Claims that migrants are spreading COVID-19 a ‘distraction,’ NIH director says

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said on Sunday that attempting to pin blame for the spread of COVID-19 on migrants is a “distraction” from actually addressing the latest surge in cases.

While appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Collins was asked what responsibility migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border had in contributing to the wave of new cases being seen in the U.S.

Host Chris Wallace pointed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has pinned the blame for the surge on migrants coming from the southern border.

“Well, it’s certainly a cause of concern. They have very significant masking requirements there, but it is certainly possible,” Collins said. “But, you know, let nobody try to say that’s why the U.S. is in trouble.”

“The rate of infection in Mexico is actually lower than it is right now in places like Texas and Louisiana and Florida. I think that’s a bit of a distraction,” he said.

“We’ve got enough of a problem with her own citizens who have refused to roll up their sleeves. So maybe that would be a better thing to focus on if we’re trying to end this. That seemed like it was not going to get us where we need to be. It’s an issue, but it’s certainly not the cause of our current dilemma,” Collins added.

Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order restricting the transportation of migrants “who pose a risk of carrying COVID-19 into Texas communities.”

The order from Abbott states “no person, other than a federal, state, or local law-enforcement official, shall provide ground transportation to a group of migrants who have been detained by CBP [Customs and Border Protection] for crossing the border illegally or who would have been subject to expulsion under the Title 42 order.”