Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading infectious disease expert, said the United States never shut down entirely. He released the statement after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the country increased rapidly. 

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During the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, COVID19 infections in the country have reached 30,000 daily. Then it dropped to 20,000 new cases a day and went up again, according to a data obtained from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Fauci told Standford Medicine Dean Dr. Lloyd Minor in an interview that the new cases began to surge as states began to reopen its economic activity from April to June.

It can be remembered that Fauci, a member of the White House COVID-19 Task Force, warned that safety and health measures must be strictly followed during states reopening or else the country will experience an uncontrollable outbreak. 

"We did not shut down entirely," Fauci said. "We need to draw back a few yards and say, 'OK, we can't stay shut down forever.' You've got to shut down but then you've got to gradually open," he added.

Currently, the United States remained to have the highest number of COVID-19 infections globally.

Cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. have surpassed 3.4 million with more than 138,000 deaths, according to worldometers. A CNBC's analysis of data showed that an increase of five percent or more were recorded in 37 states.

The analysis also revealed that the seven-day average of COVID-19 infections in the country is more than 59,000. In a previously published article by Latin Post, it was reported that Florida has recorded the highest COVID-19 infections in just a single day that reached more than 15,000.

Health officials and experts further noted that the number of COVID-19 related hospitalizations remained high in some states. In fact, two counties in Texas have already said that their hospitals are already full and there are no beds available in their intensive care units.

On Monday, Fauci said the outbreak in the country has not "even begun to see the end" of the pandemic yet as pharmaceutical firms and scientists continue to develop potential drugs and vaccines for COVID-19.

Fauci also said that he is optimistic that at least one vaccine will be developed before the year ends or by early next year.

It can be recounted that during a Senate hearing, Fauci said he cannot assure and guarantee a safe and effective vaccine. However, the country has the fund to manufacture a candidate vaccine. 

Moderna, the frontrunner in developing the vaccine that is working closely with the National Institutes of Health, is expected to begin the last phase of its human clinical trial by the end of this month. Johnson and Johnson will also do the same. 

Aside from Fauci, some scientists also said they cannot guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine that is developed early. They said it would be a "record-breaking" time frame for a process that usually takes about a decade for an effective and safe vaccine. 

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