WASHINGTON (AP/WMAL) The White House on Monday urged all older Americans to stay home and everyone to avoid crowds and eating out at restaurants as part of sweeping guidelines meant to combat an expected surge of coronavirus cases.
President Donald Trump and the coronavirus task force released the guidelines as the U.S. government moved to try to blunt the impact of the virus.
Among new guidelines: Over the next 15 days, Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10 people, schooling should be at home and discretionary travel and social visits should be avoided.
If anyone in a household tests positive for the virus, everyone who lives there should stay home.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci says the recommendations are commensurate to the crisis and warns that, “They will fail if people don’t adhere to them”
Trump says the U.S. could be coping with the virus until July or August,” and maybe “longer than that.”
In addition, President Trump says the United States “may be” headed toward a recession as the economy continues to be battered amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Once the spread of the virus is stopped, Trump said he believes the U.S. economy will see a “tremendous, tremendous surge.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 11% Monday afternoon.
The president also is pledging federal support for airlines struggling because of the pandemic, saying he’s “going to back the airlines 100%.”
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. PHOTO WH.GOV/Facebook
