President Trump revealed on Thursday that if a second wave of coronavirus hits, he won’t shut the country down.
As Trump toured a Ford factory in Michigan, he was questioned about what would happen if a second wave of COVID-19 struck America.
“People say that’s a very distinct possibility,” said Trump. “We are going to put out the fires. We’re not going to close the country. We can put out the fires. Whether it is an ember or a flame, we are going to put it out. But we are not closing our country.”
Trump has previously warned of “embers” of the pandemic before. However, he maintains the stance that they can be stamped out. Health experts have cautioned that a second wave may be more difficult to fight once flu season begins.
In fact, Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease says he has “no doubt” that new waves of the virus will appear.
“The virus is not going to disappear,” said Dr. Fauci to Post. “It’s a highly transmissible virus. At any given time, it’s some place or another. As long as that’s the case, there’s a risk of resurgence.”
Related: Fauci Warns About Reopening Schools, Trump Replies, ‘Not an acceptable answer’
The U.S. economy has been straining under social distancing rules. This caused Trump to declare that the country should reopen despite the risks involved. As a result, all 50 states now have some form of a reopening plan in place.
Trump is reportedly determined to revive the economy as the 2020 presidential election approaches. With more than 38 million U.S. workers filing for unemployment, this should come as no surprise. Industries of all kinds are hurting, including tech, sales, medical billing training and of course hospitality.
There have been at least 96,359 deaths from the virus in the US, and we’re expected to soon surpass 100,000. America leads the world in coronavirus cases, sitting at 1,621,196. Russia has the second-highest number of cases, at 326,448.
In other news, while Trump toured Ford Motor Co.’s plant in Michigan, he refused to wear a mask during the full visit. He claims he was “given a choice,” but sources say no one from Ford told him that.
Ford has a policy that everyone wear a mask while on the premises.
“I had one on before, I wore one in this back area,” said Trump. “I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
However, it seems like someone was able to snap a photo of Trump wearing a mask.
Dana Nessel, Michigan’s Attorney General said of the incident,
“I am ashamed to have him be president of the United States of America. I hope that the voters of Michigan will remember this… He didn’t respect them enough just to engage in the very simple task, the painless task, the easy task of wearing a mask.”
Related: Reopened Schools Forced to Close After 70 New COVID-19 Cases Appear
