Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that efforts by the White House to undermine his credibility are “bizarre” and asks that officials turn their attention back to the coronavirus.
“When you look at the numbers, obviously, we’ve got to do better. We’ve got to almost reset this and say, ‘OK, let’s stop this nonsense,’” Fauci said in an interview with the Atlantic.
Fauci has been criticized for his response to the coronavirus pandemic by Trump administration officials and President Trump himself. Most recently, Trump’s top trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote in a short op-ed that “Anthony Fauci has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.” Last weekend, anonymous Trump aides sent media outlets a list of statements Fauci had made early in the pandemic, including one that claimed people who are asymptomatic cannot spread COVID-19 to others. The week prior, Trump told Sean Hannity that Fauci has made “a lot of mistakes.”
“It distracts from what I hope would be the common effort of getting this thing under control, rather than this back-and-forth distraction, which just doesn’t make any sense,” Fauci said Wednesday about the politicization of the pandemic.
Fauci added, “I can’t explain Peter Navarro. He’s in a world by himself … So I don’t even want to go there.”
Trump distanced himself from Navarro Wednesday, telling reporters, “He made a statement representing himself. He shouldn’t be doing that.” He maintained that he and Fauci have a good relationship.
“I get along very well with Dr. Fauci,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. He added, “We’re all on the same team.”
Vice President Mike Pence backed up Trump’s affirmations, telling reporters that Fauci “is a valued member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force … We couldn’t be more grateful for his steady counsel.”
Mounting criticism of Fauci, the most authoritative voice in public health at the moment, comes as the coronavirus pandemic persists. The number of coronavirus infections in the United States has surpassed 6.4 million cases, having jumped more than 65,000 in one day. At least 136,900 people have died.
California reported its largest number of new coronavirus infections in a single day Tuesday, with 11,142, surpassing the previous record of 9,816 on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hospitalizations in California have also hit a new high, with 6,700 patients currently being treated for COVID-19. The number of new deaths announced each day, which increased by 144 Wednesday, has begun to stabilize. But the state Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said the record number of hospitalizations will lead to even more deaths due to COVID-19.
The 132nd Tournament of Roses Parade, scheduled to take place on Jan. 1, 2021, has been canceled. The last time the parade was canceled was between 1942 and 1945 during World War II. Parade organizers were hoping that holding the parade on schedule would be safe but decided after weeks of deliberations that doing so was impossible, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Like most people, having never lived through a pandemic before … our thoughts were that the parade was 10 months away and we would be fine,” Tournament of Roses Chief Executive David Eads said. He added that as coronavirus cases began to spike again in May, “the reality of the pandemic set in.”
The Houston Independent School District will start the school year virtually without having to forego state education funding, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. The Texas Education Agency announced last week that schools had to resume in-person instruction after a short transition period of just three weeks of virtual classes at the start of the year. After three weeks, schools that continued offering remote classes would lose all public funding. However, the TEA announced Wednesday that schools can remain closed for in-person operations without losing state education funding, as long as remote classes are made available to all students.
Gov. Greg Abbott said last week that he would make state plans to reopen schools less stringent, given the sharp increase in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. Abbott’s willingness to adjust guidelines due to the renewed outbreak is a stance not taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is facing scrutiny for his response to a similar outbreak in his state.
By a margin of 53%-38%, the public is opposed to K-12 schools opening fully in the fall. A new Politico/Morning Consult poll also finds that more people oppose opening colleges and universities in the fall, 50%-41%. The poll of 1,992 registered voters was conducted from July 10-12. The Trump administration has been pushing hard in recent weeks to have schools open for the 2020 school year. Poll respondents disapprove of the job Trump is doing 56%-41%. When asked if the country is on the right or wrong track, over 7 in 10 said the wrong track.
Hospital capacity in some states experiencing a coronavirus surge is shrinking. In Florida, the number of ICU beds fell to 15.7%, down from 19% on Sunday. Fifty-six hospitals have no available ICU beds. Available ICU beds in Texas fell to 853 from 977 Sunday. In Arizona, 90% of ICU beds are occupied; it has held steady at that number since July 1.
Walmart and Sam’s Club announced Wednesday that all customers will be required to wear masks inside stores. The mandate goes into effect on Monday. The grocery chain Kroger also announced that customers will have to wear masks in stores starting July 22.
