Governors in Texas and Kansas issued face mask orders Thursday as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top-ranking infectious diseases expert, warned there’s a risk of an even larger spread of COVID-19.
July 2 (UPI) — Governors in Texas and Kansas issued face mask orders Thursday as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top-ranking infectious diseases expert, warned there’s a risk of an even larger spread of COVID-19.
The U. S. death toll was at 128,400 on Thursday and the total number of cases surpassed 2.7 million on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Several states have documented a surge in cases recently and the United States recorded 50,000 new cases in a single day on Wednesday, for the first time.
Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said a lack of uniformity among safety measures and compliance is the most likely cause.
“What we’ve seen over the last several days is a spike in cases that is way beyond the worst spikes that we have seen,” Fauci told BBC Radio. “We’ve got to get that under control, or we risk an even greater outbreak in the United States.
“In the United States, even in the most strict lockdowns, only about 50 percent of the country locked down — that allowed for the perpetuation of the outbreak, which we never did get under very good control.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued the mask order Thursday afternoon after days of pressing by local and county leaders throughout the state. The mandate applies only to counties where there are 20 or more confirmed cases of coronavirus.
His order also bans gatherings of more than 10 people.
