In a Monday interview with CBS, a former COVID-19 advisor for President Joe Biden’s administration said Americans will need to sacrifice more in the event of another pandemic.
“We denied the virus for too long under the Trump White House. There was too much squashing of dissent and playing on divisions.” Andy Slavitt, a former White House COVID-19 response advisor, said on “CBS This Morning.”
He added, “But I also think we need to look at one another and ask ourselves, ‘What do we need to do better next time?’ And in many respects, being able to sacrifice a little bit for one another to get through this and to save more lives is going to be essential. That’s something that I think we could all have done better on.”
Biden’s Covid czar, @ASlavitt, says the pandemic wouldn’t have been as bad if Americans “had sacrificed a little bit” more.
Avoiding social interaction “requires a certain amount of sacrifice and change.” pic.twitter.com/H6fGFv5hLi
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 14, 2021
Slavitt acknowledged that a pandemic would have occurred in the U.S. “no matter what.” He also acknowledged the technical mistakes, including testing and PPE, before blaming the Trump administration for reportedly denying the virus and blaming Americans for not sacrificing enough. (RELATED: Dr. Fauci Blasts Trump’s Rhetoric Throughout The Coronavirus Pandemic)
About 200,000 U.S. establishments permanently closed in 2020, according to a study released in April by the Federal Reserve. Barbershops, nail salons, and other personal service providers were hit the hardest, according to the study.