The true wave of the delta variant is coming this weekend, said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner.
Will there be another delta wave?
Gottlieb said states like New York and Connecticut will experience another COVID-19 surge because of the delta variant of the novel coronavirus, according to CNBC.
- “I think there’s sort of a perception that we’re sort of through this delta wave here in the Northeast because we’ve seen delta cases go up and go down in places like the New York metropolitan region. We’re also seeing (test) positive come down,” he said, per CNBC.
The delta variant has already been surging throughout the United States. But that might only be the beginning of the delta wave.
- “I don’t think that that was the true delta wave. I think that that was a delta warning. I think our true delta wave is going to start to build after Labor Day here in the Northeast and the northern part of the country,” Gottlieb said.
Should you travel during Labor Day weekend?
The comments come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said unvaccinated people should stay home during the Labor Day weekend to avoid COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said Thursday at a White House press briefing that unvaccinated people should be cautious about traveling too far during the weekend, too.
- “First and foremost, if you are unvaccinated, we would recommend not traveling,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said that “it’s critical that being vaccinated is part of their pre-holiday checklist.”
- “Getting vaccinated is free. It’s easy and convenient. It’s safe and effective. And it’s never, ever been more important,” he said, per Newsweek.