President Donald Trump is calling the upcoming decision of when to reopen the country for commerce, travel and ordinary life among the big...
President Donald Trump is calling the upcoming decision of when to reopen the country for commerce, travel and ordinary life among the biggest he has ever faced.
'I'm going to have to make a decision, and I only hope to God that it's the right decision,' Trump said at the White House Friday, as U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus passed 18,000.
'Without question it's the biggest decision I've ever had to make,' said Trump.
Trump has without fail praised his handling of the outbreak, repeatedly heralding the decision to close off travel from China as it spread – although subsequent reporting has showed hundreds of thousands of people from China flew here before the ban, and new testing indicates the world-topping outbreak in New York may be linked to infection from Europe.
'Without question it's the biggest decision I've ever had to make,' President Trump said of the decision to reopen the country
The president, who is known to eschew long briefing books and speaks about trusting his instincts, said he will rely on scientists and a team of as-yet unannounced advisors as he ponders the decision that will affect death rates, unemployment figures – and his own reelection.
Issuing guidelines for Americans to remain at home and avoid large groups – first for 15 days, then for an additional 30 – was an also a daunting decision. But Trump has repeatedly said he is eager to 'reopen' the country, and is setting up a new task force to consider the factors.
Public health officials are warning that if Americans go back to school and work too soon, the nation could face a second wave of infection and additional economic setbacks. Currently more than 16 million Americans have filed for unemployment.
Trump mused about the topic at his press briefing, just before Easter – when he had earlier suggested the nation might be ready to reopen.
'I don't know if I've had a bigger decision than that, if you think, right? I mean think of that decision, somebody said, 'It's totally up to the president,' and it is. I don't know if I've had a bigger decision,' Trump said.
Trump had been hopeful to reopen the country by Easter. It turned out that U.S. deaths and infections are spiking. Current guidelines run until the end of April
A man in a wheelchair crosses a nearly empty 7th Avenue in Times Square in Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, New York, U.S., April 7, 2020
A pedestrian walks across Water Street empty of traffic, Friday, April 10, 2020, in the financial district of New York. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death
La Jolla Shores beach is shown empty of people during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in San Diego, California, U.S., April 6, 2020
Beaches on the Pacific Ocean lie empty after Los Angeles issued a stay-at-home order and closed beaches and state parks, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Manhattan Beach, California, U.S., April 2, 2020
In fact it is governors and mayors who have imposed stay-home orders on many American citizens, and Trump has conspicuously refused to demand that all states that impose them. But states and localities are certain to take guidance from the White House, and the president has many levers of power.
'But I'm going to surround myself with the greatest minds. Not only the greatest minds in numerous different businesses, including the business of politics and reason and we're going to make a decision and hopefully it's going to be the right decision. I will say this, we want to get it open as soon as we can,' Trump said of his task force.
Public health officials that reopening before therapeutic treatments or strategies are in order could lead to another outbreak. Decreases in deaths and infections in hot spots like New York are most likely attributable to social distancing, government experts say.
As for what to call the body, to be revealed Tuesday, Trump said: 'I call it the opening our country task force. Or Opening Our Country Council,' since there is already a task force on the coronavirus.
Trump made the statement on good Friday, after tweeting out video of an Oval Office prayer, and saying he plans to watch an Easter sermon by evangelical pastor Pastor Robert Jeffress on his laptop Sunday.
Trump also stated the nation would not have any kind of universal testing for the coronavirus, after earlier saying every American who wanted a test would get one.
On Friday, he said it was only necessary to test in 'hot-spots' and places with flare-ups – although research has showed many people with the coronavirus don't show symptoms.
'You're going to see nobody's gonna be getting sick anymore,' Trump said. 'It will be gone and it won't be that much longer.'
'People are not going to go to the hospital, people are not going to get sick,' Trump said.
A paper by the libertarian American Enterprise Institute argues that the country should only reopen when 'widespread testing' is available to 'let public health officials detect and subsequently contain any future outbreaks before everything has to be locked down.'
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