By Aaron Miller-
President Donald Trump has extended restrictive social distancing guidelines until the end of April,(April30) after conceding that his earlier optimistic plans to relax the rules could be catastrophic.
The president even admitted he may have to extend that deadline again, in a clear statement pointing to June 1 as the final deadline to see the country return to normality. The dramatic U turn came after Public-health experts presented the president with projections for the expanding coronavirus pandemic. The sudden change in position is a positive sign that he at least is not ignoring the advise of experts.
Previous comments he made indicating plans to relax social distancing rules in a matter of weeks when he spoke from the Rose Garden has now been said to have only been “aspirational.” The original 15 day duration for a lockdown proved too early after projections of death in America for the forseeable future was too frightening not to take seriously enough.
After Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert estimated projections for U.S. deaths from the pandemic at 100,000, reality immediately kicked in. Giving credence to projection models indicating up to 2.2 million people or that could have died had social distancing measures not been put in place, the president said the country would be doing well if it “can hold” the number of deaths “down to 100,000.” He said the best case for the country would be for the death rate to peak in about two weeks.
“It’s a horrible number,” “We all together have done a very good job.”One in 3 Americans remain under state or local government orders to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus, a clampdown that has seen schools and clubs shut in a desperate attempt to ease the virus which has threatened to bring the world economy to its knees. India, Italy, Spain and other countries have also taking sweeping steps to battle the virus by closing down all none essential activity.
“I wish we could have our old life back… but we’re working very hard, that’s all I know. I see things, I see numbers, they don’t matter to me. What matters to me is that we have a victory over this thing as soon as possible,” he said.
Trump acknowledged that he may be forced to extend the guidelines again at the end of April, but expressed hope that by June 1, “we should be well on our way to recovery.” The current federal guidelines recommend against group gatherings larger than 10 and urge older people and anyone with existing health problems to stay home. People are urged to work at home when possible and avoid restaurants, bars, non-essential travel and shopping trips.
Trump said he had been affected by scenes from New York, particularly hard-hit Elmhurst Hospital in his native Queens.
“I’ve been watching that for the last week on television,” he said. ”Body bags all over, in hallways. I’ve been watching them bring in trailer trucks — freezer trucks, they’re freezer trucks, because they can’t handle the bodies, there are so many of them. This is essentially in my community, in Queens, Queens, New York,” he continued. “I’ve seen things that I’ve never seen before.”
There has been over 139,000 COVID-19 cases reported by Sunday evening, with more than 2,400 deaths. During the course of the Rose Garden briefing, reported deaths grew by several dozen and the number of cases by several thousand.
Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough and pneumonia, hospitalising its victims in some cases. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems. Hospitals in the most afflicted areas are straining to handle patients and some are short of critical supplie
.Image:Cnn.com