Despite rolling back restrictions, Texas is experiencing a decline in COVID-19 cases, and Dr. Anthony Fauci is considering it to be “confusing.”
MSNBC’s Willie Geist noted restaurants, bars, and ballparks are completely open in Texas, yet cases and hospitalizations continue to decline.
“It can be confusing because you may see a lag and delay because often you have to wait a few weeks before you see the effect of what you’re doing right now,” Fauci explained. “There are a lot of things that go into that. When you say they’ve had a lot of activity on the outside, like ball games, I’m not really quite sure. It could be they’re doing things outdoors.”
He added, “I hope they continue to tick down. If they do that would be great.”
Arguing “we’ve been fooled before” by situations where restrictions are rolled back, Fauci warned, “Nothing happens and then all of a sudden, several weeks later, things start exploding on you so we got to be careful we don’t prematurely judge that.”
Watch Fauci’s comments below:
Dr. Fauci on Texas Covid cases dropping despite ignoring his advice on masks/social distancing: "It can be confusing, because … often you have to wait a few weeks before you see the effect … I’m not really quite sure. It could be they’re doing things outdoors" pic.twitter.com/yuFEPoE2BV
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 6, 2021
President Joe Biden voiced his criticism of Texas after the state announced it would be lifting mask-wearing mandates, as IJR previously reported.
“I think it’s a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody’s realized by now these masks make a difference. We are on the cusp of fundamentally changing the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in peoples’ arms,” Biden said.
The president added, “And the last thing, the last thing, we need is neanderthal thinking that ‘in the meantime everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it.’ It still matters.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) defended her state’s move to loosen restrictions despite an uptick in cases, as IJR reported.
“We’re going gangbusters on the vaccines and that’s where people need to have their personal responsibility — following the protocol and getting themselves vaccinated,” she said during an appearance on CNN last month.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 167,187,795 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the United States as of Monday morning, and 207,891,395 doses have been distributed.