical experts earlier he could've saved more lives. Fauci was telling people on February 29th that there was nothing to worry about and it posed no threat to the US public at large. Time to #FireFauci... — DeAnna Lorraine 🇺🇸 (@DeAnna4Congress) April 12, 2020 × Also read | Spain's coronavirus death toll falls to 517 in 24 hours "Fauci was telling people on February 29th that there was nothing to worry about and it posed no threat to the US public at large," she further said, adding it's time to fire Fauci. Also read | China's new coronavirus cases near six-week high, Russian border new battleground Fauci on Sunday, in CNN's State of the Union was asked why the US administration didn't follow the advice by him and other doctors on social distancing in Febrauary in the wake of coronavirus. "As I have said many times, we look at it from a pure health standpoint. We make a recommendation. Often, the recommendation is taken. Sometimes, it's not," Fauci said. CNN host Jake Tapper asked Fauci if more people could have been saved in the country if social distancing measures were adopted in the country in the third-week of February, instead of mid-March. “It’s very difficult to go back and say that,” Fauci said, adding this fact couldn't be denied. “But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated. But you’re right. I mean, obviously, if we had, right from the very beginning, shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different. But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then,” Fauci said. The coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide has affected the US the most. So far, 21,489 people died in the country from COVID-19 and infections stand nearly at 555,000.

Donald Trump retweets post to fire top medical expert Anthony Fauci

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