Trump says U.S. ‘past the peak’; will unveil new virus guidelines

WASHINGTON, DC -- President Donald Trump said data indicates the U.S. is “past the peak” of the Covid-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to “reopen” the country.

Speaking during his Wednesday briefing, Trump called the latest data “encouraging,” saying they have “put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country.” Trump said those guidelines will be unveiled Thursday at the White House.

The guidelines are expected to clear the way for an easing of social distancing guidelines in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.

The current federal guidelines on social distancing expire on April 30. Officials said the White House would work closely with states to ensure reopening efforts are done safely and only when local outbreaks are deemed contained.

Business leaders tell Trump testing is key to reopening

Earlier in the day, Trump convened the first phone call with some members of his newly formed business council.

During that call, industry leaders reiterated to the president what public health experts and governors have been telling him for weeks: that there would need to be guarantees of ramped-up coronavirus testing before people return to work, according to a person briefed on the discussions.

The call, one of a series with various sectors on Wednesday, was the first task force teleconference aimed at devising a strategy for reopening the country. The call lasted for about an hour and had dozens of participants from the banking, food, hospitality and retail sectors, many of whom lauded the president and his administration for their efforts to combat coronavirus and jump-start the economy.

Many of Trump’s conservative allies have encouraged him to listen to advice from business leaders, hoping their recommendations on reopening parts of the country will counterbalance the advice of public health experts such as Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, who convinced Trump to extend social distancing guidelines by another month at the start of April.

Those allies are convinced that internal discussions on the coronavirus task force, and the information it provides the president, are overly weighted toward models and worst-case public health scenarios. They had hoped another panel inside the White House focused on the economic effects of the pandemic might lend equilibrium.

Some of Trump’s advisers also hoped having the imprimatur of American industry on White House decision-making might lend credibility — and cover — to whatever decision Trump announces on how and when to recommend reopening certain portions of the country, which some fear could lead to new outbreaks if rushed out too quickly.