Daily Mail:
- If the current shelter-in-place orders are lifted on May 30, the death total is estimated to reach 200,000, according to the projections
- The death toll could reach 300,000 without any restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus, the model shows
- The projections, which are dated April 9, do not have dates for when shelter-in-place orders were delivered or specific dates for when spikes would hit
- Currently, the US death toll from the virus had hit more than 18,000 and the number of infections had increased to over 490,000
New US government figures show that a spike in coronavirus infections will occur in the summer if the current lockdown measures are lifted after 30 days as planned.
About 95 percent of the US is currently on some form of lockdown after President Donald Trump issued guidelines that called for 30 days of measures to slow the spread of the virus.
The government projections, obtained by the New York Times, indicate that lifting the strict social distancing measures now in place will see a second wave surge in infections and deaths in about June and July. Fatalities could reach 200,000 if the 30 day lockdown is lifted and some mitigation measures are put in place – like schools remaining closed until summer, 25 percent of the country continues working from home and some social distancing continues.
The projections, which are dated April 9, do not have dates for when shelter-in-place orders were delivered or specific dates for when spikes would hit. During a White House briefing on Friday, President Trump said he and his advisers have not yet seen the new coronavirus projections.
He gave a much different projection, saying he thinks the US will lose fewer than the 100,000 lives initially projected to be lost to the coronavirus and suggested the country is nearing its peak infection rate.
