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American epidemiologist Anthony Fauci warned this Sunday of a sharp increase in the number of covid-19 contamination, after the Thanksgiving holiday, marked by the movement of millions of people across the country.
“In two or three weeks we may see an explosion of cases” of new coronavirus infections, the director of the American institute of allergies and infectious diseases, Anthony Fauci, warned in statements to the television channel ABC.
According to the France-Presse news agency (AFP), at least 1.1 million people flew to the United States on the eve of Thanksgiving, a record since the pandemic arrived in the country in March, according to data from the TSA agency, responsible for airport security checks.
“This weekend, with all those traveling, is really worrying for us,” Deputy Health Secretary Brett Giroir said, speaking on CNN.
“Admissions are currently peaking at nearly 95,000. About 20 percent of patients in hospitals have covid-19, so it’s a very dangerous time,” the official added.
Hospitalizations due to covid-19 have increased in 46 US states, such as Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to data from the Washington Post.
The country, which has the highest number of deaths from the new coronavirus (266,074), on Friday crossed the threshold of 13 million cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally, which is the benchmark.
In this context, Anthony Fauci explained that he is not considering easing no-travel recommendations or restrictions before Christmas.
New restrictions have been imposed in California, ahead of increased cases: a curfew has been declared in San Francisco and, in Los Angeles, most public and private gatherings have been banned, starting Monday.
“Close the bars and keep the schools open,” advised Anthony Fauci.
The immunologist, however, tried to reassure citizens, recalling that, in December, a vaccine should be available for people at greater risk of contracting a severe form of the disease.
“People need to know that the development process for this vaccine was carried out with scientific rigor and safety was not compromised,” he insisted.
The first doses of the covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech have already arrived in the United States, imported from Belgium, reported today by several American media.
Pfizer / BioNTech says its vaccine is 95% effective against the virus.
“It’s a vaccine that can save lives,” Brett Giroir said. “This is how we will defeat the pandemic. It is the light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.
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