Dr. Anthony Fauci warns against another potential COVID-19 surge

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci looks on during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC on January 21, 2021. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Samana Sheikh

Posted: Mar 28, 2021 / 04:28 PM EDT

Updated: Mar 28, 2021 / 04:30 PM EDT

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)— Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS news that the nation could be at risk for another surge of COVID-19 infections. Fauci’s warning comes as the number of daily COVID-19 cases remains at a plateau.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, America saw a sharp decline in cases from January until March. The number of daily cases stays between nearly 50,000 and 60,000 from their data. This Friday, the CDC reported that cases reached nearly 71,593 from 30 states around the country including the District of Columbia.

So far, Fauci says other variants have also become problematic including the United Kingdom and South Africa which played a part in the major spike of cases nationwide.

“Several states have done that. I believe it’s premature of lifting measures such as mask mandates.” Fauci told CBS news.

However, vaccination efforts are boosting around the country.

On Thursday, President Biden announced he’s doubled the original goal of vaccinations within his first 100 days in office to nearly 200 million doses. So far, the CDC reports the nation will administer 3 to 3.5 million vaccines daily, and currently, they have given out 140 million doses total.

The CDC also suggests over 27 percent of the entire population in the United States has received at least one dose of the various COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

“There are 50 million people in this country that are fully vaccinated. That’s a lot of people. And every day we get more and more,” Fauci told CBS News, “I would expect that as we get through the summer, late spring, early summer, there’s going to be a relaxation where you’re going to have more and more people who will be allowed into baseball parks, very likely separated with seating, very likely continuing to wear masks. As we get a really, really low level of infection, you’re going to start seeing a pulling back on some of those restrictions, I hope. And I think that’s going to happen. I think if we do it correctly and we get the vaccines out at the rate we’re doing, that will happen.”