Fiji Sun

US Surgeon General Adams, Fauci Defend COVID Data After Trump’s ‘Exaggerate­d’ Allegation

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United States surgeon general Jerome Adams on Sunday contradict­ed President Donald Trump’s claim of “exaggerate­d” COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US saying that these numbers are real.

“I don’t speak for the President. I speak for the office of the surgeon general and the public health service and I’m focused on making sure people get the informatio­n they need and wash your hands and stay your distance and get the vaccine when it’s available,” Mr Adams told CNN.

He added that he has “no reason” to doubt the numbers.

“From a health perspectiv­e I have no reason to doubt those numbers and I think people need to be very aware it’s not about the deaths as we talked about earlier but the hospitalis­ations and the capacity,” US Surgeon General said further. He added: “These cases are having an impact in an array of ways and people need to understand there is a finish line in sight but we have to keep running towards it.” Dr Anthony Fauci, the US top infectious disease expert also echoed the same sentiment and added that the deaths due to COVID-19 are “real deaths”.

“All you need to do is go out into

the trenches, go to the hospitals, see what the health care workers are dealing with,” Dr Fauci said in an interview with ABC as quoted by CNN.

“They are under very stressed situations in many areas of the country. The hospital beds are stretched, people are running out of beds, running out of trained personnel who are exhausted right now... That’s real. That’s not fake. That’s real,” he added.

Trump’s claim

Mr Trump on Sunday said that the record-breaking numbers of new COVID-19 cases, nearly 300,000 in the past 24 hours, are exaggerate­d due to the Centres for Disease Con

From a health perspectiv­e I have no reason to doubt those numbers and I think people need to be very aware it’s not about the deaths as we talked about earlier but the hospitalis­ations and the capacity. Jerome Adams United States surgeon general

trol (CDC) method of counting.

“The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerate­d in the United States because of @CDCgov (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)’s the ridiculous method of determinat­ion compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurate­ly and low,” Mr Trump wrote in a tweet.

The outgoing president added, “‘ When in doubt, call it Covid.’ Fake News!” The US has the most COVID-19 cases in the world reporting over 20.5 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

ANI

ration of the sixth locally elected gubernator­ial team to take office at the Fagatogo Malae.

The new Lieutenant Governor is Talauega Eleasalo Ale who was the Attorney General under the previous administra­tion. Lemanu, who turned 61 yesterday, arrived at the ceremony on by himself because First Lady Ella Perefoti is stranded in Hawaii due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 ??  ?? United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
 ??  ?? Outgoing US President Donald Trump.
Outgoing US President Donald Trump.
 ??  ?? Dr Anthony Fauci.
Dr Anthony Fauci.

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