Immigrants not to blame for the spread of COVID-19 in the United States

• A poll found that 55% of Republicans believe immigrants and tourists are a major reason for the spread of COVID.
• Dr Anthony Fauci said this was “absolutely not” the case based on data in the United States.
• “Sure, immigrants can get infected, but they’re not the driving force behind it,” Fauci said.

Dr Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that immigrants are not the cause of the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, although some Americans believe otherwise.

CNN host Dana Bash asked Fauci about a recent poll that found 55% of Republicans and 40% of unvaccinated U.S. adults believed immigrants and tourists bringing COVID-19 were a major reason for the latest wave.

Bash asked Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, if immigrants are specifically a major reason for the spread of COVID-19 in the United States.

“No, absolutely not,” he said. “If you just look at the data and look at the people who have been infected, look at the people who are in the hospital, look at the people who have died.

More than 700,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and more than 43 million cases have been reported.

Fauci said the transmission of COVID-19 is a problem in the United States in the same way it is a problem in countries around the world.

“The problem is in our own country,” Fauci said. “Sure, immigrants can be infected, but they’re not the driving force behind it. Let’s face the facts here.”

AAaron Rupar (atrupar) October 3, 2021

Some Republican politicians have sought to blame immigrants for the increases in COVID-19, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. But public health experts said there was no evidence to support the claim that migrants cause flare-ups, which have occurred over the summer in the United States, but particularly in the United States. communities with low vaccination rates.

COVID-19 cases are now on the decline across much of the country, but Fauci also said on Sunday it was too early to say what the holiday season will look like.