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Allegheny Health Network Doctor Says Avoiding Social Interactions Is Still The 'Best Choice'

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Rising coronavirus case numbers in Allegheny County have certainly gotten the attention of Allegheny Health Network Internist Dr. Brian Lamb.

The Health Department reported 83 new cases on Monday, and the county-wide total now stands at 2,651 cases.

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Below are excerpts from Ken Rice's interview with Dr. Lamb.

Dr. Lamb: "What we've seen over the last three days, especially Saturday and Sunday, we've seen the highest numbers ever in Allegheny County. What we worry about is, is this the leading of the surge where what we're going to see is these young healthy people who have been probably been out, have been socializing more, are they going to bring this back to elderly people, people who are immunocompromised?

What we've always seen is there's the initial surge in numbers, even before you see a surge in hospitalizations and before you see a surge in deaths.

If we don't start changing our ways now -- we opened up, we started going out, we started seeing people and socializing — if we don't start cutting back on some of that now, and I'm not saying rolling back the openings that we have, but people have to be smart when they go out. They have to really consider the risks."

Rice: "So if I said to you, how about I meet you at a restaurant today for lunch?"

Lamb: "No."

Rice: "How about I meet you for lunch but at an outdoor restaurant?"

WATCH: Full Interview With Dr. Brian Lamb

Lamb: "Little bit safer. Better yet, go to someone's house. Stay on the back deck. Stay on the porch where you can stay six feet away from people and where you're not amongst other strangers. If you can avoid social interactions, it's still the best choice. That doesn't mean you have to be locked in your house, but you have to be really smart when you go out."

Rice: "Are you or any other medical professionals that you know going anywhere in public without a mask?"

Lamb: "No, not at all. There is nowhere that I would feel comfortable at this point going out without a mask on. There's no store, there's no restaurant that I'd be comfortable walking into without some sort of protection for myself and also for the other people in the establishment."

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