Dr. Nesheiwat: Coronavirus restrictions should stay until we see 'several weeks' of reduced case numbers

CityMD medical director and Fox News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat told "Your World with Neil Cavuto" Tuesday that restrictions imposed by state governments to combat coronavirus should remain in place until there is "a prolonged, sustained reduction in the number of cases."

"I would like to see several weeks, maybe even a month or two of prolonged, sustained reduction in the number of cases, reduction in the number of hospitalizations and admissions to the ICU," said Nesheiwat, who added she also wanted to see a "reduction of the number of ventilations."

CORONAVIRUS IN THE US: STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN

Nesheiwat added that while New York City may be reaching its peak number of coronavirus cases, other locations still have a way to go.

"[Los Angeles], this week is very critical for them," she said. "They don't want to become, you know, like New York or Italy or China, where we'd have to depend on ventilators and be fearful of the lack of ventilators."

"But I think two weeks is not long enough to determine if we can relax the guidelines," Neisheiwat said. "I would be more happy with at least a month of a long sustained reduction in the number of cases to the point where it's back in the single digits," Nesheiwat added. "I don't want any double digits."

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Nesheiwat also addressed guidance from White House coronavirus task force officials who warned Americans over the weekend to avoid grocery stores if possible this week as the coronavirus pandemic moves toward its peak.

"What Dr. [Deborah] Birx was suggesting, she was suggesting that if you want to go grocery shopping, the whole family doesn't need to go out to the store. Let one person go, designate one person to go out, do the shopping, do enough shopping for two to three weeks so that you minimize the outdoor exposure, minimize picking up the virus, minimize bringing it back to the entire family," Nesheiwat said.

"So it's a matter of staying at home to help prevent the spread of this virus, because it's a very highly infectious and contagious virus and it's a very wicked virus that is causing a lot of lung damage and putting a lot of people in the hospitals."

During a weekend press conference Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, both members of the White House coronavirus task force, warned citizens to avoid grocery stores or pharmacies over the next few weeks saying the time period was "extraordinarily important."