Anders Hagstrom(DCNF)
President Joe Biden said he shares Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky’s sense of “impending doom” on the pandemic, warning that Americans are becoming too lax on lockdown measures.
Biden made the announcement during a Monday speech at the White House updating the country on his administration’s ongoing efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
“We share the sentiment of Dr. Walensky, the head of the CDC,” Biden said. “The CDC expressed earlier today that this is not the time to lessen our efforts. That’s what she said.”
“We’re giving up hard-fought, hard-won gains,” Biden said. “If we let our guard down now, we could see the virus getting worse, not better.”
He implored citizens to continue wearing masks and for businesses to continue requiring them even as many states loosen pandemic guidelines.
Biden also responded to a shouted question from reporters following his speech, saying governors of “some states” should pause their reopening efforts. He did not specify which states.
Biden’s gloomy tone echoed Walensky’s report on COVID-19 efforts earlier Monday, saying that a possible surge in cases has her “scared” and fearing “impending doom.” CDC data showed a 6.7% increase in new weekly cases last week and a 0.1% increase in hospitalizations.
BREAKING: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky warns that she feels “impending doom” with the Covid case trajectory. “Right now I’m scared.” pic.twitter.com/MSJDQWRifA
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) March 29, 2021
