Fauci says media will be ‘seeing more’ of him, coronavirus task force after press hiatus

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said the public will begin “seeing more” of him and other public health officials after weeks without making official press appearances.

During a CNN Global Town Hall, network anchor Anderson Cooper said that many Americans want to hear from Fauci, Deborah Birx and others on the White House coronavirus task force every day. The last time Fauci was at the podium at the White House was April 22. 

“Why aren’t we hearing from the coronavirus task force on a daily basis anymore? And if they aren’t going to have daily briefings about facts and science, can you or the [National Institutes of Health] or can the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] have their own daily briefings with top scientists?” Cooper asked.  

“I think you’re going to be seeing a little bit more of me and of my colleagues,” Fauci responded. 

The public health expert acknowledged that there was a bit of a “lull” with respect to his and other officials’ time spent in front of the media. 

“We’ve been talking with the communications people, and they realize we need to get some of [this] information out, particularly, some of the scientific issues for which I am predominantly responsible for,” Fauci continued. 

Fauci just appeared on CNN, his first appearance on national TV since May 4.@AndersonCooper asked why we haven’t seen him lately.

Fauci said he thinks the public will be “seeing more” of him moving forward and that he’s spoken with “the communications people.” pic.twitter.com/CoKNwhKAMP

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 22, 2020

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been absent from national television interviews over the last two weeks, as the White House moves ahead with reopening the economy.

Fauci said during the CNN interview that though today was the first time the task force met as a whole in six days, the other physicians on the task force meet more frequently as a subgroup. 

“So hopefully you’ll see more of us,” Fauci added.