The US is heading out of the “full blown” pandemic phase of Covid-19, the president’s chief medical adviser said, as he predicted a combination of vaccinations, treatments and prior infection would soon make the virus more manageable.
Dr Anthony Fauci told the Financial Times he hoped there would be an end to all pandemic-related restrictions in the coming months, including mandatory wearing of masks.
In his most optimistic comments about the trajectory of the pandemic since the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant, he outlined a scenario where local health departments would lead the response to the virus rather than the Biden administration.