The Wall Street Journal - 16.03.2020

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Monday, March 16, 2020 |A

THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“Americans should be pre-

pared that they are going to

have to hunker down signifi-

cantly more than we as a

country are doing,” Anthony

Fauci, director of the National

Institute of Allergy and Infec-

tious Diseases, said on NBC.

Dr. Fauci, appearing on all

the major Sunday morning

television shows, warned that

it could be several weeks to a

few months before life in the

U.S. begins to return to normal.

Dr. Fauci urged people to work

from home if they can and

practice “social distancing” to

prevent a potentially cata-

strophic spike in infections.

He said he wouldn’t eat at

crowded restaurants or fly on

planes unless it is necessary,

advice he said applies espe-

cially to older Americans and

those with health conditions.

He said parents should think

twice about sending their chil-

dren out to crowded play-

grounds. And young people,

even though they appear to be

less vulnerable, could be en-

dangering the lives of their

grandparents or elderly rela-

tives by not heeding public

health warnings, he said.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea

to congregate anybody any-

where,” Dr. Fauci said on CBS.

As Dr. Fauci issued his warn-

ings, the Trump administration

grappled with how to handle

an influx of Americans and

other travelers into the coun-

try, who were clogging customs

at major airports in response

to the European travel ban.

In a tweet, President Trump

asked travelers to be patient

while the government rolled

out additional measures meant

to help slow the spread of the

virus.

But Illinois’s Democratic

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the fed-

eral government “just has

fallen down” on its response

to the virus, requiring states

to fill a leadership void.

A White House official dis-

puted Mr. Pritzker’s character-

ization, saying the president

has spoken to several gover-

nors in the past few weeks, and

Vice President Mike Pence has

been updating governors daily.

Treasury Secretary Steven

Mnuchin said administration

officials were continuing to

work on options for helping

businesses and workers af-

fected by disruptions related to

the coronavirus, and sought to

assuage concerns over a House-

passed bill that would mandate

paid sick leave for employees

at small and midsize firms.

Mr. Mnuchin said officials

are talking with congressional

leaders about the next phase

of economic relief, which will

be aimed at assisting indus-

tries hard-hit by the virus, in-

cluding airlines, hotels and

cruise lines. Some Democrats

have raised concerns that such

assistance could amount to

bailouts similar to those pro-

vided to the banking and auto

sectors during the 2008 finan-

cial crisis—concerns Mr.

Mnuchin dismissed on Sunday.

As federal and state offi-

cials grapple with public

health and the economy, the

number of known coronavirus

cases continued to grow over

the weekend. While President

Trump tested negative, Mr.

Pence isn’t taking a test at his

doctors’ recommendation, a

White House official said.

While top officials and resi-

dents in some locations have

been able to access virus tests,

citizens in many parts of the

country continue to complain

that testing is inaccessible, even

for people showing symptoms.

Dr. Fauci said the nation’s

testing abilities are improving

with the ultimate goal of hav-

ing drive-through tests widely

available.

“Are we going to have it to-

morrow? Unlikely. But will we

have a much greater availabil-

ity and implementation of

testing in the very, very near

future? The answer is yes,” Dr.

Fauci said on CNN.

DALLAS—County officials
here have banned gatherings of
more than 500 people and rec-
ommended gatherings of more
than 250 be canceled.
But on Sunday, crowds
streamed into First Baptist Dal-
las, the downtown megachurch.
Hundreds quickly filled the
worship center, while more
than 250 people went to an
overflow room.
“A frightened world needs a
fearless church,” Robert Jef-
fress, senior pastor of First
Baptist Dallas, told his parishio-
ners. He said he complied with
the county order by not having
more than 500 people in one
room.
As the spreading coronavi-
rus has shut down much of
America, houses of worship are
among the last places where
large public gatherings are still
taking place. That has houses
of worship defying the recom-
mendation of some experts and
public officials, including Ken-
tucky Gov. Andy Beashear, who
asked churches in his state to
shut their doors.
The Greater Faith Church of
Deliverance, a nondenomina-
tional church in Louisville, Ky.,
held its usual services Sunday.
Hand-sanitizer stations were
added and seniors were encour-
aged to watch the live stream
at home. About 50 people at-
tended.
Pastor Mark Q. Carter Sr.
said he interpreted the gover-
nor’s suggestion as applying
only to megachurches or those
with smaller spaces where peo-
ple would be packed in.
In Los Angeles, about 40
people attended shabbat ser-
vices Saturday at Chabad of Bel
Air, an orthodox synagogue.
“What does Jewish law say?
Before you eat, wash your
hands,” Rabbi Chaim Mentz ad-
vised them.

BYIANLOVETT
ANDELIZABETHFINDELL

Churches

Defy Calls

To Limit

Gathering

WASHINGTON—U.S. offi-

cials warned that much more

needs to be done to slow the

spread of the coronavirus and

help the economy cope, urging

Americans to significantly curb

their social activity and calling

for more action from Congress.

The warnings on Sunday

came after the Trump admin-

istration expanded restrictions

on travel from Europe and

faced criticism for how it was

processing frazzled travelers

who were scrambling to return

home from overseas. The ad-

ministration also sought to ex-

pand access to tests for the vi-

rus, as the White House said

over the weekend that Presi-

dent Trump had tested nega-

tive for coronavirus.

The U.S. had recorded more

than 2,900 cases by Sunday,

with at least 57 deaths. Louisi-

ana, New York, Oregon and

Virginia reported their first

deaths tied to the coronavirus

on Saturday, new travel mea-

sures caused hourslong waits

in some airports and some cit-

ies, including Austin, Texas,

banned large gatherings.

The Catholic Church in Se-

attle and New York canceled

Masses, including at Manhat-

tan’s famed St. Patrick’s Ca-

thedral. Mormon Church lead-

ers have indefinitely stopped

services around the world.

Georgia became the second

U.S. state after Louisiana to

postpone its Democratic presi-

dential primary, delaying the

vote to May 19 from March 24.

On Sunday, Minnesota Gov.

Tim Walz authorized the tem-

porary closure of K-12 public

schools beginning Wednesday,

while New York Gov. Andrew

Cuomo announced the closure

of downstate public schools,

including in New York City.

The federal government’s

leading voice on infectious

diseases said Americans—par-

ticularly younger people—

must help prevent community

spread of the virus, urging

them to stay home and avoid

unnecessary public outings.

ByBrent Kendall,

Chad Day

andKate Davidson

U.S. Warns Most Americans to Stay Home

Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s leading voice on infectious disease,warned that it could be months before life starts to return to normal.

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