White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Monday said that recent increases in CCP virus cases across several states are not a sign of a second wave.
“There are some hot spots. We’re on it. We know how to deal with this stuff now, we’ve come a long way since last winter and there is no second wave coming,” Kudlow said in a Monday interview.
Kudlow noted that he’s not a health expert but cited discussions with White House health officials in making his assessment.
CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases, meanwhile, are increasing in 13 states due in part to an increase in testing, Kudlow told CNBC. He said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were sending teams of people to deal with the cases.
“All in all, I think it’s a pretty good situation and of course reopening the economy is the key to economic growth and we’ve had a whole bunch of green shoots that are showing recovery probably coming on faster than a lot of people thought,” Kudlow told the broadcaster.
Other health experts have suggested that the spikes in cases aren’t an indicator of a second wave but are due to states reopening businesses and allowing events. Some experts have said that southern and western states are seeing increases.
While there has been a rise in CCP virus cases, fewer than 300 deaths were reportedly counted across the United States on Sunday. That’s the lowest since mid-March.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the Trump administration’s pandemic task force, has for weeks warned about the possibility of a second wave. However, he has said that it would happen sometime later in 2020.
Kudlow’s comments follow those made by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who on Sunday told CNN that President Donald Trump is preparing for another wave of the virus, which originated in mainland China last year. He said the federal government is ready.
“You prepare for what can possibly happen,” Navarro said. “I’m not saying it’s going to happen but of course you prepare and I’ll tell you what, we’re a lot more prepared under this president than we were when China foisted this on us to begin with and let’s not forget that.”
In the CNBC interview, Kudlow said that it is “highly likely” that the House, Senate, and Trump administration will coordinate to pass a stimulus package after the July recess. He noted that Trump wants to see tax relief on restaurants, event promoters, and the entertainment industry in the next bill.
“We want to help out the tourism business, which has been hurt very badly. We also want to reward people who are reemploying, who are going back to work,” he added.
