President Donald Trump is considering lifting restrictions that hindered the economy meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus “by Easter.” When asked why he picked that date, the president respond, “because it is a very special day for me.” However, health experts are concerned this decision will accelerate the spread of the virus. 

Many state governors, federal government leaders, and health officials agree that the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to close nonessential businesses and for people to stay at home. More than 100 million Americans will be ordered to stay at home. 

Relaxing these restrictions, as Trump wants, could increase the spread of the virus, overwhelm the healthcare system and increase the amount of people who die from the virus. Going back to normal too early would have dire consequences. 

The economy is suffering due to these setbacks. Experts at Morgan Stanley say that the economy could shrink by 30 percent and that the unemployment rate could go up to 13 percent. However, experts are saying the federal government’s 15-day period for social distancing is essential to slowing down the spread of the virus in the U.S., especially since there are more than 40,000 people infected in the U.S. alone. However, the president has suggested that the impact on the economy outweighs the deaths caused by COVID-19. 

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“Our country wasn’t built to be shut down,” he said during a White House briefing. “America will, again, and soon, be open for business. Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting. Lot sooner. We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.”

Other economists have come out as well in support of prioritizing the economy. Lloyd Blankfein, the former chief executive of Goldman Sachs, tweeted that the restrictions on the economy had severe consequences and suggested that “within a very few weeks let those with a lower risk to the disease return to work.”

CORONAVIRUS FAQ: WIKI OF MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, which is now the epicenter of the virus in the U.S., has suggested that states would have to soon restart their economies. “You can’t stop the economy forever,” he said on Monday. “So we have to start to think about does everyone stay out of work? Should young people go back to work sooner? Can we test for those who had the virus, resolved, and are now immune and can they start to go back to work?”

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