United States President Donald Trump has favoured safe and phased reopening of the American economy, which has been devastated by the Corona virus pandemic that resulted in more than 50,000 deaths and infected over eight lakh in a matter of few months.

More than 95 per cent of the country’s 330 million people are under stay-at-home order as a result of the social mitigation measures including social distancing being enforced till 1st of May.

Mr Trump yesterday indicated that this might be extended beyond 1st of May, but forcefully advocated the need to gradually open up the economy that is safe. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have projected a negative growth in the US in 2020.

President Trump told reporters at his daily White House news conference on Corona virus, safe and phased reopening of our economy it’s very exciting, but it does not mean that we are letting down our guard at all in any way; on the contrary, continued diligence is an essential part of our strategy to get our country back to work to take our country back. The data and facts on the ground suggest that the US is making great progress, he said.

Mr Trump said that the US is very close to a finding a vaccine for COVID-19.