Washington (CNN) Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of California on Sunday contradicted health experts' recommendation that Americans practice "social distancing" to curb the spread of coronavirus, instead urging "healthy" Americans to continue patronizing businesses during the pandemic.
"If you're healthy, you and your family, it's a great time to go out and go to a local restaurant, likely you can get in easily," Nunes said during an interview on Fox News as many cities announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants to limit gatherings.
"Let's not hurt the working people in this country ... go to your local pub," he added.
The suggestion directly contradicts recommendations put forth in recent days by government agencies and public health experts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been urging "social distancing" -- defined as "remaining out of places where people meet or gather" and "avoiding local public transportation" -- even if you don't have any symptoms of the virus as a way to slow the spread of the disease.
The recommendation, which comes as the coronavirus continues to take hold in the US, has caused some states and cities to implement drastic regulations on businesses, including in Nunes' home state of California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that bars, nightclubs, wineries and brewpubs will be closed during the pandemic. The state's restaurant capacities must also be reduced by half.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he will limit all bars and restaurants in the city to takeout and delivery only, while the New Jersey city of Hoboken is implementing a city-wide curfew and new restrictions, starting Monday, in response to coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and a key member of the Trump administration's coronavirus task force, has also been pushing for Americans to limit their time in public places.
Asked by CNN's Brianna Keilar on "State of the Union" if he'd like a "national lockdown" where people are being told they need to stay home and out of restaurants and bars, Fauci said he'd "like to see a dramatic diminution of the personal interaction that we see" in those places, adding: "Whatever it takes to do that, that's what I'd like to see."
As of early Monday morning, there were at least 3,563 known cases of the novel coronavirus in the US and at least 65 deaths from the disease, according to state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.