Officials debate May 1 target to reopen U.S. economy

The Trump administration views May 1 as a target date for relaxing stay-at-home restrictions across the United States, but some officials cautioned that it was still too early to say that target would be met.

Lisa Bernhard has more.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO, SAYING: “Big question for everyone is when do we reopen?” With the U.S. reeling from a ravaged economy and staggering number of job losses, politicians on Sunday debated when to ease the nearly nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo among them.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO, SAYING: "We want to reopen as soon as possible.

The caveat is we need to be smart in the way we reopen.

Nobody wants to pick between a public health strategy and an economic strategy.” The Trump administration views May 1 as a target date for relaxing stay-at-home restrictions, according to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn who appeared Sunday on ABC’s “This Week”.

But Hahn cautioned that it was still too early to say that target would be met – something echoed by other officials, such as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation,’ who also stressed putting public health before paychecks.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY, SAYING: “Any sort of an economic reopening or recovery depends first and foremost on a complete health care recovery.

We start to get back on our feet too soon, I fear, based on the data we're looking at, that we could be throwing gasoline on the fire.” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, also on ‘Face the Nation,’ teased out those specifics.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CHICAGO MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT, SAYING: “That means widespread testing, contact tracing, and we've got to see not just a flattening of the curve, but a bending down.” Top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health experts say widespread testing will be key to efforts to reopen the economy, including antibody tests to find out who has already had the disease and could be safe to return to work.

The FDA's Hahn said he was concerned that some antibody tests on the market that had not gone through the FDA scientific review process, "may not be as accurate as we'd like them to be." New government data shows a summer surge in infections if stay-at-home orders are lifted after only 30 days, according to projections first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official.