Fauci warns there will be a surge in coronavirus cases after Thanksgiving

By Ben Kamisar - NBC News

WASHINGTON-.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top epidemiologist, warned that the busy Thanksgiving holiday may bring a surge in COVID-19 cases as December approaches.

[Follow our coverage on the coronavirus pandemic]

This Sunday, on the 'Meet the Press' program on NBC News, Telemundo's sister network, Fauci assured that public health officials "tried to warn people, no matter how difficult,

" during this holiday, due to concerns that the celebrations could

"What we hope, unfortunately, in the next two weeks in December, is that we can see a

," he said.

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"I don't want to scare people except to say that it's

" he added, urging Americans to be careful when

as well as to take steps such as

Many times, it can take

infected people

, and

without knowing they have it.

That is why Fauci said that the "dynamics of an outbreak" shows a lag of between three and five weeks between mitigation efforts and the actual reduction of infection rates.

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"We are going to have to make decisions as a nation, state, city and family.

and we are going to have to

, because we are entering what is really a

, "warned Faunci, despite the fact that the first wave of vaccinations in the United States could begin in a matter of weeks.

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COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country have accelerated in recent weeks.

In November alone there have been more than 4 million cases and 35,000 deaths attributed to the virus.

In total, the United States has surpassed 13.3 million coronavirus cases and 267,000 deaths related to the disease, according to the NBC News tally.

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Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warning Americans in mid-November not to travel on Thanksgiving, air travel broke records during the pandemic.

in the seven days before the vacation.

The already accelerating case load, combined with the possibility of another wave, comes as

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Fauci assured that he is concerned about the country's hospitals and said that last night he received calls from colleagues "asking for advice" amid "significant tensions in hospitals and health centers."

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Although he explicitly said that

Fauci noted that

 the increased pressure on hospitals locally, taking mitigation measures "without the need to close."

The surge in cases comes amid promising news about the coronavirus vaccine.

Both public health officials and the federal government plan to begin

.

Fauci said that although the "exact" recommendations for scheduling the groups to receive the vaccines have not been finalized,

for vaccines.

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The success of the country each year in the distribution of flu vaccines is for Fauci "the reason why we

" about the country's ability to deliver the promised vaccine.

"The 300 million doses that will be sent are going to be served by

" he said.

"The other part, that is, bringing it to the people, is going to be more difficult than a normal flu season, it would be foolish to deny it. But I think it

locally have done it in the past. With luckily, they will get the resources to help them do it, "he added.