Texas has seen a record increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said this week that he will stop listening to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist.
“Fauci said today that he is concerned about states like Texas that omitted certain things,” Patrick said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle”.
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. We have not skipped anything. The only thing I’m skipping is listening to it.
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Patrick said he disagreed with comments Fauci made earlier in the day during a Senate hearing in which President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force member suggested that some states reopen too quickly and omitted the House guidelines. Blanca in the process.
“He’s been wrong every time on every subject,” added Patrick. “I don’t need your advice anymore.”
Patrick previously defended the reopening of Texas, which was one of the first in the country, FOX 4 Dallas reported. But Governor Greg Abbott halted the state’s reopening plan last week due to a large increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. He backed down several openings and signed an executive order last Friday closing all bars, according to the station.
“Right now, it is clear that the increase in cases is largely due to certain types of activities, including Texans who congregate in bars,” said Abbott. “The actions in this executive order are essential to our mission to quickly contain this virus and protect public health.”
Fauci told lawmakers Tuesday that he was “quite concerned” about the increase in infections in states like Texas, Florida, California and Arizona, which have now become hot spots for the virus. He said states have seen more than 50 percent of new infections in the United States and suggested that some have been “skipping” reopening guidelines.
He warned that the US could see up to 100,000 cases of coronavirus a day if the recent increase does not decrease.
“Now we have over 40,000 new cases per day, I wouldn’t be surprised if we increased to 100,000 [cases] one day if this does not change, “Fauci said at the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Work and Pensions hearing.” I am very concerned. “
White House reopening guidelines include a descending path of documented cases within a 14-day period or a descending path of positive evidence as a percentage of total evidence within a 14-day period.
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Texas saw a record 8,076 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday after Patrick’s comments. Hospitalizations have also skyrocketed in recent weeks. More than 6,900 people are currently hospitalized in the state, compared to just over 2,000 on June 11.
Texas has seen more than 171,929 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, the third-highest state in the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The state has also seen at least 2,502 deaths from the virus. Patrick argued that the low death rate separates Texas from New York, which was once seen as the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States.
Cases and deaths in New York have decreased significantly in recent weeks after efforts to curb the virus curve.
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At the beginning of the outbreak, Patrick was criticized after telling Fox News: “There are more important things to live, and that is saving this country for my children and grandchildren and saving this country for all of us.” He said those comments regarding the reopening of the economy.
Fox News’s Adam Shaw and Louis Casiano contributed to this story.
