Fauci blames virus surge on U.S. not shutting down completely

FILE PHOTO: Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on efforts to get back to work and school during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 30, 2020. Al Drago/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci on Monday ascribed the surge in U.S. coronavirus cases to the country's failure to shut down completely, then a rush to reopen too soon, and urged a commitment to guidelines to snuff out the disease.

He stressed basic protections including physical distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowds and washing hands. "Those things, as simple as they are, can turn it around. I think we can do that and that's what we've got to do," he said.