Covid-19: Trump releases three-phase plan to re-open US economy

US President, Donald Trump, has unveiled plans by his government to re-open the US economy so people can get back to school, church and visit their favorite bars amid claims that the Coronavirus outbreak has peaked in the US .

Addressing reporters in the White House Thursday night, President Trump revealed his three-phase plan tagged ‘Opening Up American Again”

Trump while revealing the plan, said the final decision was in the hands of state governors saying each state would be allowed to move through the reopening phases whenever its governor deemed it was safe to do so.

Trump said: ‘We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time. Some states will be able to open up sooner than others. Some states are not in the kind of trouble that others are in.

‘Healthy Americans will now be able to return to work as individual conditions allow. Vulnerable individuals will be protected. A certain level of testing and hospital capacity must be met before advancing to each phase. This is a gradual process. As the caseload in a state continues to go down restrictions can be eased and called off.

‘If the virus returns in the fall, as some scientists think it may, these guidelines will ensure our country is up and running so we can put it out quickly.’

Vice President Mike Pence later outlined the targets state would have to meet before they could begin reopening, including a downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses for two weeks, as well as a downward trajectory of positive Coronavirus test results for the same length of time.

According to Coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx , restaurants and gyms will also be allowed to re-open, although strict social distancing rules must be carried out.

According to her, schools should stay closed, with visits to nursing homes banned during phase one while phase two will see non-essential travel allowed again, as well as elective surgeries, and schools reopened.

But she said visits to nursing homes will still be prohibited to prevent the elderly from getting the virus.

The US Coronavirus death toll as at Friday stands at 34,784..