MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – States like Alabama with soaring coronavirus infection rates have a window of opportunity to bring it under control, the country’s top infectious diseases expert said Tuesday as he spoke in favor of state and local requirements to wear face coverings in public.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Diseases, said the United States is in the midst of a resurgence of new coronavirus cases, sometimes seeing daily cases almost double over the country’s previous baseline high. He said that differs from other countries that saw a decline after a baseline high.
“We are facing a serious problem now,” Fauci said in a news conference with Alabama Sen. Doug Jones.
Infection rates have been rising particularly in the South and West.
“What is alarming is the slope of the curve,” Fauci said about the rise in cases in Alabama.