RELATED: The CDC Head Just Made This Dire Prediction About Omicron in the U.S. During a Dec. 12 appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation, Gottlieb was asked about the recent decision by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to reinstate a statewide mask mandate in response to rising cases in certain areas. He explained that cases in certain areas were beginning to see 36 cases per 100,000 people per day—up from about 20 daily cases per capita six weeks ago—and that action would be necessary to keep the spike under control.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “Most of those cases right now are being driven by very dense epidemics in the Great Lakes region [and] in New England,” Gottlieb said. “I think in those parts of the country, it is prudent to start taking steps to try to control the spread.” The former FDA commissioner then got more specific with his recommendations. “There are certain states like New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where the health care systems are beginning to get pressed and mask mandates are the easiest thing we can do, a sort of collective action that put some downward pressure on spread. It would be a temporary measure just to try to preserve the health care systems at this point.”
RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. A recent surge has seen the national daily average for COVID-19 cases rise 119,301 as of Dec. 12, according to data from The New York Times. The spike represents a 43 percent jump over the past two weeks. “Most of the country is through the Delta wave, and the reason why you’re seeing cases go up so much right now is in part driven by the dense epidemics in these very populated states,” he said. “But also, you’re seeing some uptick even in states that have gotten through their Delta wave, in part because people are moving indoors because of the colder weather and the holidays.” Gottlieb wasn’t alone in his recommendation for using masks to keep the spread of the virus under control. During an appearance on ABC’s This Week on Dec. 12, Anthony Fauci, MD, chief COVID adviser to the White House, touted face coverings as a safety precaution in certain situations. “Follow the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] CDC guidelines, that when you are in an indoor congregate setting and you don’t know the vaccination status of the people around you, wear a mask. Masking is not going to be forever but it can get us out of the very difficult situation we’re in now,” he said. Fortunately, other top officials have said that even though they may be necessary to fight the pandemic, face coverings won’t always be a part of daily life. “Masks are for now, they’re not forever,” CDC Director Rochelle Walesnky, MD, said in a Dec. 11 interview with ABC News. “We have to find a way to be done with them,” adding that the best way to finally move beyond the pandemic was to “lean in” to the proven preventative measures, including getting vaccinated. RELATED: Dr. Fauci Just Issued Another Major Warning to Vaccinated People.
