Dr. Anthony Fauci warns about possible COVID-19 surge ahead of Labor Day

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Across the country, doctors are worried the holiday weekend could lead to more cases of COVID-19. Some said this could be the turning point in the fight against the virus.

Friday morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans if they do not continue to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, the U.S. could see nearly 30,000 more deaths before the end of the month.

Texas has over 84,000 estimated active cases as of Friday. Over 13,000 of those are in Harris County.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned seven states are at the highest risk for a surge in new cases following weekend celebrations. They include North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

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Fauci, like many health officials, plead with Americans to not repeat history as they recalled the surge in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths many states suffered after Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

"We don't want to see a repeat of the surges that we have seen following the holiday weekends," Fauci said. "We don't want to see a surge under any circumstances, but particularly as we go on the other side of Labor Day and enter into the fall. We want to go into that with a running start in the right direction. We don't want to go into that with another surge that we have to turn around again."

He also warned Americans not to rely on a vaccine as early as November or December, saying while it is not impossible, it's also not likely until early 2021.

The CDC now predicts the death toll from COVID-19 could be 211,000 by the end of the month.

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