• Surgeon General Jerome Adams appeared on broadcast and cable news on Sunday, warning this week could be the “saddest week of most Americans’ lives.”
  • Adams compared the upcoming week to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
  • He refused to say whether governors in nine states that have not ordered residents to “stay at home” should issue such orders, saying governors had their citizens’ best interests in mind.
  • “We aren’t going to treat or supply our way out of this problem. There is no magic bullet or magic cure,” Adams said.
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Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Sunday warned the upcoming week would be “the hardest and saddest week of most Americans’ lives” as experts predict a surge in deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Adams told “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace it was “tragically fitting” they were discussing the virus at the beginning of Holy Week, the week preceding Easter.

“This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment and our 9/11 moment only it’s not going to be localized, it’s going to be happening all over the country,” Adams told “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace.

The US has so far had the worst outbreak of the novel coronavirus worldwide with at least 312,249 confirmed cases and 8,503 deaths from COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has already surpassed that of both the attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

He added: "I want [Americans] to understand that the public along with the state and federal government have the power to change the trajectory of this epidemic."

When asked about the nine states that have yet to order residents to "stay at home," Adams said he respected state leaders' autonomy to make the best decision for their people, though he said he wished they would encourage citizens to follow the Trump administration's "30 days to slow the spread" initiative.

Adams compared the varying policies nationwide state policies on cigarettes and opioids and said more people would die from smoking cigarettes than even in the most serious coronavirus projections.

"The coronavirus doesn't recognize state's rights," Wallace responded. Adams then pointed toward New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's statements when the president said he was considering placing New York and neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut on an "enforceable quarantine."

Cuomo had called Trump's proposal "a declaration of war on states."

"Right now what I would say to those governors, if you can't give us a month, give us what you can," Adams said.

His warning comes the day after President Trump's own remarks, who warned of similar upcoming challenges.

"This will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday afternoon. "There will be a lot of death, unfortunately, but a lot less death than if this wasn't done. But there will be death."

Adams also responded to questions about the president's repeated mention of Hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat arthritis and malaria, that has not been tested for its effectiveness in fighting COVID-19. On Saturday, the president said he might take the drug in an apparent effort to prevent COVID-19, even though there is no evidence the drug is effective - or safe - for preventing or treating the novel coronavirus.

"When people are in a tragic situation when they're in the hospital or a loved one is in the hospital with COVID-19, we want them to be able to have a conversation with their healthcare provider about everything they can possibly do to save their life," the surgeon general said, mentioning "accounts and stories" the drug's potential effectiveness.

Adams added: "We know it's been available for years. So we feel a little bit better regarding its safety than a completely novel drug, even though this is being used at much higher dosages."

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" also on Sunday, Adams told Chuck Todd that distancing and other prevention measures were the best way to combat COVID-19.

"We are always telling people we would rather prevent disease than treat disease. We aren't going to treat or supply our way out of this problem. There is no magic bullet or magic cure," he said.