Fauci contradicts Trump's death toll prediction as Rand Paul slams top White House doctor
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Your support makes all the difference.The US government’s leading infectious disease expert told a Senate committee on Tuesday that if states open too quickly, they could be dealing with new Covid-19 outbreaks "that you cannot control."
"There is no doubt when you pull back on mitigation, you will see cases appear," Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pension Committee.
"It's not only doing it at the appropriate time, with the appropriate restraints, but ... responding when the infection recurs," he added.
That puts him at odds with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged governors to lift orders keeping most business closed and their residents at home. The doctor also broke with Mr Trump by saying the US death toll likely is higher than current estimates.
The hearing, so far, has focused largely on testing and whether governors should open their states. But sparks flew when Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, bluntly told Dr Fauci he is not the "end all" on coronavirus or any public health matter.
One takeaway of the session was members of both parties want more testing kits available to more Americans, and more types of tests.
Democratic senators appeared to walk a tightrope on reopening, opting against slamming GOP governors while raising their concerns. And Republican senators held fire on China, even as Mr Trump and his top aides continue to blame the government in Beijing for withholding information about the disease going public on its soil.
But Dr Fauci and other health officials were optimistic about a Covid-19 vaccine, saying one could be in place later this year.
And he even suggested schools and colleges might be able to reopen in August and September.
Good morning and welcome to today's live blog.
We'll be bringing you all the latest updates as a senate committee hearing assesses plans to reopen the US economy.
The committee will hear from Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Stephen Hahn, food and drug administration commissioner, and Dr Robert Redfield, head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
All three will be appearing remotely via video link as they self-quarantine at home following their exposure to a White House staffer who tested positive for Covid-19.
The hearing is due to get underway in approximately two hours, at about 10am local time.
In an email to The New York Times, Dr Fauci said he intends to warn against a rushed reopening of the US economy, which has seen more than 33 million Americans lose their jobs in the last seven weeks.
He wrote: "If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to 'Open America Again', then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country.
"This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal."
The US has seen at least 1.3 million infections and nearly 81,000 deaths from the virus, the highest toll in the world by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Here's more from that email Dr Fauci wrote to the New York Times about what he plans to say at today's Senate hearing:
“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines...then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” he wrote. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”
Senate Democrats call on Dr Fauci to 'let it rip'
Chuck Schumer is demanding the leading infectious disease expert share everything he knows about the coronavirus pandemic during today's hearing -
Republicans begin attacking Dr Fauci ahead of hearing
Republicans on Capitol Hill are slamming the nation's top disease experts before Dr Fauci is expected to warn the country against reopening too soon:
Fauci's message likely will anger the 'Audience of One' (read: Donald Trump)
When Dr Fauci begins speaking shortly, he will be addressing a Republican-run Senate committee. His message, however, will be for state governors and the American people. His email to the New York Times makes that much clear.
But, as always, there's the "Audience of One." That, of course, is the man in the Oval Office – more likely this morning, the man glued to cable television coverage of the hearing in the White House residence: Donald Trump.
While Dr Fauci and other coronavirus task force members have been more willing than other current and former Trump administration officials to publicly buck the president's bold and false claims, they still calibrate what they say to either please or only mildly anger the boss. Things could get wild on Twitter if Dr Fauci delivers the message he previewed to the Times because the president again on Monday called on states to pick up the pace on opening up.
The president is in a mood, folks. Just take a look at some of his early morning tweets. Things could get explosive very quickly.
Chairman Alexander: 'Staying at home indefinitely' is not a solution
There you have it, folks. The chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee just laid down a key marker. Even though Mr Alexander is not seeking reelection, he just fell tightly in line with the president, who continues pushing governors to open their states.
But while Mr Trump and some members of coronavirus task force members on Monday said there is "plenty of testing" available, the chairman wants more tests available for more Americans.
"We need widespread testing," Mr Alexander said, "to give the rest of America the confidence to go back to work and back to school."
The top Democrat on the committee, Patty Murray of Washington, which was the first state hit hard by the Covid-19 virus, echoed the chairman. On testing, many Republicans and Democrats agree. But on other issues, like states opening up, they remain very much divided.
"We need a plan before we start to reopen," she said, even as states do so without a national testing plan. For those in states that have yet to start opening, Ms Murray said that may be a "ways off." She called on the Trump administration to "step up" on testing and other matters.
Fauci holds fire in opening remarks, doesn't mention states reopening
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director did not mention any concerns he has about states reopening during his prepared opening remarks.
Instead, he opted to focus on work on a vaccine and other measures his and other federal agencies are taking.
But it's inevitable members of both parties will ask him – and the other witnesses – their thoughts. That goes double for the committee's Democratic members, many of whom have questioned GOP governors for beginning to open before their states have seen a White House-recommended two weeks of slowing Covid-19 cases.
Stay tuned.
Covid-19 vaccine could be ready by 'late fall' or 'early winter,' Fauci says
Though Dr Fauci did not buck Mr Trump on states opening up during his opening statement, he did make some news.
He said there are eight serious potential vaccines under development, and he hopes – hopes – one could be ready by "late fall, and early winter."
Our congressional correspondent, Griffin Connolly, has full report. Just click this link.
Fauci offers (very) measured warning about states opening too soon
This is not Dr Fauci's first rodeo. He's a Washington veteran. So his first bite at the apple on the question of states reopening was measured. Very measured.
"My word has been ... that I get concerned if you have a situation with dynamics of outbreak if you are not seeing a gradual 14-day decrease, he told Senator Murray. "What I've expressed ... is my concern that if some areas ... jump over that ... prematurely."
"There is no doubt when you pull back on mitigation, you will see cases appear," Dr Fauci said. "It's not only doing it at the appropriate time, with the appropriate restraints, but ... responding when the infection recurs."
That's not in line with the president. But it is in line with what Dr Fauci has said for weeks – including while standing a few feet from Mr Trump during those since-scrapped White House coronavirus task force briefings.
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