US lockdown may not return, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr Anthony Fauci says that the number of vaccinated Americans is sufficient enough to prevent another lockdown. The infectious disease expert made the claims while appearing on ABC's This Week.

The expert addressed lockdown concerns as it's increasingly clear that Coronavirus Delta variant is likely to spread at an alarming rate.

“I don't think we're gonna see lockdowns,” Fauci told the This Week hosts. “I think we have enough of the percentage of people in the country—not enough to crush the outbreak—but I believe enough to not allow us to get into the situation we were in last winter.”

The Center for Disease Control has labeled the particular strain of the virus as a “variant of concern” due to its contagious nature. As the numbers continue to rise, they’re also finding that those who are unvaccinated are at a higher risk. 

Health officials have been urging those unvaccinated to get one of the available COVID-19 vaccines and avoid skipping the second dose. 

"If you look at the acceleration of the number of cases, the seven-day average has gone up substantially. We have 100 million people in this country who are eligible to be vaccinated who are not getting vaccinated. We are seeing an outbreak of the unvaccinated," Fauci continued.

For those looking to travel, the CDC has warned to avoid delta variant states as they offer a higher risk of contracting the highly contagious strain. Even places like Disneyland and Disney World are enforcing masks indoors to help curb the rise in cases and protect guests and staff.  

While we may be avoiding another lockdown, health officials are still warning that the worst has yet to come. They warn that despite enough Americans being vaccinated to avoid another lockdown, we should still stay alert and keep wearing masks.