Birx Warns Coronavirus Positivity Rates Increasing in Several Cities

Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, has warned state and local officials that nine cities across the country, as well as California’s Central Valley, have seen an “uptick” in positivity rates in the past week.

"We are concerned that both Baltimore and Atlanta remain at a very high level," Birx said on a private phone call with state and local officials on Wednesday, a recording of which was obtained by the Center for Public Integrity. "Kansas City, Portland, Omaha, of course what we talked about in the Central Valley."

"We are seeing a slow uptick in test positivity in cases in places like Chicago, Boston and Detroit and DC," she added, noting that the coronavirus is now in a new stage than it was in previous months.

"This outbreak is different from the March, April outbreak in that it's in both rural and urban areas," Birx said.

"Although we're seeing improvements in some of the red states and some of the states have actually moved from being in a red category -- that was more than 10% test positivity -- to under 10%, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia moved back into the yellow states status," Birx continued. "Their work needs to continue to intensify to continue to bring down case counts."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top expert on infectious disease, told CNN on Thursday that test positivity rates are “a pretty good indicator” that a spike in cases is likely unless action is taken.

"It's a pretty good predictor, usually before people become aware of it," Fauci said on CNN's "New Day."

He added: "So what Dr. Birx is saying, is now is the time to accelerate the fundamental preventative measures that we all talk about: Masks, social distancing, avoiding crowds, outdoors greater than indoors, washing hands, et cetera. Those kinds of simple things can actually prevent that uptick from becoming a surge. So she was warning the states and the cities to be careful, because this is a predictor of trouble ahead."

• Birx: US Entering New Phase as Virus Becomes More 'Widespread'
• The No. 1 Aggravator of COVID-19 Is Hard to Stop