Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, suggested Thursday that the federal government should impose a nationwide stay-at-home order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the United States.

Asked whether all states have to be “on the same page” in terms of issuing those directives, Fauci told CNN, “I don’t understand why that’s not happening,” and acknowledged the Trump administration’s hesitance to encroach upon local authorities.


“As you said, you know, the tension between ‘federal mandated’ versus ‘states rights’ to do what they want is something that I don’t want to get into,” Fauci said. “But if you look at what’s going on in this country, I just don’t understand why we’re not doing that. We really should be.”