‘Opened up’ by Easter

Highly infectious disease is certain to spread, experts warn.

President Donald Trump said he wants to have the country “opened up” by Easter — April 12 — as he continues to press the case that the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak could be more damaging to the economy than it’s worth.

WASHINGTON — With lives and the economy hanging in the balance, President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the United States will be reopened by Easter as he weighs how to relax nationwide social-distancing guidelines to put some workers back on the job during the coronavirus outbreak.

As many public health officials call for stricter — not looser — restrictions on public interactions, Trump said he was already looking toward easing advisories that have sidelined workers, shuttered schools and led to economic slowdown.

“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he said during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away: April 12.

What health experts say

Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.

The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented 15-day effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The guidelines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are voluntary, but many state and local leaders have issued mandatory restrictions in line with, or even tighter than, those issued by the CDC.

On Monday, the U.S. saw its biggest jump yet inthe death toll from the virus, with more than 600 U.S. deaths now attributed to COVID19. Trump’s comments come after dire warnings by officials in hardhit areas. New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his state’s hospital system will soon hit a breaking point — resulting in avoidable deaths — even with restrictions already in place.

“I gave it two weeks,” Trump said during the town hall from the Rose Garden. He argued that tens of thousands of Americans die each year from the seasonal flu and in automobile accidents, and “we don’t turn the country off.”

Assessment on Monday

When the 15-day period ends next Monday, he said, “we’ll assess at that time, and we’ll give it some more time if we need a little more time, but we need to open this country up.”

Trump’s Easter target was not immediately embraced by Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator for the White House task force, who indicated any move would have to be guided by data still being collected. She suggested public health professionals could recommend a general easing, while pushing for local restrictions to remain in the hardest-hit areas.