Surgeon General Jerome Adams offered a stern warning to Americans on Monday, warning that the days ahead are crucial in the fight against COVID-19.
"I want America to understand: This week, it's going to get bad. We really need to come together as a nation," Adams said during an appearance on the Today Show.
Adams urged Americans to practice proper social distancing and cited reports of spring breakers continuing to vacation on beaches despite warnings from the CDC.
"This is how the spread is occurring," Adams said. "Everyone needs to take the right steps right now. That means stay at home."
Adams was also asked about President Donald Trump's hesitancy to compel companies to begin manufacturing medical supplies via his powers under the Defense Production Act. Adams said the measure was not yet necessary, saying that companies like Honeywell and Hanes had halted the production of their products to produce medical supplies.
"The other important point is that we're not going to ventilator our way out of this problem. We're not going to treat our way out of this problem," he said. "The way you stop the spread of an infectious disease like this is with mitigation measures and preventing people from getting it in the first place."