Politics

Fauci Flips On Lockdown: Staying Home Too Long Could Cause ‘Irreparable Damage’

Screenshot/CNBC

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
Font Size:

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that there could be “irreparable damage” if lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic went on too long.

Fauci explained during a segment of CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report” that there could be numerous unintended consequences to keeping the country shut down longer than necessary. (RELATED: Whoopi Goldberg Suggests Trump Is Afraid Of Fauci Testimony — Meghan McCain Says China Is The Real Issue)

WATCH:

Fauci began by saying that his position had always been that states and regions should open as they passed certain benchmarks and could do so safely while still protecting the more vulnerable populations.

“We can’t stay locked down for such a considerable period of time that you might do irreparable damage and have unintended consequences, including consequences for health,” Fauci explained, adding, “We are enthusiastic about reopening. I think we can do it in pace that would be reasonable and would get us back as a society from a morale standpoint as well as the economy.”

“I don’t want people to think that any of us feel that staying locked down for prolonged period of time is the way to go,” Fauci continued. “We had to do that when we had the explosion of cases, but now is the time depending upon where you are and what your situation is, to look at reopening the economy, reopening the country to try to get back to some degree of normal. I’m totally in favor of that if it’s done in the proper way in the appropriate setting.”

Fauci concluded by saying that he did still have concerns that some areas might bypass the benchmarks for safe reopening and cause an unmanageable spike in cases, but reiterated that it was time to consider taking steps to reopen as soon as your area could do so in a safe and responsible manner.