This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact The Epoch Times Reprints.

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times
AD
The Epoch Times
Policies & Impacts

6-foot Social Distancing Rule During COVID Not Based on Scientific Evidence, Ex-NIH Director Testifies

In the interview, Dr. Collins was asked about a range of issues, including the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of a lab leak.
Google LogoMark Us Preferred on Google
6-foot Social Distancing Rule During COVID Not Based on Scientific Evidence, Ex-NIH Director Testifies
Signs reminding people of social distancing and wearing face masks remain at a mall in California June 14, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
5/16/2024|Updated: 5/29/2024
0:00

Newly released testimony from Dr. Francis Collins, the former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who helped lead America’s COVID-19 pandemic response, indicates that there was a lack of scientific evidence for the six-foot social distancing rule that was a key fixture of COVID-19 restrictions.

On May 16, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, released a transcript from Dr. Collins’s transcribed interview, which took place on Capitol Hill in January behind closed doors.
Google LogoMark Us Preferred on Google
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
twitter
Author’s Selected Articles
Trump Hopeful After Iran Deal, Reiterates Warning on Nuclear Weapons
Jun 16, 2026
Trump Hopeful After Iran Deal, Reiterates Warning on Nuclear Weapons
Iran Says Deal to End War Requires Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon
Jun 16, 2026
Iran Says Deal to End War Requires Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon
Trump Threatens 100 Percent Tariff on French Wines Over Digital Services Tax
Jun 15, 2026
Trump Threatens 100 Percent Tariff on French Wines Over Digital Services Tax
Pakistan Says US, Iran Close to Signing Peace Deal Framework
Jun 13, 2026
Pakistan Says US, Iran Close to Signing Peace Deal Framework
Related Topics
pandemic
social distancing
6 feet
AD
Add to My List
Save
The Epoch Times
Copyright © 2000 - 2026 The Epoch Times Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.