Trump Says He Will Decide When to Lift Coronavirus Lockdowns, Not State Governors

The US remains the most severely hit country in terms of the number of coronavirus infections, with 524,514 confirmed cases and 20,444 deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.

President Donald Trump has assured people via a post on Twitter that he will have the last say in determining when to end the coronavirus quarantines and reopen the US economy for business.

The president added, however, that he and his administration would be consulting state governors on the matter of reopening the economy and that it would be a joint decision. POTUS further noted that a decision on returning to normal economic activity would be made “shortly”. Earlier, Trump expressed a desire to lift the restrictions on doing business by Easter, claiming that the American economy was not made to be put on halt.

Trump’s announcement comes in the wake of him, in a historic move, declaring a major disaster in all 50 American states over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A state of major disaster allows local governments and non-government organisations to be funded using federal funds to help states fight the pandemic and cope with its consequences.

The US currently leads globally in terms of the amount of infections, with 525,704 people having been diagnosed with COVID-19. Recently, the US also surpassed Italy, becoming the country with the most fatalities caused by the novel coronavirus, with the death toll standing at 20,486, according to April 12 data from the US Centres for Disease Control.

Sourse: sputniknews.com