Some Good News on a Vaccine as Health Experts Warn Next Few Weeks Are 'Critical'

America's top doctors are offering a troubling assessment of the state of COVID-19 here in the US. 

"We are seeing a disturbing surge of infections," Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress on Tuesday.

"This fall and winter will be difficult. And we need to be prepared for it," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield predicted. 

Across the country, states are seeing spikes in both hospitalizations and the rate of positive cases. At the moment, COVID-19 hospitalizations are increasing in at least 21 states.

Texas and Florida saw surges this week and Arizona saw a record number of new cases ahead of a Tuesday Trump event.

Still, thousands packed into a Phoenix megachurch, many taking no precautions. "If a person feels like they don't need to wear a mask, then I don't think they should be forced to wear a mask," said one attendee.

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Dr. Fauci warns that this type of mass gathering is exactly what people should avoid. "Plan A, don't go in a crowd. Plan B, if you do, make sure you wear a mask," he said.

Testifying before Congress, Fauci and other top health experts explained that the next couple of weeks are going to be critical. They also addressed a controversial comment made by the president over the weekend at a rally in Tulsa.

"When you do testing to that extent, you're gonna find more people. You're gonna find more cases. So I said to my people, 'slow the testing down, please'," Trump told the crowd.

In an exclusive interview with CBN News, President Trump said he never gave that order.

Members of the task force confirmed that statement.

"None of us have ever been told to slow down on testing. That just is a fact. In fact, we will be doing more testing," Dr. Fauci told lawmakers.

"All of us have been, and continue to be committed to increasing readily, timely access to testing," echoed Dr. Redfield. 

Fauci did have some good news for Congress concerning the status of a vaccine.

"I believe it will be 'when' and not 'if' we get favorable candidates with good results, we will be able to make them available to the American public as I said to this committee months ago, within a year from when we started, which would put us at the end of this calendar year and the beginning of 2021," he said.

One of the most promising vaccines will move into phase three of the study next month. Dr. Fauci says he's cautiously optimistic. 

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