'You Have To Be Particularly Careful' | Dr. Fauci Warns U.S. Headed In Wrong Direction In Fight Against COVID-19
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Maryland increased overnight by more than 700, and while the state's positivity rate and new hospitalizations remain roughly flat, much of the country is seeing a resurgence in cases.
Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke Friday about what the country still needs to do moving forward during a call at the Johns Hopkins Health Policy Forum.
"You can't enter into the cool months of the fall and the cold months of the winter with a high community infection baseline," Dr. Fauci said.
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
- TIMELINE: Coronavirus In Maryland, Tracking The Spread
- Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
- Latest CDC Guidelines
During the forum, Dr. Fauci warned that the U.S. is not headed in the right direction in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're going to start doing a lot of things more indoors rather than outdoors and that's when you have to be particularly careful," he said.
While Maryland saw 781 new coronavirus cases Friday and the positivity rate and the number of hospitalizations remained roughly flat, 36 states across the country have seen coronavirus cases rise more than 10% in the last week.
But Dr. Fauci said it's not too late to take steps this fall to limit the spread of the virus.
"Uniform wearing of masks and face coverings, keeping distance, avoid crowded places, do things to the extent that you can outdoors," he said.
He added that people will have to decide if they want to take the risk of spreading the virus when traveling to see family around the holidays.
"I think people are going to have to make a choice of where they fit in the risk-benefit ratio of having someone come in from out of town who has been through a crowded airport to come into a home," Dr. Fauci said.
Dr. Fauci said the country does not have to revert back to closing as long as public health precautions are in place.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
