Former CDC Director On Staying Safe While Reopening The Economy

Keeping residents safe while reopening the economy was the focus of a virtual roundtable in which Florida lawmakers asked questions of the medical experts, including Dr. Tom Frieden, the former CDC Director.

"COVID is a very serious threat, but it doesn't mean that we can't get on with our lives in important ways."

He says, however, that it could be a while before things get back to normal.

"It's not about open versus closed. We were never fully closed and we won't be fully open until there's a vaccine."

The doctor did say he believes we'll have proven treatments available for those suffering from COVID-19 within the next few months.

In the meantime, Frieden says officials must now be take on a "box it in" approach.

"Testing, isolation, contact tracing, quarantine...it's a box. If you do those four things, you put the virus in a box so we can come out more."

He also addressed comments some have made about the coronavirus dying out in the summer.

While the doctor says there is no direct evidence that warmer temperatures will bring down the number of cases, he said just being outside helps...including the beach.

"It is a lot...lot safer to be outdoors than indoors and beaches are probably generally safe. I don't worry about the beach. I worry about where people go before the beach."

Dr. Frieden praised an idea from some colleges that plan to hold classes outdoors in the fall.

Photo: Getty Images


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