Daily US Times: Dr Anthony Fauci, US infectious disease chief and one of the nation’s top experts, says the country has a “serious problem” as 16 states reel from a spike in Covid-19 cases.
“The only way we’re going to end it is by ending it together,” Dr Fauci said at the first White House task force briefing in two months.
Health experts said more must be done to slow the spread of coronavirus, but Vice-President Mike Pence praised US “progress”.
More than 40,000 new cases were recorded across the US on Friday.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the total of 40,173 new cases recorded, the highest daily total so far, exceeding the record set only the previous day.
There are over 125,000 deaths nationwide and 2.4 million confirmed infections- more than any other country.
The White House task force also urged millennials to get tested, even if they are asymptomatic.
Mr Pence said the president requested the task force address the American people amid surges in hospital admissions and infections across southern and western states.
In Arizona, Florida, and Texas, reopening plans have been paused due to the spike.
While some of the increase in daily cases recorded can be attributed to expanded testing, the rate of positive tests in some areas is also increasing.
Dr Fauci said what goes on in one area on the country could have impacts on other areas. He said: “People are infecting other people, and then ultimately you will infect someone who’s vulnerable.”
He urged people to be responsible together to make an end of this outbreak.
“You have an individual responsibility to yourself, but you have a societal responsibility because if we want to end this outbreak, really end it… we’ve got to realise that we are part of the process.”
US coronavirus cases already may have been up to 20 million, according to the latest estimate by health officials. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the true number of cases is likely to be 10 times higher than the reported figure.
CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield said: “Our best estimate right now is that for every case that was reported, there actually were 10 other infections.”
This was because testing was restricted to people with symptoms and asymptomatic carriers were not tested, he stated.
“We probably recognized about 10% of the outbreak by the methods that we use to diagnosis between the March, April, and May.”
Dr Redfield said that between 5% and 8% of the population had been exposed to the coronavirus and urged Americans to wear masks, keep social distancing, and washing hands.
