Fauci & Birx’s dire warnings on virus surge

Top federal officials voiced dire predictions of a nationwide post-Thanksgiving surge in COVID cases on Sunday.

“What we expect, unfortunately, as we go forward the next couple of weeks into December, [is] that we might see a surge superimposed upon that surge that we’re already in,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said on “Meet the Press.”

On Saturday, the country’s number of COVID-19 cases for November surpassed 4 million, more than double the total for October, continuing an alarming surge in the outbreak.

President Trump has largely ignored the crisis while obsessing over his loss in this month’s presidential election.

Asked about the prospect of Trump urging Americans to wear masks, Fauci (inset) said: “I don’t think I have any power in that regard.”

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx echoed Fauci’s predictions.

“We’re entering this post-Thanksgiving surge with 3, 4 and 10 times as much disease across the country,” she said on “Face the Nation.” “That’s what worries us the most … We are deeply worried about what could happen post-Thanksgiving.”

While Trump has refused to call for a nationwide use of masks, Birx said the method works.

“What we do know works is mask mandates, mask requirements,” she said. “In states that did those or mayors or counties that did that, we can see ... a really significant difference in not only cases, but hospitalizations and fatalities.”

The warnings came as New York state’s COVID infection rate reached 4.72% on Saturday, according to Gov. Cuomo — the highest level since May.

“You see the numbers going up,” he said during a Sunday conference call with reporters. “Not as fast as in the other states, but the numbers are going up.

“It’s nice that we’re doing better in a national context … but it’s irrelevant to one extent because we have to deal with the issues that we have here in New York relative to New York,” he added.

Fifty-five New Yorkers died Saturday, according to Cuomo, bringing the state’s death toll to 26,687 — the highest in the country.

Cuomo said the surge is not a second wave but a continuation of the first wave.

“We are not in the second wave,” he remarked. “The second wave is a mutated virus. This is a first wave — (an) additional surge.”