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Fauci Warns Against Reopening US Businesses Too Quickly

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - Dr. Anthony Fauci, the lead U.S. coronavirus expert,
   warned Thursday against reopening the country too quickly for fear of
   giving the pandemic new life.

   As some U.S. state governors are moving to reopen commerce, Fauci urged
   them to "go very slowly" if they do not have the capability to do
   contact tracing of known coronavirus patients.

   "You can't just leap over things and get into a situation where you're
   really tempting a rebound," Fauci told NBC's "Today" show. "That's the
   thing I get concerned about. I hope they don't do that."

   Several state governors have said in recent days that restaurants,
   retail stores, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys and other
   establishments can begin to reopen if they want. As April turns to May
   on Friday, President Donald Trump says he is ending the federal request
   that Americans maintain at least a two-meter physical distance from
   other people.

   "They'll be fading out because now the governors are doing it," Trump
   told reporters Wednesday.

   Fauci said states looking to reopen commerce should follow federal
   guidelines and only begin to reopen if they have a two-week decline in
   the number of new coronavirus cases, a standard some states have not
   met.

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