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The American epidemiologist Anthony Fauci warned this Sunday of a sharp increase in the amount of contaminations by covid-19, after the Thanksgiving holiday, marked by the movement of millions of people throughout the country.
“In two or three weeks we will be able to see an explosion of cases” of new infections by coronavirus, the director of the US Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, warned in statements to the ABC television channel.
According to the France-Presse (AFP) news agency, at least 1.1 million people flew to the United States on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, a record since the pandemic reached the country in March, according to data. from the TSA agency, responsible for airport security controls.
“This weekend, with all those trips, it’s really worrying for us,” said Undersecretary of Health Brett Giroir, speaking to CNN.
“Hospitalizations are currently reaching a peak of almost 95,000. Around 20% of patients in hospitals have covid-19, so it is a very dangerous time,” the official added.
Covid-19 hospitalizations increased in 46 US states, including Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to data from the Washington Post.
The country, which has the highest number of deaths from the new coronavirus (266,074), crossed the threshold of 13 million cases on Friday, according to the Johns Hopkins University count, which is the benchmark.
In this context, Anthony Fauci explained that he is not considering relaxing the recommendations not to travel or the restrictions before Christmas.
In California, new restrictions were imposed, given the increase in cases: a curfew was declared in San Francisco and, in Los Angeles, most public and private gatherings were prohibited as of Monday.
“Close the gates and keep the schools open,” advised Anthony Fauci.
The immunologist tried, however, to reassure citizens, recalling that, in December, a vaccine should be available for people at higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease.
“People need to know that the development process of this vaccine was carried out with scientific rigor and that safety has not been compromised,” he insisted.
The first doses of the covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech have already arrived in the United States, imported from Belgium, several US media reported today.
Pfizer / BioNTech claims that their vaccine is 95% effective against the virus.
“It is a vaccine that can save lives,” said Brett Giroir. “This is how we are going to beat the pandemic. It is the light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.
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