The Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar has issued a dire warning that the 'window is closing' for the United States ...
The Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar has issued a dire warning that the 'window is closing' for the United States to get the coronavirus crisis under control as states see new alarming spikes in cases and the number of infections jumps by more than 40,000 for the third day in a row.
'Things are very different from two months ago... So it is a very different situation, but this is a very, very serious situation and the window is closing for us to take action and get this under control,' Azar said on CNN to Jake Tapper on State of the Union Sunday night.
The pandemic, which gained traction in the US in March, has already infected over 2.5million in the country and killed over 125,000, and despite stringent measures being placed in some states, the virus is far from gone.
For a third consecutive day on Saturday, the number of confirmed US cases rose by more than 40,000 - one of the largest surges in the world.
The American Medical Association still reports a personal protective equipment (PPE) problem and some hospitals, such as in Arizona, are seeing facilities pushed to their limits with intensive care units at 87 percent capacity.
However, Azar stressed that the country is more prepared than it was when the virus first emerged to tackle a rise in cases, pointing to increased testing, contact tracing, increased hospital capacity, a reserve of PPE and advances towards therapeutics and vaccines.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar has issued the dire warning that the 'window is closing' for the United States to get the coronavirus crisis under control as states are reporting a troubling surge of cases and record numbers of hospitalizations after reopening
Azar refused to blame the spike in cases on states reopening and said 'inappropriate individual behavior' was the culprit in spreading the virus.
'That's not so much about what the law says on the reopening as what our behaviors are within that,' he said, urging the public to wear masks and practice social distancing.
'If we act irresponsibly, if we don't socially distance, if we don't use face coverings in settings where we can't social distance, if we don't practice appropriate personal hygiene, we're going to see spread of disease,' he warily cautioned.
His message is a far cry from Donald Trump's message to the public as he refuses to wear a face mask and hosts packed rallies on the campaign trail.
On Friday Pence boasted that the US had 'flattened the curve', discounting the severe threat the virus poses today as 36 states report a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Only two states were reporting a decline in cases compared to last week.
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