Trump Extends Federal Social-Distancing Guidelines Through April 30th

National News– President Trump, speaking from a White House coronavirus news briefing today, declared that “the peak in death rate” in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic “is likely to hit in two week.”   He also said the Federal Government will be extending its social-distancing guidelines through April 30th, 2020.

“The modeling estimates that the peak in death rate is likely to hit in two weeks. I will say it again. The peak, the highest point of death rates, remember this, is likely to hit in two weeks…Therefore, we will be extending our guidelines to April 30, to slow the spread,” said Trump.  He also said his earlier hope that the country would reopen by Easter was “just an aspiration.”

“We can expect that by June 1, we will be well on our way to recovery” and that “a lot of great things will be happening.”

When President Trump was asked about worst-case scenarios if the Country were to remain closed indefinitely, Trump responded, “You’re gonna have large numbers of suicides–tremendous suicides. You will see drugs being used like nobody has ever used them before, and people are going to be dying all over the place.”

Trump Estimated that 2.2 million people could have died in a worst-case scenario, if the government had done nothing about social distancing recommendations. “If we can hold that down to 100,00 (deaths) or less, it will be a good job.”   Trump followed it up with, “Had the country simply ridden the virus like a cowboy and driven that sucker right through, disaster would have unfolded.”

Trump also did his usual back and forth with reporters at the Press Conference, but in a positive note, Trump said that “two of the Country’s largest Health Insurers, Humana and Cigna, have announced that they will waive copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for coronavirus treatments”

We expect Governor Jay Inslee will follow the suggested Federal Guidelines later this week and extend the “stay home, stay healthy” executive order through April 30th, 2020 as well. We will continue to bring you news and updates on the Coronavirus Pandemic as information is released.