President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he hoped to have the economy reopen by Easter, though experts say coronavirus deaths could skyrocket if restrictions are loosened too early.
Easter is less than three weeks away.
Trump made the comments during an appearance on Fox News during a “virtual town hall” event as more states imposed extreme measures, including shutting down businesses and ordering residents to shelter in place in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease.
“We’re opening up this incredible country. Because we have to do that. I would love to have it open by Easter,” Trump said.
“I would love to have that. It’s such an important day for other reasons, but I’d love to make it an important day for this. I would love to have the country opened up, and rarin’ to go by Easter.”
Dr. Tina Tan of the Infectious Diseases Society of America told CNBC that lifting restrictions would be foolhardy.
“If you don’t keep the restrictions or make them stricter, you’re going to have more people infected, hospitalized, and dying from the disease,” said Tan.
“It’s going to be a lot more people.”
Dr. Greg Poland, a member of the vaccine research group at the Mayo Clinic, told the news outlet that the U.S. hasn’t even reached the peak of its pandemic.
“From a pandemic point of view, the more you keep people distanced from one another, and [practice regular] handwashing, they cannot get infected,” he said.
Getting back to normal means “that you are doing that with the full knowledge that you are increasing surge demand on the medical system, and increasing mortality,” Poland said.
“As you increase the demand on the health-care system, the mortality rate goes up. It skyrockets.”
The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has infected more than 409,000 people worldwide and killed more than 18,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the U.S., 50,000 have been infected and more than 600 have died.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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