Appearing on Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program, Fauci – who served for more than three decades as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – described Noem’s comments as “unhappy”.
“It is not really useful. Because sometimes you think things are going well and take a look at the numbers. They don’t lie, “he said, adding,” I’m sure you can get a standing ovation saying I’m wrong. “
Public health experts have criticized the comparatively few restrictions related to Noem’s coronavirus and the broader response to the pandemic in South Dakota, where per capita deaths have increased in one of the country’s least populous states. More than 512,000 Americans died from the pandemic.
But Noem, who appeared immediately after Fauci on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, defended his way of dealing with the crisis, saying he gave the South Dakotans “personal responsibility for their families’ public health decisions, but also gave give them the flexibility they needed to keep their businesses open. ”
“South Dakota is doing well,” said Noem. “We have already been through some tragic situations, but I know that respecting them in my role, in the authority that I have as governor, has been incredibly helpful in getting our state … through these challenging times.”