These 11 Cities Receive a COVID Warning

Dr. Birx is worried about Baltimore, Cleveland, and 9 others
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 23, 2020 12:54 PM CDT
These 11 Cities Receive a COVID Warning
Cleveland is one of the cities on the list.   (Getty/PapaBear)

White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx is worried about 11 US cities in particular because of a surge in positive tests, according to a report by the Center for Public Integrity. Birx warned state and local leaders—the exact participants are unclear—in a private phone call Wednesday, and the CPI obtained the recording. The cities are:

  • Baltimore
  • Cleveland
  • Columbus
  • Indianapolis
  • Las Vegas
  • Miami
  • Minneapolis
  • Nashville
  • New Orleans
  • Pittsburgh
  • St. Louis

"When you first see that increase in test positivity, that is when to start the mitigation efforts," Birx says in the recording. "I know it may look small and you may say, 'That only went from 5 to 5-and-a-half [percent], and we're gonna wait and see what happens.' If you wait another three or four or even five days, you'll start to see a dramatic increase in cases." She encouraged "aggressive" action now, including contact tracing. The report includes criticism that the White House isn't going public with such warnings. (Bill Gates doesn't think a single-dose vaccine is going to emerge anytime soon.)

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