“And at the moment, across the Sun Belt, we have governors and mayors who have issues equivalent to what they had in the summer, and yet they are not implementing the same policies and mitigations that they put in place in the summer, which they know have changed, and added,“ the course of this epidemic across the South. ”So It’s frustrating, because not only do we know what works, but mayors and mayors have used these tools to stem the tide in the spring and summer. ”
Public health officials have stepped up their warnings as coronavirus cases reach record levels. One million new cases were diagnosed in the United States in the first five days of December.
Host Chuck Todd has pressed Birx about President Donald Trump and other administration officials who are contradicting public health warnings. Birx did not mention Trump or other officials, but he expressed his frustration with the false allegations about the virus and echoed concerns about the severity of its spread, noting that cases are increasing in every state except Hawaii.
“I think it’s really important for everyone to understand that the way this virus is spreading is if you are with anyone inside without a mask, then this is a viral opportunity,” Birks said. “If you are outdoors and hugging and kissing individuals, this is a viral opportunity. We have to really understand the extent of the contagion, the extent of contagion, this virus.”
“This is where we find ourselves,” she said. “And we have to listen now to what we know works, which is the mask, the physical distancing, the washing of hands. But not the gathering. You cannot gather without masks in any indoor or closed space.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week released its strongest guidance on wearing masks yet, advising people to wear masks when they are not at home. Birks appeared on camera wearing a mask.
“This is not only the worst public health event, this is the worst event this country will face, not only from the public health side. However, we know what behaviors spread the virus, and we know how to change these behaviors to stop the spread of the virus.”
