Fauci: "We can't be doing the kinds of things we were doing a few months ago"

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said at a press briefing Tuesday that while the risk of contracting the coronavirus for the average American remains "relatively low," the U.S. must realize that "as a nation we can’t be doing the kinds of things we could do a few months ago."

Why it matters: Hundreds of organizations, schools and companies have begun taking this warning seriously, canceling classes, conferences, sporting events and even political rallies as it becomes clear that the U.S. will not be able to stop the spread of the coronavirus into its borders.

What he's saying:

"It doesn't matter if you're in a state that has no cases or one case. You have to start taking seriously what you can do now for if and when the infections will come — and they will come, sorry to say, sad to say, they will — but when you're dealing with an infectious disease, you know, you always have that metaphor that people talk about. That Wayne Gretzky, he doesn't go where the puck is, he's going where the puck is going to be. Well, we want to be where the infection is going to be, as well as where it is."

Go deeper: How Asian countries are beating back the coronavirus