Dr. Anthony Fauci called for the “universal wearing of masks” in a television interview, in which he said the viral image of schoolchildren following a school hall in Georgia was “disturbing.”
“There has to be universal wearing of masks,” Fauci said on Monday on ABC’s “World News Tonight” when asked about school closures.
“There should be as much social distance as possible, and crowds should be avoided. Outside [is] always better than indoors and [you should] be in a situation where you have the continuous ability to wash and clean your hands with sanitizers, ‘he said.
“When I see such things, I’m disturbed,” added Fauci, 79, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force.
The chief infectious disease doctor referred to the image shared by North Paulding High School, sophomore Hannah Watters, who was briefly kicked out for violating school policies. On Friday, she tweeted that the school had withdrawn the suspension amid a public outcry.
Nine people – six students and three faculty members – have since tested positive for the coronavirus, the school in Dallas, Georgia, informed parents Saturday.
The school was closed as a result of the infections and the district announced that learning would move online for Monday and Tuesday.
Fauci recommended “a comprehensive way to really prevent things” that it created image, including the lack of face coverage and social distance in closed fields.
While stating that mask-wearing rules will be decided at the local level, he suggested that ‘universal wearing of masks is one of five or six things that are very important in preventing the onset of infection and in the reversal of the infections we see surge. ”
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