Dr. Anthony Fauci, the medical advisor for the White House, recently issued a warning that restrictions could be re-established in the U.S. in the near future to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Fauci provided information during an interview on the BBC’s Sunday Morning about the possibility that some areas of the country could once again be subject to stricter regulations.
Presenter Sophie Raworth asked if new variants could prompt new lockdowns and if there is a potential for reinstated mask mandates. These questions come as the country is beginning to loosen or altogether lift restrictions that were put in place in 2020 to help slow the spread of the new virus.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘lockdowns.’ That has a charged element to it. But, I believe that we must keep our eye on the pattern of what we’re seeing with infections,” said Fauci.
The restrictions would likely be temporary, as a new variant’s behavior would dictate how long precautionary measures last and the exact details associated with them.
Even though winter brought a surge in COVID cases which coincided with flu season, there has been a decrease in new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations.
Last week, Fauci told The Washington Post that he does not “really see, unless something changes dramatically, that there would be a major surge.”
A report from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center shows 985 deaths over the past day, while January saw daily casualties exceeding 4,000 throughout the month. The new BA.2 omicron variant is currently responsible for 54.9% of new cases.
Fauci pointed to the changes in the United States’ COVID regulations as a possible reason for an uptick in cases.
“It’s the greater transmissibility of the BA.2, it’s the relaxation of restriction, particularly in the context of indoor masking in congregate settings, and also the fact that immunity, due to both vaccination as well as people who have been previously infected, tends to wane with SARS-CoV-2, particularly with omicron,” he told Fox News.
Fauci noted the new omicron variant appears to spread faster. However, he said he does not expect a strong wave of COVID to sweep the U.S.
