Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday said the U.S. has the tools in place in terms of coronavirus testing and contact tracing to open back up with the proper precautions in place.
“Thanks to President Trump’s and our governors’ historic response to this, we have to and we can get back to work, to school, to community, to engagement,” Mr. Azar said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We have the tools to get back up and running again in a safe, smart way.”
He said the ongoing debate about reopening amid the pandemic isn’t necessarily a trade-off between public health and economic concerns.
“It’s actually an issue of health versus health,” he said. “By being locked up in our homes, there [are] very real health consequences.”
He said social and economic dislocation leads to adverse outcomes like suicide and mental illness, fewer cancer screenings and treatments, and kids not getting their regular vaccinations.
Mr. Azar also said people can feel safe going to churches again with proper precautions after the president on Friday declared churches, synagogues, and mosques “essential” locations.
He said his church in Indianapolis is taking appointments so it doesn’t get too crowded, for example.
“We can get back to work, back to school, and back to worship in safe ways because of President Trump’s historic response here,” he said.
Mr. Azar also said an end-of-year time frame for a coronavirus vaccine is a “very credible objective.”
“We just signed a deal with AstraZeneca for the Oxford vaccine where by October we could have a hundred million doses of vaccine and 300 million doses by early next year,” he said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.