U.S. President Donald Trump laid the groundwork on Tuesday for his hopes to reopen the economy despite a surge in coronavirus cases by insisting that Americans would take precautions when they return to work.

Trump and his coronavirus team have put in place a 15-day set of recommendations for people across the country to cut down social and professional interactions in a bid to reduce the virus's spread.

The president, seeking re-election in November, has come under criticism from fellow Republicans and others for saying he would like to reopen the economy, even as the Pentagon and others forecast the outbreak could last for months.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, told CNN on Tuesday: "We don't think that we're going to be in any way ready to be out of this in five or six days or so, or whenever this 15 days is up from the time that they started this imaginary clock."

The president, who initially played down the outbreak's risks and has been stunned by its impact on the economy and the stock market, has openly suggested in recent days that the measures were too strict given their economic ramifications.

"Our people want to return to work," he said on Twitter on Tuesday. "They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM!"

Trump and his economic and health advisers are mulling how to proceed after the 15-day period of tough measures to slow the pandemic.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, speaking to reporters at the White House, said the Trump administration was looking at low-infection areas where the economy might be reopened after a 15-day shutdown period ends next week.

The president was scheduled to appear on a Fox News Channel Town Hall on Tuesday. Fox has come under criticism for its own treatment of the virus as some opinion program hosts played it down in the early period of its spread.