Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday that the Covid-19 crisis in the US may become worse than ever after an increase in holiday travel among Americans.
Dr Fauci, head of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned of a surge in cases after Christmas and New Year’s during an interview on CNN.
Holiday gatherings were “going to happen” despite the warnings from public health officials, he told CNN, saying "it's very tough for people not to do that".
“We’re really at a very critical point,” Dr Fauci said.
He said that a surge of infections through people gathering and travelling would put more pressure on the health system.
“With the hospitalisations over 120,000, we really are at a critical stage," Dr Fauci said.
He endorsed president-elect Joe Biden’s assessment on Wednesday that the pandemic’s “darkest days are ahead of us, not behind us".
“We’re averaging a death rate of close to 3,000 a day,” Mr Biden said.
“That means we will lose tens of thousands of more lives in the months to come and the vaccine won’t be able to stop that.”
More than 340,000 Americans have already died from Covid-19, and the US has repeatedly passed its daily records for the highest number of coronavirus infections several times in December.
The virus infected about 226,000 Americans on Saturday.
While the US has started to inoculate front-line healthcare workers and residents in long-term care centres, it will take months before the majority of Americans will have access to the vaccines.
Dr Fauci predicted that enough Americans would receive the vaccine to achieve herd immunity by the end of summer.
"“I hope that, by the time we get to the fall, we will reach that critical percentage of people,” he said.
Company%20Profile
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New schools in Dubai
Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
SPECS
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
