Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Joe Biden accepts the Democratic Party nomination on Aug. 20. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Former Vice President Joe Biden told ABC News on Friday that, if elected, he would issue a nationwide stay-at-home order at the recommendation of scientists if coronavirus infections surged in January alongside the flu season.
Why it matters: The country's coronavirus crisis could worsen this winter if hospitals are overwhelmed with patients requiring care from COVID-19 at the same time as the flu. The severity of the influenza season also depends on how many Americans get flu shots.
Where it stands: “I think we can get through this without having to revert back to a shutdown," NIAID director Anthony Fauci told Politico early this month — but only if Americans commit to basic mitigation efforts like wearing masks, physically distancing, following hygiene recommendations and avoiding crowds.
What he's saying: "I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists," Biden told ABC News' David Muir, in an interview alongside running mate Sen. Kamala Harris.
The big picture: Over half of Americans surveyed in a NPR/Ipsos poll in late July said they supported a mandatory, nationwide order to shelter at home for two weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.