Fauci Says Mask ‘Recommendations’ Could Return if There is a ‘Significant Uptick’ in COVID-19 Cases This Fall and Winter

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former White House chief medical advisor, has said that mask “recommendations” could return if there is a “significant uptick” in COVID-19 cases this fall and winter.

The former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head appeared on ABC’s “This Week” to discuss the recent rise in COVID cases.

While Fauci said he does not predict a federal mandate, he thinks there may be “recommendations.”

“You’ve also said we’re not going to go back to the time of the federal mask mandates. That’s the thing of the past,” host Jonathan Karl noted.

“I can see that if we get a significant uptick in cases that you may see the recommendation that masks be used under certain circumstances in indoor crowded settings,” Fauci said.

“I would be extremely surprised if we would see that,” he said of mask mandates. “There may be local organizations that may require masks, but I think what we’re going to see mostly are, if the cases go up, that there might be recommendations, not mandates. There’s a big difference there.”

Fauci said that he expects to see a rise in cases during the colder months.

“I think none of us in the public health field are predicting that this is going to be a tsunami of hospitalizations and deaths the way we saw a year or more ago,” Fauci said.

Fauci added that a new booster is expected for September.