Fauci: U.S. headed 'in the wrong direction'
While the president says the United States is "rounding the turn" on the pandemic, The White House coronavirus task force is warning of a persistent and broad spread of COVID-19 in the western half of the United States.
In an interview with CNBC Wednesday night, Dr Anthony Fauci said, "We are on a very difficult trajectory. We're going in the wrong direction."
Fauci noted that coronavirus cases are rising in 47 states and patients are overwhelming hospitals across the country.
"If things do not change," he added, "If they continue on the course we're on, there's gonna be a whole lot of pain in this country with regard to additional cases and hospitalizations, and deaths."
There are no calls for a nationwide lockdown at this point, but health officials are urging a renewed push to get Americans to redouble mitigation efforts.
U.S. hospitalizations are soaring, a metric not affected by the amount of testing done, reaching 45,205 on Wednesday, the highest since Aug. 14.
Wisconsin, a hotly contested battleground, broke one day records this week for cases and deaths.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said in an interview with CNN on Thursday that the situation in the city is "worst that it's ever been,"
Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his fellow democrats have criticized President Trump for downplaying the virus which has killed roughly 227,000 people in the U.S.
As he goes from city to city holding massive rallies with few masks and no social distancing, Trump has expressed exasperation that the virus continues to dominate the news.
"... it is COVID, COVID, COVID... you can't watch anything else. On November 4th, you won't be hearing so much about it."
And now seems to be extolling the benefits of having contracted the virus.
"And you know you're immune. That's why I could jump right there - you see those men? I will kiss the men. I'm not into that but I will kiss every man, kiss every woman there if you don't mind also."
According to weekly state reports obtained by CNN, the task force said the cooler weather is a major factor in the increase as friends and families move gatherings indoors. It urged states to intensify efforts to encourage mask wearing, social distancing and avoiding crowds in public spaces.
