Surgeon general offers 'dire' coronavirus message: 'This week, it's going to get bad'

As the coronavirus crisis continues, the U.S. surgeon general is offering a "dire" message about the week ahead.

Surgeon General Jerome Adams spoke to Today on Monday morning and warned that the number of COVID-19 coronavirus cases in the United States is going to continue to rise in the coming days.

"I want America to understand: this week, it's going to get bad," he said. "And we really need to come together as a nation."

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Adams also took to CBS This Morning on Monday to deliver the same warning, saying, "I didn't expect to be starting off my week with such a dire message for America, but the numbers are going to get worse this week. Things are going to get worse before they get better."

The number of cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States has passed 30,000, and more than 400 people have died.

In both interviews, Adams urged Americans to stay home to help stop the spread of the virus while decrying reports of crowded beaches and other gatherings.

"Unfortunately, we're finding out a lot of people think this can't happen to them," Adams said. "...Right now, there are not enough people out there who are taking this seriously."

The Trump administration last week introduced a set of social distancing guidelines as part of a "15 Days to Slow the Spread" initiative, and on Sunday, Trump tweeted that at the end of the 15-day period, "we will make a decision as to which way we want to go!" On CBS This Morning, though, Adams cautioned that "it's going to be a while before life gets back to normal." Brendan Morrow