US President Donald Trump says US will not close even if a second wave of coronavirus hits the country.
When asked about a second wave during a tour of a Ford factory in Michigan, Trump said: “People say that’s a very distinct possibility, it’s standard."
“We are going to put out the fires. We’re not going to close the country,” he added. “We can put out the fires. Whether it is an ember or a flame, we are going to put it out. But we are not closing our country.”
Trump previously acknowledged the “embers” of the pandemic that occur in the US past the summer. However, he stressed that these will disappear.
Health experts, including those in the Trump administration, warned that the virus will likely continue to persist through the fall and winter. They noted that it may become even more difficult to address when the virus is present during the flu season.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, emphasized that a new waves of cases is not impossible.
“The virus is not going to disappear,” Dr. Fauci told The Washington Post. “It’s a highly transmissible virus. At any given time, it’s some place or another. As long as that’s the case, there’s a risk of resurgence.”
Reopening of states
Meanwhile, state leaders across the country have implemented strict measures on houses and businesses to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. However, Trump pushed for the reopening of the country as the US economy continues to suffer from social distancing rules.
Despite the rise of cases, all 50 states have started reopening, including New York, which is one of the states hit severely by the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile, Trump did not wear a mask during his visit at Ford Motor Co.’s Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti even if there is a state law and company policy that requires people to don facial coverings. The plant is manufacturing ventilators to aid in addressing the coronavirus pandemic.
Data from Johns Hopkins University showed that there are more than five million cases confirmed worldwide, with over 328,471 deaths. In the US, there are 1.5 million cases and at least 93,439 deaths.
Risks of reopening
Trump previously said that the US must reopen even if there will be more deaths and sickness from the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump said he is gearing up for the “phase two” of the US response to the coronavirus. A part of this next move is to break up the White House task force of public health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx.
The president acknowledged that US reopening would likely lead to more deaths and sickness.
“Will some people be affected? Yes. Will some people be affected badly? Yes,” Trump said. “But we have to get our country open and we have to get it open soon.”
He also urged Americans to view themselves as “warriors” when they leave their homes.
During a previous ABC News interview, Trump said shutting down the country was “the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”
“There’ll be more death,” he said. “The virus will pass, with or without a vaccine. And I think we’re doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it’s going to pass, and we’re going to be back to normal.”
