Dr. Fauci Calls Next Two Weeks ‘Critical’ As Many States Show ‘Disturbing Surge’ In COVID-19 Cases

After months of observing strict lockdown, states across the United States of America have been gradually reopening their economies. But the easing of the strict restrictions has led to a “disturbing surge” in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, making the next two weeks, as Dr. Anthony Fauci (the nation's top health expert) says, the most “critical.”

"The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges we are seeing in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and other states," Dr. Anthony Fauci said on June 23, while addressing the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "The virus is not going to disappear.”

Of all the US states experiencing the surge, more than 6000 positive cases of coronavirus were recorded in California alone, breaking the state’s single-day record of the most cases recorded to date. Within the span of a week, L.A. County recorded more than 2,000 positive cases reported on three different days.

Fauci has also refuted Donald Trump's previous assertion of decreasing the testing rate

At his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Donald Trump said that he has ordered the coronavirus tests to be decreased as now that more and more tests are being carried out, more positive cases are being discovered.

"When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases. So I said to my people, 'slow the testing down, please.' They test and they test," Trump said.

During the hearing on Capitol Hill, Fauci clarified that "none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing." He told House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey that to address the surge in cases, more testing needs to be carried out.

He also assured that chances are that there will be a vaccine available by the "beginning of 2021” and a billion doses within a year or two.

"We are going through a terrible ordeal right now," he said. "This will end hopefully sooner rather than later, but we need to establish a system so that we are prepared for future outbreaks."