Coronavirus: Trump announces ‘we’re opening up our country’

Despite warnings from experts about the potential heath disaster, President Trump has announced plans to reopen large parts of the US.

The US President Donald Trump has announced an urgent plan to reopen America saying the plan is based on “hard, verifiable data” from his scientific advisers.

“We’re opening up our country,” Mr Trump said on Thursday night, announcing a three phase plan which could see some states easing shutdown restrictions within days.

The Opening Up America Again plan will see states that have had a downward trend in coronavirus cases for fourteen days or more passing through a “gate” into three different phases of eased social distancing restrictions.

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President Donald Trump explains his plan to reopen the US. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP

“Americans want to open, and America wants to be open,” Mr Trump said. “As I have said for some time, a shutdown is not a sustainable long term solution.”

The President, who has repeatedly described the coronavirus as “an invisible enemy” in a war, said he wanted to find a way to help America “heal” and rebuild the economy. “Our experts agree we can begin the next front in our war.”

In the US, an estimated 22 million people have lost their jobs as a result of coronavirus shut downs, or about one in seven Americans.

The President insisted there were a number of vast areas in the United States that would already meet the guidelines to pass into the first phase, and would be able to see restrictions eased in days. He said across the country all the states were in vastly different situations in terms of how the coronavirus had affected them.

“We have states that through luck, location and through talent, they’re getting ready to open,” Mr Trump said. “I call it a beautiful puzzle. Fifty pieces, they’re all different,” he said, describing the USA.

The president said he’d questioned some of the recommendations, asking: “‘Why would they wear masks in Wyoming?’ They said (in case) someone came in from a state that wasn’t so successful.”

But he insisted there were “large sections of the country that could be open”.

Mr Trump also dismissed the idea of a “new normal”, where states would ease many restrictions, but keep some in place, including restricting large gatherings indefinitely until a vaccine became available.

“There's no ‘new normal’ where a restaurant with 150 seats goes to having 30 seats. That's not normal,” Mr Trump said. “If you have a sports stadium that has 100,000 people, it's not going to have 50,000 people. That’s not normal.”

President Donald Trump dismissed the idea of a ‘new normal’. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP

Mr Trump would not be drawn on what states would be reopening first but said some areas would already meet the criteria of having a prolonged downward trend in cases.

“Some states have been given too much credit for what they haven't done, whereas others haven’t been given credit,” he insisted.

“New York, New Jersey are having a very tough time,” he said.

“Phil Murphy, from New Jersey, Democrat but we get along. New Jersey has been hit very hard. Maybe because they're next to this big city,” he said.

But the President insisted the country was largely beyond the “peak” of the coronavirus epidemic.

“Our experts say the curve has flattened and the peak is behind us,” he said. “More than a third of our country has predicted no new cases in the last thirty days.”

The President also said he believed a “prolonged lockdown would “result in drug and alcohol abuse and … many other poor health outcomes”.

He urged Americans to use hygiene like “powerful weapons” in the coming months, and said the phased approach will allow the government to identify re-emergence of the virus.

“As we see a hot spot developing, maybe not, but if we do we’ll be able to suppress it, whack it.”

Major News Conference tonight, the White House at 6:00 P.M. (Eastern), to explain Guidelines for OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 16, 2020

The plan already received criticism from the Democrats and warnings from health professionals that the consequences could be devastating.

The “Opening Up America Again” plan means states that show a downward trend of COVID-19 cases will be able to reopen their restaurants, bars, theatres, workplaces, sporting centres and gyms as soon as May 1, according to the New York Post.

“Bottom line, if you’re ready and you have those beautiful, low numbers like some of you have, let’s get going, let’s open up your state,” Mr Trump told state leaders in a largely friendly call where he praised governors for their hard work.

Under the guidelines, states will need to demonstrate a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases over a 14-day period and a “robust” system for testing healthcare workers before they can proceed to a phased opening.

Mr Trump said on Wednesday that data indicated the US was “past the peak” of the epidemic. He said the numbers had “put us in a very strong position to finalise guidelines for states on reopening the country”.

White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator Dr Deborah Birx previously said data from across the US showed the nation “improving”, but said Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.

Business leaders also raised concerns to the President in a round of calls on Wednesday, warning that a dramatic increase in testing and wider availability of protective equipment would be necessary before they could safely revive operations.

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President Donald Trump dismissed the idea of a ‘new normal’. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP

Mr Trump unveiled his administration’s plans to ease social distancing requirements while on a phone call yesterday with the nation’s governors.

US President Donald Trump said today’s news conference would be the “biggest news conference ever” as he prepared to announce his plan to reopen the country.

— with AP