Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, on Tuesday said there’s a fine line between balancing the immediate needs of the American people with the reality of the epidemic and warned that those in the New York metro area, for example, remain in a “very difficult place.”
“There’s a fine line and a place to go that [balances] the needs of the American people both today and tomorrow with the reality of the epidemic. And that’s going to require really precision, granular data,” Dr. Birx said on NBC’s “Today” program.
“To everyone in New York: You are in a very difficult place and if any city should be adhering to the presidential guidelines, your governor and mayor, it’s New York and the New York metro area right now,” she said.
Dr. Birx had said Monday that the New York metro area has an “attack rate” about five times higher than in other parts of the country.
As of Monday afternoon, there were more than 20,800 positive coronavirus cases in New York state — the most in the country. More than 12,300 of those cases were in New York City.
President Trump had suggested on Monday he might loosen guidance limiting crowds in the relatively near future, saying the U.S. can’t be shut down for months.
“What the president is doing is looking for the future and looking at what we can do in the future — not looking [to] change what we’re doing now,” Dr. Birx said. “Please — he’s made it clear, and the vice president — continue to follow the guidelines of social distancing and all of the other things about knowing where your hands are and washing your hands.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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