Fauci warns of "very disturbing" trends in US coronavirus outbreak

The dire messaging reinforced concerns about the U.S. ability to rein in a pandemic that has claimed some 126,000 American lives.

"There are some states in which the leadership and the decision [to open up] was a little too precipitous", he said.

Fauci, the country's top infectious diseases expert, told senators that the United States could see the number of COVID-19 infections skyrocket.

Unless Americans wear masks and recommit to social distancing, the daily increase in new cases nationwide, now around 40,000, could reach 100,000, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a U.S. Senate committee. "If we're going to contain it, we will have to contain it together".

The U.S. reported upwards of 40,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - some of the biggest daily spikes since the pandemic began. "We need to do something about that and we need to do it very quickly".

New Zealand declared the country infection-free on 8 June, and since then has had to contain several cases that came from worldwide travellers.

SC has also emerged as a hotspot, reporting a record single-day increase of 1,755 cases on Tuesday.

Fox News host Steve Doocy, whom Trump has reportedly ranked as a 12 on a loyalty scale of 1-10, also encouraged the president to start wearing a mask in public.

The US has recorded 2,682,897 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, and has a total of 129,544 deaths.

"That's why I've suggested that the president occasionally wear a mask", Mr Alexander said. Everything's going to be fine.

Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, a leading member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, said the United States was headed in the "wrong direction" on the pandemic and demanded that Americans wear masks and avoid crowds after lax behavior propelled new outbreaks.

Countries including the U.S. are scrambling to develop a vaccine, and Fauci has said one could be available by the end of 2020 or early 2021.

Fauci said that he was optimistic that a vaccine could be available by year's end but that it was unclear how effective it would prove to be, adding that no vaccine would be 100% effective and citing challenges to achieve so-called herd immunity.

"There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country - an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking", he said, calling for more education to promote confidence in vaccines.

As for the vaccine, Dr. Fauci revealed his goal of effectiveness, as well as urged community leaders to step up efforts to get the word out about vaccine safety.