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Dr. Fauci Says America Will Have a ‘Very Different’ Thanksgiving

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House coronavirus advisor, told “CBS Evening News” people “may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering,” as we approach Thanksgiving and the winter months, according to CBS.

“What we really have to do is double down” on preventive measures like social distancing and wearing masks, Fauci said in the interview Wednesday. He noted that a number of regions across the country are seeing a rise in coronavirus cases and a potential vaccine still months away.

“That is not a good sign as you’re entering into the cooler weather,” Fauci warned. He stressed during the cooler weather to carry on with preventive measures like social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands.

“They sound very simple, but people are not doing that and that’s why we have an uptick in cases,” he said.

Fauci said some beloved traditions, like big Thanksgiving gatherings, may need to be avoided this year to keep people safe.

“That is unfortunately a risk, when you have people coming from out of town, gathering together in an indoor setting,” he said. “It is unfortunate, because that’s such a sacred part of American tradition — the family gathering around Thanksgiving. But that is a risk.”

Asked what his advice would be to Americans making plans for Thanksgiving, Fauci said they should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings.

“Given the fluid and dynamic nature of what’s going on right now in the spread and the uptick of infections, I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition,” he said, adding, “You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering, unless you’re pretty certain that the people that you’re dealing with are not infected.”

Fauci said his three children have decided not to travel. “Thanksgiving is going to look very different this year,” he said. “I would love to have it with my children, but my children are in three separate states throughout the country and, in order for them to get here, they would all have to go to an airport and get on a plane. All three of them want very much to come home for Thanksgiving.”

The 79-year-old infectious diseases doctor said he thinks we’ll know by November or December if there’s a safe and effective vaccine candidate. He also said in the interview that voting in person on Election Day should be reasonably safe if social-distancing precautions are followed, though those at higher risk should consider voting by mail.

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About Catherine Smith

Catherine Smith is a newcomer to Washington D.C. She met and married an American journalist and moved to D.C. from the U.K. She graduated with a B.A. in Graphics, Media, and Communications and worked in design and retail in the U.K.

Photo: (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)