NBC Medical Contributor: Protests Will ‘Increase’ Cases And ‘Stress Our Healthcare System,’ But Should Continue

NBC medical contributor Dr. Vin Gupta said that ongoing protests sparked by the death of George Floyd would inevitably cause an “increase” in coronavirus cases and even “stress our healthcare system,” but should continue.

Appearing on Monday’s “MSNBC Live,” Gupta was asked by host Nicolle Wallace to react to states and cities moving to reopen businesses as protests continue and cases spike in some areas.

Citing the fact that bailout money for hospitals “hasn’t gone to the right purposes,” Gupta argued that, from a healthcare provider perspective, not “a lot has fundamentally changed” regarding hospital bed capacity and the availability of healthcare providers in case there is a surge.

“In places like California, Minnesota, Texas, where cases are rising, if we get this wrong, it’s not like we have more ICU doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists to save the day,” he said. “We don’t even have enough beds. So what’s fundamentally changed? I don’t really know.”

“Well I think to be fair one of the things that changed is the tens of thousands of protesters saw this moment as I know you did too as a moment not to be passed over,” Wallace responded before asking for advice for people “planning on heading out this afternoon.”

“Can you speak directly to people who maybe see the pandemic as dire as you do but see this moment for social justice reform as more urgent?” Wallace asked.

Gupta suggested demonstrators bring hand sanitizer, wear masks, social distance when possible, and “do it safely.”

“We want as much as anything for social justice to take center stage, because poverty, racism, they have actually bigger killers than coronavirus by the statistics, so this is the right thing to do but to do it safely,” he said.

“I will say, should all expect that cases are gonna rise,” Gupta concluded after explaining that cases rose in Germany when people went to a carnival. “We should expect an increase in cases and it’s gonna stress our healthcare system. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be out there protesting.”

https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/08/vin-gupta-protests-coronavirus-cases/

WHO warns of Covid-19 rebound risk, says pandemic is ‘WORSENING’ globally

Now is not the time to become complacent and drop our guard about the coronavirus as the pandemic is still growing globally, World Health Organization officials have warned.

Despite some improvements in infection rates in Europe, the global Covid-19 situation is “worsening” yet again, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday during an online press briefing. Sunday, June 7, had most reported cases in a single day so far of the outbreak, he added.

According to Tedros, active surveillance and contact tracing are still essential to ensure the virus doesn’t rebound. “More than six months into the pandemic this is not the time for any country to take its foot off the pedal,” he warned.

The alarming comments by Tedros come as many countries are lifting their Covid-19 lockdowns after reporting success in containing the spread of disease. Businesses are reopening and people are starting to return to offices, with timelines for the resumption of international air travel also being announced.

But the WHO has been warning that easing restrictions will inevitably lead to a ‘second wave’ of the coronavirus, with the disease making a comeback in a different part of the population after an initial decline in cases.

There are fears that this ‘second wave’ could even be accelerated by the ongoing protests over the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Major rallies against police brutality, some of which turned violent, are still being held in many of America’s largest cities and European capitals, with the participants gathering in large numbers and mostly ignoring Covid-19 self-distancing rules.

https://www.rt.com/news/491236-who-coronavirus-worsening-rebound-warning/

Prince Andrew ‘FALSELY PORTRAYS’ he’s trying to assist US in Epstein probe – DOJ

While Prince Andrew’s lawyers are claiming that he’s offered his full assistance to a US investigation into the deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, US attorneys say he’s trying to “falsely portray” himself as cooperative.

The war of words between Prince Andrew and the US Department of Justice has been reignited in dramatic style. Months after the US Attorney’s Office in New York slammed the royal for offering “zero cooperation” with their Epstein investigation, Andrew’s legal team hit back on Monday, claiming that the Duke of York volunteered himself as a witness “on at least three occasions” this year – and accusing the Justice Department of “seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance provided.”

But according to New York prosecutor Geoffrey Berman, the prince is lying.

“Today, Prince Andrew yet again sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate” with the Epstein investigation, Berman wrote. “The Prince has not given an interview to federal authorities, has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview, and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally that he would not come in for such an interview.”

“Our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him,” Berman concluded.

Andrew’s claim that he’s volunteered himself as a witness came amid reports that he had been summoned by the DOJ to answer questions in the UK about his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in suspicious circumstances last year in a New York jail cell. Should Andrew refuse the summons, he could potentially be summoned to the US in person for interrogation.

https://www.rt.com/uk/491245-prince-andrew-falsely-portraying-epstein/