Fauci hits back at ‘nonsense’ attacks on him by White House
DONALD TRUMP was under growing pressure over his handling of the coronavirus crisis today as America’s top infectious disease expert hit back at White House attacks on him, branding them “bizarre” and “nonsense”.
In a further sign of turmoil in his administration, Mr Trump ditched his campaign manager after polls showed him trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden by as much 15 per cent less than four months before the presidential election.
Dr Anthony Fauci, right, responded to attempts by the White House to discredit him, including, at the weekend, an official openly sharing a list of past apparently erroneous comments. “Ultimately, it hurts the President to do that,” Dr Fauci said. “It doesn’t do anything but reflect poorly on them.”
As the virus continues to surge in the US, hitting a new single-day high of 67,400 infections, Mr Trump today announced he was ditching his campaign manager Brad Parscale. It follows a rally in Oklahoma last month which drew a lower-than-expected crowd of 6,200. The campaign chief had bragged that more than a million had requested tickets, reportedly leaving the President furious.
He has been replaced by Bill Stepien, a veteran Republican operative, although he is being kept on as a senior adviser.
In Australia, the state of Victoria today reported a record 317 new infections, surpassing the state’s previous high of 288 on July 10. The state has suspended plans to restore hospitals to normal services by the end of the month, and is reducing the number of non-urgent surgeries to increase beds available for Covid-19 patients. India
posted a record daily increase of 32,700 cases, pushing its total close to one million. A three-day lockdown and night curfew has been imposed in the state of Goa, two weeks after its beaches were reopened to tourists.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 deaths in Latin America has passed 150,000, with the World Health Organisation warning that the outbreak in the region is expected to peak next month.
In Spain, Majorca has closed bars and
nightclubs in beachfront party areas popular with British visitors, citing the need to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The Balearic islands’ tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, said they want to shake off their reputation as a wild party destination. “We don’t want uncivil tourists in our islands, we don’t want them to come,” Mr Negueruela told reporters, announcing that bars in Palma and Magaluf should close until further notice.