Texas Leader Questions Dr. Fauci Advice As State Faces Continued Problems With Coronavirus Surge

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas, where coronavirus cases have been surging and the governor has been scrambling to free up hospital beds, is discounting warnings from the nation’s leading infectious disease expert that the U.S. is headed for disaster unless it gets the pandemic under control before flu season starts.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, told a Senate committee Tuesday the coronavirus infection rate could more than double to 100,000 cases a day unless the current surge in Texas, Florida, California, Arizona and at least a dozen other states is brought under control.

Patrick’s reaction points up the differences in approach being taken between states that were largely unscathed in the early days of the pandemic and those that were hit hardest.

Patrick told Fox News Fauci has been wrong about everything related to the pandemic and denied the crunch in intensive care beds is the result of COVID-19 cases.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. … The only thing I’m skipping over is listening to him. … He’s been wrong on every issue,” Patrick said, adding 75% of those hospitalized in intensive care are there for conditions other than COVID-19.

Texas, Florida, California and Arizona account for about half of the more than 48,000 new daily cases recorded Tuesday.

Nearly 1.9 million Texans have been tested for coronavirus and 159,986 cases have been confirmed. So far 2,424 Texans have died.

Dallas-area officials say though a record 474 COVID-19 victims are hospitalized, there’s no crisis. Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said Tuesday the county has 1,791 hospital beds and could add 2,300 more if need be. The county also has 425 ventilators available. The county reported 605 new cases Tuesday, a single-day high.

The overwhelming number of new cases are among younger Americans who have ignored social distancing guidelines and eschewed wearing face masks.

Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott, who was among the last governors to issue stay-at-home orders and among the first to lift them, tightened coronavirus mitigation restrictions, ordering bars to close at midnight, limiting restaurant capacity to 50%, shuttering rafting and tubing businesses, and limiting outdoor gatherings to 100 without local government approval.

In California, Gov. Greg Newsom was expected to tighten restrictions for the Fourth of July weekend as new cases surged to 6,367 on Tuesday – 45% in Los Angeles County – and hospitalizations increased 6.3%, including a 4.3% increase in ICU patients.

“One of the areas of biggest concern as it relates to the spread of COVID-19 in this state remains family gatherings,” Newsom said Tuesday. Nineteen of the state’s counties are on a watch list.

Arizona Wednesday reported a daily record for new cases, 4,878. Gov. Doug Ducey Tuesday reversed his stance and closed bars, nightclubs and gyms in response to the surge. He also delayed the start of school.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, however, said he has no intention of tightening restrictions, leaving mayors to act on their own.

“We're not going back, closing things,” he said. “I mean, people going to business is not what's driving it. I think when you see the younger folks, I think a lot of it is just more social interactions and so that's natural.”

By early afternoon Wednesday, the U.S. had nearly 2.64 million coronavirus cases, with 127,485 deaths recorded. As of Tuesday 242,408 COVID-19 victims were hospitalized, with 57,786 in serious or critical condition.