Anthony Fauci, the White House advisor for epidemic control, said, on Sunday, that the recent steady in the number of new infections with the Coronavirus in the United States is likely linked to a “premature” easing of virus containment measures.

While the emergence of different types of coronavirus is part of the problem, it is those in the country that are “backing out on mitigation” too early, Fauci told CBS.

States like Texas, Maryland, Connecticut and Mississippi have eased restrictions, removed the mask requirement, and allowed restaurants, businesses and other services to reopen with fewer or no restrictions.

When the number of cases begins to stabilize, he said, “there is a real risk that they will skyrocket.”

“We saw that in our country, and this is exactly what happened in many European Union countries, where infections stagnated and then increased.”

France, Belgium and Poland tightened restrictions on Saturday amid increasing cases, and France described the situation as “dangerous”.

After peaking during the fall and winter seasons in the United States, which reached hundreds of thousands of cases per day, infections have stagnated at around 50,000.

The United States is the country most affected by the epidemic in the world in absolute terms, with more than 549,000 cumulative deaths, although vaccination is currently advancing at an increasing rate.

Fauci, who also warned against Easter travel, which could lead to infection, said as it did after the end-of-year holiday.

“Even if people wear masks on planes, when they arrive at the airport, queues for check-in, food in restaurants and boarding the plane … definitely increase the risk of injury,” he said.

bbk / jm / yow / ll