Dr. Fauci says United States is heading out of ‘full-blown pandemic phase’

According to White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States is headed towards the finish line of what he called the “full-blown” coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus cases have continued to fall, which lead the Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, to make the claim on Tuesday.

Fauci added that with the nation’s high vaccination and infection rates, enough protection should be provided to shift the country towards the endemic phase.

“I hope we are looking at a time when we have enough people vaccinated and enough people with protection from previous infection that the COVID restrictions will soon be a thing of the past,” the top doctor said. He added that the country should be able to scrap restrictions like mask mandates and social distancing “soon.” 

“As we get out of the full-blown pandemic phase of COVID-19, which we are certainly heading out of, these decisions will increasingly be made on a local level rather than centrally decided or mandated,” Fauci continued. “There will also be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus.”

Fauci’s statement comes as several Democratic governors have unveiled plans to ditch mask mandates in schools and other public places.

So far, the governors of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Oregon have all announced that their restrictions will end by the close of March, as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday that the state’s indoor mask-or-vaccine mandate expire on February 28.

At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still saying that masking in schools will be crucial to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration emphasized their support of keeping masks in schools, as White House press secretary Jen Psaki said they are in favor of the CDC’s position, and she added that it will be “continuously” reassessed based on “science and data.”