Deborah Bux Former White House COVID-19 Response Task Force Coordinator
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] Deborah Birx, former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator who led the U.S. administration's COVID-19 response during former U.S. President Donald Trump's tenure, has warned that preparations must be made for a resurgence of COVID-19.
According to foreign media including Forbes on the 1st (local time), Birx said in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" that "the infection trend in South Africa has turned upward again," and "in many countries, there will be a surge in coronavirus cases every 4 to 6 months."
She added, "This is because the natural immunity of people previously infected with COVID-19 may weaken after 4 to 6 months."
In particular, Birx predicted that the pattern seen about a year ago, in April last year when COVID-19 cases increased in the U.S., then temporarily subsided, followed by a significant rise again in August to September, could repeat this year as well.
Birx emphasized, "We saw this trend in 2020 and the same thing happened last year, so we must prepare immediately for a sharp increase in cases across the southern United States this summer."
According to Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 Resource Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 cases have recently been increasing in South Africa and across the United States.
The recent 7-day average of new infections in the U.S. is 56,166, which is a 122% increase compared to last month. Additionally, South Africa reported 5,727 new cases on the 30th of last month (local time), more than three times higher than the 1,677 cases reported on March 30.
On this day, Birx actively refuted claims that she was responsible for the inadequate response during the early spread of COVID-19. U.S. media such as The New York Times reported that Birx had claimed in spring 2020 that the pandemic would end, which led to the Trump administration's inappropriate response. Because of this, Birx stepped down from her COVID-19 advisory position when the Biden administration took office.
In response, Birx stated, "I have always thought about resigning because my role in the Trump administration was inefficient."
Meanwhile, the government lifted the outdoor mask mandate starting today (the 2nd). This comes 556 days after the "mandatory mask-wearing" was implemented on October 13, 2020. However, masks must still be worn at outdoor gatherings of 50 or more people, such as assemblies, performances, and sports events, as before.
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