Second round of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders “not likely”

CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx answered several questions after a roundtable meeting this morning, including those about the probability of more restrictions.

Birx says lockdowns seen in areas like Los Angeles are not likely, nor are stay-at-home orders to the extent Americans saw them this spring.

She uses Arizona as an example, describing an uptick in cases due to Memorial Day travel. To stop the spread of the virus throughout the state, Arizona officials mandated masks, limited restaurant capacities and closed bars and gyms.

“We know now that you don’t need to lock down,” said Dr. Birx. “You can find a way forward, but it required every Arizonan. If people hadn’t complied and they had parties in their backyard like we have seen across many of the states that are ‘red states,’ that has created super-spreader events and that continues to spread the virus in the community.”

Arizona retail businesses also required masks, further urging customers to follow the mandate.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.