White House Coronavirus Taskforce Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told CNN on Sunday that the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. has hit a new phase as it is more widespread now, and that it is essentially hitting every place in the country.
“So, are we in a new phase of the pandemic?” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Birx. “And if so, what are you going to do to change course?”
“I think those are two very critical questions because we are in a new phase,” Birx responded. “And that’s why I really wanted to make it clear to the American people.”
Birx said that responses “have to be dramatically tailored” to the specific areas where the outbreaks are occurring, and that mitigation procedures are having an impact at the state and local levels.
“But I want to be very clear. What we’re seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It’s into the rural as equal urban areas,” Birx said. “And to everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus. And that’s why we keep saying, no matter where you live in America, you need to wear a mask and socially distance, do the personal hygiene pieces.”
“But, more importantly, if you’re in multigenerational households, and there’s an outbreak in your rural area or in your city, you need to really consider wearing a mask at home, assuming that you’re positive, if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities,” Birx concluded. “This epidemic right now is different, and it’s wide – it’s more widespread. And it’s both rural and urban.”
WATCH:
Dr. Deborah Birx says, "we are in a new phase" of the coronavirus pandemic adding, "This epidemic right now is different and it's … more widespread and it's both rural and urban" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/w09X9GrhL0
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PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED VIA CNN:
BASH: But it’s clearly not working. I mean, we’ve been talking about outbreaks across the Sunbelt. You’re warning now about a resurgence in states across the Midwest. In recent days, you have named 20 – we’re putting them on the screen – 20 of the 50 states as places you’re watching.
So, are we in a new phase of the pandemic? And, if so, what are you going to do to change course?
BIRX: I think those are two very critical questions, because we are in a new phase. And that’s why I really wanted to make it clear to the American people.
It’s why we started putting out governor reports directly to the health officials and the governors in every single state, because we could see that each thing had to be tailored. So, each state has a tailored set of recommendations based on what we are seeing at the community level, what we are seeing relevant to the hospitals.
And each of these responses have to be dramatically tailored. We are beginning to see an impact from the mitigation procedures that many of the state and local officials have put into place.
But I want to be very clear. What we’re seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It’s into the rural as equal urban areas.
And to everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus. And that’s why we keep saying, no matter where you live in America, you need to wear a mask and socially distance, do the personal hygiene pieces.
But, more importantly, if you’re in multigenerational households, and there’s an outbreak in your rural area or in your city, you need to really consider wearing a mask at home, assuming that you’re positive, if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities.
This epidemic right now is different, and it’s wide – it’s more widespread, and it’s both rural and urban.