NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We're only months away from the holiday season and Christmas. You may be wondering will it be safe to gather with family this year because of COVID-19.
President Joe Biden's Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said it's too early to say.
Right now, the nation is experiencing an uptick in new COVID-19 infections among children and slow vaccination rates.
The country hit another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, surpassing 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, but the surge of new cases by Delta variant appears to be slowing.
Dr. Fauci warned Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation the turnaround should not make Americans complacent or lead to a decline in vaccination rates among those who are eligible.
He said if you look at the history of the different surges we've had, it's come up, started to come down and then suddenly boom, it comes back up again.
Dr. Fauci says has we head into the holiday season we will have to wait and see if holiday gatherings should be limited for a second year.
"It's just too soon to tell. We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time. Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down, and we can do it by people getting vaccinated. And also, in this situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
Dr. Fauci suggests people follow the CDC guidelines when it comes to gathering in large groups.
Right now, they continue to recommend avoiding large events and gatherings. They do not provide numbers to define small and large events.
They’re also still encouraging people to wear a face covering.
