Trump wants to declare country open by May 1 — but the reality will be much slower

President Trump has all but decided to begin declaring the country ready to get back to business on May 1, two current and two former senior administration officials said, but a scramble is underway inside the White House to determine how to stagger a reopening of the economy amid the novel coronavirus pandemic while also protecting Trump from any political fallout.

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Trump said Tuesday night that he plans to ask the governors of all 50 states later this week to implement “a very powerful reopening plan” in their states at whatever time they deem appropriate. He said more than 20 states are in “extremely good shape” and are poised to reopen their economies very soon, “maybe even before the date of May 1.”

“Our country has to get open, and it will get open, and it’ll get open safely and hopefully quickly — some areas quicker than other areas,” Trump said at a Rose Garden news conference.

Questions about normalcy are especially fueled by the stalled US economy, as coronavirus-related business closures and slowdowns have caused 16 million people to lose their jobs.

Donald Trump has pushed for a reopening of the economy and reportedly hopes to do so by May.

Trump is expected to next week announce a council of medical and business leaders who will assist him with the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make”: when to reopen America for business amid a global pandemic.

Health experts have warned that prematurely lifting stay-at-home restrictions could prompt a “deadly resurgence” of coronavirus.

Ref: washingtonpost