Trump Admin Testing Czar Warns: ‘If People Don’t Mask and They Don’t Get Vaccinated’ Some Places May Consider Lockdowns

Former Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir, who served as testing czar on the Trump administration’s covid-19 task force, warned on Fox News Friday that local governments may consider lockdowns if people don’t vaccinate and mask up more, and he’s worried that “would be a disaster.”

Trace Gallagher asked Giroir about his comments Thursday that if you’re not vaccinated, “you will get the Delta variant.”

Giroir brought up the new data from the CDC showing just how contagious the Delta variant is, emphasizing again, “If you’re not vaccinated or you haven’t had covid before, it’s only a matter of time before you get Delta. It is really that contagious.”

He also warned that even people who have been infected before are still vulnerable if they’re not vaccinated.

“If you get vaccinated, you are 95 percent protected against hospitalization and death. Even though you could still get the virus and you could still transmit it, you’re not going to die or get hospitalized. And that’s why you need the vaccine,” Giroir said.

He had some criticism of the CDC’s “rough” messaging as he again pressed the importance of vaccinations. “Messaging needs a lot of help. That’s why I want to be here to help transmit that message.”

Gallagher played a clip from White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying at Friday’s briefing, “We are not going to head towards a lockdown.”

Giroir had this warning for viewers:

If we can get 70, 80, 90 percent of the American people vaccinated, this goes away. If vaccines stay where they are right now from a public health standpoint, masking indoors is going to have to be added to control this. If people don’t mask and they don’t get vaccinated, then unfortunately governments are going to be put into the situation of considering lockdowns, which I think would be a disaster. I don’t think they work, I think they’re counter-productive and they’re really horrible for our children. The answer is get vaccinated. Until everybody can get vaccinated, if you’re in a high-risk circumstance, like being in an indoor party like there was in Massachusetts, it’s a good idea to wear a mask. It will protect you and it will protect others from being infected by you.

You can watch above, via Fox News.