Coronavirus: Dr Fauci says ‘we’re not there yet’ for US to reopen its economy

The health expert says 1 May opening date could be too 'optimistic'

Dr Anthony Fauci has said the United States was not yet at a place for the federal government to safely open the economy, stating important measures were needed to be put in place first.

“We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and we’re not there yet,” Dr Fauci said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The top health expert and member of the White House’s coronavirus task force said critical testing and tracking procedures were needed across the country to properly determine how the coronavirus has impacted communities.

Health officials and the Trump administration have been at odds as talks increase about how the country should reopen.

President Donald Trump expressed repeatedly in recent weeks how eager he was to see the economy open again with a “big bang”. But this so-called “big bang” would probably not be possible to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

Dr Fauci described the 1 May opening date as too “optimistic” given how Covid-19 has infiltrated major cities and communities. That date is when the federal government social distancing guidelines end.

“I’ll guarantee you, once you start pulling back there will be infections. It’s how you deal with the infections that’s going count,” Dr Fauci said.

He added any opening of the government would be on a “rolling” basis with the key focus on “getting people out of circulation if they get infected, because once you start getting clusters, then you’re really in trouble.”

But that plan would rely on a strong testing system put in place in the US, which the country does not currently have.

State governors, all of whom were told by the president it was their responsibility to close down their economies, have talked about future plans regarding reopening as they reach their apexes.

The Northeastern states – which include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Massachusetts – were the first to form their own coalition to address reopening plans.

The West Coast and some Midwestern states followed in suit to form their own coalitions.

These coalitions could be a first step towards the country opening on a “rolling” basis that does not encourage a resurgence of the virus in any area.

When speaking to AP, Dr Fauci was also asked about the daily White House press briefings he participates in to inform the public about what the taskforce is doing to address the pandemic.

Dr Fauci admitted the briefings could be “draining”. Monday’s went a record two-and-a-half hours long.

“If I had been able to just make a few comments and then go to work, that would have really been much better,” he said. “It isn’t the idea of being there and answering questions, which I really think is important for the American public. It’s the amount of time.”

As director of the National Institute of Health, Dr Fauci has directed his team to work with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in validating tests that could bring the country closer to safely opening.