REUTERS APRIL 15, 2020 / 10:29 AM

Some governors believe their states ready to reopen after coronavirus shutdown, CDC head says

Governors of about 20 U.S. states where the new-coronavirus pandemic has had a low impact believe they may be ready to start the process of reopening their economies by President Donald Trump’s May 1 target date, a top U.S. health official said on Wednesday.

Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the CDC was prepared to assist those states in the process of lifting restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the virus, which has contributed to the deaths of at least 28,000 people across the country.

“There are a number of states – 19, 20 states – that really have had limited impact from it. So I think we will see some states that are – the governors feel that they’re ready – we’re poised to assist them with that reopening,” Redfield said in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Yet, health experts say that to avoid a second wave of infections as people return to work in certain states, extensive testing must be available to track infections, as well as contact tracing and antibody testing to learn who had been previously infected and might have some immunity.

Reopen coronavirus plan

The CDC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have put together a public health strategy to reopen parts of the country as part of the larger White House effort to get Americans back to work, the Washington Post reported.

The plan cites three phases: A national communication campaign and community readiness assessment through May 1; increased emergency funding and production of testing kits and personal protective equipment through May 15; and staged reopenings depending on local conditions.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-idUSKCN21X25I

Global Tracker: https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-USA/0100B5K8423/index.html