National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director and President Joe Biden's national health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci held a White House press briefing through teleconference on Monday, during which he was asked a question with regards to the liberties of vaccinated people and the COVID-19 precautions that they need to practice despite getting the vaccine.
When asked by Los Angeles Times reporter Chris Megerian about how vaccinated people need to "keep doing the same things" such as wearing a mask and social distancing, Dr. Fauci replied that there are still a number of things that COVID-19 vaccinated people cannot do, such as watch movies or done indoors, as long as the rate of cases continue to be at a high, The Blaze reported.
Dr. Fauci said in the press briefing that it is "the burden of virus in society" that continues to be "at an unacceptably high baseline level." This is the reason why vaccinated people still can't watch movies or dine indoors. He explained, "There are things, even if you're vaccinated, that you're not going to be able to do in society: for example, indoor dining, theaters, places where people congregate. That's because of the safety of society."
Many are critical of Dr. Fauci's advice, which will most likely be highly regarded by the president. After all, he is the coronavirus health expert and what he usually says goes. However, as authorities and lawmakers are still debating on whether or not to reopen schools, businesses, and offices, Dr. Fauci's recent comments on COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccinated people are drawing scrutiny from some lawmakers.
FOX News reported that Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida was displeased with Dr. Fauci's comments on vaccinated people, which he believed can't watch movies or dine indoors and must still wear masks despite being vaccinated.
Sen. Rubio, who believes that Dr. Fauci is a "good public-health official," said that while the health expert is doing his job of advising policy makers and the general public, he should not be the one to make decisions on what people can and cannot do.
Due to the nature of "newness" of the available COVID-19 vaccines, not much studies have been done to determine how long it can protect a vaccinated person from the virus. Healthline reports that a few studies have found protection to last at least three months or for as long as five to seven months.
Dr. Fauci said in November that despite having efficacy rates of over 90%, no one really knows how effective the currently available COVID-19 vaccines are for them as individuals. According to CNBC, this is his reasoning as to why vaccinated people still can't watch movies or dine indoors, and must still wear masks, maintain physical distance, and avoid large crowds.
This is also why many are still critical about getting vaccinated. Why should people get vaccinated if it won't let them get their "normal" lives back?
Not really about Americans' health
In another related news about government-mandated efforts to contain COVID-19, Left-wing author Naomi Wolf, in an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson, indicated that people in position have used the pandemic to slowly turn America into a "totalitarian state," one where people in power abuse that power to lord over the people according to what they want.
"(The) state has now crushed businesses, kept us from gathering in free assembly to worship as the First Amendment provides, is invading our bodies," Wolf said, "which is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, restricting movement."
The COVID-19 lockdowns, which she described as reminiscent of Italian fascism in the 20's, indicate that the government's efforts in contaning the virus spread isn't really about containing the pandemic, but rather closing "democracy" and suspending the rule of law.
"We have lived through typhus, cholera, small pox, HIV, tuberculosis, polio, the Spanish Flu," she added, "we've lived through an attack on our soil. Never have there been months and months and months of emergency powers when we weren't actually fighting a war."
This week marks a grim milestone for the United States, as about 500,000 American lives have been taken by the virus that originated from China.
