Fauci on states reopening: "Be on the alert" for small coronavirus spikes

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci advised states that are reopening "to be on the alert" for "little blips" of infections as stay-at-home restrictions are lifted across the U.S., at a CNN coronavirus town hall on Thursday.

Why it matters: Nearly every state in the U.S. has taken steps to reopen certain regions and industries that are seen as "low-risk" for spreading the virus, per a New York Times analysis.

What he's saying: "And that's the reason why you see the reopening, that we tell the cities, the locations, the communities to be on the alert for what I refer to as the little blips that you might see. Because as you open up, even under normal circumstances, in the best of circumstances, you are going to see infections. The critical issue for a successful opening is how effectively you address those blips," Fauci said.

• "Do you have in place the capability, the testing, and the manpower to identify, to isolate, and to contact trace. If you do, you'll be able to prevent those blips from becoming resurgence and you'll be able to progress along the various phases of reopening," he said.

Go deeper: CDC releases detailed 60-page road map on reopening