US Health Secretary Says Dallas COVID Counts 'Steady To Slightly Down,' Remain Vigilant
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - As the United States continues to add around 40,000 COVID-19 cases a day, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar says Americans must remain vigilant.
"What we need to do is keep calling people to action on the three W's of wash your hands, watch your distance, and wear a face covering when you can't watch your distance," he said.
Especially, he said, with flu season beginning and colder weather ahead. When it comes to local numbers of COVID-19 cases, he says he sees Dallas as steady to slightly down, based on rolling 7-day averages. But when it comes to potentially reopening bars, Secretary Azar did not weigh in.
"We defer to the Governors, though, on what the appropriate measures are in terms of community mitigation steps and getting their communities back up and running," Secretary Azar said.
He also told CBS 11 News there would be no cutting corners when it came to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
"Everything will meet FDA standards and be determined by FDA career officials in terms of approving a vaccine," he said. "What we've said is, by the end of this year, we believe we'll have enough vaccine to vaccinate our most vulnerable citizens. That in January, we'd be able to vaccinate our senior citizens, as well as first responders and health care workers, and that by the end of March into early April, we should have enough vaccine for all Americans who would choose to get vaccinated."
Secretary Azar also addressed President Trump's positive diagnosis and his recent appeal to Americans not to let the virus dominate their lives - even with 210,000 American lives lost and counting.
"The President's point is we do have to continue about our lives, We can't stay locked away in our houses forever. That has its own health consequences," he said. "We've got to be reconnected."
