Coronavirus Not Under Control In U.S., Fauci Testifies Before House Committee, Says Trump Never Told Officials To Slow Testing

The Hill: Fauci gives Congress COVID-19 warning
“Anthony Fauci, the administration’s top infectious disease doctor, told a House panel on Tuesday that rising U.S. cases of COVID-19 are ‘disturbing’ as new signs emerged of the United States falling further behind other countries in containing the novel coronavirus. The coronavirus is surging in more than half the country, and states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona are setting records of new cases almost daily…” (Weixel, 6/23).

New York Times: Fauci, Citing ‘Disturbing Surge,’ Tells Congress the Virus Is Not Under Control
“…Dr. Fauci’s assessment, delivered during a lengthy hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, painted a much grimmer picture of the coronavirus threat than the one given by President Trump, who claimed last week that the virus that had infected more than two million Americans and killed more than 121,000 would just ‘fade away.’ ‘The virus is not going to disappear,’ said Dr. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, who testified that the virus was not yet under control in the United States…” (Stolberg/Weiland, 6/23).

STAT: Top U.S. health officials say they were never told to slow down Covid-19 testing, contradicting Trump
“Four key government health care officials said Tuesday that despite recent remarks from President Trump, they were never ordered to ‘slow down’ diagnostic testing for Covid-19. Their testimony at a congressional hearing came just three days after the president, at a campaign rally, told supporters that he had ordered a deceleration of Covid-19 testing. During a rally in Tulsa, Okla., Trump misleadingly escalated his long-standing claim that the high U.S. case count is simply a result of thorough testing…” (Facher, 6/23).

Additional coverage of Fauci’s and other experts’ testimonies is available from Forbes, The Guardian, The Hill, POLITICO (2), Roll Call, USA TODAY, and Washington Post.

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