The lack of a unified plan for fighting the coronavirus pandemic has cost the country, according to both Dr. Anthony Fauci and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that after the surge of cases in the Northeast, specifically in the New York metropolitan area, the country did not have 鈥渆verybody pulling in the same direction鈥� when it came to 鈥渢he kinds of things that could contain and slow down an outbreak,鈥� such as physical distancing, mask wearing and closing bars where appropriate.
Fauci added that it鈥檚 鈥渄isturbing to me鈥� that in parts of the country, 鈥渨e鈥檙e starting to see the inkling of the upticks in the percent of the tests that are positive, which we know now, from sad past experience, that that鈥檚 a predictor that you鈥檙e going to have more surges.鈥�
He said that 鈥渦nless we all pull together to get that down鈥� and also lessen disparities between states鈥� responses, 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to continue to have this up-and-down.鈥�
Speaking at a virtual panel discussion hosted by National Geographic, Bowser also called for a more unified response to the virus.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not too late to have a federal plan, to do a better job at testing, in supplies, in national guidance, whether it’s masks or travel advisories.鈥�
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