WASHINGTON – Two opposing party governors issued warnings Sunday to Americans celebrating the Independence Day holiday as the coronavirus pandemic continues across the country, highlighting the importance of wearing masks to curb the spread.
In an interview with “Meet the Press,” Governor Phil Murphy, DN.J., whose state saw one of the previous coronavirus spikes, recounted the “huge price” the state has already paid: more than 13,000 killed by the virus.
Murphy said Americans should follow public health guidelines, but he also called for a national strategy that he says is imperative to controlling the spread of the virus. The White House has repeatedly deferred to state and local officials, instead of offering unapplied guidelines and sending mixed messages about things like masks.
“We are as strong as our weakest link,” Murphy said of the state-by-state strategy.
“We go through hell. We cannot afford to go through hell again. We need a national strategy, I think, right now, and masking must be at the core of that. “
According to an analysis by NBC News, there have now been more than 2.8 million coronavirus cases and more than 130,000 deaths attributable to the virus. Nine of the worst days for new cases in the US occurred in the past 10 days, and 17 states reported single-day highs in cases last week alone.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the increase in infections is the result of increased testing. Admittedly, the United States has increased its testing capacity in recent months, now testing at least 600,000 people in each of the past five days, according to the COVID Tracking Project. But health experts tell NBC News that an increase in cases cannot be explained solely by evidence, and that the decrease in social distancing has also played an important role.
“We have done this natural experiment a few times now. We know that when we go back to living as if we weren’t living in a pandemic, we end up with more cases. And those end in more hospitalizations, leading to more deaths, ”said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, medical director of the Special Unit for Pathogens at Boston University School of Medicine.
“What do the tests do? If this were a war, we would not say that we do not want the information. If it were a flood, we wouldn’t say we don’t want the study of the land, “he told” Meet the Press. “
“The tests allow us to find more people in the community. More people lead to more cases, it is as simple as that. Finding those cases allows us to break those chains of transmission. “
Over the weekend, Trump traveled to South Dakota for an Independence Day celebration. While the masks were available to attendees, no masks or social distancing were required, something that Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson regretted in “Meet the Press.”
“When you look at the national level, it is good that we celebrate our independence. That was a controlled environment, it was outside on Mount Rushmore, I think it inspired many, “he said.
“There should have been facial covers, they should have followed the guidelines there. I know it’s a controlled environment, so it’s really more about setting an example. “
Hutchinson said he is “leading by example” and wearing a mask when in public, calling the masks an important way to curb the virus to help fuel economic activity.
But while pointing out his executive order that allows localities to demand that faces be covered, he noted that the measure did not reach a state order. And he stressed the importance of “balance” since many Americans suffer from “viral fatigue.”
“You have to live life, you can’t stop all activities, but you have to be in a controlled environment where you protect yourself and others and take it seriously,” he said.
“There is a balance of reflecting to the United States how serious this is and how big the fight we are in, but at the same time, let us manage our way so that we can continue living life, even though we are all very very tired of this virus. “
