Health Experts Call May Economy Reopening “Unrealistic”

Many public health experts, including a number of officials within the Trump administration, have called chances of reopening the economy by the first of May unrealistic. While May 1 is the official target date for an economy reopening, FDA Commissioner Steve Hahn has stated that it may be “too early to be able to tell that we see light at the end of the tunnel.”

Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci argued on Sunday in favor of what he characterized as a “rolling reentry” into normal daily life activities, advocating for stricter reentry guidelines depending upon the severity of cases across various regions of the country. While Fauci said the reentry may possibly begin within the month of May, he emphasized necessary precautions.

“It is not going to be a light switch,” Fauci told CNN. “It is going to be depending where you are in the country, the nature of the outbreak you’ve already experienced, and the threat of an outbreak that you may not have experienced.”

Fauci has previously warned of COVID-19 infections “reemerging” should social distancing end prematurely. Fauci further criticized the U.S. government’s delayed responses, stating that earlier intervention could have saved more lives. On Sunday evening, President Trump retweeted a tweet bearing the #FireFauci hashtag which has gained traction among a sect of right-wing advocates calling for the health officials dismissal.

According to a recent poll, 59% of Americans are concerned about prematurely ending social distancing.