Announcement of One-Month Extension One Day Before End of Social Distancing Guidelines
US COVID-19 Cases Exceed 140,000, Early Termination Abandoned
Economic Activity Resumption Also Expected to Be Delayed
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for social distancing, which was originally set for the 30th (local time). As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the U.S. shows no signs of stopping, the goal of resuming economic activities early has effectively been abandoned.
At a COVID-19 task force press conference held in the White House Rose Garden on the 29th, President Trump said, "We are extending the social distancing guidelines for one more month until the end of April." The U.S. social distancing guidelines, which restrict gatherings of multiple people, were scheduled to end on the 30th. President Trump had declared a national emergency due to COVID-19 on the 13th and personally announced related guidelines.
With this decision, the previously repeatedly declared plan to normalize economic activities before Easter has become difficult. He had emphasized attending Easter services at churches and reopening various businesses as a commemoration of the early end of COVID-19.
The postponement decision is due to the worsening situation, contrary to his hopes. As of this day, the number of states issuing stay-at-home orders, including New York and California, has increased to 27. This means that more than 60% of the entire U.S. population, or 225 million people, cannot engage in economic activities and must stay at home.
Instead, he stated that Easter could be the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. President Trump claimed, "Deaths could reach their highest level within the next two weeks." He also presented June 1 as a turning point when the situation could improve.
He explained the background of his decision by saying, "There is nothing worse than declaring victory before winning a war," adding, "That would be the greatest loss of all." When asked if his mention of normalization by Easter was a mistake, he downplayed it by saying, "That was just my hope."
According to the New York Times (NYT), President Trump even referred to predictive models suggesting that 2.2 million people could die if proper measures are not taken, and said, "If we can keep the death toll under 100,000, that would be doing well."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the U.S. National Institutes of Health, described President Trump's decision as a "broad and cautious decision." Appearing on a broadcast that morning, Dr. Fauci warned that millions of people in the U.S. could be infected with COVID-19 and that deaths could reach 100,000 to 200,000. U.S. media outlets such as CNN focused on Dr. Fauci's remarks, supporting his concerns about ending social distancing.
NYT commented, "President Trump has clashed with health experts over whether to end social distancing early but ultimately had no choice but to back down."
As of this day, the number of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. has surpassed 140,000. According to Johns Hopkins University, the current number of infections in the U.S. is 142,106, with 2,467 deaths. The situation in New York is particularly severe, with infections nearing 60,000 as of this day. As the infection spreads, a senior official at Jefferies, an investment bank based in New York, died. Bloomberg News reported this as the first COVID-19 death on Wall Street. In New York, concerns about public safety are rising as police officers have also died from COVID-19.
As medical equipment and hospital beds in New York became scarce, the U.S. Navy dispatched the hospital ship Comfort to New York. The first aircraft carrying a large quantity of Chinese-made masks and gowns also arrived at New York JFK Airport on this day. The White House explained that a total of 22 flights transporting medical equipment from China to the U.S. are scheduled, with most of them intended for use in New York State.
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