Washington (AFP)

Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health experts in the Trump administration said Tuesday that the President had never asked them to slow the pace of Covid-19 testing, contrary to controversial Republican comments.

The White House chief immunologist, a highly respected figure in the United States, said he was "really" worried about the "worrying" surges in the number of cases detected in several American states.

"None of us has ever been asked to slow down screening, that's a fact. Besides, we're going to increase screening," said Anthony Fauci during a hearing before the US Congress.

The American president caused a deep controversy by declaring Saturday to have recommended to his health officials to slow down the rate of the screening, because by making more tests, "we find more cases".

Donald Trump made these statements during a campaign rally itself controversial since it was organized in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in front of thousands of people while this southern state is among those experiencing a surge in Covid- 19.

The White House then said it was joking, but the Republican billionaire was clear Tuesday morning: "I'm not kidding."

"By having more tests, we find more cases," he said.

His Democratic rival for the November 3 presidential election, Joe Biden, vehemently denounces his management of the pandemic.

"It's very simple: if we want to save jobs and lives, we need more screening, and we need it faster. The president intentionally slows it down," he tweeted Tuesday.

- "Not disappear" -

The United States has the worst record in the world in absolute terms, with more than 120,000 deaths and more than 2.3 million cases detected.

The various American states have now largely lifted containment measures. However, several states in the south and west of the country are recording an increase in the number of positive cases.

"The next two weeks will be critical" to respond to these "worrying" surges, "warned Anthony Fauci, before a committee of the House of Representatives.

The immunologist pointed out that this increase came in particular from "contagion" between inhabitants. "And this is something that really worries me," he said.

Without quoting directly from the Tulsa meeting, Mr. Fauci hammered: "You shouldn't be gathering in crowds."

In "a demonstration or a meeting", it is absolutely necessary to wear and keep his mask, he added, while many rallies are organized in the United States since the death on May 25 of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white policeman.

"We are still in the middle of the first wave" of the pandemic, he said. And "there will undoubtedly be infections with the coronavirus this fall and this winter because the virus will not disappear".

Fauci said he has not spoken directly to Donald Trump in "about two and a half weeks".

- "Historical" challenges -

The United States has conducted more than 27 million tests to date, said Giroir.

They are currently at a rate of "500,000 tests per day," he added, predicting that the country would conduct "40 to 50 million tests per month" in the fall.

Experts stressed in a joint statement that the challenges posed by the pandemic were "numerous", "historic" and that the Covid-19 epidemic would last "probably".

If the coronavirus and seasonal flu were rife at the same time next winter, "it could put a huge burden on the health care system."

"We are cautiously optimistic" on the progress of research to find a vaccine, explained Anthony Fauci, recalling that he hoped that it would be available in the United States "at the end of the year" or at the beginning of 2021 .

Unlike Donald Trump, who never showed himself wearing a mask, his four experts all wore them when they were not speaking, during this almost six-hour long hearing.

© 2020 AFP