Yesterday, President Donald Trump extended guidelines for social distancing until the end of April. He previously said the country could return to regular activity by Easter, but after warnings that as many as 200,000 Americans could die, he reversed course.
The guidelines include canceling all nonessential travel, staying away from restaurants and bars and avoiding groups of 10 or more people.
Dr. Deborah Birx leads the White House’s coronavirus task force. On Sunday, she told reporters that these social distancing measures have the “potential to save hundreds of thousands of American lives.”
The White House has addressed the public every day during the COVID-19 pandemic. The president’s exchanges with reporters have occasionally become combative.
Video of my exchange w/ Pres Trump today.
My Q is on Trump saying this about governors on Thursday: “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they are going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators.” https://t.co/bska84ZFPs
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 29, 2020
The announcement came two days after the president signed a historic $2 trillion aid package to help cushion the economic impact of these restrictions.
What other steps could White House take to combat the pandemic?
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