Trump says reopening may result in more deaths, but we cant sit in the house for the next three years – MarketWatch

By Mike Murphy

Published: May 5, 2020 7:45 pm ET

President Donald Trump tours a Honeywell plant that manufactures personal protective equipment in Phoenix on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday admitted its possible that reopening the country for business will result in additional coronavirus deaths, but said that the economy has to get going again.

President Donald Trump

Its possible there will be some [deaths] because you wont be locked into an apartment or house or whatever it is, Trump told anchor David Muir in an ABC News interview aired Tuesday night. But at the same time, were going to practice social distancing, were going to be washing hands, were going to be doing a lot of the things that weve learned to do over the last period of time.

Trump suggested stay-at-home orders and the economic shutdown were causing deaths anyway, in the form of overdoses and suicides.

We have to get our country back, you know, people are dying the other way, too, Trump continued. When you look at whats happened with drugs, it goes up. When you look at suicides, I mean, take a look at whats going on. People are losing their jobs. We have to bring it back and thats what were doing.

While some researchers have said the number of overdose deaths and suicides is likely to increase, there is no indication that those numbers are anywhere near the death toll from the coronavirus.

There are about 1.2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins data, with more than 70,000 Americans already dead. On Monday, the New York Times reported that a new White House projection shows a likely steady rise in the number of cases in May, and up to 3,000 deaths a day by June 1, about twice the current level.

More than 30 million people have lost their jobs, at least temporarily, and economic output has ground to a halt due to shutdowns to prevent the spread of the disease. But states are starting to reopen, despite the risks of a second wave of infections.

Therell be more death, that the virus will pass, with or without a vaccine, the president told ABC News. And I think were doing very well on the vaccines, but with or without a vaccine, its going to pass, and were going to be back to normal. But its been a rough process. There is no question about it.

Speaking Monday night on CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top expert in infections disease, said the bottom line when it comes to reopening is: How many deaths and how much suffering are you willing to accept to get back to what you want to be some form of normality sooner rather than later?

Trumps interview remarks echoed comments he made earlier in the day, speaking to reporters in Arizona.

The people of our country are warriors, Trump said. Im not saying anything is perfect. Will some people be affected? Yes. Will some people be affected badly? Yes. But we have to get our country opened and we have to get it open soon.

Trump toured a Honeywell HON-0.24% face-mask factory in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon, where he wore goggles but not a face mask. White House officials told the press that face masks were not required, although signs were spotted inside the factory indicating face masks were mandatory.

See original version of this story

See the article here:

Trump says reopening may result in more deaths, but we cant sit in the house for the next three years - MarketWatch