Some states and counties may be able to reopen their economies by May 1, according to Kellyanne Conway.
President Trump floated May as a possible time for some states to roll back social distancing guidelines that forced many businesses to close. He previously listed Easter as a target reopening date but later extended the coronavirus guidelines to April 30, leaving many to question if May 1 is a reality or an optimistic goal.
During a Tuesday interview on Fox and Friends, Conway said May 1 is a realistic date to reopen many parts of the country.
“For some places, it certainly can be a reality,” the presidential adviser said. “If there is testing available, if your infection rates are low, your death rates are low, your hospital capacity is there, including ventilators and medical personnel beds, beds in the ICU — all of that is taken into account.”
She continued, “The president has made clear from the beginning that he’s not looking at a date, he’s looking at data. And he will listen to the health and medical experts, as well. So, these are parallel tracks, and they soon will join.”
Conway explained that hard-hit areas such as New York City will likely not be ready to reopen by May 1. However, vast swaths of the rest of the United States may have the tools in place to open.
“We have 24% of our nation’s counties that have had no infections. We have got about 29 states that would meet some of the criteria that I have put out first. I think the fundamental point here is that the best person to revive the Donald Trump economy is Donald Trump,” she said.
Conway noted that Drs. Deborah Birx, Anthony Fauci, and Robert Redfield will continue to advise the White House and governors on the best date to reopen areas of the country. Fauci also said over the weekend that it may be possible to start reopening states on a “rolling” basis next month.
