�������ýҕ�l

Two of the Trump administration’s top health officials acknowledged Sunday that the country is facing a very serious situation with the onslaught of rising coronavirus cases in several states, striking a far more sober tone than President Trump at this stage of the pandemic in the United States. Adm. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary with the Health and Human Services department, and Dr. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, both emphasized their concern about surging outbreaks, many of them in areas where people have not followed recommended public health guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. (Belluck, 7/12)

HHS testing czar Brett Giroir implored Americans to wear masks in public Sunday and said “everything should be on the table” when asked if more stringent lockdowns might be needed in southern states where the coronavirus cases are shattering record after record. (Lim, 7/12)

Adm. Brett Giroir broke with the president on ABC's "This Week" Sunday on a number of issues including the severity of the coronavirus, mask wearing and guidelines for reopening schools, as President Donald Trump pushes for schools to reopen for in-person instruction despite record-breaking coronavirus cases across the U.S. Sun Belt. While Trump this week said the country is in "a good place," Giroir, who serves as the assistant secretary of Health in the Department of Health and Human Services and coordinates the federal government's coronavirus testing programs, characterized the current situation as "a better place" than in April but said to expect hospitalizations and death rates to rise in the coming weeks. (Cathey, 7/12)