US condemns Nov 9 bombing in Pakistan, reaffirms commitment to regional security
The United States strongly condemned the November 9 bombing at a railway station in Pakistan's Quetta.
As Covid-19 cases soar in the US along with masses of unvaccinated Americans and the deadly delta variant, Dr Antony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert said, “We’re going in the wrong direction”, describing himself as “very frustrated.”
Fauci, also President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser, said in an interview with a news media network, that he was part of the meeting about changing the mask guidelines where the vaccinated may also need to wear masks again and booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated.
Government experts are reviewing early data to determine the significance of booster shots, he added. He suggested that some of the most vulnerable, such as organ transplant and cancer patients, are “likely” to be recommended for booster shots.
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He noted that some local jurisdictions where infection rates are surging, such as Los Angeles County, are already calling on individuals to wear masks in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status.
Fauci said those local rules are compatible with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that the vaccinated do not need to wear masks in public.
More than 163 million people, or 49 per cent of the total US population, are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. Of those eligible for the vaccine, aged 12 and over, the figure rises to 57 per cent.
“This is an issue predominantly among the unvaccinated, which is the reason why we’re out there, practically pleading with the unvaccinated people to go out and get vaccinated,” Fauci said.
He also praised Republicans, including Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, and the second-ranking House leader, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, for encouraging their constituents to get vaccinated.
Their states have among the lowest vaccination rates in the country.
“What I would really like to see is more and more of the leaders in those areas that are not vaccinating to get out and speak out and encourage people to get vaccinated,” Fauci said.
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