Top doc Fauci admits lives could have been saved if US had shut down earlier – but there was ‘pushback’
CORONAVIRUS adviser Dr Fauci has said the lives could have been saved if President Trump had initiated the coronavirus shut down earlier.
Speaking on CNN on Easter Sunday, Fauci added the US could start to reopen next month, but warned a second wave of the virus could hit the country.
During the interview, Fauci said that the government had been advised to begin social distancing measures in February.
Trump announced plans to roll out self isolating in mid March.
“We look at it from a pure health standpoint,” Fauci said. “We make a recommendation, often the recommendation is taken, sometimes it’s not.
“But it is what it is.”
Fauci was then asked if lives could have been saved if stay at home measures had started in February, rather than almost a month later.
“Obviously you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier you could’ve saved lives, obviously.
“No-one is going to deny that.
“But there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then.”
The US has now passed Italy for the most coronavirus deaths reported worldwide.
Fauci was pressed multiple times by CNN journalist Jake Tapper on when the US might start to lift isolation restrictions.
He eventually said the country might be able to begin to ease up stay at home measures next month, but said a “rolling re-entry” would have to happen.
“It’s not going to be a light switch,” he said. “It will depend on where you are in the country.”
On Saturday, Trump declared the US would see a “tremendous surge – like a rocket ship” once coronavirus lockdowns are lifted and Americans return to work.
He made the prediction after hitting back at claims he saw a memo from White House trade advisor Peter Navarro back in January warning two million Americans could die from coronavirus.
Speaking to Fox’s Jeanine Pirro on Saturday night, Trump said the decision over when to start re-opening the country will be the “toughest that I will ever have to make”.
He added: “I’ll be basing it on a lot of very smart people, a lot of professionals – doctors and business leaders.
“There are a lot of things that go into a decision like that.
“And it’s going to be based on a lot of facts and a lot of instinct also. Whether we like it or not – there is a certain instinct to it.
“We have to get our country back – people want to get back – they want to get back to work.”
Trump said he will be making a decision “reasonably soon” and he is currently setting up a team of leaders from a range of fields.